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Advice and Information -
You've told us that you've experienced problems registering with a GP. This article explains more about your rights and what to do if you're refused the right to register. -
Advice and Information -
People are often in need of out-of-hours medical assistance. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed. -
News -
Ambulance service staff from GMB and Unison trade unions will go on strike again on Wednesday, 11th January 2023, with Unison and Unite members taking further action on Monday, 23rd January 2023. This is a continuing dispute between trade unions and the government over pay.
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Each year all NHS trusts and foundation trusts publish a Quality Account detailing information relating to quality, performance and improvements that have been undertaken during the preceding year.
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals (WHH) would now like to have your views on their Quality Priorities for 2023/2024. -
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Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2023 runs from the 23rd - 29th January.
Did you know cervical cancer can be prevented? The tools are available to make cervical cancer a thing of the past. HPV vaccination, cervical screening, and treatment for cell changes can all help prevent it but we need to increase awareness and uptake. -
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust are delighted to announce a collaboration with long term partners Holmusk and the University of Liverpool to establish a mental health analytics and research hub to translate mental health research into results that directly benefit people. -
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Healthwatch have written a letter to NHS England to express our disappointment at the lack of progress in reviewing the legally-binding Accessible Information Standard.
Last year, together with a coalition of the UK’s leading charities, we launched the Your Care, Your Way campaign to highlight that everyone should receive healthcare in a format they can understand.
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Despite blood cancer being the fifth most common cancer and most common childhood cancer, levels of symptom awareness remains low.
Blood Cancer UK have found that over 50% of adults in the UK can not name a single symptom of blood cancer. Leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma are ALL types of blood cancer. Each have different symptoms, treatments and prognoses. -
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The Cheshire and Merseyside Women's Health and Maternity Programme (Improving Me) would like to improve people’s experience of menopause in Halton and the surrounding areas.
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Advice and Information -
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that anyone can develop, regardless of age, income and ethnicity. Take a look at some of the common signs of eating disorders and where to go for support if you need help. -
Advice and Information -
If you or a loved one are affected by incontinence, find out where you can go for support. -
News -
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Yet the latest data shows that almost one third of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit in England last year did not go on to complete it. Early diagnosis is vital as detecting bowel cancer at the earliest stage makes you up to 9 times more likely to be successfully treated. -
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There are around 100,000 strokes in England, Scotland and Wales every year, with around 33,000 stroke related deaths each year, as well as being a leading cause of disability.
A stroke is known as a ‘brain attack’. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. That is why calling 999 is so crucial.
When Stroke Strikes Act F.A.S.T. Call 999
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Endometriosis UK Charity urges everyone with endometriosis symptoms to visit their GP, as data shows three in four women and those assigned female at birth would put off seeking help.
75% would not go to doctor with potential endometriosis symptoms, which include chronic pelvic pain, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating, painful sex, fatigue and difficulty getting pregnant
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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer – that's more than 12,000 men every year.
Men with early prostate cancer will often have no symptoms because of the way the cancer grows, that's why it's important to know your risk. -
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March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a time to put ovarian cancer in the spotlight to fast-forward early diagnosis and save lives. Two thirds of women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer too late, when the cancer is harder to treat. Every day in the UK, 11 women die of ovarian cancer, with survival rates in other countries much higher.
Symptom awareness saves lives. Learn and share the symptoms of ovarian cancer today. -
Advice and Information -
Cervical cancer screenings save at least 2,000 lives every year in the UK. Cervical screening is a free health test that helps prevent cervical cancer.
Here's what you should expect from your smear test and why these screenings are important.
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News -
March is brain tumour awareness month. A brain tumour is a growth of cells in the brain that multiplies in an abnormal, uncontrollable way.
One in three people know someone affected by this devastating disease, with over 60 000 people currently living with a brain tumour in the UK. -
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World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) , 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.
The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. -
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Jenni and Tom are running a new project called 'Round 'ere' with the Civic Data Cooperative, (part of the University of Liverpool). This project aims to understand what being 'well' means to local people and find out if the right information is being used to fully understand this on a really local level. -
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Someone dies of bowel cancer every 30 minutes in the UK. It’s the second biggest cancer killer, but it shouldn’t be, because it’s treatable and curable. Nearly everyone diagnosed at the earliest stages will survive the disease. Knowing the symptoms is so important – it really could save your life. -
Advice and Information -
For new arrivals to the UK it can be confusing where to go if you need medical assistance. Here we outline your rights as a refugee, where you can access emergency help and how to register for a GP. -
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Local health and care champion, Healthwatch Halton, marks the difference the public have made to improve NHS and social care services. -
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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) costs will be capped at around £20 a year through a new HRT prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) which was launched on the 1st April.
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Halton Borough Council has commissioned The University of Chester's Department of Public Health and Wellbeing to conduct a health and wellbeing survey. By understanding what residents feel is important to them in their health and wellbeing, Halton Borough Council can better shape their health and wellbeing support services in future. -
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April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, a fantastic annual opportunity to raise awareness of bowel cancer.
Someone dies of bowel cancer every 30 minutes in the UK. Awareness and seeking help early can help to change this. -
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This year’s Deaf Awareness Week runs from the 1st-7th May 2023, with the theme Access to Communication.
The aim of this year’s Deaf Awareness Week is to promote greater awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing communication. The theme highlights the need for breaking down the communication barriers that prevent deaf people from fully participating in society. -
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Workforce is a key area for development, as part of the Governments 10 year plan.
A new survey has been devised to capture input towards the development of a care workforce pathway.
The Department of Health and Social care would like to encourage a Halton voice in shaping this piece of work.
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On 5 July 2023, the NHS will turn 75 years old. This significant milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future.
The NHS Assembly is now drawing together collective insights on the NHS today, taking stock of recent learnings and highlighting future opportunities and challenges.
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May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. In the UK, around 147,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed each year.
Most skin cancers are caused by skin damage that happens from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. All types of skin are at risk of sun damage and skin cancer. -
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NHS England has recently published its "Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care". Healthwatch have outlined what the planned changes will mean for you. -
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Dementia Action Week runs from the 15th-21st May. Each year, Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on dementia. This year's theme is dementia diagnosis. -
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2023 marks the 39th year of Volunteers’ Week (1st-7th June), when Healthwatch Halton will join thousands of charities and voluntary organisations recognising the contribution volunteers make across the UK. With this year’s theme of ‘Celebrate and Inspire’ we hope to encourage people to be the change that we want to see and get involved in volunteering in whatever way works for them.
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Advice and Information -
A new scheme could see women across England save hundreds of pounds yearly on their Hormone Replacement Therapy with a prepayment certificate. -
Advice and Information -
Receiving a dementia diagnosis can be a life-changing event, but knowing what support is available to you and what steps to take next can help you or a loved one process the diagnosis and plan for the future. -
Advice and Information -
Do you know about your rights to language support in NHS settings? -
News -
You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.
From 1 July 2023 the way members of the public make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing. -
BHF Data Science Centre: Have your say! Can you help develop a smartphone app to track heart health?
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Researchers at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre are seeking public views to help design a new app that could better study how activity levels vary with changing heart health.
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Diabetes week runs from the 12th- 18th June.
Diabetes week was created to raise awareness and knowledge of all types of diabetes. This Diabetes Week is all about celebrating people with diabetes and their achievements. -
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As long periods of warm sunshine are expected to stay, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is asking everyone to take extra care to enjoy the hot weather safely and to use services wisely ahead of three-day junior doctors strike. -
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Drowning Prevention Week aims to help ensure everybody across the UK and Ireland, has the opportunity to enjoy water safely.
Now in its tenth year, Drowning Prevention Week 2023 is a crucial campaign that has proven to have a real impact. Due to the pandemic, close to 2 million young people missed out on the vital opportunity to swim, leaving a dramatic gap in school swimming and water safety education. -
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Love Your Lungs Week 2023 aims to raise Awareness of Lung Conditions.
Formerly Breathe Easy Week, Love Your Lungs Week is an initiative started by the British Lung Foundation, now Asthma and Lung UK, to raise awareness and focus on lung health and takes place between the 21st and 27th June this year. -
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Junior Doctors are to hold a five-day strike in mid-July in what would be the longest period of industrial action in the history of the health service. The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed that the five-day walkout would run from 7am, Thursday 13 July, until 7am Tuesday 18th July. This will be the fourth round of strikes by Junior Doctors since the start of the year. -
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HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network is looking to contact a broad range of healthcare professionals, carers and most importantly people living with type 1 diabetes, to get their perspectives on what are the most important unanswered questions in type 1 diabetes. They have designed a survey to gather questions and opinions on type 1 diabetes. -
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Alcohol Change UK wants to see a Britain with alcohol but without serious alcohol harm. The average drinker in the UK spends £62,899 on alcohol in a lifetime based on a new estimate from Alcohol Change UK. We might expect that, for this amount of money, the benefits would be huge. But this brings with it many additional personal costs. -
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The Alzheimer’s Society provides post diagnostic support to people with a diagnosis of dementia and their families in both Halton and Warrington. Their Dementia Adviser Service offers a personalised one-to-one service, providing information, signposting and support to anyone affected by dementia. -
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You could save a life in your community. St. John Ambulance want to ensure that no one dies through lack of first aid provision. That’s why they have set up the CPR Community Network to ensure that everyone has access to basic life support training in person, online or by using their Resource Hub to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency. -
Advice and Information -
We continue to receive a lot of enquiries from people in Halton having difficulty finding an NHS dentist that is taking on new patients. Unfortunately, this is an issue both locally and nationally, at the moment.
The following information can support you if you are currently in need of an NHS dentist. -
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People across Halton will be offered a free lung health check to catch cancer early, when it is treatable. After a successful phase 1, which including certain areas of the borough, more people are now being offered the potentially life saving lung health checks through the Targeted Lung Health Programme.
