investing in volunteers compassion in care cancer patients and … · 2018-12-17 · investing in...
TRANSCRIPT
giving you advice gathering your views giving you a voice
Mental health
Social care
Dentistry
What’s new with health and care services…?
Investing in Volunteers
Compassion in care
Cancer patients and services
Young Healthwatch
Healthwatch Wakefield News Autumn 2018 Page | 2
Investing in Volunteers Award Ceremony
The Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor Stuart Heptinstall and Miss Charlotte Heptinstall, came to visit us in the summer for our event celebrating achieving the Investing in Volunteers award. Here they are pictured with some of our volunteers and staff.
Our Annual Report and Contract News
Our Annual Report for 2017-18 was published at the end of June and is available on our website. If you would like a paper copy let us know.
We are delighted to announce we were successful in bidding for the Healthwatch Wakefield contract through an open tender procedure and will continue to provide Healthwatch services locally in 2018-2022. Compassion in Care campaign
Do you care about care? Have you witnessed good compassionate care? Or have you witnessed care that fell short of what you expected? Healthwatch Wakefield are leading a project to understand whether pressures in health and social care services are having an impact on the ability of staff to be compassionate in their work. Please take part in our survey and tell us what you think. There are only seven questions and it is confidential. Take part here
www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Compassion_in_Care_Survey/ and find out more about the project here www.healthwatchwakefield.co.uk/current-work/compassion-in-care/
We started our compassion in care campaign in early September to mark 70 days to World Kindness day. Each day represents a year since the NHS was formed. We will be highlighting acts of compassion and good practice and looking for solutions to the problems patients, residents and staff face. We are working with local schools and Wakefield College, and on the day itself, Tuesday 13 November 2018 we are holding an event in Wakefield to talk about compassion in care and what hospitals, care homes, hospices, and other have been doing to encourage and recognise good compassionate care. If you’d like to find out more contact us on 01924 787379 or email [email protected]
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Over the last few months we have visited many community venues and events talking to hundreds of local people who have asked for information or shared their experiences. Regular Healthwatch information and feedback stands take place across the District providing you with an opportunity to talk to us about local services. If you have any events that are taking place, or belong to groups that might want Healthwatch Wakefield to come and talk to them, please let Ann Marie know on 01924 787379 or email [email protected]
We have lots of different volunteering opportunities you may want to find out about such as visiting services to talk to patients, residents and staff; investigating a particular issue to find out information and suggest improvements; or research such as surveys with the public to find out their views. If you want to find out more, or have an idea about how you’d like to be involved, contact Safeen on 01924 787379 or email [email protected]
Continence Services Have you any experiences to share, good or bad, about continence services or products?
Compassion in care If you work in a health or care setting or have experienced or seen services in action, what do you think about showing compassion?
All our surveys can be found on our website but if you would like to take part and don’t want to do it online let us know and we can send you a paper copy or we can do it with you over the telephone. www.healthwatchwakefield.co.uk/current-work/surveys or 01924 787379
Online national surveys and consultations run throughout the year on all sorts of health and care issues and services. You can find some of them through the Department of Health and Social Care website:
Department of Health and Social Care www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
Are you a young person, what are your experiences of health and care services like? Young Healthwatch are running a survey and your feedback can help the people who make decisions improve health and care services for children and young people in Wakefield District. If you would like to talk to someone please contact Safeen or Kate at Young Lives on telephone number 01924 364198 or Healthwatch Wakefield on 01924 787379. You can also text Safeen on 07885 913395.
Find places for support, advice and information and the Young Healthwatch Survey on the Healthwatch Wakefield website under the ‘Young Healthwatch’ tab. Also, a massive congratulations to our Young Healthwatch volunteers who did so well in their exams this year!
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Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities Evaluation of Connecting Care
Wakefield Council has commissioned us to undertake an external evaluation of the provision of integrated health and care services from the perspective of Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities. Health and Care providers are working more closely together in our District to deliver care closer to our homes and to remove some of the barriers that currently exist between services like hospitals, doctors, mental health and voluntary sector, so that our experiences of health and care are more joined up and effective.
The evaluation wants to find out from this particular group of people what their experiences of integrated health and care services are like. The evaluation will run until November 2018,
so if you’d like to complete a survey or tell us your views, please get in touch. We can also come out to talk to groups if you’d like us to give you more information or come and hear your experiences.
Cancer Alliance Community Panel
Since its establishment in May, the Community Panel has grown to 21 members from communities across our region. The Panel held its first meeting in September where topics included cancer care reviews and the use of digital technologies to support patient care. Part of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, the Panel works closely with different work streams to make sure patients and carers are able to contribute their own experience and expertise, and make a meaningful difference in shaping cancer care services. Following the meeting, Patient member Margaret Fraser Wilkinson commented “I thought the meeting
went well in gathering recommendations for improvement in patient’s experience. If in some way the work of the Panel improves communications, then the patient experience will be enhanced and provide a greater confidence… you will be facilitating a significant difference.” Further Panel work is ongoing, with subgroups being formed to work on the recovery package, palliative care and several other areas. If you would like to find out more or get involved please contact Panel Coordinator Fraser Corry on 01924 208327 or email [email protected]
Yorkshire Cancer Patient Forum
The Forum continues to go from strength to strength with over 450 people subscribed to their updates; their fifth newsletter published; and more events, training and activities organised. Details of which can be found on Facebook and twitter and the website.
The Forum is a group of people who have been directly affected by cancer – patients, carers, friends and family – and those working with or within cancer services. The views and of people affected by cancer are listened to and used to improve the quality of cancer care in the Yorkshire and Humber area. People don’t need any specific skills or experiences to be involved, people affected by cancer are experts from their own experience.
Find out more at www.yorkshirecancerpatientforum.co.uk or telephone 01924 787379
Transforming End of Life Care in our District
We have been working with partners in the District to support an ambitious transformation of the way that we look after people who are at end of life and how we support their families and carers. We know from what people tell us that there are big differences in the way that people are taken care of when they are dying and we are working together to make sure services offer the best support to everyone.
Our role in the project is to ensure that people’s experiences of end of life care are heard, and that we include local people in helping to design services for the future.
If you’d like to be involved in this important work, please contact Nichola Esmond at Healthwatch Wakefield on 01924 787379 or email [email protected]
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In May 2018, organisations in West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership were given more freedom and flexibility to manage the delivery of local services across the patch when it joined the Integrated Care System Development Programme. As a result, the partnership has now been given over £8.5m transformation funding by NHS England to improve a host of key priorities across the area. At a Partnership leadership meeting in August 2018, it was agreed that funding would go toward:
The development of a Primary Care Network /
Communities (£2.6m). The implementation of major improvements in
urgent and emergency care delivery across West Yorkshire and Humber (£4m).
Ensuring capacity to deliver Partnership programmes (£1m).
£1m will also go toward supporting voluntary and community organisations through the Harnessing the Power of Communities Programme.
Find more information on the Health and Care Partnership website www.wyhpartnership.co.uk/
Recall Matters For the past four years, Healthwatch across West Yorkshire have heard from patients about difficulties in getting NHS dental care. In some areas, people have found it impossible to find a dentist taking on new NHS patients. So Healthwatch have launched a campaign with support from the Chief Dental Officer for England, NHS England, Public Health England and the British Dental Association.
The campaign is called ‘Recall Matters’ and works to free up appointments for people currently without a dentist. Most people go back every 6 months but this might not be necessary. If your dentist says your teeth and mouth are healthy, you look after your teeth and have a healthy diet and lifestyle, guidelines state that dentists could recommend longer intervals, up to a maximum of 24 months for adults.
If check-up intervals increased in this way, dentists could be freed up to treat more patients. If the new idea works, it could release thousands of dental appointments to people who do not currently have an NHS dentist. Ask your dentist if you can go from 6 to 12 months between routine check-ups.
Hypermobility Syndrome Healthwatch across Yorkshire and Humber are asking for the views of people who have hypermobility syndromes. The purpose of this is to develop an understanding of their health and care experiences which will be shared with people who buy and run services so they have a clear picture of any issues and find ways of addressing them. Take part in the survey before the end of October here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/hypermobility
Mental health Since January 2016, over 35,000 people have shared their views and experiences of using mental health services with Healthwatch nationally. They want to see mental health prioritised so Healthwatch England has a new programme of work as a direct response to that.
The first area we will explore is mental health support available to new parents. Having a baby is one of the biggest life choices you can make. This can affect both the person who is giving birth and their partner's mental health. As many as one in five pregnant women and new mums experience some form of mental health challenge. Partners can also be affected, with one charity estimating that 1 in 3 new dads are concerned about their mental health.
If you/and your partner are currently planning, are pregnant or have had a child in the last three years, please fill in our national survey. Take the survey
www.healthwatch.co.uk/having-baby-and-effect-your-mental-health
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Six things people should expect when making a complaint about social care services
If you have a bad experience and your care goes wrong, it’s vital that services put things right as soon as possible and learn from what happened. However, we know from our conversations with the public that making a complaint isn’t always straightforward. Some people worry that by speaking up their care will be affected or that they won’t be taken seriously. Others find the process too complicated.
To make it clear what to expect when making and dealing with complaints about social care services, we’ve been working with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to develop a Single Complaints Statement for both professionals and the public.
So what should you expect?
Encouragement and reassurance.
Respect and involvement.
A simple process with well trained staff.
To be taken seriously and to know what will change as a result.
A simple process to follow for when there’s more than one organisation involved.
Clear information on what to do if you’re not happy with the result.
Find out more at www.healthwatch.co.uk
NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group
New future confirmed for Eastmoor Health Centre NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has announced good news for patients and staff at Eastmoor Health Centre, with a new doctor taking over the NHS contract for providing patient services there. Dr Selwyn Barnsley, who runs Alverthorpe Surgery, has taken over at the Health Centre which has 2,900 registered patients.
Wakefield’s Future in Mind programme rated as “green” by the NSPCC The Wakefield mental health plan for children and young people has been rated as “green” by the NSPCC. The plan, known as Future in Mind, is among the 12 per cent of plans across England which have been given a green rating. This 2017/18 rating is an improvement from the previous year which saw Wakefield achieve an amber rating.
All NHS Wakefield CCG news can be found at their website www.wakefieldccg.nhs.uk/wakefield-ccg-news/
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Hospitals and University join forces to reduce nursing deficit Mid Yorkshire Hospitals and the University of Bradford officially opened their new School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership at Dewsbury and District Hospital in June with Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England unveiling a plaque at the Hospital. The new facilities comprise of a brand new team based learning suite, with state of the art
technology to enable students to engage in learning through problem solving and reflection, both individually and in teams; dedicated seminar rooms for focused, interactive learning activities; a bespoke Clinical Skills Suite and Laboratory. The school will boost nursing recruitment for The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and widening degree course participation in the local area. The first students started in April 2018
All news items from our acute hospital trust can be found at their website www.midyorks.nhs.uk/news
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Safer staffing success shortlisted for national nursing award The Trust is a finalist in the ‘Workforce of the year category’ in recognition of their safer staffing project, which helps meet the staffing demands of inpatient mental health wards. The project has saved the Trust in excess of 1.6 million in agency staff spending. The
outcomes were achieved through the recruitment of a safer staffing project manager whose role includes offering specialist advice and support, and the development of a peripatetic workforce who can travel to respond to demand on inpatient wards. The Awards recognise and reward work that is being done by employers to support the workforce.
All news items from South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust can be found at their website www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news-articles/
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Public Health
One in four adults experience at least one mental health problem in any one year. These can include low mood and depression, anger and anxiety.
Luckily, there are steps we can all take to help improve and protect our mental wellbeing.
The five ways to wellbeing are:
Connect – spending time developing relationships with your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will help boost your mental wellbeing.
Take notice – being aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body, your family and friends, and the world around you will help boost your mental wellbeing.
Be active – finding an activity that you enjoy and making it a part of your life will help boost your mental wellbeing.
Give – even the smallest act, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word, or a larger act such as volunteering will help boost your mental wellbeing.
Keep learning – whether it’s learning how to cook, about your family history, or a new language, learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence, and will help boost your mental wellbeing.
Find out more on Wakefield Council’s website here: www.wakefield.gov.uk/health-care-and-advice/public-health/mental-health-wellbeing
Did you know? GP practices across Wakefield offer weekend and evening appointments The GP Care Wakefield scheme lets patients across the district have access to GP support after normal practice hours. People just ring their normal GP practice telephone number between:
6pm and 10pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 3pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays
Patients who use the service are provided with medical advice from a dedicated nursing team, who can then refer them to a GP appointment that day, if required, at one of two sites across the district.
Do your family know your wishes? Nationally, three people die every day in need of an organ, and there are around 35 people in Wakefield alone on the transplant waiting list. Families will be approached if their loved one can donate, but knowing what their relative wanted helps support their decision at a difficult time.
Around 111,400 people in Wakefield are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register but people also need to tell their family if they want to donate. The national NHS campaign asks people to talk to their families about organ donation to increase the number of people whose lives could be saved or transformed by an organ transplant.
www.organdonation.nhs.uk
GP Patient Survey 2018 In the latest national GP patient survey most people said they were satisfied with their experience of visiting their GP and 66% of people who wanted a same day appointment got one; 94% of patients felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
For more results go to https://gp-patient.co.uk/ where you can find individual practices. You can see on a single page how a practice compares to the local and national averages, as well as making comparisons between individual practices. If you don’t have access to the internet but would like a copy of the Practice Overview for your doctors please get in touch and we will send you a print out.
01924 787379
every voice counts
In Wakefield District, there are a number of places where decisions are made about our health and care services. Local people can attend these meetings as they are held in public. This doesn’t mean you can always speak up at the meeting but you can find out what’s happening and learn about future plans.
Wakefield District Health and Wellbeing Board The Health and Wellbeing Board meet every other month and members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend. More can be found out here http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/health-care-and-advice/public-health/what-is-public-health/health-wellbeing-board or call 0345 8 506 506
NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group Meetings and other events can be found here https://www.wakefieldccg.nhs.uk/home/patient-in-wakefield/get-involved/ or call 01924 213050
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Board Meetings are open to anyone who wants to attend, details can be found here https://www.midyorks.nhs.uk/trust-board-minutes-agendas-and-papers or call 01924 541000
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Details of meetings and other events can be found here https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/about-us/how-were-run/our-trust-board/meeting-papers/ or call 0800 587 2108
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust The Board meets quarterly in addition to the Annual General Meeting in September. Find out details of the next meeting here https://www.yas.nhs.uk/about-us/the-trust-board/ or call 01924 584567
We are here to represent the views of all local people in health and care services. We listen to your experiences, understand them, and then work with the people who buy, provide and run these services to try to make sure that they are the best they can be and designed using the needs of local people. Our services are free and confidential.
Registered Office: Unity House, Westgate, Wakefield WF1 1EP
Telephone: 01924 787379
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.healthwatchwakefield.co.uk
Twitter: @healthywakey
Facebook: Healthwatch Wakefield
Registered Company No. 09907848 and Charity No. 1166797 Registered in England and Wales
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