Welcome to our July newsletter
This month our newsletter includes:
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On the 13th July we hosted our 2023 Annual Event at The View Hotel Eastbourne. The event explored the theme 'Your Voice Counts' and we also took the opportunity to celebrate 10 years of Healthwatch and the incredible achievements of our volunteers.
It was great to see so many people in attendance, from members of the public and our colleagues from statutory and voluntary organisations. Thanks to everyone who could make it.
I would also like to thank all of our speakers on the day. We heard from;
Sarah Russell – Assistant Director, Adult Social Care & Health, East Sussex County Council
Lou Carter – Assistant Director, Communications, Planning & Performance, Children’s Services, East Sussex County Council.
Richard Milner – Chief of Staff, East Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust
Jennifer Twist – Chief Executive, Care for the Carers
Louise Ansari - Chief Executive of Healthwatch England.
All our speakers highlighted the importance of public and patient voice in shaping services, and how their organisations had and were using feedback and insight to shape their activity.
Presentation slides from the event can be found on our website here. We are in the process of pulling together a feedback report from the discussion groups so keep an eye out for that once published.
Thank you again to all of our speakers and everyone that made it on the day, it was a fantastic event and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Veronica Kirwan
Executive Director
East Sussex Community Voice, delivering Healthwatch in East Sussex
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Healthwatch Poll: Accessing health and care information
This month we want to hear about where you access information about a health condition or support services.
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Please share your views with us via our one question poll.
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Results for last month's poll:
Last month we asked you about your experiences using NHS 111 online, the NHS App, My Health and Care Record and eConsult.
We heard:
- The NHS App and My Health and Care Record platforms were the platforms most commonly identified as 'Useful'/'Very useful'.
- eConsult was the platform that fewest people were aware of, with nearly 40% respondents not aware of it.
- NHS 111 Online was the platform identified by the greatest proportion of respondents (22.2%) as 'Not very useful' by those who had used it.
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Want to know more?
Over on our website we have pulled together some information about all the platforms we asked about, so can find out what they do, who they are for and how to access them.
You can read the information by clicking below.
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Have you caught up with our most recent reports?
We publish the insight on health and care issues generated by our activity in reports setting out our key findings and recommendations.
Our recent publications include:
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'Together we're making health and social care better' our 2022-23 Annual Report:
Our Annual Report for 2022-23 highlights how we have listened to the voices of the public, patients and partners and used people’s feedback, experiences and preferences to help shape health and social care in East Sussex, and across Sussex.
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Mystery Shopping: Reviewing GP practice websites for Bexhill Primary Care Network
In May/June 2023, Healthwatch volunteers and staff reviewed a draft website for one of the three practices that make up Bexhill Primary Care Network [PCN].
We undertook undertake a ‘lay review’ and supported Bexhill PCN in delivering an effective and engaging website which meets NHS, best practice and user requirements.
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Asylum Seekers: Experiences of Health and Care in Eastbourne
We recently published a report summarising the experiences we heard from asylum seekers of accessing health and care services in Eastbourne.
After hearing asylum seekers in Eastbourne were regularly struggling to access basic healthcare, Healthwatch East Sussex provided regular outreach sessions to support access to health services in collaboration with The Sanctuary Café, which delivers volunteer-led support to migrants in Eastbourne. Whilst there, we captured people's stories.
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Changes agreed to local health and wellbeing service
In January East Sussex County Council asked local people about proposed changes to the 'One You East Sussex' service that supports people to eat well, manage their weight, move more, quit smoking and drink less.
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East Sussex County Council will go ahead with proposed changes to the local services. They will:
- continue to be open to everyone but will take a personalised approach to support.
- be based on people’s needs rather than their preferences, focusing support on those with the highest needs who can gain the greatest health benefits.
Click the button below to read a summary of the consultation results and see how they’ve responded to your feedback.
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Rise in measles cases highlights importance of MMR jab
Residents across East Sussex are being urged to check they are up to date with their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccinations following a national rise in measles cases.
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Public health officials are encouraging people to protect their communities by making sure they, and their children, have received the MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
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St John Ambulance BSL Emergency First Aid film and resources now available
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St Johns Ambulance have recently set up the CPR Community Network to ensure that everyone has access to basic life support training in person, online or by using their Resource Hub to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency.
They have released resources aimed at empowering communities and increasing their ability to respond and give basic life support (carry out a primary survey, give effective CPR, contact emergency help and use an AED) to increase a casualty’s chance of survival.
They have also released a British Sign Language Emergency First Aid film, featuring Deaf Actor, Alex Nowak, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing First Aiders within in St John to create a powerful resource so that deaf people know what to do if they find someone in cardiac arrest.
To watch the video and to access the other resources click the button below.
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Report by MPs calls for fundamental reform of NHS dental care
A report published on the 14th July by MPs into dental care has called for urgent reform so more people can access an NHS dentist.
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The Health and Social Care Committee describes evidence of pain and distress due to being unable to see an NHS dentist as ‘totally unacceptable in the 21st century’.
Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee Steve Brine MP said:
“Rarely has an inquiry been more necessary than this one. To hear of someone in such pain and distress that they resorted to using pliers to extract their teeth demonstrates the crisis in NHS dental services. The problem is compounded by people being unaware of what they’re entitled to and a contract that is unfit for purpose when it comes to paying dentists for treating NHS patients. Today we register in the strongest terms possible our concern for the future of NHS dental services and the patients who desperately need access to them.”
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You can also read our previous reports on peoples experiences of dentistry locally on our website here.
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NHS Digital Health Check to be launched next spring
In spring 2024 a digital version of the NHS Health Check will be launched to help spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.
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Health checks are for people who do not have any of the following pre-existing conditions:
- heart disease
- chronic kidney disease
- diabetes
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- atrial fibrillation
- transient ischaemic attack
- inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)
- heart failure
- peripheral arterial disease
- stroke
- currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
- previous checks have found that you have a 20% or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years
You should have regular check-ups if you have one of these conditions.
The new digital check will operate alongside the existing in-person NHS Health Check. Patients will be able to access the digital health check via a mobile phone, tablet or computer.
The results will be available online and direct people to personalised advice to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, as well as advice to stop smoking and weight management support where appropriate.
Referrals to GPs will only be made if further tests and treatment are needed
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