Essex Archives - Page 6 of 8 - Winstred Hundred Parish Council

30th June 20148th December 2015

Best place to have a stroke

The local NHS CCG has issued the following news update reporting on the success rate of Colchester General Hospital, which has one of the largest stroke units in the East of England, with stroke patients, admitting over 70% of patients within 4 hours compared to the national average of below 60%:

Local stroke patients get best care in country, latest figures show

The quality of stroke care coordinated locally by Colchester Hospital is again in the top two hospital trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). This makes us the best over the last six months, nowhere else having been in the top two consistently. The RCP clinical audit of stroke patients who were admitted to hospital in the three months from October last year shows Colchester was the second best-performing out of the 175 hospital trusts that admit stroke patients directly for acute stroke care. Dr Shane Gordon, Clinical Chief Officer at NHS NE Essex CCG said:

This result is a credit to several organisations, including voluntary organisations who work together to provide not only emergency and acute care at the hospital, but also vital recovery care in the community when patients are safe to leave the hospital. Specially-trained nurses from ACE, the NHS community organisation, help patients to recover as much function as they can in the days, weeks and months after a stroke.

The figures show that whereas on average nationally 58% of people who have had a stroke were admitted to a stroke unit within four hours, in NE Essex it is over 70%. Perhaps most remarkable is that locally over three-quarters of people are helped by the dedicated Early Discharge Team to get quick, dedicated support to go home or to rehabilitation out of the acute hospital, whereas nationally on average just one quarter of patients are helped in this way. Dr Gordon added:

These figures are the results of a shared determination to get higher standards of care for our patients resulting in less death, disability and better quality of life. But we are very far from having a perfect service, there is much more we can do together to give stroke patients here even better treatment and recovery. Rapid and thorough treatment and recovery for patients can make all the difference to otherwise more serious outcomes for patients and families.

Recently published by the RCP, the audit was welcomed by Dr Ramachandran Sivakumar, consultant stroke physician at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and its clinical lead for stroke. He said the aim of the comparative information is to improve the quality of stroke care by auditing stroke services against evidence-based standards. Dr Sivakumar said:

Stroke care is very much teamwork and our success is down to a multidisciplinary approach that involves therapy staff, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and dietitians, besides doctors and nurses. While these figures show we are performing extremely strongly, we are certain we can do even better and that is what we are focusing on.

Moira Keating, nurse consultant for stroke services, said:

In my opinion, the entire Colchester stroke team takes ownership of each and every patient and pulls out all the stops to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and achieve their goals.

30th June 20148th December 2015

New blood test service going well

The local NHS CCG has issued the following news update following changes to their phlebotomy service intended to increase capacity from 2,900 to 4,600 tests per week:

New blood tests (phlebotomy) service working well, according to patients

Comments made by patients, on feedback forms and informally to staff show universal approval of the new expanded and more convenient service in NE Essex. The new service is provided by GP Primary Choice, a new organisation set up jointly by all the GP practices in our area. Around 11,500 blood tests have been carried out in May, but in a month with the full service now operating in all areas we expect that around 17,000 tests will be carried out. Comments on feedback forms include:

With three children would have found it difficult to go to a local hospital, as we live in a village.

One woman from Tiptree wrote:

Brilliant service, if I had to go to Colchester I would need to arrange child care and pay for car parking etc. Excellent service.

A woman from Colchester wrote:

Very positive change. Surgery is closer to home and offer an all-round excellent service.

Of feedback survey responses received so far, asked to rate their experience, 244 people said excellent; 53 good; 6 adequate, and no-one said poor or very poor. * Patients needing a blood test advised by their GP can have their blood taken at their own GP surgery, or by arrangement at any other GP surgery throughout the area. Surgeries normally do blood test five days a week, Mondays to Fridays (please check with staff for times) but of the 40 local GP practices, 1 offers tests 4 days a week and 2 practices offer tests on 3 days per week. Dr Andrew Lennard-Jones, the Medical Director of GP Primary Choice said:

We have only been running these new services for a few weeks, but already patients are telling us this is much better. Blood tests, taken promptly, are a key tool for diagnosing and treating peoples’ health conditions, and when you consider that there are around 240,000 tests carried out each year in just Colchester and Tendring, then these tests have a major effect on health in the area. We will keep learning from how these services are used, and what patients tell us, so that we can use that experience in designing other health service improvements in future.

Tests are now more conveniently available for GP-referred patients on the Clacton Hospital site in the Reckitts Lodge building, where blood tests are available from Monday to Friday between 8am and 2pm. This service is provided mainly for patients of East Lynne surgery, though patients from other surgeries can make an appointment or just walk in if that is more convenient. The maximum wait that patients are seeing there is about ten minutes, less for booked appointments. This compares favourably with the queueing that used to sometimes take much longer at the hospital before tests were available at all GP surgeries. For patients at St. James surgery, there is a service provided at Old Road Surgery in Clacton, where again appointments can be made, or patients can walk in. There is a free car park there, and as everywhere this service is available for patients from any other surgery. (Old Road Surgery’s own staff do the tests for their patients). For patients who might need to have a test early in the morning, perhaps because of work commitments, they can book an appointment or walk in at the Mayflower Centre at Harwich (Fryatt) Hospital from 7:00am on Wednesdays and 7:45am 4 days a week, or in Colchester attend the Walk-in Centre in Turner Road from 7am, 5 days a week. Walk in clinics are also being offered at the following GP Practices: Ambrose Avenue 9:30 till 1pm, Tollgate 9:30 till 1pm, Tiptree 8:00 till 10am and Winstree (formerly Stanway) 8:00 till 12pm. Dr Hasan Chowhan, clinical lead for the CCG, said:

I am delighted that patients are so pleased, particularly with the convenience of the expanded service. I am greatly encouraged at this key example of GPs and all staff at Practices working together to make improvements for patients. It won’t be as easy as that in all our local health services, but it is a powerful example of what can be done together.

22nd May 20148th December 2015

NHS England’s Commitment to Carers

The NHS in England has released news of how it will support carers in future.

The new chief executive of NHS England has paid tribute to carers for their “immense contribution” as he pledged to do more to help them.
Simon Stevens launched NHS England’s Commitment to Carers to coincide with the Carers UK State of Caring Conference in London, which sets out how NHS England aims to help carers to provide better care and to stay well themselves.
With around 5.4 million carers in England alone they are an important asset to the NHS, as well as those that they care for.

However, too often carers do not receive the recognition and support that they need and deserve from the NHS. The NHS has recognized that it needs to do more to help identify, support and recognise their vital roles. Helping carers to provide better care and to stay well themselves will contribute to better lives for those needing care and more effective use of NHS resources.

NHS England has developed 37 distinct commitments grouped within 8 priority areas as follows:

Raising the profile of carers;
Education, training and information;
Service development;
Person-centred, well-coordinated care;
Primary care;
Commissioning support;
Partnership links; and
NHS England as an employer.

To find out more about this programme either download the launch document (link in quote above) or visit the NHS Improving Quality website where the latest information can be found.

21st May 20148th December 2015

Local NHS Hearing Aid service gets better

Locally NE Essex NHS will be introducing a new Hearing Aid service with shorter waiting times and more local access for people over 50 sufferinggradual hearing loss.

From June 2nd people in Tendring and Colchester will be able to get their assessment and, if needed, hearing aids fitted in less time as a “one stop” service. At the moment patients sometimes have to wait for several weeks for appointments due to increasing demand and have to come in to Colchester Hospital.

New hearing (audiology) patients will be referred by their GP to the new NHS Community Audiology Service where they can go to clinics at surgeries and clinics locally (see list below). Patients will be assessed for the degree and nature of any hearing loss, and they can then have state-of-the-art free hearing aids fitted there and then if they wish. Those patients already being treated through the Hospital will continue their treatment there, but only new patients who are not medically suitable for the community services will in future be referred to the Hospital.

Dr. Sonica Goel, clinical lead for the project at NE Essex CCG, said: “This new service is a significant improvement for audiology patients now and in future. It costs the NHS roughly the same as the current service, but will offer faster, more responsive and convenient services for patients. It is part of the CCG’s overall approach – getting as much treatment “closer to home” for people as possible, and so freeing up the Hospital to do more of what has to be done in a high-tech acute hospital. All the hearing aids are the best in the business, and of course because this is an NHS service, they are all free to the patient.”

The new North East Essex new NHS Community Audiology Service will be run by GP Care and Scrivens Hearing Care and is now accepting GP referrals. Patients can choose between the two providers, each of whom offers a choice of clinics at several locations:

GP Care UK

Telephone Number: 0800 088 3104 Email Address: [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]

Locations

Abbey Field Medical Centre, Colchester
Bluebell Surgery, Colchester
Castle Gardens Medical Centre, Colchester
Creffield Medical Centre, Colchester
Shrub End Surgery, Colchester
Crusader Surgery, Clacton, Tendring
CVS Tendring, Clacton, Tendring
Great Bentley Surgery, Tendring

Scrivens Ltd

Telephone Number: 0800 085 0372 Email Address: [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]

Locations

Direkt Optik, Colchester
Highwoods Square, Colchester
Mill Road Surgery, Colchester
Wimpole Surgery, Colchester
Dedham Vale Community Health Centre, Colchester
Rayner Opticians, Harwich

20th May 20148th December 2015

Bogus callers near Colchester

Beware of bogus callers – Colchester woman conned

Be aware of bogus callers – they have tricked their way into a woman’s house in Colchester. Two men claiming to be from the council knocked on the door of a property in Rochdale Way, Greensted, at around 7pm on Saturday, May 17 asking to check the water pipes. A woman who lives in the property was alone and allowed them in. Whilst in the premises they went upstairs and stole some jewellery.

Descriptions:

The two men had Irish accents and were both described as white.

Man 1:

Aged around 30 to 40
Short greying hair under a blue baseball cap.
Unshaven greying beard.

Man 2:

Thin
In his 20s
Short dark hair

Anybody with any information about this incident or who may have seen anybody acting suspiciously in the area is asked to contact Colchester CID on Essex Police 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Follow Essex Police advice to stay safe:

Don’t be frightened to ask for identification and always check it carefully. If you’re not sure, ask them to come back another day.
Think about installing a door chain and use it. Keep the door on the chain until you’ve seen identification.
If you need your glasses to read the identification, close the door before going to find them. Don’t leave the door open and unattended.
Remember to lock the back door before opening the front.
Don’t be pressured into letting someone into your home if you have suspicions.
Don’t keep large amounts of cash in the house.
Don’t believe scare stories. Not all callers are genuine.

For more information on staying safe, go to the Essex Police Be Safe pages on www.essex.police.uk

2nd May 20148th December 2015

PAWS April – Child’s Play to radio host

Our speaker for April was Rachel Sloane, a well-known radio presenter for Radio Suffolk.

Rachel started her working career as a nursery nurse on a children’s ward in Ipswich and was then asked by Radio Orwell to do a weekly feature on children. For the next 4 years she did a 15-minute slot called ‘Childs Play’. She was so successful at this that she was then asked to present a two-hour programme in the early morning, which dealt with current affairs and involved phone-in spots. The phone calls were vetted by a team of telephonists, who then advise as to who should be put through to the live programme. Inevitably some people who phone in are abusive or just boring, so Rachel quickly learnt how to terminate the call. After 9 years with Radio Orwell, Rachel joined BBC Radio Suffolk and presented ‘Talk About’, which was a magazine programme, and later ‘Public Eye’, which was a consumer programme. After 23 years as a radio presenter and producer she set up her own company with the help of her retired policeman husband, called Rachel Sloane Partnerships Ltd. The company trains people in public speaking, hosts conferences and provides keynote speakers for various events.

During her career Rachel has interviewed a variety of people and groups and has had some very funny and embarrassing moments, and has occasionally had to ad lib to save inappropriate language and behaviour on live programmes. She now steps in to host the morning programme on Radio Suffolk when she is not helping on cruises or organising events.

Rachel stayed to talk to members in the refreshment break.

Our next get together is on 27th May when P. Parker will be our speaker with the subject of “Wheelchair to Windsurfer”. Currently membership is full but visitors are very welcome at the cost of £3.50 which includes refreshments.

Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of this website. If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring one of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510, Jane Banks 01206 735004 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.

27th April 20148th December 2015

NHS NE Essex Care Strategy

ne-essex-ccg The NE Essex CCG have recently published a new strategy for caring for adults, their families and carers who are facing conditions with limited life expectancy. This is part of a whole series of initiatives designed to customise NHS Service Provision for NE Essex’s needs – more can be found on their website at www.neessexccg.nhs.uk.

Part of the introduction of this end-of-life strategy document makes clear its objectives:

This document is a 5 year strategy detailing the future commissioning of end of life services across the health and social care economy. The document identifies the importance of raising the profile of achieving ‘a good death’ and putting mechanisms in place to achieve this.
The Department of Health End of Life Care Strategy acknowledges that there are many challenges to be overcome to ensure that everyone attains ‘a ‘good death’ irrespective of their background. The focus for the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group End of Life Strategy is to ensure that all patients achieve ‘a good death’ and their families and carers feel supported.

The full document can be downloaded here – NE Essex CCG End of life strategy 2014.

23rd April 20148th December 2015

Cancer Drop-In Day

Free Health And Wellbeing Event For People Living With And Beyond Cancer

Colchester’s Mayor Cllr Colin Sykes, and his wife Cllr Laura Sykes, will open the event at 10.30am

For the first time in North Essex and surrounding areas cancer patients and their families who are living with and beyond cancer are being invited to a free health and wellbeing drop in cancer information day taking place on Saturday 26 April at the St John’s Community Centre, St John’s Close, Colchester, CO4 OHP between 10.30am and 3.30pm to find out about all there is available for those affected by cancer. There will be free parking and refreshments. Macmillan Cancer Support and Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust have joined forces to host this major cancer event to provide people, who have undergone or completed treatment for cancer, no matter how long ago or for what type of cancer, with the opportunity to find out about what support, information, advice and facilities are available, to help them adjust to life with, and beyond, cancer. This event is linked to a new Self-Managed After Care service launched on the 1st April by the Trust and Macmillan Cancer that will provide one of the most comprehensive support and information services to cancer patients and their families in the UK. The event is funded by Macmillan Cancer and supported by more than 20 local organisations such as Macmillan Welfare Benefits, CHAPS – Men’s Health, Age UK, Breast Care, St Helena Hospice, Health Professionals, Equipment Suppliers, Cancer Support Groups, Marie Curie, St John’s Church Community Centre, Essex Carer Support and many more. The day will include four 45 minute presentations and question times on Benefits Advice, Counselling, Men’s Health, Physiotherapy & Exercise.

Peter Carrington, Lead Volunteer at the Macmillan Cancer Support, Drop-In & Information Centre, based at Essex County Hospital, said:

We are encouraging people and their families affected by cancer to come along to the event, so they are better informed about how they can make a positive difference to their every-day life. No one with cancer should have to face it alone; they should have easy access to high quality care, treatment, information and support, to meet their medical, practical, emotional and financial needs. Research has shown how important health and wellbeing is to the recovery and long-term health of cancer patients. For more information please phone 01206 744401.

Debbie Farthing, Macmillan Information & Support Manager said:

The cancer journey can be a particularly difficult time for many patients and their families and they need to know there is a robust safety net of support throughout diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, rehabilitation and beyond enabling them to return to everyday life and activities. This event will empower people to live more independently knowing our support and help is always available no matter when on how they need our help. We meet or talk to approximately 5,000 people, families and health professional per year and give out 18,000 plus information booklets with 309 patients and their families receiving on-going daily support from our volunteers with fast track access to health professionals where needed.

22nd April 20148th December 2015

East of England Ambulance Request

nhs-ambulance-feedback The East of England AMbulance Service are inviting feedback, if you have any comments (good or bad) to offer them, for example, on subjects such as:

Staff attitude,
Accidents,
Waiting times,
Damage to property.

Then either

Phone : 0800 028 3382

Email : [email protected]

Write : Patient Services Team, East of England Ambulance Service, Bedford Office,
Hammond Road, Bedford, MK41 0RG

3rd April 20148th December 2015

NHS with Macmillan announce new cancer support

New, improved self-management scheme launched for cancer survivors

The NHS in North East Essex, in partnership with Macmillan cancer charity, is launching a pioneering new service on the 1st April to better support survivors of cancer. It has been designed with the active involvement of patients from the cancer service user-groups.

This new scheme is designed to take some of the national ideas and build a new local service to better support people to manage their own medical and wider recovery process.

For those who have survived breast or colorectal cancers

The scheme is specifically for those who have survived breast or colorectal cancers and who are now judged as at lower-risk of relapse, with the intention to learn from this to potentially expand the service to survivors of certain other cancers. Higher-risk patients, such as those who have suffered from aggressive forms of the disease, will continue to need and get a different, more medically intensive follow-up programme.

Dr Linda Mahon-Daly, a GP at Shrub End in Colchester, leading the collaboration with Macmillan, said:

We will be providing an improved service for patients ensuring that every patient has real, continuing practical and moral support. National research and planning is all pointing towards similar services, but we are making it work practically for these patients, who often face very challenging circumstances. There is also the benefit of freeing up hospital doctors’ time, allowing them to deliver more services.

Many people, once their treatment is successfully concluded for these cancers, can find themselves without effective follow-up support. There are about 200 new lower-risk patients each year in NE Essex for each of these cancers. Under the new scheme, they and their families will be invited to attend a workshop specific to their type of cancer, which will help them understand and prepare for problems they may face, for instance certain physical side-effects that may follow. Patients will then be discharged from routine outpatient appointments; they will be assigned a Macmillan “buddy”, a trained volunteer with experience and interest in this type of cancer.

There will be a clear, rapid procedure to get the patient back under consultant care if needed and patients will still be able to contact their clinical nurse specialist (CNS) for advice on medical problems.

Michelle Bath, Macmillan Development Manager for Essex, said:

Following active treatment many patients tell us they feel alone and try to ‘get back to normal’ but their cancer experience has had such a big impact that they’re no longer sure what their ‘normal’ is. By training volunteer buddies we are aiming to give patients a support network and somebody to speak to about their concerns. This will give patients a listening ear that isn’t a member of their medical team but they will know how to access medical support if they suspect a change or recurrence of their cancer.

Clinically proven effective follow-up medical investigations, such as regular colonoscopy and mammography will still be carried out, as at present, to ensure that any problems are found and dealt with quickly.

Donna Booton, Matron for Cancer Services at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, said:

This is an exceptional scheme for the patients of North East Essex. It will reduce their fears and give them the support and knowledge they have not received before in order to be able to move on with their lives. This is also an example of excellent collaborative involving Colchester Hospital Trust, North East Essex Clinical Commissioning and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The volunteer buddies are initially funded and trained by Macmillan offering patients their wide experience, good information and non-medical advice. Perhaps crucially they will offer support for the patient, if needed, with re-building life routines, such as finding a job and other services. Patients will know they have continuing support and quick, easy access to further help as needed. Each patient will get the support they need as an individual, rather than the current system of routine out-patient appointments at hospital for everyone.

Dr Shane Gordon, Clinical Chief Officer at NE Essex CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) said:

This is a brilliant scheme; it will directly support many cancer survivors to rebuild their lives successfully. It is an excellent collaboration between Macmillan and the NHS which meets the support needs of patients at any time and links effectively with professional clinical services.

A lot of work has been done in the NHS nationally to understand why so many people who have been successfully treated for cancer, don’t feel they get effective follow-up support. There is good evidence too that the current routine follow-up appointments are not the most effective way of picking up any symptoms of recurrence of the disease, but patients do need help with any side-effects of treatment and sometimes with re-building their lives after treatment.

There will be an ongoing series of general cancer workshops, run and funded by Macmillan, on topics such as finance, diet and exercise and sexual health, which will be available to all cancer patients. Pilot workshops will be held and then evaluated, with the patient groups defining the feedback questionnaire which will be used.