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Newsletter - March 2022

Welcome to our March newsletter

This month our newsletter includes:

Latest news and updates

Healthwatch Poll: Tell us your experiences of using NHS111
 

We are keen to hear about any experiences you have had in using NHS111, either online or over the phone, over the last 12 months.

Please tell us your experiences via our simple one-question poll. We'll share the results in our next newsletter.
Click here to take our poll!

Results for our February Poll

Last month we asked about the ending of COVID-19 restrictions. Three quarters of respondents felt that ending these on the 24th February was too soon. 

New online platform and support to help people waiting for treatment in Sussex


People in Sussex who are waiting for care will now be able to access support and check waiting times on a new online platform: My Planned Care NHS.
Built in conjunction with patient groups, the website allows patients and their carers to access information ahead of their planned appointment, operation or treatment.

The platform will be expanded in the coming months to include:
  • more specific information for specialties
  • how patients can contact hospital departments and teams and
  • signposting to existing community support, public health wellbeing, voluntary and community sector and non-acute provider services for advice and support for physical and mental wellbeing

Spring COVID-19 Boosters announced

Under its ‘Living with COVID’ plan, the government has identified specific groups that will be offered an additional COVID-19 vaccine this spring.
 

Across the UK, an additional booster will be offered six months after the previous booster to:

  • adults aged 75 and over
  • residents in a care home for older adults
  • people aged 12 and over with weakened immune systems

The UK’s vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said an extra dose would help maintain protection from severe COVID in the most vulnerable individuals.
 
People are asked not to contact their GP practice or other NHS services to ask about this at this stage and there will be more information shared shortly, including details of how to arrange a vaccination.

Only 1 in 3 NHS Trusts meet Accessible Information Standard
 

Research undertaken by Healthwatch England shows that only a third (35%), of the NHS Trusts that responded to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests fully comply with the legally-binding standard to help patients with sensory impairments and learning disabilities (The Accessible Information Standard).
 
Even where Trusts reported having a policy to follow the standard, many admitted they don’t always put it into practice or are still working on implementing it.
Click here to find out more or to download a copy of the findings.

Keep vigilant for COVID-19 vaccination scams
 

Over the last few weeks more and more people have reported receiving bogus calls and texts related to COVID-19 and the vaccination process, from the NHS, Government and other sources.  

If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726, which is free of charge.
If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
 
OFCOM, the communications regulator, has advice on how to spot and react to
Coronavirus scam calls and texts.
Click here for more information

Care Quality Commission (CQC) releases annual report into Mental Health


The recently published ‘Monitoring the Mental Health Act’, is the CQC’s annual report on the use of the Mental Health Act (MHA).
 
It looks at how providers are caring for patients, and whether patients' rights are being protected.
 
The key findings in the 2020/21 were that: 
  1. The workforce is under extreme pressure. 
  2. Community Services are key to reducing levels of detention in hospital. 
  3. Urgent action is needed to address longstanding inequalities in mental health care.
Click here for more information

Significant challenges in accessing NHS dentistry says new Healthwatch reports


Healthwatch East Sussex has published two new reports exploring people’s experiences of accessing dentistry services in the county since March 2020.
 
We heard that the public are:
  • struggling to access emergency and routine treatment, especially NHS services
  • finding it hard to identify dental practices accepting new NHS patients
  • experiencing delays and cancellations
  • feeling anxious due to variable access to preventative services such as check-ups and hygienists
The reports include information aimed at supporting NHS Commissioners and Dentists to understand people’s experiences and the impact that a lack of access to dental services can have on their lives, as well as recommendations for changes to commissioning processes and practical steps such as improved information and communication.
Click here to read the reports

Wellbeing Tips from our staff: What works for me
 

Turn off the TV, put down your phone, disconnect from technology and be present in the here and now.

Practicing mindfulness, slowing down your breathing and taking deeper breaths, or meditating for just 10-20 minutes a day can have a positive impact on your overall wellbeing.
 
Free music and guided meditations can be found on apps and websites such as Insight Timer, Headspace or Calm, or you can access videos on You Tube. There is also a Headspace Guide to Meditation TV series (on Netflix) that takes you through the benefits and practicalities step-by-step.
 
More information is available on mindfulness from the charity MIND and the NHS.

Directors Update
Outdoor space, health and wellbeing
 
The link between people having access to outdoor spaces and good health is increasingly well documented. Yet the vast majority of the English countryside is out of bounds for most people, with 92% of the countryside and 96% of rivers being off limits to the public.
 
There is so much more open space in England, hidden behind stone walls of manorial estates or the barbed wire fences of private woodlands. We need the silence, solitude and open space of the landscape as much as we need its fresh air.
 
Our need to experience nature is not just about recreation, more than ever it is essential to our psychological wellbeing. With our sedentary and largely urbanised lifestyles, obesity and respiratory disorders are on the rise, and heart disease and back problems plague many. We have an urgent need for exercise and for the space to do it in.
 
Our mental health is in crisis, we are getting steadily more depressed, and ‘nature deficit disorder’ has been cited as the cause for many developmental issues in children, such as ADHD and eating disorders. Phytonicides released by trees in a forest can boost our immune systems and decrease the symptoms of stress.
 
Recent lockdowns have brought the issue of access to open space to the foreground of public consciousness. Those with gardens or access to green space were privileged over those without who were confined within the walls of their homes. Covid-19 has demonstrated that access to space is very visibly linked to social wellbeing.
 
To read the remainder of this article please click here

Healthwatch -  What we have heard about health and care services in East Sussex
During February, our Information and Signposting service received 37 enquiries related to health and care services. We heard most about GPs, Dentists and Mental Health services.

GPs – you told us:

  • Concerns continued to be raised about limited access to appointments due to availability, triage issues and booking processes, and the impact this has on mental health was mentioned.
  • Some people were not satisfied with the way their GPs had treated them during consultations, with people intending to make a complaint and seeking support with the process.
  • We heard that people wanted face-to-face appointments to be made available to them again.

Dentists  – you told us:

  • The majority of dental enquiries were from people struggling to find a dentist offering NHS appointments or treatment, including adults and children, and both urgent and routine care.
  • We also heard from people experiencing delays in the referral process for dental treatment.
Please see our latest Healthwatch report into people’s experiences of dentistry since March 2020, and our guide on dentistry which sets out your rights and offers advice.

Mental Health Services – you told us:

  • People reported significant delays both with mental health diagnosis and treatment, impacting on the quality of their daily lives.
  • We heard from people feeling unsupported by their GP with mental health concerns.
  • The mental health impact of not being able to access a GP appointment was also raised as an issue, not for the first time.
Remember – each and every time you use a health or care service you can leave a review on our Feedback Centre telling us and the public about your experience.
Leave your feedback on health and care services here

Jobs

East Sussex Community Voice: Community Engagement Officer

Our host organisation East Sussex Community Voice currently has an exciting opportunity for a Community Engagement Officer.

For further information and to apply, please click on the job roles below to access the job packs. Please note that application forms must be used and that CVs will not be accepted.

Community Engagement Officer


Deadline: Midnight on Thursday 31st March 2022. Previous applicants need not apply.

For further information or support with any queries, please contact: Sue Wells (susan.wells@escv.org.uk) or 07794 097 713

Partnership Projects

East Sussex Community Voice publishes report into Youth Voice and Participation activity

East Sussex Community Voice delivers a variety of initiatives and projects which champion the voices of young people and strengthen youth leadership.
 
Its 2021-2022 Youth Voice and Participation Impact report details its different workstreams, and outlines the impacts of these initiatives on young people across education, health and wellbeing services, whilst also providing learning for commissioners and providers.

The report includes case studies from young volunteers, findings from a youth volunteer satisfaction survey, evidence and insight from project work and plans for the future.
 
For more information please click here.
Click here to read the report

Events

Rother Community Network: Looking to the Future - 20th May 2022


The next Rother Community Network will be held on 20th May 2022 at Rye Creative Centre.
It will focus on Diversity, Cultures and Inclusion in Rother, including:
• How inclusive are our community groups, organisations, and services?
• What can we do to increase diversity and improve access to opportunities?
 
Share your experience, learn from others, and make valuable connections for collaboration and support moving forward.
Click here to find out more and register

‘Maps and Dreams: Preparing for tomorrow’ - 20th April 2022
 

The East Sussex Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Alliance Annual Conference 2022 is taking place at Uckfield Civic Centre on the 20th April between 2pm to 7.45pm.
The event will have keynote speakers, presentations on initiatives by local groups and workshops on key themes for people to contribute their views and ideas.
 
To register your place please click here 
 
If you would like to have a marketplace slot or require more details, please contact the organisers Creative Force for more details:
Email: info@creativeforce.org.uk
Telephone/Text: 07432 678228
Click here to find out more and register

Training

Free ‘Think Carer’ Training


Care for the Carers deliver free Carer Awareness Training for professionals and volunteers in East Sussex to help people understand carer related themes.
These include:
  • Who are carers?  
  • What are the benefits and impacts of caring?
  • The importance of ‘thinking carer’ identifying and supporting carers
  • Carers rights
  • Support available – signposting and referrals
  • A ‘Carer-Friendly Community’ approach – good practice and the role we can all play to deliver the Government and NHS commitment to carers
Forthcoming 2022 dates:
  • Thursday 28th April, 10am – 12.30pm
  • Monday 16th May, 1.30pm – 4pm
  • Tuesday 7th June, 10am – 12.30pm
For further information or to book a place, please contact Carole Gregory:
Tel: 01323 738390
Email: caroleg@cftc.org.uk
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