Posts by Tim Readman
Sign up for FREE suicide prevention training workshops in Scarborough
People are being encouraged to sign up for free suicide prevention training workshops in Scarborough next month as part of the #TalkSuicide campaign from local NHS and council organisations.
The Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership is hosting two workshops in Scarborough on Monday, 9th March 2020 at YMCA Building, St Thomas Street, Scarborough, YO11 1DY – and members of the public are invited to attend to learn life-saving skills.
These one-hour workshops, which will run between 9.30am-10.30am and 11am-12pm, are free to attend but it is essential to register beforehand. You can register at bit.ly/talksuicidescarbro.
There were 6,507 registered suicides in the UK in 2018 – which amounts to one death by suicide every 80 minutes. Yorkshire and Humber had some of the highest rates of suicide in England in 2018.
The suicide prevention workshops will be group training sessions, including interactive video-based training from the Zero Suicide Alliance and discussion with people who work in suicide prevention within our local community. Free refreshments will be available.
Completing the training at the workshop will help you to:
- Identify the signs of when someone might be suffering from suicidal thoughts.
- Feel comfortable speaking out about suicide in a supportive manner.
- Signpost anyone suffering from suicidal thoughts to the correct services and support.
The workshops are part of the Partnership’s #TalkSuicide campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma around talking about suicide by raising awareness about suicide in our communities and encouraging our people to complete suicide prevention training.
Jo Kent, Suicide Prevention Lead for the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, said: “Every death by suicide is a tragedy and in Humber, Coast and Vale we are working collaboratively with the NHS, councils, voluntary organisations and other groups to prevent suicides from happening in our communities.
“The suicide prevention training is integral to this work as those who complete the training can make a real difference in their communities, simply by being better placed to identify those people who might be suicidal, and knowing what to say to them and signposting them to the most appropriate services.
“We want to train as many people as possible in our communities so if you can spare an hour on the morning of Monday, 9th March please register for one of the free suicide prevention training workshops taking place in Scarborough – the skills you learn could help you save someone’s life in the future.”
Can’t attend either of the Scarborough workshops? Workshops are also being held in York, Beverley, Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby. Visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to find out when these workshops are taking place.
You can also complete the training on the talksuicide.co.uk website, where you can also find out more about the #TalkSuicide campaign.
Read MoreMedequip rolls out its mobile unit – and calls on people to help recycle community equipment
The provider of community equipment in York and North Yorkshire is rolling out its mobile exhibition unit – and appealing for people to return any unwanted crutches, walking frames or chair raisers.
Medequip, which provides equipment on
behalf of North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) and clinical commissioning
groups (CCGs) in the county, wants to take equipment that’s become surplus to
requirements and introduce it back into circulation.
Medequip’s North East Region General
Manager, Steve Smith, said: “The NHS loses hundreds of thousands of pounds
every year in the shape of crutches, walking sticks, bathroom aids – in short,
all sorts of equipment provided free of charge to help people after accidents
or to keep older people independent for longer.
“We are working with county council and
CCG colleagues to try to bring more of this much needed equipment back into
circulation. Most items only need a clean and a check over to be reissued to
someone else in need of support.”
On 19 March between 10am and 3pm,
Medequip will park its mobile exhibition unit at York Hospital – outside the
front entrance, next to the multi-storey car park. It will take equipment and
after a thorough deep clean, will make sure it gets back into circulation.
It’s the latest in a recent community
equipment “amnesty” launched by Medequip and commissioners and is part of a
wider Return, Recycle, Reuse campaign in North Yorkshire.
Dr Charles Parker, the Clinical Chair
Designate for North Yorkshire CCGs, said: “It’s a fact that most people don’t
intend to keep hold of this equipment. In many cases, they’re simply not aware
of how to return it. Maybe they’ve mislaid the details, or maybe they have all
good intentions to do so and the time has just slipped by.
“If you’ve got items languishing in
your garage, cupboard, shed or attic, here’s your chance to do your bit for the
NHS and local council.”
There are other ways people can return
equipment that’s on loan from Medequip and no longer needed.
There are Medequip drop-off points at
Dunslow Court, Eastfield near Scarborough and Manse Lane in Knaresborough and
amnesty bins at The Archways in York and York District Hospital, the OT
department at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and Yorwaste’s household
waste recycling centre at Pennypot Lane in Harrogate.
Medequip will also pick up
some items for free – call 01423 226240 or email north.yorks@medequip-uk.com
CCGs support ‘Wake Up North Yorkshire’ campaign
North Yorkshire’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have backed a North Yorkshire campaign aimed at changing drinking culture and the harm caused by alcohol.
Launched by North Yorkshire County Council, the Wake Up North Yorkshire campaign has been developed after research with residents found that more than 40 per cent of 1,000 people who responded to a survey said they drank more than the chief medical officer’s guideline amount for ‘safer’ drinking.
That’s regularly more than six glasses of wine or pints of beer a week, and/or regularly more than three glasses of wine/pints (for women) or four glasses of wine/pints (for men) on any single occasion.
Dr Charles Parker, Clinical Chair Designate for the new North Yorkshire CCG, said: “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to a number of medical conditions which require ongoing care and treatment and in some cases result in admission to hospital.
“The good news is that most of the North Yorkshire residents who said they drank more than the safer guidelines are already reducing their drinking, or thinking about doing so in the future.”
For patients in the county who want to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume, there’s lots of help available – search ‘alcohol support’ on the NHS website or go to www.wakeupnorthyorkshire.co.uk.
The Wake Up North Yorkshire campaign features short videos from North Yorkshire residents talking about how they cut down their alcohol intake, as well as posters, leaflets and social media graphics.
It will run until September this year.
Read MoreNorth Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups support the ‘International Year of the Nurse and Midwife’ campaign
NHS Hambleton Richmondshire and Whitby, NHS Harrogate and Rural District and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are backing a national initiative, hosted by NHS England and NHS Improvement, which aims to showcase and celebrate nursing and midwifery.
The ‘International Year of the Nurse and Midwife’ will run throughout 2020 and is a chance to recognise the incredible work nurses and midwives do across health and social care.
Throughout the year, the three North Yorkshire CCGs will be encouraging nurses and midwives across the county to share their stories highlighting how they have made a difference to people’s lives and celebrate their achievements.
Chief Nurse for the three North Yorkshire CCGs, Sue Peckitt, said: “We have an amazing and diverse nursing and midwifery workforce in North Yorkshire and having had the pleasure of working alongside nursing colleagues for a number of years, I appreciate how hard they work and know they do everything they can to get the best possible outcomes for patients.
“Being a nurse is a very rewarding and fulfilling career and I encourage all of our local nurses to share their experiences to showcase the brilliant work that they do for patients and the public.”
Any stories shared by nurses and midwives will be hosted on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website. For information on how to share a story, visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nursing-people-stories-template/
NHS England and NHS Improvement will also be hosting an event at York Racecourse on 29 April to showcase innovation in nursing across the country.
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is showing support by running a campaign featuring 20 nurses and 20 midwives – details can be found on the Trust’s website: https://www.yorkhospitals.nhs.uk/news-amp-media/international-year-of-the-nurse-and-midwife-2020/
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) and Harrogate and District NHS foundation Trust (HDFT) are planning Year of Nurse and Midwife activities and this information will be available on the North Yorkshire CCGs websites once finalised.
If you are interested in becoming a nurse, search ‘nursing careers’ today, there are hundreds of opportunities to start a career in the field.
Read MoreCoronavirus latest
SEE ALSO: Easy Read information about the Coronavirus
The NHS in Scarborough and Ryedale and Public Health England (PHE) are extremely well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.
The risk to the general public is moderate. If you have arrived back to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau within 14 days, follow the specific advice for returning travellers.
Anyone who has travelled to China or places listed above in the last 14 days and develops symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, should immediately:
- Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
- Call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country
Information for the public is available here.
Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
The risk of being in close contact with a person with coronavirus or contaminated surfaces is very low at the current time, as members of the public who have visited Wuhan, Hubei province, China are currently in isolation.
Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict regulations. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of the hospital and returned home also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority, and are encouraged to attend all appointments as usual.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:
- Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
You can find the latest information and advice from Public Health England here.
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