Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS
Personal Child Health Records Available at NHS Online
You may have seen in the news that the the Personal Child Health Record “red book”, containing your child’s health information is to be made available to parents online, as part of government plans to improve NHS care for mothers and new babies. We do not know the timeframe for this yet in Calderdale but will keep you posted.
Potential benefits for parents include:
- access to information so that health and care choices can be made
- an online record of their child’s health and development
- ownership of the wellbeing of their child through links to guidance on healthy choices and *preventing avoidable poor health
- the ability to share their health and wellbeing information with professionals
- being able to set preferences for information sharing and to see who subscribes to this information
Have Your Say on How Prescriptions May Change
Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) want to know what you think about plans to change the way that some medicines and products are prescribed.
The CCG’s aim is to ensure you have a long, healthy life and be active and independent for as long as possible but they also have a limited budget. Because of this they need to make decisions on what to buy so the funding is in place for the right services.
The CCG spends more than £600,000 on lower value medicines and products. These are items that many people already buy for themselves. They include:
- Baby milks and infantile colic products
- Multivitamins and vitamin D
- Emollients (moisturisers) for minor dry skin conditions
- Cosmetic products, including eflornithine for facial hair
- Antifungal nail paints
- Sunscreen products
By not prescribing these items the money could be spent on more effective treatments which have a more positive impact on patients’ health.
CCG also spends about £80,000 every year on prescribing branded medications instead of prescribing non-branded (generic) medicines.
Most medicines have two names, for example Nurofen is a brand name and the generic name is ibuprofen. Generic products contain the same active ingredient as the branded product and are just as effective as branded medicines.
They also spend about £120,000 every year on gluten-free (GF) foods for patients with Coeliac Disease which you can now get easily from supermarkets and pharmacies.
The CCG want to know what you think about changing the way they prescribe:
- Branded medicines
- Lower value medicines and products such as sunscreens, baby milks, creams for unwanted hair, multivitamins, moisturisers, antifungal nail paints and colic treatments
- Gluten-free foods
To find out more about our proposals, you can download the consultation document, or pick up a hard copy at your local GP.
To have your say, complete the survey no later than 4 December 2017.
You can pick up a copy of the survey at your local GP practice, download and fill in a copy or complete online at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PrescribinCCCG/
The consultation document can be downloaded as Changing the way we prescribe consultation document and the survey to print out and complete as Changing the way we prescribe SURVEY.
Understanding How the Local NHS Works – VAC Training
This session on Friday 23 June 10am – 12pm will describe the national landscape and local responsibilities for commissioning and providing NHS services.
Participants will gain an understanding of how the NHS fits together and who has responsibility for providing specific local services. The purpose of this session is to provide an overarching understanding of a complicated system and provide a who’s who and who does what within the local NHS.
Who is this session aimed at?
The session, to be held at VAC, 8B Hall St, Halifax HX1 5AY, will be useful for Engagement Champions and voluntary community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups who want to provide local services in partnership with the NHS. It would also be useful to those who just want to understand how the NHS fits together.
Costs range from £30 to £80 depending upon the structure of your organisation. The course is booked online at http://cvac.org.uk/training but for further information email the training administrator at training@cvac.org.uk or call 01422 348777.
Talking Therapies from Insight Healthcare
Calderdale Talking Therapies is part of Insight Healthcare and provide free talking therapy services on behalf of the NHS. They are able to help those registered with a GP in Calderdale that are aged 18 and over.
The service provides help to people experiencing common difficulties such as: low mood, depression, anxiety, stress, panic, anger, phobias, trauma, bereavement, loss, relationship difficulties and family problems.
They aim to complete an assessment with clients within 3 days and some types of therapy are available within 2 weeks.
For further information contact Insight Healthcare on 0300 555 0191 or you can email calderdale@insighthealthcare.org
You can also see their website at www.insighthealthcare.org
Changes to hospital services consultation
Have your say on the proposed changes to hospital services and further improvements to community services in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield in a series of drop-in information sessions.
You can find out more details about these proposals here and events and public meetings are available here now.
Have your say on proposed changes to hospital services
A public consultation starts today, Tuesday 15 March 2016, on proposed changes to hospital services and further improvements to community services in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.
The consultation will run for 14 weeks until midnight on Tuesday 21 June 2016.
Click here to read the Consultation Document or have your say by completing the online survey here
A number of public consultation drop ins are also being held across the borough. Please visit www.rightcaretimeplace.co.uk to find out more.