Sussex NHS Commissioners Public Involvement Weekly News Briefing on COVID-19

(31st July 2020) This briefing will be produced bi-weekly, and is aimed at patient leads, public members, voluntary and community sector (VCS) leads and community group leads in Sussex, to support the dissemination of information on coronavirus to our wider communities.

The NHS is committed to keeping our people informed during this crisis, ensuring that our communities have the information they need, in the right format, and at the right time. We know that our patient leaders, VCS and community organisations are all working exceptionally hard to support local people, and that they are key to working together to make sure that our communities have the support and information they need.

Local Focus Big Health and Care (Socially Distancing) Conversation: Accessing care from your GP practiceIn last week’s Public Involvement Weekly News Briefing, we informed you that the Big Health and Care (socially distancing) Conversation is being held across Sussex.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the nature of how health and care services are delivered, in a very short time period. Services had to adapt and change to ensure patients and our staff were protected, which meant that the way people accessed health and care services changed, at a time when we were all also adapting to life in lockdown.

The Big Health and Care Conversation is your chance to tell us your experiences, ask questions and share your ideas as we move towards restoring services after the pandemic.

Our first Big Health and Care Conversation theme is…‘Accessing care from your GP practice’, which is being held between Monday 27th July 2020 – Sunday 9th August 2020. We want to hear your experiences of accessing care from your GP Practice during Covid-19. What worked well? Were there any challenges? What could have been done differently?

We want to hear your experiences so we can make things better for you and for others. Visit our website to find opportunities to be involved and be heard.

You can also contact us about the Big Health and Care (socially distancing) Conversation using the details below:

Phone us: 01903 708411

Write to us: RTUZ-ECYG-ERRK Attn: Public Involvement Team NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group Hove Town Hall, Norton Road Brighton, BN3 4AH

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Pride events are cancelled – celebrate onlineThere are no official Pride events taking place in Brighton & Hove this weekend, 1 & 2 August, the date Brighton & Hove Pride 2020 was due to take place. 

Brighton & Hove Pride is one of the city’s largest events, in usual years drawing thousands to celebrate by taking part in its parade and Preston Park event. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pride 2020 is set to be different with a digital Pride celebration - FABULOSO - planned by the organisers of the official annual city event.

Celebrating virtually offers the opportunity to use digital and social media to make a truly inclusive event, which will ensure everyone will be able to come together to experience Brighton & Hove Pride, including fantastic free-to-view entertainment:

a spectacular line-up streaming live into homes  a weekend of digital celebrations and archive performances from some of the world's biggest LGBTQ+

stars  line-up will be tied together by live presenters many online warm-up events

Residents and visitors are reminded by Pride organisers and partners, including the police, that unofficial events are not welcome or allowed in the city due to the ongoing pandemic.

Changes to Community Pharmacy prescription deliveriesFrom 1st August 2020, community pharmacies will no longer receive any financial support from the government to help them to continue delivering medicines to patients’ homes, and many will no longer be able to do so. Shielding patients should receive a letter from the government about the changes.

Advice for patients who still need help to receive their prescription:

Some pharmacies may choose to continue to fund a delivery service themselves, but this might be restricted to certain patients. Your local pharmacy will tell you if it is doing this.

The vast majority of pharmacies will need to stop providing free deliveries on cost grounds though. Pharmacies can and will support patients to access their medicines in other ways – for example by giving medicines to patients’ friends or relatives, or helping patients to source volunteers to collect medicines for them

Instead, patients are being advised to:

o ask a friend or relative to collect their medicines for them;

o call NHS Volunteer Responders on 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm) to arrange support;

o or contact their pharmacy directly or their local authority community hub to ask for a community volunteer to go to pharmacy to collect medicines for them (see the contact information for community hubs on pages 3 - 4).

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak most community pharmacies were already offering some form of prescription delivery service, but it is important to note that many of these were not free of charge to patients. Delivering medicines can create significant cost for pharmacies as it often means hiring delivery drivers and investing in equipment such as suitable vans.

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However, there is no NHS-funded prescription medicines delivery service, so pharmacies have to cover these costs themselves, except in a small number of situations, like specified appliances HM Government funding cuts to pharmacies in recent years had meant that some pharmacies simply could not afford to keep providing delivery services for free: some needed to start charging patients for the services or cutting back on the number of patients who were offered free deliveries to prioritise those in most need of help.

The Local Pharmaceutical Committee for Sussex and Surrey have produced a briefing note on deliveries pre-Covid, which will apply again from 1st August 2020.

The guidance for people who have been shielding is changing It’s the final week before the national government shielding scheme pauses (from 1st August). From 1st August if you have been shielding, you will be able to:

visit places of worship and outdoor spaces go to the shops yourself to pick up essential groceries return to work if you cannot work from home – just make sure you speak to your employer to make

sure your workplace is COVID-safe.

In last week’s Public Involvement Weekly News Briefing we shared an overview on what’s changing for shielded people, and this week we’re including a reminder on key dates and changes in the coming days:

Food boxesThe last national and local food boxes for shielding people will be sent out by 31 July. People can no longer register for national food boxes.

Priority supermarket deliveriesShielding people who had already registered for and got priority access to supermarket deliveries will keep it.

Volunteer helpPeople who have been shielding, and those who are self-isolating or avoiding public places, can still ask for help from the NHS Volunteer Responders who will continue to offer support after 31 July. People can call 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm) to arrange volunteer support.

Support

If you want support or help, your Community Hub is still here for you. Contact your local Community Hub, using the details on pages 3 - 4if you need help getting food or medicine or for signposting into other services.

Community HubsCommunity Hubs are run through our Local Authorities, District and Borough Councils, and voluntary and community sector partners in East and West Sussex. Community hubs are the contact point that people can turn to if they need extra help in coping with the effects of coronavirus or know someone else who needs help.

The Hubs have been supporting those who are on the “shielded" list by ensuring people have access to food and other support. The Hubs are also a key contact point for other residents who are vulnerable, in order to access wider community support, which may include help with shopping and money advice, but also support with reducing isolation through access to services such as telephone befriending.

Community Hubs also provide a place for people to find out about local volunteering opportunities.

Brighton and Hove Community Hubs

Brighton and Hove Community Support Telephone: 01273 293117 

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East Sussex Community Hubs

West Sussex Community Hubs

West Sussex Support Team Telephone: 033 022 27980 (Lines are open 8.00am - 8.00pm)

Community Matters – Frequently Asked Questions The Covid-19 Community Connectors Team has been answering questions from our communities in Sussex about accessing health and care services at this time through the Frequently Asked Questions. This week’s new information is on shielding, community pharmacists and face coverings, which can be found in Section 2.2, 2.8, 3.4, 3.5 and 8.1 respectively. You can read the Frequently Asked Questions via the Clinical Commissioning Groups websites.

NHS Brighton and Hove CCG NHS East Sussex CCG NHS West Sussex CCG

NHS GuidanceSupporting Your Recovery after Covid-19

Your Covid Recovery is a new NHS website designed to help people recover from the long-term effects of coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19.

If you have had Covid-19, you may still have some physical symptoms, such as, breathlessness, a cough and a lack of energy. You may also have psychological symptoms, such as feeling scared or anxious, depressed, having trouble sleeping and struggling to remember or concentrate.

These symptoms, both physical and psychological, are common. Your Covid Recovery includes information from experts about how to manage them and look after your health and wellbeing. It also includes information on returning to work, and a helpful section for family, friends and carers of people who are recovering.

Better Health Campaign – helping you to manage your weight lossCovid-19 has affected the whole country; for almost everyone, life has had to fundamentally change. But it has also prompted many people to reflect and think more seriously about their health. What’s more, people have been surprised by how able they have been to change their behaviour, with lockdown showing many that they are able to make and sustain changes to their lives.

Public Health England has launched the Better Health campaign to support individuals on their weight loss journey, but, later down the line, will also provide advice and support for quitting smoking, drinking less and looking after your mental health.

63% of adults in the UK are overweight or living with obesity. Gaining weight is often a gradual process that takes place over a number of years and modern life doesn’t always make it easy.

But this extra weight causes pressure to build up around vital organs, making it harder for the body to fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease and now COVID-19.

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By reducing your weight within a healthy range, you can help cut your risk of being critically ill with Covid-19. To improve health and wellbeing, individuals should aim to have a BMI below 25 and above 18.52. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups (BAME) should aim to have a BMI below 23 and above 18.5 to avoid risks to health.

The Better Health webpage provides tools to help people manage their weight loss – from checking their BMI, to getting access to free support tools including the NHS 12-week weight loss plan. The NHS 12-week weight loss plan, available both online and via a new app, promotes evidence based safe and sustainable weight loss. It helps users to make healthier choices, by providing the most up to date evidence based healthy eating and physical activity advice in a magazine format that enables them to keep track of their calorie intake, portions of fruit and veg, physical activity level and teaches skills to prevent weight gain.

Type 2 Diabetes: Know Your RiskType 2 diabetes can be a very serious health condition that can cause long-term health problems. It can lead to sight loss, kidney failure, loss of a limb, and makes you at least twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes can significantly affect you and your health.

It’s very important that you find out if you are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes so you can get support to lower your risk. You may be eligible for your free local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which provides personalised support to help you.

To help you keep focused and motivated on your goals, you will receive support from trained health coaches, and have an opportunity to meet other people in your area who are also trying to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes. Although the programme is normally delivered in groups at different times and locations, it is currently being offered over telephone or group video conference, or online through apps and websites.

Public Committee Member roles with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

NIHR funds high quality research that is focused on the needs of patients and the public. We aim to ensure that the knowledge, experiences and interests of patients, service users, carers and the public inform and contribute to our work. The NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) are looking for members of the public to join their advisory committees with the following research funding programmes:

• Health Technology Assessment (HTA) • Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME)

For more information and how to apply, please click here. If you have any questions about these opportunities please contact us by email: publicrecruitment@nihr.ac.uk National Updates The latest position in terms of confirmed cases of Covid-19, broken down into total UK cases and local areas, is updated daily here.

The Cabinet Office has confirmed that certain people are exempt from having to wear a face mask, including those under the age of 11, with disabilities, hidden health conditions, breathing difficulties, mental health conditions or autism.

Coronavirus support for clinically extremely vulnerable people is no longer open for new registrations at the moment, because people are not being advised to shield in most of England from 1st August 2020. The last

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boxes of food and basic supplies will be sent out by 31st July 2020. Read more about this here.

Sussex NHS Commissioners Public Involvement Team In April 2020, the Sussex NHS Commissioners Public Involvement team were repurposed as Covid-19 Community Connectors to support our people and communities across Sussex in accessing health and care services at a time of crisis. The Covid-19 Community Connectors team have now returned to the Public Involvement team, where the team will be working with partners in the Sussex Health and Care Partnership to support the Big Health and Care Conversation. The Sussex NHS Commissioners Public Involvement Weekly News Briefing and Frequently Asked Questions will also now be sent out bi-weekly.

You can contact the Public Involvement Team using the contact details on page 7.

Healthwatch You can also raise issues through Healthwatch, which is an independent body responsible for gathering people’s views of health and social care services. Contact details are below:

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove:

Telephone: 01273 234 040

Email: info@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk

Website: https://www.healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk/contact-us/

Healthwatch East Sussex

Telephone: 0333 101 4007Email: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk

Website: https://healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/contact/

Healthwatch West Sussex

Telephone: 0300 012 0122

Email: helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk

Website: https://www.healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk/contact-us

Contact Details If you have any questions, or if you need this brief in an alternative format, please contact the Public Involvement Team:

Email: sxccg.involvement@nhs.net

Telephone: 01903 708411

Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users can use a Video Relay Service (VRS) called SignLive (a free app which connects deaf people to a qualified British Sign Language Interpreter before connecting you to one of the Public Involvement Team). This service is currently available every Thursday from 14:00-16:00. Please contact the Public Involvement team using the details above if this is not convenient.

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Let us know what you need to see in this briefing, give us feedback on services and support related to Covid-19 and let us know about issues you are picking up from your communities.

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