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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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Finding out your risk of type 2 diabetes only takes a few minutes, but it could be the most important thing you do today.... -
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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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In July 2022, the responsibility for commissioning healthcare treatments for the population of Cheshire and Merseyside moved from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to the newly formed integrated care board, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside.
Previously local areas made local decisions about how healthcare treatments are commissioned, which over time has resulted in some differences across Cheshire and Merseyside. -
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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? -
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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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Have you looked after a loved one following a stroke? The University of Manchester would like to hear the experiences of those who have cared for a friend or family member after a stroke. This study is part of a thesis project for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester.
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On 5 July 2023, the NHS will mark 75 years of service. Warrington and Halton Hospitals would like to celebrate this milestone by showcasing the best of their hospitals. You can get involved by sharing your stories and memories of the NHS.
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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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Halton Send Parent Carer Forum (HSPCF) have been approached by Tony Ryan who has been commissioned by Mersey Care to carry out an independent review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS.)
He is interested in the views of children and young people and their families, who have used CAMHS services in mid-Mersey in the last 12 months. If this applies to you, please give a couple minutes of your time to answer the short questions on the attached survey. Your voice matters and is the best way to help improve services for our children and young people.
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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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National GP patient survey sees a further fall in satisfaction, especially regarding making appointments. Read the Healthwatch response. -
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Evidence from thousands of children and young people collected by our colleagues at Healthwatch Blackpool has been referenced repeatedly in the House of Commons over the past few weeks as concerns grow about vaping among this age group.
The report highlights the worrying prevalence and impact of vaping amongst children and young people, highlighting the views and experiences of children and young people themselves, as well as their families, and professionals who work with them. -
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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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Communication is an essential foundation life skill that supports many other areas of development such as: behaviour, emotional wellbeing and lifelong learning. As parents and carers you play a vital role in supporting your child's speech, language and communication skills. -
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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. -
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Findings from a survey of more than 36,000 people who used NHS urgent and emergency care services in September 2022 show that many people had a worse experience than in previous years – particularly those treated in an A&E type department.
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Healthwatch new research highlights that pressures in the NHS have serious consequences on people's lives and widen health inequalities.
Healthwatch commissioned a survey of 1084 people who have seen their NHS care either cancelled or postponed this year to understand the extent of disruption to care amid rising waiting lists, workforce issues, and industrial action, and other pressures on the NHS. -
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.
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My Planned Care gives you advice and support while you wait and helps you to prepare for your hospital consultation, treatment, or surgery. This includes giving you information about waiting times at your hospital and other supporting and local services while you wait. -
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This report highlights the public feedback received during our outreach sessions at Whiston Hospital Hospital in April and May 2023 -
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Family Hubs are being developed in Halton. This work is being funded by the Department for Education from the government’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund.
Family Hubs support children and young people from birth until they reach the age of 19 (or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). They bring council, health and community services together so that families can access the right support at the right time. -
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This report highlights the public feedback received during our outreach sessions at Halton Hospital in April and June 2023. -
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This report highlights the public feedback received during our outreach session at Warrington Hospital on 18 May 2023. -
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Healthwatch England research on GP referrals highlighted the frustration patients experience due to long waits and a lack of support. This latest analysis by Healthwatch England looks at people’s experience of getting a cancer referral. -
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RESTART is a research priority setting exercise.
They are a group of people with severe mental health conditions, their carers, clinicians and other partners.
They want to prioritise 10 ‘unanswered questions’ from a list of 60 about dental care for people with severe mental conditions.
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Advice and Information -
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) gives you a voice and protects your decisions. They are helpful for everyone over the age of 18.
This legal document makes it easier for the people you trust to support you when you need it most. -
Advice and Information -
If you're referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). -
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Millions of children in England will be offered a flu vaccine from September, as the NHS steps up its life-saving vaccination programme to protect the country against deadly viruses ahead of winter.
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Living with autism affects people in different ways. It can bring strengths and challenges that can affect how comfortable, healthy, and happy you feel. Here's what you should expect from an autism assessment, diagnosis and getting the proper support. -
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Healthwatch Halton & Healthwatch Warrington are currently working with the NHS and want to hear from anyone who has been discharged from hospital, following an admission, in the last year.
This is your opportunity to share your experience. What worked well? What could have been better? -
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The cost-of-living crisis is putting many people under financial strain, and prescription costs are more than some people can afford to pay. Find out what help is available to help you cover the cost of your medication. -
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We hold regular meetings with our Committee in public where we discuss what we've been hearing from the public as well as our organisational direction and progress on projects. -
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We hold regular meetings with our Committee in public where we discuss what we've been hearing from the public as well as our organisational direction and progress on projects.
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Advice and Information -
Here we look at six things you should expect when making a complaint about social care services -
Advice and Information -
People have told us they want to feel listened to and involved in decisions about their social care. Here are six things you should expect from care services, according to guidelines. -
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People rely on prescription medication to treat and manage their conditions and keep well. In Healthwatch England's new blog, they highlight the challenges people have recently told them about when trying to get prescription medication. -
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STAMMA, the British Stammering Association, recommends changes in GP appointment booking systems nationwide after a survey showed that phone-only systems and lack of staff training cause people who stammer to face physical and mental distress, delayed appointments, and late diagnoses.
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Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, formally St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, are interested in hearing carers experience of hospital.
They would like to find out about your experience as a carer, whilst the person that you care for was in hospital, to enable them to make any improvements required.
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1 in 7 people live with migraine.
Migraine has been dismissed for too long as ‘just a headache’, despite it being a complex and debilitating neurological disorder. We know that for those living with migraine it has a significant impact on their quality of life, impacting their mental health, relationships, education and their ability to work.
