Hertfordshire Health Matters.

Friday 3rd May 2019

What would you do to improve services? Have your say with Healthwatch Hertfordshire

There are just a few days left for you to complete surveys on the NHS.

Promoted locally by Healthwatch Hertfordshire as part of its work on the NHS Long Term Plan,  one survey (https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/what-would-you-do-general) asks about general experiences of the NHS.  The second (https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/tell-us-what-would-you-do) asks about specific experiences that people may have had due to cancer, mental health services, heart and lung diseases, dementia, autism, learning disabilities and long term conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis.

Please do take just a few moments to fill these forms in, and also encourage others including family and friends to complete one or both surveys as relevant to them. 

Having a safe Ramadan - diabetes and fasting

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar when Muslims devote themselves to their faith and fast from sunrise to sunset.

Starting next week and lasting until early June, the Ramadan fasting period is obligatory for almost all Muslims. The longer UK daylight hours make it a challenging time and as some people with diabetes are keen to observe the fast, it's important people seek advice from their GP and Imam before starting their fast.

The diabetes clinical steering group at Hertfordshire and West Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) gives the following advice:

Walk this way in May

May is national walking month, a campaign to highlight  the benefits of taking steps - literally and figuratively - to improve our health. 

As publicised in the last HHM, the Hertfordshire Health Walks is a county-wide initiative of free, led walks coordinated by Countryside Management Service (CMS). It aims to help promote walking and encourage more people (all ages, backgrounds and abilities) to get outdoors, get more active and reap the benefits.

The Hertfordshire Health Walks schemes have around 270 trained volunteers leading a programme of 55 walks a week and are in partnership with a variety of organisations as well as forming part of the national campaign, Walking for Health (WfH).

You can find out more on this scheme here - we hope you have a great time putting those best feet forward.

LOCAL NEWS week ending 28th April 2019

St Albans & Harpenden Review      

Young people from across the county gathered to learn how to become the next generation of health and social care heroes.

More than 700 people attended the ‘Future Heroes’ Health and Social Care careers expo at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield on April 2.

St Albans & Harpenden Review        
April 2019

Young people in Hertfordshire will benefit from a new accreditation to improve their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

The Healthy Young Minds in Herts accreditation will be awarded to schools and colleges which demonstrate a commitment to supporting pupils and teachers.