Healthwatch Northamptonshire volunteers Sheila White and Wendy Patel won the ‘Celebrating our volunteer team’ category in the Healthwatch Awards 2020, which were run by Healthwatch England during Healthwatch week (2 - 6 November).
They have been praised by Healthwatch Northamptonshire and Kettering General Hospital for their dedication to patient experience and for the many improvements for patients their visits have resulted in.
Our Chair, Dr David N Jones, talked about our work from 2019-20, such as our working with Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership about the ‘Big Ideas’ for local implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan, our ‘Enter and view’ visits to local mental health services and our ‘15 Steps’ visits to hospitals and many more activities made possible by the hard work of our volunteers on projects that inform change and make a difference. We also shared our work plans for this year.
Our Healthwatch Project Manager and Young Healthwatch Lead, Esther Stimpson, also talked about Young Healthwatch and their annual report. We also had a video update from Imelda Redmond CBE, National Director of Healthwatch England, which you can also watch here.
Connected Together is a Community Interest Company (CIC) looking to recruit a Coordinator to support volunteers and manage the work of Carers’ Voice Northamptonshire and support other projects. Carers’ Voice is a group of passionate unpaid Carers working together to ensure that the voices of Carers and their families are heard in Northamptonshire.
The role is for 7 – 14 hours per week worked over days to suit. The salary is £13 per hour equivalent to £25k per annum pro rata.
At Healthwatch Northamptonshire, we want to make sure everyone feels comfortable being themselves. This is why some of our staff have added their pronouns in their email signatures. This is so people who are transgender and non-binary can have their pronouns respected and people who aren't transgender and non-binary can show solidarity and normalise presenting pronouns that shouldn't always be assumed. Using someone’s correct personal pronouns is a way to respect them and create an inclusive environment, just as using a person’s name can be a way to respect them. For more information about why this is important visit: www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why
The Government announced yesterday that Northamptonshire will be placed in Tier 2 of the three tier COVID-19 alert system, starting on Wednesday 2 December. Find out more and read the latest guidance.
During the current lockdown, and as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Northamptonshire, Kettering General and Northampton General hospitals are reminding local people about the different ways we can help people to stay in touch, this includes ‘virtual visiting’.
For the last seven months both hospitals have maintained strict no visiting arrangements across their wards with only a few carefully planned exceptions.
This is to make them as safe as they can be by reducing the numbers of people on the two sites to reduce the risk of Covid-19 being brought into hospital.
Both hospitals have responded to the ‘no visitors’ challenge by developing innovative ways to keep families in touch with one another safely during the pandemic.
Public Health Northamptonshire and Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group are calling on carers to get their free flu vaccine. Having the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and anyone that you care for from flu. Those who receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick, are eligible for a free flu vaccine.
Influenza, commonly known as flu, is a highly infectious viral illness. For most healthy people, the seasonal flu is mostly unpleasant. However, those who are pregnant are at particular risk from the more serious effects of flu. Public Health Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire GP Core Group and Kettering and Northampton General Hospital’s maternity services are urging pregnant people to opt for their free flu vaccination and stay protected from the virus.
Over the course of their lifetime, one in four people will experience mental ill health – that’s more than 185,500 people in Northamptonshire alone. It’s currently too early to know the full mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is undoubtedly affecting people and services, meaning this number is certainly expected to increase.
Improving and developing mental health care pathways, services and outcomes is one of four priority transformation programmes that local health and care organisations are focusing on together through Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership (NHCP).
In this special edition of NHCP’s Partnership Update newsletter, you can find out more about the extensive partnership work that’s continuing to improve local mental health services – and how a truly collaborative approach is delivering real positive change and shaping plans for the future.
After a pause while the health and care system turned its attention to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership’s monthly newsletter returns with a brand new look. In this edition they bring you the latest news of how colleagues from across NHCP have been continuing to work together towards our shared vision for a positive lifetime of health, wellbeing and care in our community, including:
An introduction to NHCP's new Independent Chair
The public launch of My Health and Care Directory
An update on the Northamptonshire Care Record
News of NHCP priority programmes, including iCAN and mental health and more
Due to ongoing restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Northamptonshire CCG are unable to hold an Annual General Meeting in the same way this year.
To keep local people informed, Northamptonshire CCG published a series of short films called Moving Forward Together. These focus on the key areas of work undertaken by Nene CCG and Corby CCG during 2019/20; the formation of a single CCG for Northamptonshire and its plans for the future; and how they are working with GPs and partners to support collaborative working across the local health and care system.
The Q&A session will then be published on Northamptonshire CCG website on Friday 27 November. Please email any questions to nccg.contact@nhs.net.
A new strategy which aims to reduce health inequalities in Northamptonshire was discussed at a meeting of the county council’s Cabinet on November 10.
The programme, being developed by Public Health, aims to empower communities in the county so they can build their own resilience to become healthier.
This will involve working with local community teams who have a really good understanding of local communities, recruitment of officers who can work with communities to understand their needs and what is available locally already, and then working in partnership with those communities to develop interventions to improve health and wellbeing.
The initiative looks to develop areas such as:
Improving the wellbeing of those most disadvantaged in a community
Deafconnect is the only charity in Northamptonshire supporting deaf people of all ages. They are continuing to provide support and services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted more than ever the difficulties and discrimination faced by people who have hearing loss.
“Ring this number” is impossible for a Deaf person or people with different levels of hearing loss. Anyone who provides a service to people, be it a big professional organisation, one man bands, and without a doubt health care service providers, should ensure people with any level of hearing loss can access a service with the equality of a hearing person.
At their next Trust Board on 30 November, KGH Board members are expected to press for additional government funding to enable them to progress plans for a new hospital.
On top of £46m for a much-needed urgent care hub, the Trust was delighted to receive an allocation of funds totalling £350m in the Government’s recent commitment to fund capital developments at more than 40 hospitals. Subject to business case approval, the money allocated to KGH will fund notable improvements to the hospital’s aged estate.
KGH gets accreditation as Carer Friendly Organisation
Kettering General Hospital has achieved the first two levels of an accreditation scheme which commits it to supporting staff who are also caring for others outside of work.
The Trust has been awarded level 2 of the Carer Friendly Employer Accreditation Scheme run by Northamptonshire Carers.
Yesterday (Thursday, November 26) - which was Carers Rights Day – KGH held a virtual event with Northamptonshire Carers to discuss how they can work with them to give their own staff who care for others outside of work more support.
A recent survey showed four in five unpaid carers are providing more care for relatives during the pandemic and two thirds are worried about the impact of further lockdowns.
Find out more about Carers Rights in the National News section below.
Northampton General Hospital has launched three new midwifery continuity teams, Rose, Iris and Jasmine.
These continuity teams mean that expectant mums will see the same midwives throughout pregnancy, birth and post-natal care.
Iris and Jasmine are small teams of midwives who will focus on those who identify with BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. The Rose team will focus on women who want to birth at home, or low risk women who are planning to use the Barratt Birth Centre.
Sadly, certain groups of people are less likely to have a positive outcomes when it comes to pregnancy and birth. However research shows that being part of a continuity team significantly improves outcomes for pregnant people, and they are more likely to have a positive birth experience being cared for by a midwife they have built a relationship with.
Although tighter national restrictions came into force on 5 November, in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, dental practices will continue to remain open.
Anyone needing urgent dental care either for themselves or their children should feel reassured about the safety measures in place. It is important that urgent dental care is sought where needed.
As previously advised, most practices are providing face to face care and 90% can offer aerosol-generating (AGP) procedures (some treatments involving the use of powered instruments like drills or scalers) through the use of enhanced infection control measures and PPE.
There are also currently 93 Urgent Dental Care Centres across the Midlands providing urgent care for those patients who do not have access to a regular dentist or whose dentist is not yet offering the full range of services.
Northamptonshire Safeguarding Adults Board has launched an online survey to find out people’s understanding of safeguarding and if they know how to raise a concern if someone they know is at risk of harm and abuse.
The survey was launched to coincide with National Safeguarding Adults Week (16th to 22nd November) which aims to highlight adult safeguarding and the role everyone can play in helping to prevent abuse.
Northamptonshire CCG is working on a contract with nursing homes to ensure that all homes have the same high standards of care.
This survey is for people who live in a care home, their friend and relatives. Please answer on the basis of your experience of the services during the past year.
November brings a new beginning for healthcare in Brackley, with the planned opening of the new state-of-the art medical centre and community hospital.
Despite challenges including a global pandemic (which saw the floor which was created for the centre diverted to the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London) the construction team has delivered a fantastic new facility and NHFT are now in the final stage of preparing the building ahead of opening.
The facility will become a hub for healthcare in the south of the county, enabling an expanded range of services and care for the people of Brackley and neighbouring villages in South Northants and on the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire borders.
Northampton Borough Council is running a free live online event on Thursday 3rd December 10am – 1pm to celebrate International Day of People With Disabilities which will be hosted by one of their ‘See Active Be Active’ film stars Kian Saville. The event will involve lots of motivational messages to encourage disabled people to get active and provide opportunities for them to do so through live exercise classes.
If you have been affected by breast cancer, join the breast care teams from Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals on Tuesday 8th December 2020 between 5pm and 6pm for a live question and answer session. There will be a range of specialists available including a consultant surgeon and consultant oncologist, breast care nurses, radiographers and the Macmillan information and support leads from both hospitals. Even if you don’t have a specific question yourself – you could still take away useful information from the discussion.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been estimated that across the UK there are 13.5 million unpaid carers. Many people are unaware of their rights as a carer and, as a result, are not accessing the help and support they are entitled to.
Having the right information and advice is vital to ensure that carers don't miss out on financial and practical help that they are entitled to. As part of Carers Rights Day, Healthwatch England is promoting three key steps from Carers UK to find out their entitlements.
Healthwatch England's research shows significant numbers of people are not receiving follow-up support after being discharged from hospital under new policy, leading to unmet needs.
Key findings included:
82% of respondents did not receive a follow-up visit and assessment at home and almost one in five of these reported an unmet care need.
Some people felt their discharge was rushed, with around one in five (19%) feeling unprepared to leave hospital.
Over a third (35%) of people were not given a contact who they could get in touch with for further advice after discharge, despite this being part of the guidance.
Overall patients and families were very positive about healthcare staff, praising their efforts during such a difficult time.
Around a third (30%) of people faced an issue with delayed COVID-19 test results, potentially putting family and carers at risk, or in a care home, other residents and staff.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its annual analysis of the quality of health and adult social care in England.
The report shows that many services have been able to maintain or improve on quality, with more than 80 percent of GP practices and six out of ten of adult social care services inspected so far rated as good or outstanding. Of the hospitals rated, 38 percent were also found to be good or outstanding.
However, alongside these encouraging findings, there remains significant variation in quality and an unacceptable level of poor care.
Research from Healthwatch's joint campaign with CQC, Because We All Care has found that people over the age of 55 are the age group least likely to think care has improved over the pandemic.
The ACT Early website has been developed to help provide advice, support and guidance to families and friends who may be worried that a loved one is vulnerable to radicalisation. ACT Policing have developed a toolkit for partner organisations to help spread details of this new resource. The toolkit includes articles for websites and intranets, social media assets and posts, as well as a video about radicalisation.
The NIHR Academy is looking for members of the public, patients, service users and carers to serve as Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Representatives on its national funding selection committees.
NIHR Academy selection committees usually have approximately 20 members, which include public member(s). These committees assess applications for funding from health and social care researchers to support them in establishing their research career. The applications include a research proposal and research brief that describes a potential area of research.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are looking for volunteer patients to help them develop the national cancer patient experience questionnaire. They would like to understand how patients with cancer feel about the care and treatment they receive. You can take part in this research if you are 16 or older, have a confirmed primary diagnosis of cancer, and have received treatment from the NHS for your cancer in the past 6 months.
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