R TE
M
A AR PR C H 20 I L 16
L S NEW
HealthwatchNEL@nbforum.org.uk 01472 361459
HealthwatchNEL
T E
2
Contents Page 4
Goodbye to Sean Snelson NHS "Failing" Transgender Patients Page 5
Health and social care directory Healthwatch in the community CQC Inpsections Page 6
#YourMaternityCare Autism Forum Partner News Page 7
Added inconvenience Weekend GP service to cease Page 8 - 9
IVF - A postcode lottery Page 10
Board meetings
Mental health funding Growing older in NEL Neurological education day
3
4
NEWS ROUND-UP Goodbye to Sean Snelson Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire would like to announce that Sean Snelson has decided to stand down as a member of our Executive Board. The remaining board members – along with everybody here at Healthwatch – thank Sean for his hard work and wish him the best of luck in the future.
All of Healtwatch’s board members are volunteers. They come right from our community and represent a range of voices. Are you interested in having a positive impact on local health and social care? Then perhaps becoming a Healthwatch board member is right for you. Board members help us decided what we investigate and can contribute to how we work locally. Contact us for more detials.
NHS "failing" transgender patients Transgender people encounter About half of young trans people and a ‘significant problems’ when using NHS third of trans adults attempt suicide. services, a Government report has found. The report goes The House of Commons report into on to state that ‘Transgender Equality’ recognises that public service improvements have been made. provision should support trans people However it says that lack of knowledge more effectively. and understanding still lead – in some cases – to poor or insufficient care. Have the issues raised in this report affected The report is also critical of the NHS’ you? Healthwatch North failure to completely stamp out East Lincolnshire would like to invite transphobic behaviour. trans people to share their healthcare experience. Trans-people often face high levels of transphobia and prejudice on a daily You can contact us on: 01472 361459 basis; a problem with serious Or at: Healthwatchnel@nbforum.org.uk consequences:
Health and social care directory
5
In January, a new directory of health information on and social care in North East Lincolnshire how to was released. express any complaints Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire people may produced the directory to help people have about a get the information they need with service. simplicity and ease. Healthwatch It contains a complete listing of local North East agencies: GP practices, Dentists, Lincolnshire Pharmacies, Opticians, Nursing homes, distributed these Residential & Domiciliary Care providers. directories to hundreds of local The booklet also offers advice about health care venues. choosing the right kind of care for you and your loved ones. It has links to Members of the public should be able to financial information and support, and pick up a directory for free from their weighs up the pros and cons of each care local GP practice. option. Alternatively they can contact Patient rights are laid out and explained Healthwatch directly: 01472 361459 or plainly, and the booklet contains healthwatchnel@nbforum.org.uk
Healthwatch in the community Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire is always looking for places, events, groups and venues where we can engage with the local community. We'll listen to your experiences of care and help signpost you to other services who can offer help and support.
Immingham
If you are a member of a Grimsby Cleethorpes group or have ideas of places you'd like us to visit, contact us on: 01472 361459
CQC Inspections Ÿ Churchview Care Home Ÿ Little Brocklesby House
Requires Improvement Requires Improvement
Ÿ Dr O Z Quereshi's Surgery (Taylor's Ave Medical Centre)
Good
Ÿ Dr Kalwan Singh Koonar (Healing Health Centre)
Good
Ÿ Grange Care Home
Good
Ÿ The Aspects Care LTD Ÿ Dr Wilson & Partners (Birkwood Surgery)
Good
Ÿ Dr Hopper & Partners (Freshney Green Surgery) Ÿ 22 Abbey Drive (West) Ÿ Ferriby Lane Ÿ Cleethorpes Dental Practice (Osman Dental) Ÿ Grimsby Dental Practice
Good Good Good Good No Action Required No Action Required
#YourMaternityCare Autism forum
6
#YourMaternityCare - a new campaign from the CQC - encourages women to talk about their experiences of maternity care. There is a new place to discuss Autism and how it affects people in North East Lincolnshire.
In England there are nearly 700,000 live births each year. A study in 2015 found that most expectant mothers are enjoying better care than in previous years, however experiences still vary. Healthwatch works closely with the CQC. We're interested in your experiences of local Maternity Care. Good or bad - it doesn't matter - we would love you to share your story and help inform our work: 01472 361459
The Autism Forum will be hosted bimonthly at Open Door, in Grimsby. People with Autism, their friends, family and cares are all invited to come along and work together to make sure that the voice of those affected by Autism is heard. The next meeting will be on: Friday, April 15 from 9.30am – 11.30am. The M.P. For Grimsby, Melanie Omm, will be attending to field questions and join the discussion.
PARTNER NEWS Alzheimer's Society has moved to a new people, as well as a range of community activities. office at 21 Dudley Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2AW. Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire is Anyone who would like information about looking forward to working with YMCA Alzheimers or Dementia can pop in to the Humber. office or can call the society on: 01472 Centre4 will be putting on two day trips 359247. in the coming months. One to Scarborough on the Yorkshire Coast and We'd like to one to Doncaster Dome. Both trips will welcome our be by bus. You can find out more by new partner: contacting the centre on: 01472 236688 YMCA Humber! YMCA Humber provides short term support for young
Interested in becoming a member of our partner programme? 01472 361459
Added inconvenience
7
We were recently approached about one unexpected impact of the new 30p charge to use public toilets operated by North East Lincolnshire Council - the removal of the Radar key locks for people accessing disabled toilets. Radar Keys allow people with health conditions or impairments to access a disabled toilet at any time. They are a vital resource for people living with mobility issues.
The disabled toilets do remain available 24x7 and we were also told that the Healthwatch wrote to the council council intended to reinstate the Radar pointing out that it was not fair that disabled people who purchase these keys key function as soon as possible. should also have to pay the 30p charge. When the Regeneration, Environment and Housing Scrutiny Panel met on 9 March We also asked for clarification on what consultation had taken place prior to the 2016 they decided to suspend the 30p charge for disabled people to allow a decision being taken. review to be carried out. The Council quickly responded, explaining that the decision had followed Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire has also been invited to meet with consultation with residents and a select Councillors to discuss this further. committee investigation. However, it was only realised late in the day that the radar key would not operate in conjunction with the new charging mechanisms.
Have you been affected by the removal of Radar Key locks at public toilets? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact us on: 01472 361459
Weekend GP service to cease It has been announced that the weekend service, however there were some and bank holiday urgent care service concerns that the site was being used to which runs at Quayside Medical Centre in access non-urgent GP services. Grimsby - will end on March 31, 2016. Urgent care (Out of Hours GP, Urgent care GP appointments are for pharmacists, the illness or injuries that need immediate mental health crisis medical attention but are not serious team, etc) can now enough to require a visit to A&E or an be accessed through ambulance. North East Lincolnshire's Single The Quayside walk-in service was Point of Access (SPA) intended purely as an urgent care on: 01472 256 256
IVF treatment - A postcode lottery Some readers may be aware of recent news coverage around IVF treatment in North East Lincolnshire. We wanted to update you about our involvement as a Healthwatch.
8
have been better to have engaged with couples awaiting IVF treatment and to take account of their comments before reaching a decision. We also expressed concern that the decision taken in August had not been publicised on the CCG's website until December and that our informant had received the old policy guidance.
We were informed just before Christmas that North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had made a decision in August 2015 to reduce the number of IVF treatments on offer in our We took advice from Healthwatch area from three to just one. England (HWE) and were told that other Our informant pointed out that not only local Healthwatch had raised similar was there no public consultation before concerns and the HWE stance is to this decision was taken, but that it went remind everyone of the NICE guidance. against NICE (National Institute of Although the guidance is not mandatory Clinical Excellence) guidance, which or binding upon individual CCGs, due champions three rounds. regard should be paid to these We sought clarification from the CCG on recommendations. the matter, but also advised our NICE guidance emphasises that infertility informant that the CCG was entitled to is an issue that affects 1 in 7 make the decision to reduce treatment heterosexual couples and should as three rounds of IVF is only a therefore be treated as a core NHS recommended amount. service. However, we did express concern about Their Deputy Chief Executive, Gillian the apparent lack of consultation. The Leng, said "It is unacceptable that parts CCG told us that they had considered the of England are choosing to ignore NICE situation carefully before deciding not to recommendations for treating infertility. formally consult. This perpetuates a postcode lottery and We said that, even if formal public creates inequalities in healthcare across consultation was not needed, it would the country."
9 The local issue was discussed at the In turn, the CCG pointed out Health Scrutiny Panel in March and we had that, in offering three rounds, opportunity to put over our main points. they were out of step with the other CCGs in the area (that only offer one). This had In particular we highlighted the fact that led to patients seeking treatment in North individual funding requests - like IVF East Lincolnshire, causing extra demand taken at a local level and governed by a and cost to local services. local policy only perpetuate a postcode lottery. The CCG did acknowledge that their handling of the decision-making process Our informant also gave an impassioned could have been better. description of the heartache that this decision had brought whilst a The Health Scrutiny Panel has asked the spokesperson from Fertility Fairness also CCG to review its application of the new criticised the decision. policy.
hNorth althw tch East Lincolnshire Board Meetings March 24, 2016 5.30pm at Waltham Library, High St, Waltham, Grimsby, DN37 0LL
March 24, 2016 5.30pm at Waltham Library, High St, Waltham, Grimsby, DN37 0LL
All of our board meetings are open to the public. For more information call: 01472 361459
Mental health funding
10
including some services that are no longer operating, they do not usually speak to us about funding. We would be interested to hear from anybody who has been told that a service to them (or someone they know) is not available or is low quality because funding is insufficient or not provided. Please contact us on: 01427 361459 or at: Healthwatchnel@nbforum.org.uk Many readers will be aware of the article that has recently appeared in the Grimsby Telegraph about funding for Navigo's services. HWNEL was approached about this issue by a Navigo community member back in February and we met with Kevin Bond, Navigo's Chief Officer, on 2 March 2016. Our position is that, while people do regularly contact us about their experiences of mental health services,
Growing older in NEL
Neurological education day
What's it like to grow older in North East Lincolnshire?
In March HWNEL visited the CCG's Focus on Multiple Sclerosis event, where we met and spoke with care practitioners and people living with the illness.
This is the question being asked by North East Lincolnshire Council in their new survey.
Since then we've been contacted by YHANO - the Yorkshire and Humber Local people are invited to complete the Association of Neurological Organisations online survey and help inform the - who would like to invite local Council's Public Health Team and the practitioners to their 2016 Neurological Director of Public Health's Annual Report. Education Day. You can find the survey at: This study day provides important and www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AgeingWellN useful information about a range of EL neurological conditions (including MS). Responses must be completed by 9am on For more information visit: Monday, March 21, 2016. http://brainstrust.org.uk/452/yhanoneuro-education-day.
Meet Healthwatch NEL Our Team
Paul Glazebrook Partnership Co-ordinator
Tayo Davenport Communication & Engagement Worker
Kelvin Dixon Project Support Officer
Our Executive Board
Mike Bateson
Jane Mansfield
Emily Reseigh
Sam O'Brien
Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire Office G5, Enterprise Village, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 3AT 01472 361459 | Healthwatchnel@NBForum.org.uk |
@healthwatchNEL