IRU - Friday 3rd March 2023 | Healthwatch Stockport

Welcome to this week's Information Round-up

We hope you are keeping well, it has been a busy week for Healthwatch. Francesca our Engagement Officer has now left us to travel South America leaving Costa del Stockport behind! We want to wish her luck and happy travels, us at Healthwatch Stockport will miss her.

Our Feedback Forum is coming up soon, see below for more details.

This week has also seen us close shop of our ‘Access to GP’ survey – thank you to everyone who took part we are grateful for your feedback.

There are many different bulletins/newsletters in this round-up, we hope you enjoy it.

You may have missed these recent articles that we have published since the start of the year.

If you want to receive the IRU link weekly you can sign up here and you will receive an email every week with the link as soon as it is public.

Feedback Forum #2

You are invited to our next Feedback Forum. Our last Feedback Forum was at the central location of The Masonic Guildhall, we will be hosting these quarterly Feedback Forum’s in different neighbourhoods in Stockport to ensure that we give the opportunity for all Stockport residents to be heard. If you were able to attend we hope you found our last forum useful, we really enjoyed your company and input in December. If you weren’t able to attend, a summary is on the attached flyer.

This time our guest speakers will include experts from Primary Care. It will also be an opportunity to hear about updates on our Social Care research project and other work that we have been completing. You will have the opportunity to offer an insight into your lived experiences and influence the changes that you would like to see in Stockport.

WHEN: Wednesday 15th March 2023 from 10:00am until 12:30pm

WHERE: Cheadle Village Hall (Cheadle Village Hall, Brook Rd, Cheadle, SK8 1PQ).

A light buffet lunch will be served

Free parking is limited however car parks can be located on Massie St, Cheadle, SK8 1BP and Church Street, Cheadle, SK8 1AE which is £5 for the day. If transport is an issue, please get in touch with the office and we can try and support you with your needs. If you have any other additional needs, such as requiring a BSL interpreter, then please get in touch.

Places are limited and must be booked If you would like to attend this event, please sign up via the Eventbrite page which you can find here or you can ring the office on 0161 974 0753.

Book on

Support our Because We All Care campaign and help us improve services

Message from Care Quality Commission

Because We All Care is our joint campaign with Healthwatch England to encourage more people to share care experiences. To date it has driven nearly 94,000 people to share their, or a loved ones, experiences.

How you can get involved

In March our campaign will focus on understanding the experiences of people with a learning disability and autistic people who use health and social care services. To get involved, contact jay.harman@cqc.org.uk. Your support helps make this campaign a success.

#BecauseWeAllCare

We are also planning the next year of our campaign. Have you reach or expertise that can help? Would you like to get involved in the development and campaign design? We expect to focus on increasing volume and range of care experiences we receive for the following population groups:

People with a learning disability an autistic people
People from a black, Asian or other minority ethnicity
People living in areas of significant deprivation
Disabled people with physical or sensory impairments

Pennine Care - Governor Elections

Message from Pennine Care

It's that time again where we are planning our Elections to the Council of Governors which will run from April to June 2023.

At Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, our governors play a key role in representing the views of our patient, public and staff members, ensuring that our services meet the needs of our communities.

If you have an interest in our Trust and in helping us continue to deliver the best possible care to our patients, then please consider standing for election as a governor.

We have public governor vacancies in Bury, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside and Glossop, Stockport and Rest of England. To express an interest and find out more information please click here: https://www.mi-nomination.com/getinvolved.

We are running a series of virtual information sessions, please contact us if you would like to attend or have a conversation about the role or election process: ftmembership.penninecare@nhs.net tel: 0161 716 3374

Here is a list of the information session dates:

Tuesday 8 March 1pm to 2pm
Wednesday 22 March 1pm to 2pm
Tuesday 4 April 1pm to 2pm
Wednesday 19 April 1pm to 2pm

We look forward to hearing from you.

Updates from NHS England

Major surgical capacity boost

Hundreds of thousands more patients will benefit from tests and operations thanks to dozens of new surgical spaces.

Surgical hubs are separated from emergency services in hospitals meaning treatment can continue in one place, largely unaffected by increased pressures in other parts of the hospital, such as Covid and flu.

An estimated 780,000 additional surgeries and outpatient appointments will be provided at a combination of new and expanded surgical hubs and new theatres dedicated to planned care and treatment.

Bowel cancer home testing kit campaign

Millions of people who have been sent a home testing kit that can detect early signs of bowel cancer are being encouraged to use and return it, as part of a new campaign to increase the uptake of home testing.

The faecal immunochemical test kit detects small amounts of blood in poo - that would not be visible to people - before someone may notice anything is wrong.

People who are diagnosed with bowel cancer at the earliest stage are nine times more likely to survive.

Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign

In partnership with the Stroke Association we have relaunched the Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign. The campaign highlights that a stroke is a medical emergency and urges the public to call 999 immediately if they notice any of the signs of a stroke in themselves or others.

Cancer “bus-ting” tour as double-decker bus drives up awareness

An NHS double-decker bus has been touring the country to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, and to encourage people to visit their GP for potentially life saving checks if they have a symptom.

As part of the health service’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, the tour was the latest initiative to help drive earlier cancer diagnosis and tackle health inequalities, ultimately improving survival rates.

Helping people self-refer to community health services

Your views can help to shape the future of self-referral in areas including community equipment, podiatry, musculoskeletal services, weight management and wheelchair services. Sign up to the #SolvingTogether platform to take part – closes Friday 31 March. For further information email england.solvingtogether@nhs.net.

The UK’s largest ever health research programme

Our Future Health is building a community of volunteers to create an incredibly detailed picture of the nation’s health. Watch this video to learn more about how we can help prevent disease together.

Our Life Our Choice - Campaign from Rescare

OUR LIFE OUR CHOICE – Defending residential choices for people with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism.

Rescare is sponsoring OUR LIFE OUR CHOICE so that the full range of residential CHOICE is made into a reality, and we are pleased to say our latest petition has just reached over 1000 signatures. We are spreading the word as widely as we can across Stockport where our head office is located and nationally as we are aware that this is a matter that is effecting people across the UK.

find out more

Sign the petition here

Podiatry urgent services in Stockport

Message from NHS Greater Manchester

Please see the attached poster with information on urgent podiatry care. This drop-in service at Brinnington Health Centre and Kingsgate House in Stockport town centre, is for urgent new patients only. Please share with practice staff and patients as appropriate.

Podiatry Walk In Poster

Download (PDF 258 KB)

Considering the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people

This film explores how Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people who visit the hospital's emergency departments.

Carers for Adults with a Learning Disability: Next Meeting

Message from Bruce McEwen (CALD)

Carers for Adults with a Learning Disability (www.CALD.co.uk)

Next Meeting - Thursday 30th March (10.30 am - 12 noon) at The Jolly Sailor, 218 Bramhall Lane, Stockport, SK3 8TE

Speaker – Dr Annie Hart (Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist)

Look forward to seeing you and catching up on 30th March

Contact

Bruce McEwen (bruce.mcewen57@gmail.com)

Menopause Awareness Training supported by Stockport & District Mind

Message from Louise Gresty (Stockport and District Mind)

Mind in Greater Manchester are funding a project to improve health outcomes for women and people experiencing reproductive health issues through delivering workplace training, raising awareness of the issues and an improved mindfulness offer.

Menopause Awareness for All

90 min workshop of all employees or volunteers

Dates:

Thursday 23rd March 2023: 10 am – 11.30am (on Zoom)
Thursday 28th March 2023: 10am – 11.30am (on Zoom)

Book on

Supporting Employees Through the Menopause Course

A 3 hour course for managers.

Course Dates:

Monday 8th March 2023: 1.30pm – 4.30pm (on Zoom)
Wednesday 13th March 2023: 9.30am – 12.30pm venue to be confirmed)

Book on

[JOB OPPORTUNITY] Smart Works

Message from Smart Works

Client Delivery Lead

Are you or any women that you support, interested in female empowerment, circular fashion and making a real change to society?

Smart Works Greater Manchester are hiring a Client Delivery Lead!

Smart Works are seeking someone who is brilliantly organised and calm under pressure to help run their busy centre. They would love to hear from friendly, unflappable multi-taskers with great communication skills who can plan and prioritise changing deadlines.

The Client Delivery Lead will be an integral part of running their operation to ensure that the women they support have a seamless and positive experience of this service.

This role will be based in the newly opened Smart Works centre in Manchester City, working alongside the existing centre based in Stockport.

To find out more and apply, click here.

[VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY] Walk for Health

Message from Ellie Unwin (Pure Innovations)

See attached for more information

Walk for Health volunteer role

Download (PDF 113 KB)

[SURVEY] Citizens Advice SORT group recent survey

Message from Kara Mello Baron (Citizens Advice)

At Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford, we are gathering information on private renters and their experiences in damp and draughty homes. As we are keen to capture as many stories as possible, I was wondering if this is something that you could feature in the round-ups / survey section of your website.

This is the link for the survey. It closes on the 19th of March.