Healthwatch Bulletin - Health, Social Care and COVID-19 (14.5.21)
Healthwatch bulletin, 14 May 2021
Welcome to our bulletins on health and social care and COVID-19 (including the vaccination roll-out). These are attached as separate documents for you to click on and download.
Our Healthwatch bulletin includes updates on:
1. Our latest report: People’s experiences and views about COVID-19 vaccinations in Brighton and Hove (see below).
2. Read our Equality Impact Assessment (see below).
3. Learn more about Young Healthwatch (see below).
4. This week was Dying Matters week. Learn why it's important to have a plan in place should you or a loved one become critically ill.
5. GPs: getting the most out of virtual consultations, and understanding your rights when registering with a GP. Healthwatch wants to hear from you if you have experienced any issues accessing your GP. Please get in touch and share your experience. Email: office@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk
6. COVID-19: What you need to know when visiting a care home. Read the latest updates.
7. *REMINDER* Making it compulsory for care staff to have the COVID vaccine – complete the survey and share your views. The deadline is 21 May (see below).
8. Type 2 diabetes - take a quick online test to assess your risk.
9. *REMEMBER* Call NHS 111 or contact NHS First if it is not an emergency. Learn more about how NHS 111 can help you.
10. Have your say about Adult Learning - Brighton and Hove Council have a survey to gather your views. The deadline is 16 May (see below).
11. It's Mental Health Awareness Week. Find out about free resources and support.
12. Next week is Dementia Awareness Week. Find out about local activities taking place across the city
13. Learn more about the Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance set up to improve services, care, and outcomes for everyone with cancer:
14. Being with Bereavement - learn more about a Community Support Group.
15. Local and national COVID-19 news and data. This includes information about the different types of COVID-19 tests and how to get one, and details of the Vaccine Inequity Small Grants Scheme (see below). You can also find out about what changes are happening on 17 May.
Healthwatch report
In February and March 2021, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove explored people’s experiences and views about the COVID-19 vaccine. The survey was completed by 2,102 people.
We have shared our findings with the Sussex Health and Care Partnership who are responsible for the vaccination programme. We are contuining to work in partnership with them to explore how these findings may be acted on, especially in helping to reach out to people who are hesitant or worried about having the vaccine and supporting them to develop communications, advice and assurance.
Learn more about Young Healthwatch
Did you know that we work with the YMCA to run a Healthwatch for young people under 25?
YMCA Right Here has been commissioned through Healthwatch to talk to younger people about their experiences with health and wellbeing.
Young Healthwatch aim to find out what young people think these services are doing well, and also what they think needs improving.
Read our Equality Impact Assessment
Healthwatch Brighton and Hove regularly evaluates its projects and reviews of health and care services to assess how effectively we have engaged with the general population of the city and its diverse communities.
COVID-19 has resulted in us delivering more online forms of engagement.
Read about who we have spoken to over the last 12 months.
Call NHS 111 first before vsiting A&E
We are seeing an increasing number of people attending A&E departments often with conditions or symptoms which could be dealt with by GPs, pharmacists, or NHS 111.
Understanding which service can best help you can be confusing which is why the NHS has pulled together a simple guide.
Have your say about Adult Learning
Brighton & Hove City Council want to find out what's most important to adults with learning disabilities, their families and the learning disability community.
Have your say on their five year plan for services in Brighton & Hove.
Complete the consultation by Sunday 16th May.
COVID-19 cases in Brighton
In the 7 days up to 7 May (based on data published on 12 May) we had 43 confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Brighton & Hove.
This is a 5% increase on the previous week
equivalent to a weekly rate of 14.8 per 100,000 residents, but similar to the rate for the south east which was 14.4 per 100,000, and lower than the rate for England, which was 21.8 per 100,000.
Downloads
You can download the bulletin here. If you need it in a different formate please contact us at:
office@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk
01273234041
