Christmas Issue 2012

The HAL Halton LINkN E W S L E T T E R

Healthwatch Halton, which is due to launch in April 2013, is looking to appoint two voluntary members to its Board of Directors.

Would you like to contribute to the launch and ongoing success of a ground-breaking social enterprise, which ensures vital representation for users of local health and social care services?

Healthwatch Halton will work in partnership with the community and voluntary sector to deliver the government’s new Healthwatch agenda. As a director, you’ll bring senior-level expertise in one or more of the following areas: finance, communities, business development or market research.

Your experience could have been gained in a professional, personal or voluntary capacity but will enable you to provide high-quality input to the strategic development and probity of Healthwatch Halton. Experience of developing partnerships and alliances would also be useful.

Please note this is a voluntary role although out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed in line with the Healthwatch Halton Expenses policy.

Application packs will be available early in the New Year. To request a pack please contact the LINk support team on 01928 592405 or email info@haltonlink.org.uk.

Merry ChristmasMerry Christmasfrom everyone at the Halton LINkfrom everyone at the Halton LINk

Are you interested in helping Healthwatch?

To all our readers

Best Wishes for a

Happy Christmas

and a Peaceful

New Year

New vaccine to help protect babies against rotavirus

A new vaccination programme, planned to begin in September 2013, will see children under 4 months vaccinated against the highly infectious rotavirus.

Causing around 140,000 diarrhoea cases a year in the under-5s, rotavirus leads to hospital stays for nearly 1 in 10 (around 14,000) of those who get it in the UK.

The oral vaccine, which is expected to halve the number of vomiting and diarrhoea cases caused by rotavirus and lead to 70% fewer hospital stays, will be given to infants in 2 separate doses with other routine vaccines.

Professor David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health said:

“Many people think of diarrhoea as something that all children get and that you have to put up with. But there is a way to protect children from this.

“I’d encourage all parents of young children to accept this vaccine when the programme begins next year.”

The vaccination programme will be monitored by Public Health England.

A&E Won’t Kiss it Better… they only deal with REAL Emergencies

Choose Well is a North West campaign - supported by NHS doctors, nurses and other staff – that aims to ensure that people who need advice and treatment for common complaints, get expert, fast and expert care.

NHS emergency services, such as A&E and 999 are under increasing pressure with over 177,000 more people going to A&E in the last two years.

One out of every four people who go to A&E could have either self-treated for minor illnesses and injuries or been treated by other local services.

Make sure you Choose Well, get the right treatment for you and help the NHS to manage its resources.

For more information about how to choose well and for Christmas opening times for a number of NHS services locally area please visit;

Halton - http://tiny.cc/2kohow

St Helens - http://tiny.cc/6mohow

New support group Hard of Hearing Club

Live Life Well

Decembeard 2012

A new group has been setup in Halton to provide support and advice for people suffering from a Hearing loss.

The Hard of Hearing Club meet from 1.00pm to 3.30pm on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesday of each month at The Old Police Station, Mersey Road, Runcorn WA7 1DF.

Feel free to drop in have a cuppa and a chat.

For more information contact Deafness Resource Centre 01744 23887 (Voice & Text) or SMS Text on 07722 095710.

A new online health resource has been launched by the Halton & St Helens Health Improvement Team.

www.live-life-well.net has been specifically designed to help manage a person’s own mental health and wellbeing.

The site offers easy access to information on areas such as lifestyle and mental health.

New Guides for Healthwatch

Two new guides have been produced on how Local Healthwatch should look to engage with various groups to help improve services.

Firstly, the Local Government Association (LGA) has released a briefing which gives information on how Local Healthwatch needs to engage with children and young people. The briefing gives a series of key messages for Local Healthwatch to consider.

Key messages include the need for Local Healthwatch to secure the equal voice that children and young people want and involve them in monitoring health and social care services at all levels.

Secondly, the Mental Health Strategic Partnership have produced a new guide providing advice on how Local Healthwatch can help improve mental health services in the future.

The briefing gives recommendations on how Local Healthwatch organisations can be involved in making sure there are good quality mental health services in their local area, as well as improving mental health and wellbeing for everyone in the community.

Both reports can be downloaded from www.haltonlink.org.uk

Beating Bowel Cancer has called upon its supporters to grow more facial hair, as it launches the 2012 fundraising campaign Decembeard.

In 2011 Decembeard saw over 80 Beardys following Radio Two DJ Chris Evans in growing a beard for bowel cancer, raising an amazing £20,000 to support the work of Beating Bowel Cancer. This year, the aim is to raise £40,000 – the annual cost of paying for a specialist Beating Bowel Cancer Nurse Advisor.

Why is it so important?

One in four people are affected by bowel cancer, either directly or through friends or family. The second biggest cancer killer, it claims a life every half an hour, yet the subject is one of society’s last taboos. Only by getting people to talk more openly about bottoms and bowels can we make them aware of symptoms and stop people dying of embarrassment.

By becoming a Beardy, you will be joining a movement that is committed to beating bowel cancer together.

http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/decembeard

Halton LINk, Halton & St. Helens VCA, Sefton House, Public Hall Street, Runcorn WA7 1NGTel: 01928 592405 email: info@haltonlink.org.uk web: www.haltonlink.org.uk

Halton LINk is hosted by Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community ActionRegistered Charity No. 1106001 and a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2539153.

If you need this newsletter in a different format, e.g. CD or you would like a larger print version then please contact us.

Come along to our latest Fact or Fiction Event Looking for a GP?

On 14th December the Halton LINk will be holding the latest of in the series of Fact or Fiction information events at the Stobart Stadium, Widnes, from 10.00am to 12.30pm.

At the event you’ll have the opportunity to hear about two of the NHS services provided locally. We’ll have a presentation about the new Recovery Team at 5 Boroughs NHS Foundation Trust. On the 1st December the community mental health teams across the 5 Boroughs will be joining with the Enhanced Day therapy services to form a Recovery team. There will be 6 recovery teams across the 5 boroughs footprint, one in each borough apart from Wigan which will have 2. This reorganisation should ensure a more seamless service for people who are involved in community secondary mental health services.

We’ll also have staff along from Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust talking about the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Service for Halton. You’ll be able to find out exactly what physiotherapy services they provide and how to access them.

There’ll also be the opportunity to ask general questions about both services.

Refreshments will be available on the day.

The ‘Fact or Fiction’ events the LINk has organised over the last 3 years have all been highly successful and well attended, so we’d encourage you to book your place at this FREE event as soon as possible as places are limited.

Subjects covered in previous ‘Fact or Fiction’ events have included.

Are you are new to the area and want to register with a GP or maybe you’re looking to change your existing GP practice?

As NHS patients you have the right to be registered with the doctors surgery of your choice providing you live within the catchment area for that surgery.

You can find out contact details of all GP surgeries in Halton by visiting http://tiny.cc/4s4kow or calling either NHS Halton & St Helens on 01928 593600 or Halton CCG on 01928 593479

Once you have decided, ask the surgery of your choice for GMS1 forms for as many family members as you wish to register with that surgery. GMS1 is the form you fill in when you wish to register as a permanent patient with a surgery or move to a new surgery.

You don’t have to tell your current GP that you want to change. However, if you do, it could speed up the process of transferring your medical records.

You don’t have to tell the new GP surgery why you want to change either.

The Royal College of General Practitioners provide a useful booklet about GP’s, ‘It’s your practice - a patient guide to GP services’ which can be downloaded from:

http://tiny.cc/4s4kow

• Pharmacies• Swine Flu• Disability Living Allowance Reforms• Community First Responders• Dignity Matters• Ear Nose & Throat Service

• Good Medical Practice• Ear Nose & Throat• Dermatology• Phlebotomy• Community Services• Children’s Dental Services

To book your place at the event please call 01928 592405 and speak to a member of the LINk support team or email, info@haltonlink.org.uk.