LINKED UP NEWS August 2011
“Growing Stronger Communities - by joining together, many whispers become one voice”
Dignity and Respect Remains our Priority By the LINk Support Team Part Two of Wirral LINk’s Dignity in Care Campaign and survey is now underway. Launched at Birkenhead Park Pavilion on June 16th, the new survey is designed to build on the excellent work done by the Dignity in Care sub-group over the past 18 months. The campaign is in two parts. Firstly, we will be carrying on spreading the message that ‘Dignity and Respect is a basic human right, not an optional extra’. We will be targeting care staff as well as
patients and the public, distributing our special ‘Dignity in Care’ biopens (perfect for hospitals as they are ‘bug resistant’!) and Dignity & Respect pin badges. The second element is to carry out a more in depth survey about whether people are being treated with Dignity by Wirral care staff. We have had new survey cards printed and are working to distribute them as widely as possible (nearly 5000 have been placed around the Borough so far, and we’re aiming for a further 10,000 distributed over the next couple of months). These cards are self-sealable and can be returned
Issue 11
LINk Vice-Chair Audrey Meacock speaking at the launch of part two of our Dignity in Care survey
via Freepost. We are hoping that the greater level of detail provided by these survey cards will allow us to build a complete picture of Dignity and Respect in care services across the Wirral. The survey can also be completed via the LINk website. We are currently recruiting
volunteers to help distribute the survey cards as widely as possible - if you’ve got a few hours to help please contact the LINk Support Team. The report on part one of the survey can be found on the Wirral LINk website - linkwirral.org.uk.
By Phil Davies LINk Support Team
to cover as much of the Borough as possible, and we’ll only be able to do it with your assistance. An induction for new volunteers, is being arranged for Monday 26th September at St Saviour’s in Oxton, and a second session will be arranged for an evening if there is enough interest. The purpose of these sessions will be to find out where and when people are able to help, and to identify any gaps in coverage. Volunteers have already helped to distribute over 4500 Dignity in Care survey cards, along with flyers, posters and newsletters - with your help we can reach out even further into your communities. If you are able to help, or know somebody who might, please contact Phil Davies.
Enter & View Visits Volunteers Needed By Elaine Evans LINk Support Team As part of the workplan for 2011 it was decided that LINk should embark on a series of ‘Enter and View’ visits to Nursing / Residential Homes and also wards at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTHFT). Mike Chantler, Head of Patient Experience & Involvement and Tina Long, Director of Nursing at the Trust, were very enthusiastic about LINk carrying out this activity as they needed External Assurances in certain indicators. The main reason for Wirral LINk developing the programme of visits to Care Homes was that residential
Checklists are filled out on each visit
care is a large part of the social care budget and Wirral LINk have a statutory duty to obtain feedback on how local health and social care services can be improved. A small team conduct the visits consisting of two authorised representatives who are supported by a member of the LINk support team. The LINk’s approach to a visit is more from the point of Story Continues on Page 2
As part of the LINk’s Marketing Plan (see back page) for the next year, we need a team of volunteers to help make sure that LINk promotional and information material gets distributed across Wirral. If you are willing and available to ensure that Community Centres, GP surgeries, libraries or other community venues in your area are fully stocked with LINk leaflets, newsletters, reports and Dignity in Care survey cards, we need your help! It doesn’t matter how much time you can spend or how many venues you can cover - it could be as little as an hour each month or as much as a half day each month. We want
WUTHFT Site Strategy Coffee Mornings Continue By Karen Prior LINk Support Team As you may know, over the past few months Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTHFT) have been consulting on the options for changes to their sites at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge. Entitled ‘Treating you well into the future’, the consultation ran for more than two months, and presented several options for changes to the way that
services are provided across the two sites. As part of this consultation the LINk ran an engagement session at Hoylake Community Centre on June 2nd in partnership with the Trust. Mike Chantler, Head of Patient Experience & Involvement at the Trust, presented the options in the consultation and answered questions from LINk members and the public (see box on page two). As a result of the consultation, at the Trust’s Board meeting on 29th June it was decided that Story Continues on Page 2
By the LINk Support Team Our series of coffee mornings continues to prove a big draw. Since March we have had five more events with a total attendance of nearly 200 people. On May 19th, as part of Dying Matters Week, the Coffee Morning at St Saviour’s in Oxton featured a presentation by Dr Murray Freeman, a key GP in Wirral for End of Life. As well as Dr Freeman’s presentation on End of Life care and
Attendees at a LINk coffee morning
the Liverpool Care Pathway, Bernie Flannon from Wirral Community NHS Trust gave a short talk about planning for end of life.
Story Continues on Page 3
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LINKED UP NEWS
WUTHFT Consultation continued from page one...
the preferred Option 2a could be improved significantly by reflecting the many constructive views and comments received during the engagement period. In total, nearly £13 million will be invested in improving services at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospitals to ensure a vibrant future for both sites. The capital ‘split’ is approximately £10million to be invested at Clatterbridge and £3million at Arrowe Park. Option 2a, which will provide a range of outpatient based services and surgical day cases at Clatterbridge with all other services being delivered from Arrowe Park, will therefore go forward – with the following amendments: • dermatology will remain at Clatterbridge as an integrated unit • an integrated nurse led unit is developed for stroke and neuro-rehabilitation services at Clatterbridge • the breast clinic has a new, purpose built unit on the ground floor at Clatterbridge • subject to further discussions with the local authority about the possibility of re-locating the Child Development Centre offsite, it will be re-housed in a newer building at Clatterbridge • work is carried out to identify a specific location for the corporate and operational facilities services that will be affected by the changes
• the Surgical Division is to have extra time, until the Trust Directors’ October meeting, to: • explore the feasibility of creating a Joint Elective Orthopaedic Centre, based on the Clatterbridge site, with the Countess of Chester Hospital • develop detailed plans at specialty level to identify the level and type of planned surgical services to be provided at each hospital site • the Medical Specialties Division has been asked to further develop the ideas submitted during the engagement period for rehabilitation for the elderly. All the feedback received during the engagement period was independently analysed by an external organisation. A high level of engagement was achieved with a wide range of interested parties from staff and partner organisations to patients and the general public. The feedback results are based on a statistically valid number of responses, giving a reliability factor (confidence interval) of 95%. Two in three respondents agreed that change was essential and that value for money should be taken into account by the Trust Board of Directors when making their decision on the option to go forward. All respondents felt that it was very important or important to make the best use of our facilities to provide the best possible care and hospital experience.
Enter & View continued from page one... view of a potential resident, patient or relative. However, the LINk may also visit a home or ward if they have been informed of any widespread concerns. Visits are made strictly in accordance with the requirement that patient safety, privacy and dignity must never be compromised. The home or ward is sent a report on the findings of the visit and given the opportunity to respond before the report is sent to the public domain. To date thirteen care homes have been visited, as have five wards at WUTHFT. The LINk hope to visit all care homes in Wirral and all the wards at Arrowe Park over the next 12 months. A recent visit was to Elderhome in Clatterbridge, which along with Red Rocks Nursing Home in Hoylake has recently been awarded BEACON status as part
Your Questions Answered Questions from our ‘Treating you Well’ coffee morning which looked at the proposed Site Strategy for Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospital sites. Q Do Board Directors collaborate? A WUTHFT has an on going collaborative relationship with the Countess of Chester Hospital and both Boards of Directors meet periodically. Q There seems to be serious concern in medical circles that services are being hived off to the Countess of Chester – How does this impact? A The Countess is not part of these engagement proposals – although WUTHFT are looking at how they can collaborate because we recognise that there is a responsibility to work more efficiently across the NHS as a whole. Q Does this include the Eye Dept? A WUTHFT will always be looking at how we can be more efficient while maintaining the same level of service. Q Would MRSA and C.Diff be possible problems with the proposals? A WUTHFT has stringent infection prevention and control processes and Arrowe Park has had no recorded cases of MRSA for 9 months. Q Where will MH facilities be? A Whese will be staying at Clatterbridge. Q Where will DME facilities be? A DME is primarily located at Arrowe Park. Under the all the options Stroke Rehabilitation would move from Clatterbridge to Arrowe Park. Q Have the Trust considered Public Transport? A WUTHFT has a Transport Strategy Group. Q Patients waiting for medicines can be an issue. Will there be a pharmacy at Clatterbridge? A WUTHFT has progressed many actions to improve waiting times for TTH (To Take Home) medications including the installation of an ‘airtube’ system to deliver TTH’s to wards which removes the reliance on using porters. There will be Pharmacy facilities at both sites. Q Vascular Review North West – how will this impact? A There is a regional review of vascular services across the North West and this will inevitability have some impact on patients across Merseyside and Western Cheshire. For more details contact NHS Wirral or the Strategic Health Authority.
HealthWatch By the LINk Support Team
LINk Chair and Vice Chair with the Deputy Mayor of Wirral and his wife and the Matron of Elderholme.
of the Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes Quality Hallmark Award for their end of life care. Diane Hill and Audrey Meacock, the LINk chair and vice chair, were invited to attend the celebration of this achievement (pictured above). Reports of all LINk Enter and View visits are in the public domain, and are available via our website or by contacting the LINk Support Team. If you would like to apply to be an Authorised Representative for the LINk, please contact Elaine Evans.
August 2011
The ‘pause’ on the progress of the Health and Social Care Bill reported in the last issue has now finished and with some changes the Bill has resumed its progress through Parliament. None of the major changes affect the proposal to replace LINks with Local HealthWatch, although the date for this change will now be October 2011. It is anticipated that the LINk will continue our workplan right up to this date, although obviously we will be beginning to prepare to handover to the new organisation. As well as continuing existing LINk responsibilities, Local HealthWatch will have a much broader role in the local health and social care environment. The existing steering group for
this transition has been replaced by a ‘Transition of LINks to HealthWatch’ Group with a broader membership. This group will have representatives from Wirral Council (including the Department of Adult Social Services), NHS Wirral, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the present LINk Board, representatives from the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector, and agreed representatives from other agencies who will be involved with the transition. The representatives from the current LINk Board will be Diane Hill and Dr Peter Walton. If you have any opinions or queries about the transition, you can get in touch with Diane or Peter via the LINk Support Team. The first meeting of this group was held on Thursday August 4th, and future meetings will be scheduled shortly.
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Survivors of bereavement by suicide By the LINk Support Team Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide exists to meet the needs and break the isolation of those bereaved by suicide. Established 20 years ago, they aim to provide a free, safe and confidential environment in which bereaved people can share their experiences and feelings, so giving and gaining support from each other. They offer emotional and practical support in a number of ways: • Confidential National Helpline 0844 561 6855 (open from 9am to 9pm every day) • Support information • Help by e-mail • Group meetings (in a number of locations) • One-day conferences • Residential events • Information relating to practical issues and problems The newly established Wirral group is the latest of 46 support groups throughout the UK. Those interested in attending the group can call Angela on 0151 652 9089 or visit www.uk-sobs.org.uk for more information.
Recent news from linkwirral.org.uk By the LINk Support Team Latest News • Call for members of NETSCC Patient and Public Involvement Reference Group • CQC report on management of controlled drugs • Keep healthy this summer • HealthWatch Pathfinders Announced • Enter and View Reports - Mayflower Court and Oakdene • Public meeting about Arrowe Park staff morale • GMP Review • Dignity in Care - Commission announced to improve essential care • National Dementia Strategy: Equalities action plan • CQC Annual Report Latest Consultations • NICE survey on improving public awareness and understanding of guidance • Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology Consultation on Changing Name • Housing Benefit Reform Supported Housing • Allocation options for funding for Local Healthwatch
LINKED UP NEWS
August 2011
LINk Coffee Mornings continued from page one...
On June 2nd, we were in the Hoylake Community Centre, with a talk from Mike Chantler from Wirral University Teaching Hospital on the Trust’s site strategy ‘Treating you well into the future’, and on June 16th our coffee morning at the Pavilion in Birkenhead Park launched Part Two of our Dignity and Respect campaign (more on both of these events can be found elsewhere in this issue). On Thursday 21st July we were back at the Birkenhead Park Pavilion to hear Fiona Johnstone, Wirral’s Director of Public Health, give a brief outline of what public health is, the priorities on Wirral, changes to the system and how Wirral LINk (and eventually Local Healthwatch) will be involved in Public Health through the Health and WellBeing Boards. The theme of the coffee afternoon on Friday July 29 was the consultation process for commissioning primary mental health care services. Andy Mills (Head of Involvement and Patient Experience, NHS Wirral)
Karen Prior of the LINk Support Team welcomes members to a coffee morning
and Barbara Edwards (Mental Health Programme Manager at NHS Wirral) were in attendance to give LINk members the chance to comment on the process and outcome of the recommisioning of primary care mental health services by the new Clinical Commissioning Groups (GP Consortia). Further coffee mornings are being planned for September, October and November. It looks like the
topics will include revisiting Personalisation, an update on the Wirral University Teaching Hospital site strategy and hopefully an event focussed on care home staff to share good practice (possibly with a speaker on safeguarding). At the time of going to press these events are still being planned - we’ll send details out to members, so if you’re not a LINk member now is the time to join!
better awareness of AF amongst the public and better knowledge of diagnosis and management measures which can be used by primary healthcare professionals. To drive up awareness amongst the public, the main activity will be a radio campaign in several areas of the UK. The main aims of the radio advert are for people to make the link between AF and stroke; educate them that AF related
strokes can be prevented and tell anyone who is concerned to ask their GP for a pulse check. The Stroke Association has also produced a leaflet which covers the main areas of AF and its links to stroke and a poster for GP practices. For information on AF and the links to stroke alongside a stroke risk tool for anyone with AF visit www.stroke.org.uk/askfirst
Atrial Fibrilation - Ask First By the LINk Support Team Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke and causes around one in every six strokes in the UK. It is therefore an area which both The Stroke Association and NHS Improvement have prioritised this year. The Stroke Association is running its Ask First campaign this year which aims to achieve
What is WEHAG? I’ll tell you... By Raza Moula LINk Board Member
WEHAG (Wirral Ethnic Health and Social Care Advisory Group) is the Wirral’s advisory forum and information exchange, focusing on ethnicity, health and social issues. It is a key driver for change, actively contributing towards a reduction in health inequalities, accountable to local people and committed to delivering actual results. The current vision of WEHAG: • To develop a common health strategy which addresses health issues and unmet needs of all BME communities. • To help promote a common corporate strategy to address the requirements of different BME
groups and feedback progress. • To identify and develop specific health agendas (e.g. Mental health, diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, cancer, drugs and alcohol, social isolation) relating to all BME groups. WEHAG was formed to meet the health and social needs of BME by Lord Chan, and the current chair is Dr. S. K. Mukherjee MBE, Medical Director of Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Cluster PCT. The WEHAG remains committed to work with all BME communities, agencies in the voluntary sector and corporate bodies to help develop an overarching strategy to identify and address health and social needs of the Wirral ethnic groups. The
number of people from visible ethnic backgrounds in Wirral is around 8 per cent (Prior to the Census in 2011) there is a need for the staff of public bodies to have some basic information about their culture, language needs and religion. This Information and Resource File has been compiled with those requirements in mind. A lot of these people suffer from social isolation and deprivation and issues related to health, education and housing. A large proportion is vulnerable and sometimes very hard to reach. WEHAG will continue to work with all agencies to help the whole BME community groups to highlight their issues and help them towards social integration.
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LINKED UP NEWS
Classifieds and diary dates By the LINk Support Team & the LINk Board LINk Board Meeting in Public Thursday September 8th 9.30am start at the St Saviour’s Parish Church, Oxton. Dignity in Care Working Group This group will now meet after the Enter and View Sub-Group. The next meeting will be held at St Saviour’s Oxton, on September 26th, starting at 11am. Please contact the LINk Support Team for details. Workplan Group The Workplan Group will be on September 29th at 10am. Venue is still to be confirmed, please call the LINk Support Team if you would like to attend.
Communications Sub-Group The next meeting of the Communications Sub-Group will be held on Wednesday 7th September starting at 10.00am. Please call the LINk Support Team if you would like to attend. Christian Cancer Friends Together Meets twice monthly in West Kirby, all welcome. Contact Marie on 0151 625 8775 or Pat on 0151 638 6370 Do you have responsibility for your grandchildren aged under 18? Age Concern Wirral want to know more about the issues that grandparent carers face - contact Ian Bourbonneux on 0151 653 4404
Wirral Palliative Advice and Information Line (PAIL) The PAIL is a designated 24hour advice line for HealthCare Professionals seeking advice about palliative care issues. The line is open to GPs, Community Nurses, Multi-Professional Team members, hospital staff and clinical staff from nursing and care homes. Crossroads Care Moves Office Crossroads Care, a LINk member organisation, have moved offices. Their new address is Woodcourt Building, Riverside Park, Southwood Road, Bromborough, CH62 3QX. Telephone 0151 343 1960. Crossroads Care provide support and respite for carers.
August 2011
Letters
Since moving to the Wirral I have been appalled by the number of people spitting in the street. The environmental health department at the Council say there is nothing that they can do about it, but I am sure there must be health risks attached to this behaviour - what do other LINk members think about this? Name and address supplied
My mother went to Clatterbridge to stay at the stroke rehab unit. It is a wonderful and important facility. It’s very important that it stays as a residential unit and I urge LINk to campaign against closing or downsizing of this facility. Name and address supplied
Send your thoughts, queries and letters to info@linkwirral.org.uk.
Marketing Plan Agreed for 2011/2012 publication. Our agreed ‘message’ is that the The LINk Communications LINk provides: “The opportunity to have your Sub-Group meets once a month. thoughts and opinions heard It has the remit to oversee LINk publicity, marketing and make about care services.” A secondary message was also recommendations to the full LINk agreed, that “the LINk will shortly be Board. At the end of May, the Comms evolving into Local HealthWatch”, Group got together for a full day and that this message should be planning session to set priorities for included in all LINk material where next year. After a long session (and possible. A total of forty-five ideas were plenty of caffeine) a draft Marketing Plan for 2011/12 was finalised, put forward by the meeting, ranging and has since been approved for from specific short-term actions to By the LINk Board
aspirational longer-term campaigns. Six of these ideas have been chosen to be taken forward initially, and the Comms group will pick a further idea to develop at each of their monthly meetings. The six that we will be working on intially are: • Create a LINk ‘Promotions Team’ of active members (see page one). • Promote the Dignity in Care campaign • Improve the layout and usability of linkwirral.org.uk.
• Improve search engine rankings for linkwirral.org.uk • Increase PR activity, try to get LINk in the press • Produce material explaining transition from LINk to Healthwatch. The LINk Marketing Plan for 2011/12 is available for download on the LINk website, on the Communications Standing Group page. Remember you can keep up with LINk news on Twitter - www. twitter.com/LINkWirral.
Annual Meeting Held Contact Details By Karen Prior LINk Support Team
The LINk held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Bebington Civic Centre on Thursday 23 June 2011. The AGM was preceded by a meeting for LINk Board members and Active members to decide on strategy and workplan for the next year, and to update one another on ongoing and future work. Following this productive afternoon, the AGM got underway at 4.30pm. After introducing the Board, LINk Chair Diane Hill welcomed everyone to the meeting, and the minutes of the 2010 AGM were approved. This was followed by a quick update on the activity of the LINk, concentrating on the contents of the draft Annual Report for 2010/11, which was distributed to attendees.
Wirral Local Involvement Network (LINk) c/o VCA Wirral, Fire Station, Exmouth Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4NF Tel: 0151 203 2111 Fax: 0151 666 5300 Email: info@linkwirral.org.uk www.linkwirral.org.uk
LINk Board and attendees at the AGM
The Annual Report covers the period April 1st 2010 to March 31st 2011, and includes sections on Success Stories, ‘You Said, We Did’, What We Have Done This Year, Relationships & Representation, and Involvement & Engagement. The text-only version of the report is available on the LINk website, and the final proof is currently with the printers. Copies of the final will be sent to all LINk members in the post.
LINk Support Team
Karen Prior, LINk Manager Ext. 203 Elaine Evans, LINk Support Officer Ext. 211 Phil Davies, LINk Comms & Information Officer Ext. 207 Lisa Phillips, LINk Admin Support Officer Ext. 209 To contact LINk staff call 0151 203 2111 (+ Ext)
Office Hours 9.00am - 4.30pm
Editor: Phil Davies Design: Phil Davies To subscribe or change your contact details, phone 0151 203 2111 LINKED UP NEWS is published on behalf of Wirral LINk by: VCA Wirral, Fire Station, Exmouth Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4NF Copyright © 2011 Wirral Local Involvement Network (LINk)
LINKED UP NEWS If you have articles, events or features that you would like to see in the next edition of LINKED UP NEWS, please contact Phil Davies. The next edition deadline is 1pm on Friday October 7th 2011.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this newsletter is accurate, but we cannot guarantee accuracy and our articles do not constitute legal or professional advice. Opinions expressed in the newsletter are not always to be taken as expressing the opinions of Wirral LINk or VCA Wirral. Advertisements, products or services listed are not necessarily recommended by Wirral LINk or VCA Wirral.