Welcome to our HealthwatchSouthampton March 2018 newsletter.Recently, we have been focusing on two separate areas of work, mental healthand GP practices. This is in addition to our everyday work to ensure peoplehave a voice on health and social care in the Southampton area, includinggetting involved with patient assessments of the care environment of localhospitals.

Find out about our work around mental health, including Ideas for Wellbeingwith Touch network event on 19 March 2018, which you are all invited to attend.We are also doing some work with Solent Showcase gallery for a StandTogether for Health takeover, exploring health issues that affect our community.There will be a health-themed week 9th-13 April with a drop-in all day event onThursday 12th April. 

We have also been working with GP surgeries and their Patient ParticipationGroups. Lots of people don’t know about these groups, which allow localpeople to be involved with their doctor’s surgery. We are asking people toshare their experiences of GP surgeries and we are supporting thedevelopment of a Patient Participation Group network. 

We are working with Southampton General Hospital and other local hospitals tosupport the PLACE inspections. PLACE is patient-led assessments of the careenvironment and a number of Healthwatch volunteers have signed up to bepatient assessors. The surveys found a number of areas that neededimprovement, and this helps identify hospital priorities. 

We continue to benefit from the fantastic work of our volunteers, who contributeto all this work and share much insight and expertise in the process. Ournext Volunteers Meeting is Thursday 19 April 6-8pm which is for people whomight want to get involved with Healthwatch Southampton. 

Other work happening locally, is the Community Health and Wellbeing Hub, ledby the University of Southampton to connect communities and researcherstogether. 

If you have particular experience of either End of Life issues or Arthritis,you can get involved in focus groups coming soon in Southampton.

Ideas for Wellbeing – 19 March 6pm 

This piece of work between Touch network and Healthwatch Southampton isreaching its final stages. It has been gathering views around mental health andinvolvement of local people in services. Thanks to everyone who has takenpart, there were over 750 responses to the survey and a series of discussiongroups took place to collect more feedback and valuable views.We are now preparing for the celebration event where we will share theoutcomes of the work on 19 March 6-8pm at Solent Southampton University’sSpark building by East Park. Book your free space here. 

Stand Together for Health - takeover at Solent Showcase gallery 

Healthwatch team member Rebecca Kinge is working with Solent Showcasegallery on a health-themed takeover as part of the participatory exhibition StandTogether. This gives us a chance to explore together some local health issuesaffecting our community. 

There are a number of events that you can join in with: 

Southampton Art in Health Forum – Thurs 15 March 1pm – health, ourenvironment and what art can do to help? 

Stand Together for Health week – 9th-13th April – together we will explorewhat keeps us healthy and what helps young people with their wellbeing 

Health event – there will be a drop in 12th April between 11am and 6pmwhere we will explore health inequalities in our city, including an event tobring us together 4-6pm 

Southampton Art in Health Forum – 15 March 1pm 

Healthwatch Southampton has teamed up with SoCo Music Project to arrangean event for the Southampton Art in Health Forum.  This particular session willhave a focus on Our Environment at Solent Showcase Gallery: 

how do we create the right environment to improve our health? 

what can art do to help? 

Details here. 

Stand Together for Health – 9th-13th April 

Together we will explore what keeps us healthy. As this is school and collegeEaster holidays, we are asking young people what helps them with theirwellbeing.  

There will be a drop in health-themed event on 12th April 11am-6pm, whereanyone attending can help create a collaborative piece of art, making birdsusing origami techniques, and have conversations about health inSouthampton. During Thursday 12th April between 4-6pm we will explorehealth inequalities in the city, including a look at race equality issues in mentalhealth services. Watch out for more details, or contact RebeccaKinge r.kinge@southamptonvs.org.uk or telephone 023 80216041. 

GP surgeries and Patient Participation Groups 

Every GP surgery should either have already, or be working towards, a PatientParticipation Group. These groups allow two-way discussion between patientsand doctors about health issues affecting local communities and a forum forfeedback on what is working well (and sometimes what is not) within thesurgery. We are bringing together local groups to create network for mutuallearning and shared activities. 

We are also encouraging people to give us feedback for our website on thevarious GP and other health services in Southampton. We are going into GPsurgeries over the next few months to ask patients for their views. 

PLACE inspections 

We are working with Southampton General Hospital and other local hospitals tosupport PLACE inspections. ‘PLACE’ means patient-led assessments of thecare environment, and the inspections help hospitals to identify priorities withinthe hospital locations. They look at issues such as condition of the hospital, itscleanliness, food, privacy, disability and dementia friendliness. A numberof Healthwatch volunteers have signed up to be place assessors for the 2018inspections.  

The 2017 results are being analysed. Due to the cramped site and age ofbuildings at Southampton General Hospital, it is harder to finda social space for patients to engage in private conversations and lockablestorage for patients’ possessions is limited. The dementia-friendliness ofthe hospital locations also need some work. Some wards are now beingtargeted to improve their signage, colour-coding and flooring to help them bemore welcoming to people with dementia.  

There is still more work to do around disability issues. One challenge is thathospital wheelchairs go missing, making it harder for people with disabilities toget around the hospital. There could be more handrails, particularly at theGeneral Hospital and Princes Anne Hospital. A positive initiative is a hearingloop project which is being implemented to make the environment better forpeople with hearing loss.  

The feedback on hospital food is that it is getting tastier after a change inhospital contract. Making sure patients are ready for mealtimes is a priority. 

There were some changes to the ways assessments were made last year,which may have been responsible for the reductions in some of the scores. Thepicture will be clearer once the next round of inspections happen in Spring 2018and, as Healthwatch Southampton, we will monitor this and keep in contact withthe hospital to encourage improvements. 

Community Health and Wellbeing Hub 

Healthwatch Southampton has been working with The University ofSouthampton to set up its new community hub with a focus on health andwellbeing. The Hub will link researchers from the University with the communityfor mutual benefit. There will be chance to attend community engagementevents together. Details here or to getinvolved: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/per/university/pe-hubs.page 

Focus Groups 

Arthritis - A University of Southampton focus group is being held tounderstand views about training people who help those with arthritis. Thiswill be held at DoubleTree Hilton Hotel on Thursday 8th March. 10.30am– 12.30pm and a £20 NHS voucher is offered to anyone who books.Contact Mary Fry, either by phone on: 02380 594023 or via e-mailto: M.L.fry@soton.ac.uk 

End of Life - being planned for April  - If you have experience of End ofLife care in a personal, caring or professional capacity, then pleasecontact Caroline Verlaine from NHS ENGLANDemail caroline.verlaine@nhs.net. Caroline is organising a focus group inSouthampton to share experiences around this topic to be held in April. 

Volunteering with Healthwatch Southampton

We’re always keen to recruit volunteers to work with us, helping at communityevents and getting involved in sharing experiences and communicating thesewith health and care organisations. Our next volunteers meeting is on Thursday19th April at 6pm at Southampton Voluntary Services’ Volunteer Action Centrein Kingsland Square. All welcome.  

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Upcoming Events

List your event on our websiteAs part of our website redesign last year we launched a new events section onour website, designed to highlight upcoming community events, support groupsand training opportunities, serving as a resource for the residents ofSouthampton.

We’ve already added over 1800 events and need your help to add more.

Submit your one-off or reoccurring event here

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