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Telephone - 0300 777 6543www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk

voicecounts

your

There’s been quite a lot happening since the last issue in April so here’s a quick update:

During May we held a joint event with Halton Borough Council looking at the changes that may take place due to the introduction of the Care Act. (see page 11)

June saw our chair Jim Wilson step down to be replaced by Hitesh Patel. Our 2nd Annual report was also published on 30th June 2015. (see page 6)

In July Healthwatch England published ‘Safely Home: What happens when people leave hospitals and care settings?’. This report brought together 3,230 patient stories and pieces of evidence revealing both the human and financial cost of getting the discharge process wrong. We contributed evidence to this piece of work and we are now carrying out a project to look at the discharge process in our local hospitals. (see page 4)

Throughout the summer we were out and about across Halton

gathering people’s experiences of the services they use. We attended both Widnes and Runcorn Markets for a week as part of ‘Love your Market 2015’.

In September we took part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, (see page 7), and our Enter & View Team carried out visits to two local care homes. (see page 12)

During October we worked with Healthwatch Warrington on plans for a series of Enter & View visits across Warrington & Halton Hospitals. This work will help to gain a view on the services provided by the Hospital Trust.

In November we launched our 1st Health & Social Care Signposting Directory.(see page 3)

We’ve also been working with the council to access those who receive home care and we’ve now distributed over 800 domiciliary surveys to people receiving care at home in Halton. The responses will be collated and a report on Home Care Services will be published in

the new year. (see page 7)

What’s coming up next? During December we will be spending a couple of days at the new NHS Urgent Care Centres in Runcorn & Widnes to gather patients experiences.

During January 2016 we also hope to visit two local A&E departments to find out how they’re coping with the winter pressures.

Our Enter & View Team have plans to carry out 9 Enter & View visits by the end of March. (see page 12)

In 2016 we’ll also be taking part in a joint project with 4 other local Healthwatch, looking at mental health services provided by 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Welcome to our winter 2015 newsletterIt has been a while since we last published a printed newsletter so we’ve decided to push the boat out for this issue and expanded it to 12 pages!

Latest news from Healthwatch Halton Winter 2015

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MSK services cover a range of health problems relating to bones, joints and muscles and thousands of people access MSK services in Halton each year.

These sessions gave the CCG a huge amount of feedback and information about what is important to you as Halton residents and as people who have used MSK services in the past.

Since then, the CCG have been working with local hospitals, community teams and GP’s to understand how they can improve.

We spoke with Emma Alcock, Transformational Change Manager at Halton CCG who gave us an update on what you can expect in MSK services over the coming months in Halton!

You said that you wanted…

• Reduced waiting times

• More flexibility for appointments, locations etc.

• More options and support for self-referral and self-management

• Consistent level of knowledge, skills and information

• Standardised care, less variation

• More opportunities to provide feedback

What has been done…

Emma explained that the CCG wanted to try and give patients access to the right advice, information and treatment as quickly as possible and with the right person to help you get back on the road to recovery.

To test a new way of doing this, they are running a pilot clinic throughout November, December and January in one of the local GP practices. The pilot will offer patients direct access to either a same day or next day appointment with a specialist MSK practitioner by simply contacting their GP Practice. Patients will be given a 20 minute appointment to allow enough time to discuss their problem in detail and also given an MSK assessment. From that appointment specific advice for the condition will be provided or they will be referred to the most appropriate service to meet their needs.

Patients who attend one of the pilot clinics will be asked to give feedback to see if this is improving some of the areas people told us about and to help the CCG plan future MSK services.

Over the coming months the CCG will also be working with patients and care teams to develop an MSK Information Hub. This will

provide patients with a range of reliable information that they can be directed to during their appointment or access from home so they can continue to manage their health long-term using reliable information.

Work is also taking place with doctors within hospital teams to agree standard pathways of care which will mean that you can expect the same quality and level of knowledge wherever and whoever you are seen by.

Emma said, “These projects have been designed to respond to the things that you told us could be better and as a CCG we will continue to work with services to make sure that we are delivering the type of services that our residents need and want.”

For further information on what’s happening with MSK services in Halton contact Emma Alcock at NHS Halton CCG (emma.alcock@haltonccg.nhs.uk, Tel: 01928 593796) or check on the Healthwatch Halton website for details of future MSK events.

Back in December 2014 Healthwatch Halton held an event, in partnership with Halton CCG, to look at Musculoskeletal (MSK) services in Halton and gather patient feedback.

What’s happening in Musculoskeletal (MSK) services in Halton?

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Health & Social Care Signposting DirectoryThe first edition of our new Health & Social Care Signposting Directory has now been published.

The Signposting Directory can help you find local services including GP’s, opticians, pharmacies and dentists. There is also content on social care including care homes and help with home care. It contains other useful information such as advice on funding for health care and social care, choosing the right care home and help for carers, plus lots of other information including how to get more help from Healthwatch.

Copies of the directory have been distributed to Health & Social Care services across Halton.

We have a limited number of printed copies available from our office at St. Marie’s, Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DB or call us on 0300 777 6543 to request a printed copy.

View the the directory online at: http://issuu.com/healthwatch/docs/halton_brochure_for_web/1

Please become an antibiotic guardianAntibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today and the overuse or misuse of antibiotics is making the problem worse. Without effective antibiotics many routine treatments will become increasingly dangerous. Setting broken bones, basic operations, transplants, even chemotherapy all rely on access to antibiotics that work. To slow resistance we need to cut the use of unnecessary antibiotics.

Antibiotic Guardian is a campaign run by Public Health England and a range of partners. Health professionals, patients, the general public, health leaders and those who work with, own or treat animals are being encouraged to visit www.antibioticguardian.com and choose a pledge that they can fulfil and play their part in protecting some of our most precious medicines.

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The report, ‘Safely home’, outlined some of the key reasons why the discharge process doesn’t always run smoothly. The report was based on over 3,000 pieces of evidence gathered by 101 local Healthwatch, including Healthwatch Halton.

The stories in the report highlighted people who were discharged before they were ready, and those who were kept in care for too long, which had a significant and detrimental effect on their lives.

Healthwatch Halton is now carrying out a project to look, in more depth, at the experiences local people are having when discharged from hospital. We believe that people have the right to a safe, dignified and quality service. When people are leaving

hospital, this means that they should have somewhere safe to go, with transport, if necessary, to help them get there and patients

– together with any relatives or carers, should feel that they have adequate support for their ongoing care.

Lyn Williams, Manager of Healthwatch Halton said, “Working with the support of Age UK Mid Mersey, Halton Carers Centre and Red Cross Halton we will be gathering feedback from as many people as possible so we can understand what does and doesn’t work in the discharge system. This feedback will be shared with health service managers and commissioners”.

Healthwatch Halton is really keen to hear from anyone who has been discharged from a hospital, care home or mental health facility within the last 18 months. No matter what you were treated for, or how long you were there, your experience will make a valuable contribution to improving services for local people.

You can share your experiences by taking part in an online survey at www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk/discharge-inquiry or contact Healthwatch Halton on 0300 777 6543 to give your feedback. Printed copies of the survey are available from Healthwatch Halton.

New inquiry into hospital discharge

Thousands of people are potentially being sent home without proper support when they leave hospital or a care setting according to a recent report from consumer champion for health and care Healthwatch England.

Have your say and have the

chance to win a £25 gift

voucher

At Healthwatch Halton, we are always keen to get the views of the local community on health and social care services. We’re interested in hearing as many and as diverse views as possible, and as a thank you to those people who take the time to give us their comments, we’ll be entering them into a new, quarterly, prize draw!

Simply share with us your experiences of using local health & social care services, GPs, dentists, pharmacies, opticians, hospitals, care agencies and care homes etc., via the Feedback Centre on our website or by completing one of our feedback leaflets, and you’ll automatically be entered into the prize draw (remember to leave some contact details).

The first prize draw will take place on 16th December 2015, followed by another draw on 16th March 2016. We will choose three of the comments we received, at random, and the people who made them will each receive a £25 gift voucher.

In addition, this is a fantastic opportunity to get your views and experiences known and help others choose a service that’s right for them. Whether your comment is positive, negative or neutral, simply send it to us for a chance to win! (Terms & Conditions available on

our website).

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What you can do to reduce your risk of stroke

You can’t prevent a stroke, but leading a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risks.

Some people are more at risk of having a stroke if they also have certain other medical conditions.

These include:

• High blood pressure • High cholesterol • Atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) • Diabetes

It is important that these conditions are carefully monitored and treated.

The risk of having a stroke is higher amongst people in certain ethnic groups, including South Asian, African and Caribbean. This is partly because high blood pressure and diabetes are more common in these groups.

There are also lifestyle factors that may increase the

risk of having a stroke.

They include:

• Smoking

• Being overweight

• Lack of exercise

• Poor diet

• Exceeding the recommended daily alcohol limit

The NHS recommends women should not regularly

drink more than 2-3 units a day and men should not

regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day.

Leading a healthy, active lifestyle is vital to help reduce

your risk of having a stroke.

For further information visit:

http://www.nhs.uk/actfast/Pages/stroke.aspx

Why you must Act F.A.S.T.A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. So recognising the signs of stroke and calling 999 for an ambulance is crucial. The sooner somebody who is having a stroke gets urgent medical attention, the better their chances of a good recovery.

Rapid diagnosis of TIA (mini-stroke) allows urgent steps to be taken to reduce the risk of having a stroke.

NHS Care at the Chemist

Care at the Chemist (also known as the Minor Ailments Scheme) is a scheme that allows you to get medicines and advice for certain illnesses from your local pharmacy without having to go to your GP first. This means you don’t have to wait for an appointment – you can get expert advice whenever the chemist is open, without having to wait for an appointment.

If you don’t have to pay for your prescriptions you won’t have to

pay for any medicines supplied through the scheme. If you usually pay for your prescriptions you will only pay for what the item costs.

Patients who are over the age of two, are registered with a doctor taking part in the Minor Ailments Service, and are suffering from a minor illness included in the local service can use the scheme.

Check with your GP Practice to see if they are registered.

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Healthwatch Halton Annual Report for 2014-15Our 2nd Annual Report was published at the end of June 2015, covering April 2014-March 2015. Printed copies are available on request by calling our office on 0300 777 6543.

The report can also be downloaded from http://www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk/about-us/documents

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Our recent Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support raised a total of

£107.00p

Our new ‘Care at Home’ project will provide residents with an opportunity to have their say on Domiciliary Care services (Home Care Services) in Halton.

Concerns have been raised to Healthwatch, both nationally and locally, over the care of vulnerable people at home. We’ve been hearing from people who are struggling to get the basic home care services they need. We’ve had stories of carers visiting at times that suit the care providers but not the person being cared for.

Nationally, NICE (National Institute for Health & Care Excellence) have recently issued its first ever guidance on social care and said that contracts local councils in England sign with social care providers should allow workers time to provide a good-quality service, including having enough time to talk to the person and their carer, and to travel between appointments.

Dave Wilson, Communication Officer for Healthwatch Halton said, “We believe that Domiciliary Care is one of the most important

services we have because it supports some of the most vulnerable in our society. Because of this, services need to be caring, flexible and compassionate. We want an end to the situation where many visits are so short and rushed that recipients have to choose between getting washed or dressed.

“It’s really important that we get to hear the views of anyone who either currently receives Domiciliary Care services, or has a relative or friend who receives the service.”

As part of the project, we’ve launched a survey which we’re asking people to complete, either online at our website, www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk/about-us/surveys/ or by filling in a paper copy of the survey, which is available from Healthwatch Halton, by calling 0300 777 6543, or drop in to our offices at St. Marie’s, Lugsdale Road, Widnes WA8 6DB.

Once the project is completed the findings together with any recommendations for change will be presented to the local authority.

Healthwatch Halton want to find out what people think of Home Care or Domiciliary Care they receive within Halton.

Do you use Home Care services?

Are you passionate about health & social care?

Do you want to make a positive difference ?

Do you have a few hours to spare?

If so, why not volunteer with Healthwatch Halton today!You don’t need any qualifications to become a Healthwatch Champion; just a willingness to listen and talk to a range of individuals, an open mind and a desire to raise the voice of local people.

Give us a call today on

0300 777 6543 be a

volunteerWhatever your skills or

exerience, as long as youare passionate about

improving health services inHalton we want to hear

from you

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NHS services must tell people how to contact their local HealthwatchPeople can’t help improve health services if they don’t know who to talk to. That’s why patients will now be guided to local Healthwatch by health services to do just that.

As of April 2015 all healthcare services except GP services, opticians, dentists and chemists, have to provide clear information to patients, their carers and representatives about how to contact their local Healthwatch. This rule has come about as part of the NHS Standard Contract for 2015/16 mandated by NHS England.

If you visit a health service, and cannot see any information about your local Healthwatch, please get in touch with us and let us know.

Many people want to get involved in making services better, but is valuable public feedback being lost?

Healthwatch England commissioned an online survey in October 20151, to find out more about people’s desire to provide feedback and to help care services improve.

According to the results from the survey, most people who use health and social care services really want to get involved in making them better. However, the polling also indicated that some of this potential public feedback is being lost, as people are unsure how to share their opinions on their treatment.

For example, while 8 in 10 people (82%) would be willing to share feedback about their GPs to help them improve, almost half (46%) do not know how to share their views and opinions on GPs.

The same is the case with other areas of care. Over half (55%) of all those who use maternity services are willing to provide feedback, but 71% did not know how. Equally, nearly two thirds of people (62%) who find mental health services relevant, are willing to give feedback, but 68% of people do not know how to share their views.

The apparent gap between wanting to and knowing how to provide feedback indicates that there is an untapped resource of patient experience which commissioners, providers and professionals are not fully harnessing.

Tarrance Macmillan, Intelligence Analyst at Healthwatch England, said: “Logic tells you that

engaging people in the design of current and future

care services is an important step in making sure they

deliver what people need. You can’t really understand

patient experience of a particular service and identify

how it can be improved unless you listen to feedback

from those who have used it.”

With services aiming to become more person centred,

there has never been a better time to ensure that the

public have the opportunity and means to share their

experiences of health and social care.

At Healthwatch Halton we want to help to people cross

that gap by making it easier for feedback to be given

on local services. We want people to spread the word

about our online Feedback Centre, where you can

give your feedback about the local services you use.

1. Survey undertaken between 21st and 22nd October

2015. Total sample size was 2,135 adults. Results in the

Healthwatch England article are based on England only

1,764. The survey was carried out online. The figures have

been weighted and are representative of all GB adults

(aged 18+).

Is there a feedback gap?

The original article can be read on the Healthwatch England website, www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/there-feedback-gap

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Is your issue urgent? Do you need to see a specific GP?Is it important you are seen quickly or would you rather wait for an appointment with a particular GP? If you have a long-term illness would you benefit from seeing a GP who knows your history personally?

Take notes to help youBefore you see your GP, be clear in your own mind what you want to say. Make a note of your symptoms, worries and any questions that you would like to ask.

Many problems? See if you can book a double appointmentIf you have a number of issues that you would like to discuss with your GP, see whether it is possible to book a double appointment to give you more time to talk them through.

Take a list of your medicines – prescribed or otherwiseBring a list of any medication you are taking, including over-the-counter and/or alternative medicines, or anything prescribed after a hospital visit. This includes tablets, liquids or creams. Your GP needs to know about everything you are taking.

Discuss important things first and stick to the pointMake sure you tell the doctor about the important things first and try to get to the point. Do not feel you have to justify being there or leave your main concern to the end.

Not clear on treatment plan? Ask againMake sure you fully understand the next steps before you leave the room. If you don’t, then don’t be afraid of asking your GP to go through the plan again.

Ask who to contact if you have any more questionsYou may think of questions that you would like to ask after your appointment. Find out who you can contact to ask questions, as well as any support groups that can provide reliable information.

If you need support, take a relative, carer or friendIf you feel your situation needs it, take a relative or friend for support. They can help you understand or explain.

Unhappy? Ask to see another GPIf you’re not happy, you can ask to see another GP in the practice. You can also change GP practices, but you should as a first step always discuss your concerns with a practice staff member first.

Could the practice nurse deal with your problem?In many cases, a practice nurse could deal with your concern, so consider this as an alternative to making an appointment with a GP. The surgery may also run special clinics such as asthma and diabetes, so make sure you find out.

If you would like to know more about the questions you can ask your doctor to get the most out of your consultation, NHS Choices have developed a comprehensive list, www.nhs.uk

Ten top tips to get the most out of your GP appointment

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Pharmacy XMAS DAY

BOXING DAY Monday 28th Dec

NEW YEARS DAY

RUNCORNAsda Pharmacy, West Lane, WA7 2PY01928 703210

CLOSED 11.00 - 16.00 11.00 - 16.00

Boots Pharmacy, 21 High Street, WA7 1AP01928 572076

12:00 - 14:00 CLOSED CLOSED

Lloyds Pharmacy, 5-6 Granville Street, Runcorn Old Town WA7 1NE01928 567378

10:00 -12:00 CLOSED CLOSED

Wise Pharmacy Ltd, 27 Hillcrest, Halton Brook, WA7 2DY01928 566772

14:00 - 16:00 CLOSED CLOSED

WIDNESAsda Pharmacy, Widnes Road, Widnes WA8 6AH 0151 422 5910

CLOSED 11.00 - 16.00 11.00 - 16.00

Boots Pharmacy, Unit 7 Widnes Shopping Park, Widnes WA8 7TN0151 424 2979

CLOSED 09.00 - 18.00 10.00 - 17.00

Appleton Village Pharmacy, Appleton Village WA8 6EQ0151 420 8794

10:00 - 16:00 CLOSED CLOSED

Tesco In-store Pharmacy, Lugsdale Road, Widnes WA8 7YT0151 268 8447

CLOSED 09:00 - 18:00 CLOSED

Pharmacy Christmas & New Year Opening TimesWith Christmas fast approaching we thought it would be a good idea to check

which of our local pharmacies would be open over the Festive period.

These details were correct at the time of going to print.

Sign up to Dry January and join the thousands of others taking a break from booze this January

We can all overindulge over Christmas, but not drinking for a month in January can benefit you in a number of ways.

Halton Borough Council’s Health Improvement Team is supporting Alcohol Concern’s Dry January campaign which encourages people to take a month out from alcohol and enjoy the benefits from taking a break from drinking.

If you sign up at www.dryjanuary.org.uk you’ll receive tips and encouragement throughout January to help keep you on track.

http://www.haltonhealthimprovement.co.uk/

Take a holiday from booze this January!

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Care Act Event - May 2015The Care Act represents the most significant changes to Adult Social Care legislation in over 60 years. New responsibilities and obligations fell to the Council from the 1st April 2015.

In May this year we arranged an event, with the support of Halton Disability Partnership and Halton Borough Council, to raise awareness of the new Care Act and how it may affect people locally.

Over 80 people came along to take part in the event and find out what the changes may mean for them.

A short report and copies of the presentations from the day are available on our website.

www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk/news/care-act-event-update/

For further info on the Care Act visit:

www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk/the-care-act-2/

Nightstop Communities North

West (NCNW) is a unique

service in the borough of

Halton providing emergency

accommodation for 16-25 year

olds. NCNW also provides

a holistic and individual

approached Counselling,

Anger-management and

mediation support service for

anyone 15 years and above.

Nightstop has had huge success

throughout the past year and have

seen the demand for their services

grow.

Due to this increased demand they will be extending their opening hours from Thursday January 14th 2016 having late night opening every Thursday night for all services until 7pm. This is available to partner and referral agencies and also for self-referrals. This is also due to the demand in clients who are in full-time employment who struggle to get support due to their working hours.

Nightstop are also having their Annual Nightstop Sleepover on

Friday 15th January

2016, in partnership

with Widnes Vikings,

at the Select Stadium

and they are inviting all

agencies to come and

promote their services

on the night as well as having loads

of fun and meeting players and

visiting the museum, the players

gym and changing facilities and

much more.

For more information call NCNW

on 0151 345 6454 or email info@

nightstopcommunities.co.uk

Increased demand for Nightstop service

We’re looking for new volunteers to become Enter and View Representatives, visiting services to gather feedback and see how well the service is working.

• Are you interested in making a difference to local health and social care services?

• Do you enjoy talking to people from all backgrounds?

• Can you listen to and understand other people’s views and experiences?

Becoming an Enter and View Representative could be a great way to get involved and influence improvements in local health and social care. Enter and View Representatives are trained and supported by Healthwatch staff, and will take part in a programme of visits to health and social care settings locally.

Give us a call on 0300 777 6543 for further information.

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Enter & View is one of the pow-ers available to Healthwatch to monitor and challenge health and social care services.

It means that we have the right to enter and view any premises where publicly funded care is provided to residents of Halton, with a few exceptions.

Generally this applies to residential homes, nursing homes, GP practices and hospital wards. We assess service quality using the views of residents/patients and their carers.

We have a team of trained and authorised volunteers who help with our Enter & View visits.

Our Enter & View Team have been busy during the past few months, visiting 4 local homes and planning visits to even more for the new year.

Reports have been produced on recent visits to St Luke’s Care Home and Croftwood Care Home, both in Runcorn, these can be downloaded from our website.

Reports are currently being produced on recent visits to St Patrick’s Care Home and Oakmeadow in Widnes.

In January the team will be visiting another 3 local care homes, with a further 3 visits to be carried out by the end of March 2016.

Enter & View update

0300 777 6543

@hwhalton

How to contact us

FREEPOST RTKC-YEJX-UEXR

St Marie’sLugsdale Road

Widnes WA8 6BD

www.healthwatchhalton.co.uk