Your Local Consumer Champion for Health and Social Care Services
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Welcome to our Healthwatch East Sussex e-newsletter, providing you with information straight to your inbox
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- What Have You Been Contacting Us About?
- Forthcoming Activities
- New NHS Service to Support Patients with Bone, Muscle and Joint Conditions
- Personal Health Budgets
- East Sussex Better Together urgent care film now available
- Involving Young People
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Information and Signposting Library Role
- Sign up to the NHS England Open Data Event
- National News
- Consultations
- Terrence Higgins Trust
- Growing Community Resilience in East Sussex
- Vandu Language Services
- Kent Community Health NHS Trust
- General Osteopathic Council
- Give Us Your Feedback
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What have you been contacting us about?
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Since our last newsletter you have been contacting us about the following:
- Getting access to GP appointments or registering with a GP
- People needing to make a complaint about their dental care
- Mental Health Services
- Cancer Services
If you have anything you would like to share with us, whether it is mentioned above or not, please do get in touch.
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How to get in touch
We have a number of ways you can contact us and have your say:
Freepost
Freepost RTJT-HZEA-YGKU
Healthwatch East Sussex
85b Ashford Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 3TE
Telephone
0333 101 4007
Text
07826 021 114
Visit our website
www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
and fill out our "Speak Out" form
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Where we will be
Healthwatch East Sussex will be at the following venues in February to provide information on Healthwatch East Sussex services and to hear your comments. Find us at:
- Carrillon Cottage on Friday 27th February 09:30 to 12:30 High Street, Wadhurst, TN5 6AA
- C4C Well-being Event at the Horntyne Sports Complex on Friday 20th February, 10:30 to 16:00.
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New NHS Service to Support Patients with Bone, Muscle and Joint Conditions Now Available
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A new NHS service to treat local patients with muscle, bone and joint conditions is now available in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford and High Weald Lewes Havens.
Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford and High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), the GP led bodies responsible for planning local health services, have procured the new NHS service from Sussex MSK Partnership, a local not-for-profit consortium of NHS, charitable and independent providers that brings together local experts from primary care, physical and mental health services.
The new service will be rolled out over the coming months in phases and will begin by receiving all referrals from GPs for their patients who have conditions affecting their bones, muscles and joints and who require onward diagnostics, care and treatment.
Patients referred into the new service by their GP will be reviewed using a multidisciplinary (mixed professional) approach so their physical and mental health needs can be considered together. They will then be advised of the treatment options that might be suitable for them and be supported to make informed choices about what care and treatment to go ahead with and where they would like it to take place. All emergency or trauma related musculoskeletal treatment or care remains unchanged and will continue to be delivered as usual in local hospitals.
Over the coming months dedicated MSK hubs and clinics will be developed within existing NHS or primary care locations across the area including Crowborough, Seaford, Eastbourne, Lewes, Uckfield, Heathfield and Hailsham. At these sites a range of diagnostics, care and treatment can be offered to patients, to bring support much closer to where patients live and want to be seen.
CCGs decided to procure the new service following feedback from local patients and GPs who had reported significant waiting times for some MSK services, with varying treatment options offered to patients. By introducing a far more simplified and coordinated approach to the way patients are referred, diagnosed and treated, patients should experience improved clinical outcomes and have a far better experience of care.
The launch of this new service is the culmination of a robust and comprehensive process by clinical commissioners who have worked together with patients and the public to design genuine improvements to local services. This launch will improve the way GPs refer their patients for onward diagnostics and treatment.
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East Sussex Better Together – Improving access to urgent care
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Following a recent workshop, the East Sussex Better Together programme have made a short film which captures peoples’ views.
You can view the film on Youtube using the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7vAFHKfUck
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Personal Health Budgets - We Want to Hear Your Views
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Do you receive Continuing Health Care? Are you looking into Personal Health Budget (PHB) options, or have you already started your journey into Personal Health Budget for your healthcare and support needs? If so Healthwatch East Sussex would like to hear about your experiences, including:
What information did you receive about the PHB to help you make the right choices for your needs?
If you have begun your journey, what was your experience of the assessment process, was it clear to see how decisions have been made in your package?
Were you able to plan your care innovatively and develop support that suits you?
Did you feel care managers understand new ways of planning care, and support your ideas?
Is/was it easy to obtain a decision with the NHS team in a timely way about your health and care support needs?
What has been your most positive experience?
What, if anything would you change?
Were you offered an appeals process if you did not agree with the decisions or access to advocacy support?
To find out more about Personal Health Budgets, visit NHS Choices website using the link below:
http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/personal-health-budgets/Pages/about-personal-health-budgets.aspx
Your views are important to Healthwatch and every comment counts
Contact
Telephone: 0333 101 4007
email: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
Text us: 07826 021 114 (we can call back)
Website: www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
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Involving Young People in Healthwatch
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If you are connected with any organisations or network supporting the involvement of young people in health related issues (including mental health), please get in touch.
We are also keen to hear from young people who are interested in volunteering with Healthwatch or finding out more about the Young Inspector programme, recently transferred across to East Sussex Community Voice from the local authority.
Contact Helen Connor for further information:
Email: Helen.Connor@escv.org.uk
Tel: 01273 646890
Mob: 07909 253671
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We need your help
Healthwatch East Sussex is looking for volunteers who are interested in visiting health and social care services These visits are known as Enter and View. Local Healthwatch authorised representatives carry out these visits to health and social care services to find out how they are being run and make recommendations where there are areas for improvement. Volunteers will be very well trained and supported with only a minimum commitment of two visits per year required. Further training will be offered to support this role
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What is Enter and View?
Part of the local Healthwatch programme is to carry out Enter and View visits. Local Healthwatch authorised representatives carry out these visits to health and social care services to find out how they are being run and make recommendations where there are areas for improvement and to engage with patients and people who use the services to find out about their experiences, good and not so good.
The Health and Social Care Act allows local Healthwatch authorised representatives to observe service delivery and talk to service users, their families and carers on premises such as hospitals, residential homes, GP practices, dental surgeries, optometrists and pharmacies. Enter and View visits can happen if people tell us there is a problem with a service but, equally, they can occur when services have a good reputation – so we can learn about and share examples of what they do well from the perspective of people who experience the service firsthand.
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Opportunities Avaliable
- Library Information Service approx. 2 – 4 hours per week, various locations available
- Authorised Representative to undertake enter and view activity.
- Healthwatch Champions – are you connected with any local group and willing to share information and updates about Healthwatch East Sussex?
- Mystery Shoppers – if you are aged 16 – 20 and would be interested in getting involved please get in touch
- For more information, please contact Elizabeth on 01323 400520 or email Elizabeth.Mackie@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
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Information and Signposting library role
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Volunteer opportunities avaliable
Since March 2014, we have been providing Information and Signposting service at a number of libraries, including Bexhill, Langney and Heathfield. We are currently in Eastbourne library on Thursday mornings.
We are now looking for volunteers in the Rye, Crowborough, Wadhurst and Robertsbridge areas, or any other area you would like to offer, to join our Information Service providing information to local people about Healthwatch East Sussex.
If you like meeting people and have 2- 3 hours free each week, please get in touch.
Full training will be given and the opportunity to get together with other Healthwatch volunteers 3 – 4 times a year.
We are particularly interested to hear from young people who might be looking for volunteer opportunities as part of a wider project.
Please contact Debby Matthews on 01323 400521, or email Debby.Matthews@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk for more details
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What libraries can you find us at?
During March 2015, we plan to run sessions in the following libraries:
- Eastbourne
- Seaford
- Peacehaven
- Uckfield
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Sign up to the NHS England Open Data Event
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We are holding an event aimed at patients, patient participation groups and third sector workers (voluntary and charity), to explore how we can shape our health service to be open and transparent. We will showcase NHS transparency initiatives that make information accessible to everyone and help patients find out how their services are performing.
This half day session will be an exciting opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions about what transparency of NHS services means to patients and third sector partners. We will use group exercises to explore the potential benefits of opening up performance information to give patients, carers, and the public the information and support they need to make the best decisions and choices they can: empowering patients, enabling greater choice and helping the NHS develop data that is of value to patients. We will also focus on how we can ensure we include all groups of patients: particularly the seldom involved groups.
The event will be held on: Thursday, 5th March 2015 in Brighton. Venue is likely to be: The Brighthelm Centre, Brighton, BN1 1YD.
The event will run from 10am till 1:30pm, beginning with tea/coffee, registration and networking. Presentations and discussions will start at 10:30am.
Find out more here http://www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/?p=1691
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Patchy complaints support is putting vulnerable people at risk
Care home residents and other social care users struggle to get the support they need when it comes to complaining about the quality of care they receive.
Read more here http://www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/?p=1694
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An independent team of academic researchers, led by Professor Gerry McGivern at Warwick Business School, has conducted research among osteopaths, patients and osteopathic organisations to explore factors that support, encourage or inhibit osteopaths from practising in accordance with the Osteopathic Practice Standards – the core standards required of UK-registered osteopaths.
GOsC Chief Executive Tim Walker said: “This valuable insight establishes an important evidence base on which to build effective osteopathic regulation and identify where improvements are needed.
“In this, collaboration is key. Ongoing communication between the regulator and registrant, and between registrants, is vital to implementing standards, particularly for a profession like osteopathy where many work in sole practice, and professional isolation is a risk. The research highlights the importance of building professional spaces within the regulatory framework, that support reflective discussion among practitioners. This is why our proposed new CPD scheme for osteopaths, currently out for consultation, introduces a requirement for osteopaths to regularly review their practice with a professional colleague.
“We are committed to working in partnership with patients, osteopaths, osteopathic organisations and other professionals and the findings of this research will help us to together shape standards that ensure patient safety and promote the quality of osteopathic care.”
To access the research report see http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/resources/Research-and-surveys/GOsC-research/Research-to-promote-effective-regulation/
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The NHS Constitution sets out the rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled as well as the responsibilities owed to each other to ensure the NHS operates fairly and effectively.
This consultation proposes to amend the NHS Constitution to respond to recommendations made by Sir Robert Francis QC and to give greater prominence to mental health; reflect the importance of access to transparent and comparable data; include the Armed Forces Covenant; and reflect the new fundamental standards in April 2015. The consultation closes on 11 March 2015.
More information on the consultation can be found here http://www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/updating-the-nhs-constitution/
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People living with HIV/AIDS in East Sussex
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Terrence Higgins Trust is working on addressing stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS and are involved in a piece of national research. They are seeking people to participate.
Locally THT is running a free 7 week course for people living with HIV/AIDS . They can also provide HIV awareness training for staff who may be unsure of how to work with someone living with HIV/AIDS.
This can help overcome stigma based on fears of transmission. See our Healthwatch report below on how this HIV awareness training was experienced by NHS staff through our HWES/THT collaboration http://www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/?p=1700
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Growing Community Resilience in East Sussex, the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for 2014/15
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The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for 2014/15 focuses on building resilience by growing the assets of wellbeing across East Sussex. It details opportunities to identify, better understand and support development of existing and potential new community assets. It also focuses on identifying the key features of asset-based approaches and how to make further progress in a sustainable manner.
The report also describes a tool – Wellbeing and Resilience Measure (WARM) – that has been designed to support local agencies and communities to better understand, plan and act. WARM has been calculated for East Sussex at electoral ward and district/borough level and also modelled at clinical commissioning group (CCG) and GP practice level. The report can be accessed here www.eastsussexjsna.org.uk/publichealthreports
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Join in the conversation: a message from Kent Community Health NHS Trust
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Every day, our teams of community nurses, therapists, doctors, dentists, health trainers and support staff work hard to keep you well – and as close to home as possible.
In the link below, you can find a flavour of what we do as a trust, read about how far we have come, the challenges we face and some of our ambitions.
www.kentcht.nhs.uk/home/about-us/news/join-in-the-conversation/
We would love you to tell us if those ambitions are the right ones. By doing so, you can help us shape our services during the next five years so we can support you and your families.
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General Osteopathic Council launches consultation on a new CPD scheme for osteopaths
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The General Osteopathic Council is seeking your views on proposals for a new continuing professional development (CPD) scheme for osteopaths, and we are keen to hear the views of patients and members of the public.
Through this scheme we want to support osteopaths to demonstrate they continue to meet current professional standards, and also to assure the public that osteopaths keep themselves up to date.
See all the consultation materials at: http://cpd.osteopathy.org.uk, including background documents, draft Guidelines, as well as other resources and case studies to show how the scheme would work. There are two consultation documents – a Full consultation and a shorter Summary consultation which is designed for patients and members of the public.
The consultation documents can be completed online or you can print and post them to us if you prefer. The closing date is 31 May 2015.
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Healthwatch East Sussex proactively talk and listen to people from every part of your community about health and social care services. We then talk to health and social care providers about your experiences of care with the aim of changing these services for the better.
Some of the services we would like to hear your experience on are:
- Ambulance Services
- Care Homes
- Dentists
- Doctors
- Home Care
- Hospitals
- Mental Health Services
- Opticians
- Pharmacies
There are a number of reasons why you should talk us:
- Service providers have to listen to us, so they will be listening to you
- Because if we can't help you we will know someone who can
- We are powerful and well connected and will make sure your voice is heard
We have a number of ways you can contact us and have your say:
Freepost
Freepost RTJT-HZEA-YGKU
Healthwatch East Sussex
85b Ashford Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 3TE
Telephone
0333 101 4007
Text
07826 021 114
Visit our website
www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/have-your-say
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