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World AIDS Day is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS, that takes place annual on the 1st December.
In the UK, more than 105,000 people are living with HIV. Globally, an estimated 38 million people live with the virus. -
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A new report sets out NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s plan for improving access and making it easier and simpler for patients to access the care they need, and supporting GP practices to manage demand and capacity through a range of additional measures. In 2023/24 this will be supported by a total of £90 million investment in primary care general practice and related measures contained in the plan. -
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Lydia Hughes has been appointed as the new Chair of Healthwatch Halton, the independent patient champion for people who use health and social care. -
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Warm Welcome Spaces are opening their doors to local communities, offering everyone a free, warm, welcoming and friendly space.
Venues in both Widnes and Runcorn have warm, welcoming spaces open to everyone. -
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A new Healthwatch report, looking at health and social care from the patients' perspective, has warned that we risk "a two-tier health and care system" unless the NHS takes faster action to tackle access issues. -
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The Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group need a Patient and Public Voice (PPV) Partner to join their Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group. NHS England is committed to ensuring that public and patient voices are at the centre of shaping healthcare services. Every level of the NHS commissioning system needs to be informed by insight from those who use and care about our services. -
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People across Cheshire and Merseyside are being urged to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs ahead of industrial action by junior doctors both ahead of Christmas and early in the New Year.
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Halton SEND Parent Carers Forum (HSPCF) and Healthwatch Halton are working together on a project, looking at the eligibility for 14+ annual health checks in Halton.
Currently, to be eligible for a 14+ annual health check, is that you must have a learning disability. This means many individuals with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND), without having a learning disability are not entitled to a 14+ annual health check. -
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The Patients Association and Roche Diagnostics UK are embarking on a new project that will give patients the chance to share their understanding and experience of diagnostics in the NHS - and have their say on how access to testing could be improved.
Diagnostics are tests or procedures that can be used to help healthcare professionals determine the condition or illness a person has and/or the type of treatment and care they need.
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The Healthwatch Halton office is closing today and will re-open on Tuesday 2 January 2024. Wishing you a happy Christmas. -
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People across Cheshire and Merseyside are being urged to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs ahead of industrial action by junior doctors early in the New Year.
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The public is invited to a webinar to ask questions of leading specialists about the latest research into obesity and mental health. -
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Patients in Cheshire and Merseyside can save time by ordering regular medication using the NHS App.
The NHS App is the quickest and easiest way to order a repeat prescription – and it puts you in better control of your own health.
You can use the App to order your medication at a time that’s convenient for you, and select which pharmacy you would like your medication to be sent to each time you order.
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With most children now back at school the UK Health Security Agency North West reminds parents of back-to-school advice amid rising levels of winter illness.
To keep attendance in education and childcare settings high this January, parents are urged to take simple steps to protect communities following the Christmas break. -
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Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like to explore what innovation means to you as a patient, carer, service user and member of our community. -
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Do you or a family member use mental health services? By applying to become a Service User Representative with the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), your voice could help shape future care and treatments. -
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Influence the future of research, and help find the top 10 priorities for midwifery practice and maternity care. The Royal College of Midwives want to find out the most important gaps in knowledge and hear what matters to you when it comes to pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.
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Did you know together, we can end cervical cancer? The UK has the tools to make cervical cancer a thing of the past, but we need government commitment. -
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Cervical cancer screenings save at least 2,000 lives a year in the UK.
But 4.6 million people in England have never been screened for cervical cancer or have not taken up their last appointment.
Healthwatch England's new campaign aims to help the NHS reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.
Discover how Healthwatch are working to find out what stops people from taking up cervical screenings and what services can do to help fix the problem.
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Help give a voice to children and young people across the UK in Children’s Mental Health Week, from 5-11 February 2024.
Children's Mental Health Week is a mental health awareness week that empowers, equips and gives a voice to all children and young people in the UK. -
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NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Radiology Imaging Network (CAMRIN) has secured funding from the NHS Transformation Directorate’s AI Diagnostic Fund to accelerate the deployment of AI to help diagnose lung cancer patients quicker. -
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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) held a consultation in June 2023 on visiting in care homes, hospitals and hospices. They received over 1,400 responses from people receiving care, their friends and families, and health and care staff, and found clear support for introducing in law a new fundamental standard for visiting and accompanying. -
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The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported an increase in measles across the country and is encouraging people to check that they and their children have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. -
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From 31 January, people across Cheshire & Merseyside can pop down to their local pharmacy for help with seven minor conditions which would previously have required a GP appointment.
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The NHS, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Health Innovation North West Cost and Civic Data Cooperative (Liverpool) are running interactive workshops to explore the views of people in Cheshire and Merseyside, on the use of de-identified personal data for research and population health support without consent.
They are seeking members of the public across Cheshire and Merseyside to participate in online focus groups. -
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Tinnitus impacts 1 in 7 adults in the UK and severely diminishes the quality of life for 1 in 6 of those individuals. Tinnitus is unique to the person experiencing it. But ultimately it is the sensation of hearing a sound when there is no external source for that sound. There is no known cure and living with this condition affects so much more than ‘just’ hearing. -
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An innovative new service has launched in partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Halton Travel Well is being delivered by local social enterprise, Wellbeing Enterprises CIC and aims to improve people's health and wellbeing and promote the uptake of active travel options in work and leisure. -
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‘Share for Better Care’, a new campaign launched by Healthwatch and the Care Quality Commission, addresses health inequalities across England.
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With measles cases on the rise, thousands of school children aged 6 -11 years are being invited to attend appointments to be vaccinated against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR).
A major drive has been launched to invite those not fully vaccinated to come forward and catch up on missed doses - with reminders being sent to families throughout February and March.
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Working alongside people and communities at National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): a three-year strategy for involvement and engagement consultation is now open. This strategy describes how NICE plan to improve the way they capture the collective wisdom and experiences of the people and communities they serve by 2027. -
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LGBTQ+ History Month is an important annual event recognising the history of LGBTQ+ civil rights movements, celebrating how far we have come in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, and reflecting on the discrimination that many people in the UK and around the world still face today for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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England’s top doctor has warned pressure on NHS hospitals this winter is “not letting up”, with thousands more patients in hospital compared to the same time last year.
New weekly figures show there were 3,372 more patients in hospital each day last week (97,934) than the same period in 2023 (94,562).
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Unions have announced a further round of strike action by junior doctors in February 2024.
The next junior doctors strike will run from 7:00am on Saturday 24th February until 7:00am on Thursday 29th February. -
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Diabetes UK found a lot of people living with, or just diagnosed with, type 2 diabetes, have heard that remission can be life-changing. But they often don’t know how to get there. So they have put together a range of resources to answer the questions people might have on the new type 2 remission hub. -
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The House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee has published its call for evidence. The Committee is inviting individuals and organisations to share their views on a series of topics related to its inquiry. -
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R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide.
R;pple intervention technique catches people when they are most vulnerable, and helps redirect them to immediate support sources. -
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The Calm your mind campaign aims to bring information on male mental health and shared stories from those who have experienced their own struggles. -
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Every March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a chance to put ovarian cancer in the spotlight.
In the UK, over 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Two thirds of women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer too late when the cancer is harder to treat. And every day, 11 women die.
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The National Diabetes Experience Survey is a new survey which gives people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in England the opportunity to feedback on their experiences. NHS England will use the findings to understand and improve experience of NHS care and self-management for people living with diabetes. -
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We want to hear what matters to you and what areas of health and social care you think we should focus on for the year ahead. We are also giving you the chance to win a £25 gift voucher! -
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Established in 1984, this year marks the fortieth anniversary of No Smoking Day.
It takes place on the second Wednesday in March, and it’s an opportunity for people across the country to unite in supporting the nation’s 5.3 million smokers to make a quit attempt. -
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The cost of living remains a barrier to health, particularly for people on low incomes, and those requiring dental care.
Last year, Healthwatch polling highlighted the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s access to health and care.
The new poll, conducted with 2008 adults living in England in January this year, shows modest improvements in some areas. However, the cost of living remains a barrier to health, particularly for those under the most financial pressure and those requiring dental care. -
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NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is publishing 35 clinical policies for treatments and procedures that have been updated in line with the latest knowledge of what works best, in the second phase of its harmonisation programme to also ensure equal access for patients no matter which part of the area they live in.
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Would you like to improve your digital skills?
Learn My Way is a website of free online learning for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. -
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Using experiences of care from over 10 million people collected over the past ten years, we have a bold vision for the NHS in 2030. Find out where Healthwatch think the NHS should be in six years and how it can get there. -
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Pharmacies will have limited opening times during the Easter bank holidays. -
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The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that NHS prescription charges will increase on 1 May 2024. -
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The theme of this years Stress Awareness Month is #LittleByLittle and highlights the transformative impact of consistent, small positive actions on over-all wellbeing.
The Stress Management Society, explain how even the smallest steps taken each day towards self-care and stress reduction can mean significant improvements in mental health over time.
