Welcome to our November newsletter
This month our newsletter includes:
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As we head towards the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers for all their hard work over the last 12 months.
With various, meetings, Enter and Views, Listening Tour activity and PLACE visits they have been busy out and about across East Sussex helping people have their say on health and social care.
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Here at Healthwatch East Sussex, we couldn’t do what we do without the hard work and dedication of our volunteer team.
If you are interested in volunteering with Healthwatch please do get in touch via 0333 101 4007, or email volunteer@escv.org.uk.
Also, one last reminder, If you have sought help or advice about an ear wax problem in the last two years please do share your experiences via our survey which closes next week.
Veronica Kirwan
Executive Director
East Sussex Community Voice, delivering Healthwatch in East Sussex
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Healthwatch Poll:
Accessing pharmacy services out-of-hours.
This month we want to hear how confident you feel about accessing pharmacy services for medication out-of-hours (outside 9am to 5pm, and during weekends and public holidays).
Please share your experience with us via our one question poll.
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Last month we asked you about experiences of hospital discharge in the last 12 months.
The responses we received highlighted a stark difference in hospital discharge experiences, with respondents rating their (or a loved ones) experiences of hospital discharge as either being excellent or poor .
Examples of excellent experiences included 'getting transport home very quickly' and the process all going smoothly with 'excellent care'.
Poor experiences included respondents feeling 'very rushed' or being discharged 'with very little notice'. We also heard from people discharged with 'supplies but not means of administering'.
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Tell us your experiences of treatment for Ear Wax
Have you sought help or advice about an ear wax problem in the last two years?
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If so, we want to hear about your experience, including:
- Which services you accessed
- What advice you were given
- Any treatment you received
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Our survey is open until midnight on Tuesday 30th November 2023 and all responses will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Healthwatch will share the findings with decision-makers, commissioners and service providers to help inform delivery of health and care services in East Sussex.
For more information please visit the Healthwatch East Sussex website here.
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Cold Alert Service for East Sussex is now live
Cold Alert is a free service for the people of East Sussex that alerts you by text, voicemail, or email when there is severe cold weather forecast in your area.
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It provides information about when, where, and how long a period of severe cold weather is forecast to help you plan ahead.
The service runs from the 1st November 2023 to 31st March 2024.
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Three quarters of a million vaccines given to protect vulnerable people in Sussex
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More than 400,000 people in Sussex have protected themselves from flu, and more than 350,000 from COVID-19, by taking up the offer of free winter vaccinations to help them fight off seasonal illness this winter.
For some, flu or COVID-19 can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are offered to people most at risk of getting seriously ill or who are most likely to pass it on to other people at risk.
Vaccination clinics are continuing every week, and people who are eligible can book an appointment by visiting the National Booking System online or calling 119, or responding to a local text or call invitation.
More information on vaccination services in Sussex is available here.
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Older people’s mental wellbeing campaign: Don’t brush it under the carpet
A new campaign to improve mental wellbeing and raise awareness of self-harm and suicide in older people has been launched by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust who deliver mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services in Sussex.
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The ‘Don’t brush it under the carpet’ campaign aims to:
- reach and support older people who may be feeling depressed and alone, and guide them to the right support.
- raise awareness of the issue of self-harm and older people, amongst carers, family members and health professionals to enable them to support someone they know who may be struggling.
You can find out more about the campaign and the support available on the campaign webpage.
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Public Survey – Help shape the future of South East Coast Ambulance Service
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) who
respond to 999 calls from the public, urgent calls from healthcare professionals and provide NHS 111 services across the region are inviting members of the public to get involved in shaping their new strategy.
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They want you hear your feedback and experiences of using 999 services to guide how they are delivered moving forwards, so now is your opportunity to comment.
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Hundreds of thousands of NHS patients to be offered the chance to travel for treatment
In October, NHS England announced NHS patients who have been waiting the longest for treatment will be offered the opportunity to travel to a different hospital, if it means they could be seen sooner.
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Offers will be sent to up to 400,000 eligible patients who will then be able to submit their details including how far they are willing to travel – 50 miles, 100 miles or nationally. NHS teams can then identify whether any alternative hospitals have capacity to see them sooner.
Responding to the announcement, Louise Ansari, Chief Executive of Healthwatch England said:
"Many patients facing long waits for care will welcome the news that they can now choose to travel for treatment if it means they will be seen sooner.
However, without support from the NHS with transport and accommodation costs, this solution will only help those who can afford to travel for faster care.
Record numbers of people are currently stuck on NHS waiting lists, and our research has repeatedly highlighted the impact long waits have on patients, particularly people from groups facing health inequalities, including people on lower incomes.
People have also told us that they would welcome the opportunity to travel to receive care more quickly, as long as any additional costs incurred would be covered.
We have called for support to improve people's experiences of waiting for NHS treatment, such as improving communications between patients and their care teams and offering support to people while they wait, including support or signposting to help for their mental health.
We’re now calling on NHS England and Integrated Care Boards to work together to ensure everyone choosing to travel for faster treatment is given support, including with the costs of transport and accommodation – as described in the Elective Recovery Plan. Otherwise, this option risks deepening health inequalities by only providing solutions to people who can afford to contribute towards the additional costs of travel”.
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