Welcome to our March newsletter
This month our newsletter includes:
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A core role for us here at Healthwatch is to communicate with members of the public and make sure that their voices are heard by policy makers, commissioners and service providers. The 2022 Eastbourne ‘Listening Tour’ is a great example of how we did this and was our first big face-to-face event since 2019 and proved very popular. We are now planning our next ‘Listening Tour’ which will take place in Rye during September.
This week marks the end of my first month at Healthwatch, it’s been busy! I am lucky to work with amazing volunteers and colleagues. I would like to introduce Riona Doidge the new Volunteer and Engagement Manager who started with us at the beginning of February.
"It has been brilliant getting to meet so many of our wonderful volunteers, they are vital to how we deliver Healthwatch. We are already planning our activity for this year and have some great activities ahead, I look forward to working closely with the volunteers to ensure voices are heard in East Sussex and the information we collect is used to influence decisions made about health and social care in our communities. We always need more volunteers, so please do get in touch if you want to make a difference in your local community."
Over the coming months we will start some new features celebrating our local communities.
Veronica Kirwan
Executive Director
East Sussex Community Voice delivering Healthwatch in East Sussex
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Healthwatch Poll: Leaving feedback or making complaints to health and care services
This month we want to hear about your experiences of leaving feedback with or making complaints to health and care services.
Please share your experience with us via our one question poll.
We'll share the results in our next newsletter.
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Results for last month's poll
Last month we asked you about your experience of getting information about obtaining care for yourself or a loved one.
Most respondents, 36.1%, said that their first port-of-call for advice would be an internet search, closely followed by 33.3% of respondents saying the council.
13.9% of respondents said they would go to the NHS. Other answers suggested included the pharmacy and local voluntary sector organisations.
These responses raise questions about people's awareness of who to go to, to get information about care services.
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Healthwatch East Sussex Feedback Centre
At Healthwatch East Sussex we always want to hear your experiences about health and care services, so that we can identify where these are effective and where they can improve.
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Healthwatch East Sussex Feedback Centre step-by-step video guide
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Why not spend a few minutes telling us whether you are finding services good, bad or indifferent each time you use them on our dedicated, specially constructed Feedback Centre.
Service providers can also respond to the feedback left by the public and patients.
Your comments help us build a picture of where services perform well, and where improvements could be made.
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Pharmacy opening times: Easter Bank Holiday 2023
In your preparations for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, don’t forget to order any repeat medications in good time, as GP practices will be closed and pharmacy opening times are likely to change.
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To find an open pharmacy near you this Bank Holiday, you can visit the NHS England website here, or click the link below for a poster detailing which pharmacies across Sussex will be open.
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A digital map of the pharmacies that will be open on the Bank Holidays has also been created, you can access the map here.
It is a good idea to contact the pharmacy before attending to make sure they have what you need.
Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns.
As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.
For more information, click the link below.
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Family Hubs and Youth Hubs in East Sussex – Community Consultation
East Sussex County Council are interested in hearing your views to help develop the local spaces and the services that are available for Children, Young People and their families.
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Family Hubs and Youth Hubs will offer both a physical and a virtual space that will mean everyone in the family has access to support for a wide range of issues, will enable them to take part in new activities, to ask questions and to meet other families from the community.
They want to hear from as many young people, parents carers and professionals as they can.
To help design and develop a range of services that offer children, young people and their families, the right service, in the right place, at the right time complete their consultation below.
The consultation closes on the 11th April.
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Act F.A.S.T. Stroke Campaign Relaunched
In February 2023, NHS England, in association with the Stroke Association relaunched the Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign, which highlights that a stroke is a medical emergency and urges the public to call 999 immediately if they notice any single one of the signs of a stroke in themselves or others.
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The F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym provides a memorable way of
identifying the most common signs of a stroke and emphasizes the importance of
acting quickly by calling 999.
Think and Act F.A.S.T. if you see any single one of these signs of a stroke:
• Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
• Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there?
• Speech – is their speech slurred?
• Time – even if you’re not sure, call 999.
When Stroke Strikes Act F.A.S.T. Call 999
For more information about the symptoms of a stroke visit the NHS website below.
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NHS Volunteer Responders is changing
The NHS Volunteer Responders programme was originally set up during the pandemic, and 400,000 ‘on duty’ volunteers delivered over 2.2 million tasks between them.
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The programme is now being redesigned - reflecting feedback and learning from the pandemic and working closely with health and care services to shape and evolve what it provides in future. It aims to offer a resilient pool of volunteers providing additional capacity where needed and the ability to respond to future emergencies.
The first services relaunched as part of this new phase are Check In and Chat and Check In and Chat Plus.
The purpose of Check In and Chat volunteers is to provide short-term telephone support to patients in need of friendly conversation and encouragement to improve their mental health and well-being. In both these activities, volunteer support will help reduce isolation and support good mental health.
For more information, or to sign up to be a NHS Volunteer Responder visit the webpage below.
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What is Social Prescribing? Could it be right for you?
Social prescribing means getting connected to non-medical things that can boost your health and wellbeing.
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This could be activities, support groups, volunteers, services, and other opportunities. Depending on what you need and want, it could be for:
- Support with finances
- Getting more active
- Support with mental wellbeing
- Becoming healthier
- Getting more socially connected
- Living well and more independently
The aim is to enable you to make informed and positive changes to your own life.
At the moment people may get social prescribing services directly through their GP practice, or through another social prescribing service that their GP can access.
More information on social prescribing can be found on the NHS England website below.
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Healthwatch in Sussex – are you interested in helping the NHS to improve the Outpatient experience?
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In the last two years, have you attended, or are you waiting for, an Outpatient Appointment? This may be for someone you care for, or for yourself.
If so, then take part in 4 online workshops with other local people and the Sussex Outpatient Transformation team and share your experiences to help guide outpatient services lcoally.
Participants at all four sessions will receive a £100 high street voucher as a thank you.
Online Workshops
Thursdays 11am-1pm: 20th April, 27th April, 4th May, 11th May.
If you are interested and can commit to all four dates, contact Michelle@HWBH.co.uk 01273 234 040
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