Launch of largest flu vaccination programme

Cumbria County Council is supporting a major drive to help people stay well this winter.  For the first time, all our youngest primary school children will be eligible to receive the free nasal spray vaccine, as part of the largest school-based vaccination programme in England involving children in 17,000 schools. As well as protecting against flu, the NHS Stay Well This Winter campaign will urge people over 65 or those with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease or respiratory illness, to prepare for winter with advice on how to ward off common illnesses. Find out more

Save a life - give blood Weds 21 October

Risks, rates and outcomes for Lung Cancer in Morecambe Bay - public talk

Save a Life - Give Blood at the Forum today!

Furness Listening Event and 'Maternity Matters'

The next Furness Listening Event is due to take place at

12:30pm on Friday 25th September 2015 at Barrow Town Hall, Duke St, Barrow LA14 2LD.

There will be an opportunity to talk about issues relating to health in the Furness area this week.

It’s being held straight after the ‘Maternity Matters’ session due to be held in the Town Hall from 9:30am – 1:30pm on the same day.

It will give people there the chance to talk about other aspects of healthcare with some local clinicians on hand to listen to any comments, queries or concerns that members of the public might raise.

The previous Furness Listening Event in June focused on communication – and saw issues raised around the way departments and organisations communicate with one another, and the way colleagues introduce themselves to patients and their families.

Arabella Onslow, Deputy Lead GP for NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Furness said “The listening event team is delighted to support UHMBT at their maternity matters event which will inform the public about how maternity services are moving on following the Kirkup enquiry. Working with our partners and the public is essential for joined up effective health care services. However, we are committed to providing listening space to ensure people have the opportunity to talk to us about their health, care and wellbeing which will take place over lunch for one hour from 12.30pm-13.30pm. Drop in & talk to us, we are here to listen.”

Health related talks for members of the public

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay

 Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

We would like your views on how can we ensure that everybody can access our services.  For example, how can we improve our communications and information to patients, families and carers? How can we improve your experience when visiting our services? How can we improve our recruitment policies and processes?

We would particularly like to hear from people who have, or who represent people with protected characteristics as identified in the Equality Act 2010, which are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

To hear your views, you are invited to attend an event in your local area:

Kendal, Town Hall 1 April 1-3pm

Barrow, The Forum 8 April 9.30–12.30pm

Ulverston, Coronation Hall 8 April 1.30–3.30pm

Tea, coffee and a snack will be provided.

There will be British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters attending all the events.

We believe that providing equality of opportunity to patients, their families and carers, and staff is fundamental to ensuring that our hospitals are a Great Place to be Cared For; Great Place to Work. Managing diversity and inclusion underpins the Trust’s strategic plan to ensure that people from all communities in our local area and beyond want to access University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust for care and treatment.

At the session we will:

·         talk to you about how the Equality Act 2010 can have a positive impact on the way you access health care at the Trust

·         seek your views about how the Trust intends to meet its public sector equality duty under the Equality Act.

·         confirm whether we are planning appropriate action and if we have missed something important, to seek your views about what else we should include.

We would be grateful if you could confirm your attendance at one of the events with: Vicki Davies, Trust Headquarters

email: Victoria.Davies@mbht.nhs.uk by 20^th March 2015

Sexual Healthline Cumbria

Barrow police team up with community partners to host Twitter ‘takeover’ day

Police in Barrow are teaming up with colleagues from emergency services and other partner agencies to launch a 24 hour ‘Twitter Takeover’ this weekend.

Throughout Saturday 27 October, representatives from Barrow police, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, the Ambulance Service, the Air Ambulance, NHS and Bay Search and Rescue will tweet about a selection of the call outs they deal with to give the community an insight into the work that goes on around the clock to keep them safe.

The event will run for 24 hours between 7am on Saturday 27 October and 7am on Sunday 28 October and will be used to engage with the community and distribute key safety advice.

A multiagency web chat will also take place where the local community can log on and direct questions to the team.

Cumbria Constabulary Inspector, Mike O’Hagan, who is in charge of the policing team in Barrow said “The whole aim of this event is to raise awareness of the diverse and complex role of the emergency services in Barrow.

“We hope to highlight the volume of emergency and non-emergency calls that we, and our partners deal with on a daily basis, to help keep local communities safe.

“Our Twitter account, @barrowpolice, now has over 2,900 followers and by publishing basic information about our activity over a 24 hour period, we hope to encourage more local people to log onto Twitter to see what work goes on around the clock.

“We will use the event to provide relevant crime prevention advice to communities and would encourage as many people as possible to log onto a web chat that will take place between 5pm and 7pm on Saturday where representatives from the Health service, Fire and Rescue and Police will be available to respond to any questions the public may have.

“This is the first time that we have done an event of this nature in Barrow and we hope that the local community supports us by following us on Twitter and take the opportunity to speak directly to local agencies via the web chat – without having to leave the comfort of their homes.”

Stuart Dolan, Barrow Station Manager for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said “We’re always looking at new ways to engage with our local community and Twitter is becoming increasingly popular.

“Taking part in this ‘Twitter Takeover’ is a good way for us to give people a flavour of some of the incidents we attend and the type of work we get involved in.

"On Saturday morning the @barrowfire Twitter account will go live, and we will use this account to tweet out our messages and information. The aim is to get as many followers as possible so that our key safety messages can be seen and shared with all of the community.”

The agencies participating in the event will use #barrow999 as part of any Twitter posts during the period. To log onto the web chat, go to: www.cumbria.police.uk/barrow.

The Rollercoaster Roadshow

Warning to Barrow youngsters about legal highs

Police in Barrow have teamed up with the NHS to issue a warning to local youngsters about the side effects of legal highs.

The warning comes after a group of 7 teenagers attended A&E in Furness General Hospital yesterday, Wednesday 19th October, after smoking an unknown substance which is believed to be known locally as ‘Black Mamba’. The substance is believed to be a new form of a ‘legal high’ although the contents of the substance and its exact effects are unknown.

The teenagers called an ambulance and attended hospital after some of them experienced effects such as nausea and racing hearts. All were released and were not detained.

Sgt Mark Rawlinson said: “We believe that the substance in question in this case is known as ‘Black Mamba’ and that it was purchased in Barrow.

“The use of legal highs is worrying - people should not assume that a substance is safe because it is currently regarded legal. People using substances like Black Mamba are taking serious risks - no-one knows what the drug is mixed with or the long-term effects that it can have and this instance highlights that the risk just isn’t worth it. The sensible and safe option is to avoid drugs and legal highs altogether.”

Dr Nigel Calvert is an Associate Director of Public Health. He said: “So-called ’legal highs’ such as Black Mamba are constantly in the news and new ones are being developed all the time. Just because they are not yet illegal does not mean that they are safe. On the contrary it just means that the substances mixed within the drug are not illegal, but they can still have a drastic effect on someone’s health and the effects are totally unknown.

“Although we’d advise people not to take drugs or ‘legal highs’ it is important that if anyone does decide to, that they are sensible and take precautions. People should always let someone trusted who isn’t under the influence of drink or drugs know what they are doing, so help can be sought if needed, and most importantly don’t mix the substance with any other, including alcohol, as this could have serious consequences.

“Both legal highs and illegal drugs are totally unregulated and this means that they can have untold affects on people’s health which might be instant or develop later in life. There are also no standards or regulations which oversee these substances, so there is no telling from one batch to another how strong it will be. This means if someone has taken a drug once and not had a bad experience does not mean that they will not have a strong reaction another time, as there is no telling how strong the drug will be.”

Flu can be a killer, so the vulnerable should get protected

Last winter, 232 extra people died in Cumbria than would normally be expected.

These people died from a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and directly from flu, as a result of complications and the cold weather.

In addition 1,102 people across Cumbria and Lancashire ended up very ill and in hospital in critical care directly due to flu and its complications from the end of November to early February.

The best way that people with existing health problems and those over 65 can protect themselves from flu, is by making sure they get the free flu jab available every autumn and winter.

“Flu is a killer, yet still every year we have people in Cumbria who are already ill or aged over 65 who decide not to take the chance to protect themselves by getting the flu vaccination.” said Dr Nigel Calvert, a public health doctor from NHS Cumbria.

“Last winter was a particularly bad one and we saw cases of flu drastically increase on previous years as immunity in people was quite low and only around three quarters of people aged over 65 got protected by having the flu vaccine.”

Every year the flu vaccine is designed to protect against the most common strains of flu which are circulating in the community. The vaccine is designed to protect those most vulnerable to the effects of flu and the complications it can cause such as chest infections and pneumonia.

For people who are otherwise fit and health, flu is usually a mild illness that can be self-treated at home. People at risk of getting very ill from flu should have the vaccine whilst others who contract flu should stay at home, look after themselves, drink plenty of fluids and avoid visiting vulnerable people or health venues such as GP surgeries or hospitals. If concerned, they should call their GP surgery and ask for a telephone consultation.

The following groups all qualify for a seasonal flu vaccine and should contact their GP surgery to arrange:

- People aged 65 and older

- Pregnant women (where both mother and baby will be protected),

- People living in a residential or nursing home

- People with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, chronic asthma, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, COPD, bronchitis, liver disease, neurological disease such as Parkinson or motor neurone disease, or a weakened immune system due to disease (such as HIV/AIDS) or treatment (such as for cancer)

- Main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill

- And healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care.

“Everyone knows that flu can be serious and last year over 200 more people that we’d normally expect to die in winter sadly succumbed to illness due to flu and the cold weather. Flu can be serious and cause serious health complications in people with existing health conditions. This includes children and adults with existing conditions from asthma to cancer, pregnant women, where both mother and baby can be at risk, and people aged 65 and over. This is why it is vital that we all encourage our loved ones to qualify to be sensible and have the vaccine.” said Dr Calvert.

Everyday cycling for everyone!

Welcome to Team Green Britain Bike Week – a national celebration of cycling! This is taking place 18th - 26th June nationwide. www.bikeweek.org.uk

Team Green Britain Bike Week is the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event – last year almost half a million people participated at events across the country. The aim is to get more people cycling, more often, and the event offers something for everyone – from families, schools and companies, to seasoned cyclists and those who have never cycled before.

Team Green Britain Bike Week is an annual opportunity to promote cycling, and show how cycling can easily be part of everyday life by making ‘everyday cycling for everyone’. Demonstrating the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, the week aims to get people to give cycling a go all over the UK, whether this be for fun, as a means of getting around to the local shops, school, the library or just to visit friends.

In 2011, Team Green Britain Bike Week is hosting 'Britain's Biggest Bike Fix' - an ambitious attempt to fix as many bikes as possible during one week.

Research shows that 77% of people own a bike yet only 14% use them regularly, so this year Team Green Britain Bike Week is encouraging people to dust down and liberate the thousands of once-loved bikes languishing in sheds around the country, by taking part in Britain’s Biggest Bike Fix.

Barrow’s ‘Dr Bike’ Clinic - Barrow Borough Council, in partnership with Topmark is able to offer a ‘Dr Bike’ clinic on:

Saturday 25th June 2011

10am – 12 noon

Park Leisure Centre’s All Weather Facility.

A trained mechanic from Topmark will attend the event to deliver bike safety checks and basic repairs. This can include fixing punctures and adjusting brakes and gears, as well as advising on potential problems and giving tips on looking after bikes. The clinic will encourage people who own a bike, but don’t use it, to bring it along to the event, have it checked and rediscover the joy of travelling on two wheels.

For more information on Barrow’s 'Dr Bike Clinic' or the event please contact Mike Otto on 01229 876496 or mwotto@barrowbc.go.uk

Interested in growing your own? Got limited space? This is for YOU!

Thousands of smokers prepare to make No Smoking Day their time to quit

Thousands of smokers across the country are taking the opportunity of No Smoking Day – Wednesday 9th March – to quit smoking.

Smokers are much more likely to succeed in their quit attempt if they begin planning in good time, setting a quit date, getting all the support and information they will need in advance by going to free NHS stop smoking services or pharmacies and visiting 'No Smoking Day’s' website dedicated to smokers – www.wequit.co.uk.

So why not make 'No Smoking Day' your time to quit? You can kick the habit with the help and support that is available. Those who do stop smoking on 9th March will gain health and financial benefits in next to no time, including:

• Feeling fitter and having loads of energy to start that healthy lifestyle – not feeling out of breath when the dog takes you for a brisk walk!

• Saving loads of money – giving up a 20-a-day habit is like a £44 a week pay rise!

Locally organisers from Barrow Borough Council, NHS Cumbria and other organisations are hosting an event in Barrow Indoor Market on Wednesday 9th March from 10am-2pm. Smokers can have their carbon monoxide levels monitored and receive free information on quitting.

In addition passes for a free swim or an aerobics/dance or spin class at the Park Leisure Centre will be available for anyone speaking to an advisor on the day. For those people who wish to use exercise as a motivational tool to quit an advisor from the Leisure Centre will be on hand to discuss options and offer discounted memberships.

In addition to the Indoor Market event display materials will be available in local venues including the Dock Museum, Forum, Town Hall, Dalton Leisure Centre and the Park Leisure Centre. Advisors will also be speaking to quitters in other local settings to raise awareness.

22.6 % of adults in the area smoke and research has shown that over two thirds of them would like to quit. 'No Smoking Day' provides an excellent opportunity for them to do that. By using the support available on 'No Smoking Day' and throughout the year you can significantly increase your chance of success.

For more information, please contact either;

- Julie Hodgson, Environmental Health Officer, Barrow Borough Council - 01229 876381

- Mike Otto, Health Improvement Officer, Barrow Borough Council - 01229 876496

- Charlotte Chorlton, Locality Health Improvement Specialist, South Cumbria NHS Cumbria

No Smoking Day is in its 28th year and is a registered charity supported by an alliance of the UK’s health promotion agencies and major health charities

For more information about the campaign visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk  and for how to quit smoking go to www.wequit.co.uk

New support in Barrow to help people on sickness benefit get back to work

A new pilot is starting in Barrow providing health support for people on long term sickness benefit so they can get back into work or training.

As part of the pilot a new health trainer has been employed by Furness Enterprise on behalf of the North West Health Trainer Partnership to help unemployed people in Furness to make changes to their lifestyle which will improve their health and help them get into work or training.

The new health trainer will be based at Waterside House in Barrow but also be able to go out and see people in various community venues.

Barrow is one of three places in the North West to take part in the twelve month pilot alongside Workington and Sefton in Merseyside. It’s hoped that health trainer employed as part of the scheme will be able to work with people in the town currently claiming sickness benefits to both improve their health and their employment prospects as a result.

A launch event has taken place today in Barrow so that Furness Enterprise and NHS Cumbria can explain to other agencies and third sector organisations how they can use the service and refer people they think may benefit from support to the scheme.

Carole Wood is NHS Cumbria’s Associate Director of Public Health in south Cumbria. She said: ”It’s great news that Barrow has been picked as one of a small number of places in the North West to benefit from this extra support. People can find themselves without work for a number of reasons and often it can be connected to people’s health and also a lack of self-confidence.

“Once someone has been out for work for a continuous length of time it can be a difficult and daunting experience knowing how to start to get back into the job market. Working and also participating in training, or getting experience through voluntary work in itself is better for people’s health in the long run. A support scheme such as this provides a support worker who can help take away this anxiety and help people through these difficulties. The health trainer will work with people so they can identify how they can change their lifestyle to improve their health and then start looking at how best to get back into work, whether that’s through training or through another route.”

Anyone wishing to get more information on the Health Trainer programme can contact Jennifer Hair on 01229 820611 or via email to jhair@furnessenterprise.co.uk

NHS puts preparations in place to deal with winter pressures

As the weather gets colder, it is important to remember the needs of friends, elderly relatives and neighbours who could be at risk. The Department of Health has issued some guidance today for how to help.

Official figures from the Office of National Statistics today demonstrate the deadly impact that cold weather can have, especially on older people during winter. They show that, last year, there were an estimated 25,400 excess deaths mostly linked to circulatory and respiratory diseases.

Following a few basic principles can make a big difference to the safety and wellbeing of those at risk.

Measures such as:
* checking on them to make sure they are safe and well;
* making sure they're warm enough, especially at night; and
* stocking up on food and medicines.

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said "The reduction in excess winter deaths last year is to be welcomed. We want to ensure that the NHS and the public are equally well prepared this year.

"We are working across Government on our cold weather plans. They are supported by our pledge to retain the winter fuel allowance, which will help people to keep homes warm. And we have turned the temporary increase in the Cold Weather Payments introduced by the last government, into a permanent increase.

"Information to help vulnerable people keep warm and keep well, will be made available to GP surgeries and local organisations.

"The elderly, and those who are ill, are particularly vulnerable during cold weather. We all have a role to play in remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk especially at this time of year".

The Department of Health has also made leaflets and posters giving advice on how to keep warm and well available for download for NHS and local organisations from here http://tinyurl.com/396d43f

For those who do need medical attention, the NHS is well prepared. There is always more pressure on the NHS at this time of year and this year will be no different. It deals with rises in slips, trips and falls, increases in admissions due to flu and other health problems associated with the colder weather and the winter vomiting bug noro-virus.

The routine preparations have seen each local area put escalation procedures in place for:
* greater bed capacity at peak times;

* better transfers of patients between ambulance and hospital;
* heightened operational readiness; and
* enhanced out of hours arrangements.

Commenting on the specific challenges the NHS faces at this time of year Health Minister Simon Burns said: "Every year, there is extra pressure on NHS services over the winter months. That's why we've asked the NHS to put plans in place to help mitigate the risks of a surge in demand.

"Across the country, our staff are already working hard and doing great work to respond to this extra demand and I am very grateful for all their continued efforts.

"Always dial '999' in an emergency. But if you do not have an emergency, it may be more appropriate to contact your GP, NHS Direct or your pharmacy."

Give blood ...

Early diagnosis of lung cancer saves lives: Can you help us to find cancer?

In September 2010 the Department of Health announced that NHS Cumbria had been successful in a bid to the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative [NAEDI] for additional funding for work to improve lung cancer survival rates, which is one of our top priorities for addressing health inequalities.

The attached briefing sets out more details of what the Cumbria Lung Cancer Awareness and Early Diagnosis campaign will involve.

The campaign will target populations in four localities - Copeland, Allerdale, Barrow and Carlisle – where deprivation and deaths from lung cancer are greatest.

We aim to reach people aged over 50 registered with target GP practices in these areas, with health conditions which may make them more vulnerable to lung cancer, as well as giving general information on lung cancer symptoms to the wider communities.

We aim to increase awareness of lung cancer symptoms by working with a wider range of groups using trained Community Health Champions, health related third sector organisations, existing community networks, local employers, community health partnerships, local government services such as social care and libraries.

Can you help us plan this project and ensure that we are successful in changing understanding of lung cancer and people’s response to potential symptoms?

We are holding a series of launch sessions so that you can learn more about the reason for the project, and how you could contribute to its success.

The date for the sessions is:

Friday 26th November at Hindpool Community Centre, Barrow in Furness at 12.30pm.

To reserve a place at these sessions or for further information please telephone Susan Collins on 01900 324235 or email susan.collins@cumbriapct.nhs.uk