Helping local people improve health and social care services

Latest news

For previous E-Bulletins, please click here.

Our Latest E-Bulletin is available to download.

For our HealthWatch Factsheet December 2011, please click here

Lambeth and Southwark Diabetes Patient Forum

We welcome all patients living with diabetes in Lambeth and Southwark to join the Lambeth and Southwark Diabetes Patient Forum. By joining the forum, you will have the opportunity to work with health care professionals to improve local diabetes care.

Supported by the Diabetes Modernisation Initiative (DMI), the patient forum is run by patients for patients. The is to use the forum to build the capability and skills of its members to drive significant change in how diabetes care is developed and delivered locally. It also has the power to shape the work of the Diabetes Modernisation Initiative and is an integral part of the programme's governance structure. The patient forum presently has over 45 members and is open to people living in diabetes in Lambeth and Southwark.

If you are interested in participating in the forum please contact Sabeena Subba (DMI Patient Engagement Manager) by telephone 020 7188 2854 or by email sabeena.subba@gstt.nhs.uk

Launch of a new Innovation Fund: Day opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Southwark Council Health and Community Services is inviting applications for a new innovation fund launching today.

The Fund will be awarded to assist new or existing support organisations to develop new business models, to facilitate the introduction of self-directed support to people with learning disabilities living in Southwark. They want to enable all people with learning disabilities to have more choice and control over how they live their lives and to be able to contribute to their local community.

To download Fund Details, Eligibility criteria and Judging critiera.

Age UK launches 'Care in Crisis' campaign

Age UK launched its Care in Crisis campaign, which is calling on the government to take action to reform the adult social care system. We are concerned about the number of people let down by it, either because they are not given the support they need to pay for it and are forced to sell their homes, or are not experience a high enough quality of care to maintain their dignity and self-respect.

A big part of the campaign is a petition, for which we are aiming to secure 100,000 signatures before spring when we are expecting the government to release their White Paper on care.

It only takes a couple of minutes to sign the petition so please, please, please go to www.ageuk.org.uk/careincrisis. Once you have done that, please spread the word to friends and family, on Facebook and Twitter (using #careincrisis). We have already had over 400 signatures today but clearly have a long way to go. (Launched 9th January 2012)

To access the petition or find more information, please click on the link below.
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/care-professionals-urged-to-back-age-uk-care-campaign/

Changes to the start date of Local HealthWatch

On 3rd January 2012, the Department of Health issued a press statement and letter setting out plans for some changes to the implementation of local HealthWatch. The main changes are:

giving more time to get ready for local HealthWatch, so putting back the start date to April 2013 (HealthWatch England will start in October 2012) and
making some money available directlyy for HealthWatch Pathfinders (as well as using some money centrally to share learning)

To download the letter from David Behan, Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships, click here.

Can you help King's College Hospital develop its Equality and Diversity systems for the future?

King's is currently assessing its Equality and Diversity systems and is using a new national framework to assess ourselves which is being used across the NHS.

As part of this work, we would like to consult local interest groups about the findings of this work and how we can take it forward so that King's can ensure that it's equality and diversity systems really do meet the needs of both staff and service users. We are working with an independent adviser, Donald Lush, and would really appreciated it if one or two local groups who may have an interest in equality and diversity issues could find a slot at one of their meetings or get a group together for about 45 minutes to go through the findings to date and get views on the objectives.

There is a good opportunity to influence for health needs of KIng's local community and we're really keen to hear your views. A report of the findings will go to the KIng's Board of Directors. If you would like more information or are interested in taking part in this work, please contact Donald Lush direct at donald.lush@gmail.com or on 07902 801 621.

Two articles for discussion regarding HealthWatch

1. 'HealthWatch - the Transition: some ideas and issues for discussion

2. 'HealthWatch - an involving culture?

Please email comments to Sam Ashton sam@crowsnest.myzen.co.uk with a copy to NALM2010@aol.com. Click on the article to download

Sam is the former Chair of Tameside PCT Forum and member of the Tameside LINks Steering Group and now an individual member of Cheshire East LINk

Choose Well Campaign

NHS South East London has launched a campaign to help residents living in South East London including the borough of Southwark, to help residents choose the right place to get NHS treatment when they are ill. This work has been done in response to the high numbers of people who are attending A&E services with minor ailments and injuries.

Leaflets and short booklets have been made to let people know when to use Emergency Services and when to use other local services. Download the flyer and poster

We need your help to build a picture of what quality care looks like for men with prostate cancer.

We know that men face a postcode lottery when accessing prostate cancer services across the country. This is not acceptable.

We would like to work with you to make improvements where they are needed most. To do this, we are identifying standards of quality care that all men with prostate cancer deserve - at every stage of their journey.

You can help by telling us what quality prostate cancer care means to you by taking part in our survey. Anyone with experience of prostate cancer is welcome to take part, whether you have been diagnosed with the disease or are a friend or family member of someone who has.

To take part in the survey and read more about our quality care project, please visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/qualitycare. If you would like a paper copy of the survey please ring 0208 222 7182.

Thanks for your support.

The Prostate Cancer Charity

P.S. If you support The Prostate Cancer Charity – please vote for us to be the Football League’s Official Charity Partner for 2012/13: http://tinyurl.com/6sjuczv

You can also pass on this clip of football hero and our Charity ambassador, Mark Bright, highlighting what this Partnership could mean for men and their families. http://youtu.be/NYBDRj_RdiM

E-health for Health Promotion

Would you like to improve your understanding of how the Internet might be used for your healthcare & receive a £10 e-voucher for your participation?

In our Free online discussions programme you can learn about various online resources for health promotion and share your views with health professinals and other service users. The online discussions only takes a few hours participation and a one-hour live webcast (6-7pm, Tues 15th Nov and Tues 22nd Nov) where you can see and hear a presentation and ask questions/discuss issues with others via a forum. You can read and post messages for a week.

The two live webcast sessions will be presented by academics with experience of live interactive webcasting from Plymouth University, and with up-to-date knowledge of the literature on the effectiveness of e-health for healthcare.

We will also be running programmes for other long term conditions including adult diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, mental health, allergy & for carers. Please visit our website for more information, programme dates and to register: www.stakeholldersonline.org.uk Download Flyer here.

The HealthWatch Programme Advisory Group Meeting - 8th November 2011

The HealthWatch Advisory Group meeton 8th November to update the Board which include Department of Health persons involved in HealthWatch England and NHS Commissioning Board implementation. Updates will be on Regional LINk representatives, future programme Plans, the setting up of new task & finish groups on Equality & Diversity, Information & Signposting, and Advocacy.

Joan Saddler, National Director of Patient and Public Affairs has written a lettter on the future changes of the board. This can be accessed here.

Calling for Patients who are interested in promoting early HIV diagnosis.

Kings College Hospital are looking for patients to get involved in promoting early testing and diagnosis. Patients must not be involved as HIV patients or HIV related groups. For more info, please see our Events Page.

Developing local HealthWatch through lessons from Local Involvement Networks (LINk) - Centre for Public Scrutiny document

The Centre for Public Scrutiny carried out a review of LINks through various methods including an online survey, interviewing LINk representatives, Host staff, councillors and council officers in six areas across England. The result findings can be downloaded here.

LINk Southwark Review Outcome

The Council have released the LINk Review Report to the LINk Steering Group.

An independent review was commissioned by Southwark Council to inform its approach towards setting up a Southwark HealthWatch, subject to the enactment of the current Health & Social Care bill. At the LINK Southwark Steering Group meeting (4th April), the Council Officers outlined their approach and presented the review specification. (This can be accessed under the 'Resources' Tab under Steering Group meetings.)

An independent reviewer was commissioned in May / June and involved meeting with Steering Group members, LINk members and other organisations. His findings were presented in a report and submitted to the Council in July 2011. This is his report and contains his findings and recommendations regarding the future of LINk and the transitional year for HealthWatch.

To access the Steering Group letter click here.
To access the Review Report click here.

Hands up if you want to be a King’s Volunteer!

King’s College Hospital has run a successful volunteering programme for the last 20 years. Recently, this has been relaunched with new, extensive training, support and opportunities along with a large recruitment drive to find 500 volunteers by next summer. If you would like to contribute to your local community by improving the lives of our patients while building your own skills and experience, we would love to hear from you.

Our volunteers carry out a range of roles, from spending time befriending patients on the wards and assisting patients with their meals, to helping with the running of our clinics or even working in adminstrative areas. For more information or to become part of King's Volunteers, please visit http://www.kch.nhs.uk/about/be-a-part-of-kings/volunteering, or email kch-tr.volunteers@nhs.net or call 020 3299 5111.

LINk Southwark E–Bulletins

LINk Southwark have recently introduced weekly e–bulletins – thanks to public demand. These are short snippets of news and events in Southwark and nationally.

To make sure you don’t miss your e–bulletin, please sign up to become a member. Its simple and free! Please click on our 'Join Here' box on your left or drop us an email at link@ch1889.org

We have e–bulletins for: