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Newsletter - May 2023

Welcome to our May newsletter

This month our newsletter includes:

Directors Update
Over the last few months  at Healthwatch East Sussex we have been busy planning for our 2023 Annual Event and I am pleased to now share the details with you.
 
We will be holding the event on the 13th July at The View Hotel in Eastbourne between 13.30pm and 18:00pm
 
It will explore the importance of public and patient voices being at the heart of decision making and celebrating the last 10 years of Healthwatch East Sussex.

The event will  be an opportunity for you to:
  • share your recent experiences of health and care
  • guide the future of local services
  • hear about our work
  • celebrate the last 10 years of Healthwatch East Sussex
Confirmed speakers at the event include:
  • Lou Carter - Assistant Director, Communications, Planning & Performance, Children’s Services, East Sussex County Council
  • Richard Milner - Chief of Staff, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
  • Sarah Russell - Assistant Director, Adult Social Care & Health, East Sussex County Council
  • A representative from the VCSE Sector (TBC)
Booking for the event is now open via Eventbrite on a first-come-first served basis so please do book your space now via the button below.

Veronica Kirwan
Executive Director
East Sussex Community Voice, delivering Healthwatch in East Sussex
Book your place at our 2023 Annual Event

Latest news and updates

Healthwatch Poll: Experience of using NHS 111 in East Sussex
 

In March 2022 we asked you about your experience of using NHS 111 services.

We now want to hear about your experiences over the last 12 months to see if these are the same or have changed?
Please share your views with us via our one question poll.

We’ll share the results in our next newsletter.
 
Click here to take our poll!

Results for last month's poll: Feeding back on services

Last month we asked you about your experiences of leaving feedback with or making complaints to health and care services.
Over half (52.6%) of respondents told us that they had shared positive feedback with services in the last 12 months.
 
47.4% of respondents shared that they had not left any feedback with a provider.
 
Sharing your experiences can help shape and improve health and social care in East Sussex. Whether its good, bad or indifferent your experiences are invaluable in identifying where services are working well and where improvements are needed.

Many services have processes in place for capturing your feedback, speak to your service provider to find out more. You can also share your experience on our Feedback Centre.
 
Our Feedback Centre, enables you to share your stories about services you have been using, like GP services, pharmacists, hospitals, care homes, dentists and opticians. You can also read other peoples’ experiences of particular services.

Are you caught up with all our recent publications?
 

We have recently published a number of reports over on our website which set out our latest insight on health and care in East Sussex.
Our recent publications include:
 

The headline findings from our two week public engagement exercise as part of our 2022 'Listening Tour' in Eastbourne.

'Homeless Truths' the health and wellbeing of individuals and families living in Emergency Accommodation.

People's experiences of Long COVID across Sussex

The latest experiences of people seeking access to NHS dental services. 


How do we use these reports?
We share our publications with decision-makers, such as NHS Sussex, East Sussex County Council and Voluntary and Community organisations to share insight, inform decisions and support service development that meets the needs and aspirations of local people. 
 
To read all of our latest reports please visit our Reports Hub via the button below.
Healthwatch East Sussex Reports Hub

Our latest report: Putting a Face to Unmet Need


Healthwatch East Sussex (HWES) has published the findings from its research into Putting a Face to Unmet Need, a new report on the unmet health and care needs of East Sussex residents.

It calls for better communication between local health and care services to provide a more integrated and holistic experience for service users.   

The report suggests that NHS and Adult Social Care staff should be better informed on the integrated health and care support available to individuals and that Primary Care Networks (PCNs) of GPs can be a primary vehicle for building a support and knowledge bank.  
Click here to read our Unmet Need report

Share your experiences of NHS health and care in Sussex
 

We are supporting NHS Sussex in promoting a new survey to find out about your experiences and views of health and care services.
 
As the NHS builds-up to its 75th anniversary on 5 July 2023, and the one-year anniversary of NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board and Care System, health leaders are looking to understand your experiences and views of health and care services across Sussex.
What you share will support improvements in the delivery of key services including Urgent Care, Primary Care services (e.g. GP surgeries and dentists) and the use of digital technology to complement current services.
 
Deadline: 31 May 2023.
Share your views on health and care in Sussex here

Good Things Foundation – National Digital Inclusion Network Map
 

The National Digital Inclusion network is made up of thousands of community partners in the UK, all working to tackle digital exclusion by delivering data, devices and digital skills training.
To help people find and access support, the Good Things Foundation have launched a brand new map and directory covering the whole of the UK that shows people where they can find a Digital Inclusion Hub local to them. 

The map shows all the active Digital Inclusion Hubs across East Sussex that are delivering digital skills support, access to data and support with digital devices. 
More Information

The Centre for Education and Youth are looking for policymakers and systems leaders to work with local young people

 

The Centre for Education and Youth have spent the last few months working alongside Young Expert Citizens from across Sussex to identify and research issues affecting local young people. They are now looking for policymakers and systems leaders to work alongside the Young Experts to help turn their research into action.
 
They have been trained to design and carry out research projects into a specific issue that they have lived experience of. The next stage of the project will nvolve them co-designing policy solutions with adult practitioners, to improve systems and services for other young people in Sussex.
 
Could you help them on their journey, and gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of local young people?
 
They are particularly keen to hear from you if you are based within CAMHS, adult mental health services, Family Information Services or housing services, as these link to topics being explored by some of the Young Experts.
 
If this sounds like something you might like to be involved with, please contact Abi at CfEY to find out more abi@cfey.org, 07835232680.
Read more

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, aims to get people talking about their mental health and reduce the stigma that can stop people from asking for help.

This year the awareness week took place from the 15th to 21st May and the theme was ‘Anxiety’.

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face, but there are things we can do to look after ourselves including self-care and reaching out for extra support. 

We have drawn together some more information and support over on our website which you can view via the button below.

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week, visit the Mental Health Foundation's website here. 
Read more here

NHS Sussex and Healthwatch in Sussex announce a new role supporting our strategy for Improving Lives Together
Healthwatch in Sussex and NHS Sussex are pleased to announce a new liaison role which has been created to support collaboration between the three Sussex Healthwatch and NHS Sussex. The role will be delivered by Katrina Broadhill.
 
Katrina’s role will function as an intermediary to Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, Healthwatch East Sussex, Healthwatch West Sussex and NHS Sussex, and provide a single route to Healthwatch for all key programmes of work, both strategically and operationally; the role will also provide a link to Sussex Health and Care – the Sussex Integrated Care System. It will support communication between Healthwatch and NHS Sussex, and facilitate the direct provision of insight from local Healthwatch into NHS Sussex programmes of work.
 
The role will add value to Sussex wide Healthwatch work whilst recognising the independence of the three local Healthwatch teams who will continue to lead on place-based work.
 
A summary of the role is provided on our website and over the coming months Healthwatch and NHS Sussex will be working in partnership to agree its immediate priorities.
Read more here

Spring 2023 COVID-19 Vaccinations


People aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those aged 5 years and over with a weakened immune system are being offered a seasonal coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination. 

If you are eligible, you should be offered an appointment from 17 April to 30 June, with those at highest risk being called in first. You will be invited to have your vaccine around 6 months from your last dose but you can have it from 3 months.
 
You can: 

  • book your COVID-19 vaccination appointments online or by calling 119 free of charge
  • book your appointment directly with your GP-led local vaccination service when they contact you
  • find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination session where you can get vaccinated without needing an appointment (not currently available for 5-11 year olds)
  • have your vaccination at home if you are registered as housebound with your GP practice
  • have your vaccination at your care home if you are a resident.

If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, or are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use textphone 18001 119.

If you call 119, you can speak to a translator if you need to.
More information

New animations to support children and young people with long COVID


A series of new animations have now been added to the NHS Your COVID Recovery website aimed at supporting children and young people experiencing ongoing COVID symptoms.

The animations cover a range of topics including;

The NHS Your COVID Recovery website provides information and support on the symptoms of COVID-19, helping people to understand the condition, advice on managing their recovery and guidance on where they can get further information and support. 
Watch the animations here

May is Stroke Awareness Month


This Stroke Awareness Month we would like to remind you of 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 one of the four main signs of a stroke in themselves or others.
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
The East Sussex Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Alliance newsletter.

The East Sussex Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Alliance is made up of 21 local voluntary and community organisations who work across East Sussex.
 
The Alliance have recently published the third edition of their newsletter which gives a flavour of some of the initiatives, projects and events that are currently taking place within the VCSE sector locally. In this edition you can:
  • Meet the Vice Chair of the Alliance
  • Go on a road trip –  journey through the Alliance’s first year
  • Meet the Alliance's newest member
  • Hear the latest news from our members and their upcoming events
Read the full newsletter here

Health and Wellbeing Tips from our staff: Hayfever
 

With hayfever season starting remember there are some things you can do at home to treat some symptoms of hayfever, including;
  • Putting Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen.
  • Taking a shower and changing clothes after you have been outside to remove any pollen.
  • Keep an eye on the Met Office’s Pollen forecast so that you know when levels are expected to be high.
  • Wear wraparound sun glasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes.
For more information about treating hayfever and when to seek further help please visit the NHS website below.
More information

Healthwatch -  What we have heard about health and care services in East Sussex
The Healthwatch East Sussex Information and Signposting (I&S) Service helps people to access the right health or social care service or organisation for their needs. In addition, the I&S service also enables people to share their experience or make a complaint about services they have used.
In April 2023, we received 28 enquiries to our service.
 
We heard about a range of services including, pharmacies, adult social care and dentists. Our most common enquiry theme last month was about GP’s.

We also heard from people looking for information about how to make a complaint about a service they had used.
 

Healthwatch East Sussex Complaints Guide

 
We often hear from people looking for more advice about what they can do if they have concerns or complaints.
 
As well as providing support through our Information and Signposting service we have recently also compiled a guide to provide you with:
  • information about how to leave feedback
  • things to consider if you feel you would like to make a complaint
  • how to complain about different health and care services in East Sussex
Read our Guide to Health and Care Complaints here

Contact us

To contact our Information and Signposting Service please call: 0333 101 4004 or
Email: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk

Our volunteer activity
 What have our volunteers been up to recently?
  • On the 9th May, our volunteers supported the facilitation of workshops on a joint project with NHS Sussex to explore how people and communities can work together with Primary Care.
  • Our Young Healthwatch have been busy conducting visits to local GP Surgeries, looking at different ways to improve access to primary care for young people.
  • It was lovely to see our volunteers at the quarterly in person volunteer meeting in Polegate it gave us the opportunity to come together as a team, plan for the future and celebrate the brilliant work they have done.   
  • We kick off our summer roadshows on 27th May at the Heathfield show, if you are there, please come over and say hello!
Thank you to all our volunteers for their fantastic work this month, we couldn’t do it without you!
 
We have a busy year of activity planned and need new volunteers to support our important work.
 
To get involved, click the link below or email volunteer@escv.org.uk or call 0333 101 4007.
Click here to find out more about becoming a Healthwatch volunteer
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