Mums and dads urged to take up flu vaccination offer for their children
Published on Sep 18, 2018
Mums and dads in Scarborough and Ryedale are being urged to get their child vaccinated against the flu.
The vaccine is free for the majority of children aged two and three years old, primary school age children and youngsters with a health condition that puts them at greater risk from flu.
The annual vaccination programme in schools in our area is being delivered by nurses from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s Childhood Immunisation Team.
Parents are being reminded to complete the online consent form for their child, available at www.hdft.nhs.uk/flu-consent or complete the paper form circulated by some schools.
The online consent form is easy to fill in and will take around 10 minutes. Parents will be prompted to type in their child’s school code, provided on the website and can also read a range of Frequently Asked Questions about the nasal flu vaccine.
For children aged two and three, the vaccine is available at their local GP practice.
Dr Greg Black, Governing Body member and Medicines Lead for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness. This can last several days or more and in many cases will lead to a parent having to take time off work to look after their poorly child.
“Some children can get a very high fever, sometimes without the usual flu symptoms, and may need to go to hospital for treatment. Children under the age of five have the highest rate of hospital admissions due to flu. Serious complications of flu include a painful ear infection, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia.
“The nasal vaccine provided through the schools vaccination programme offers good protection against flu, particularly in young children. It also reduces the risk of a child passing on the virus to a more vulnerable member of their family, such as a baby brother or sister who is too young to be vaccinated, or elderly relative who is at greater risk from complications caused by the flu.
“This particular flu vaccination has been given to millions of children worldwide and is the single most effective protection against flu we have.”
Meanwhile, in a series of films for social media – also available to watch at www.hdft.nhs.uk/flu-consent – children from North Yorkshire have been giving their opinions about the nasal flu spray and why it’s important to have it. Youngsters Maisie, Jude, Reggie, Oliver and Noah remarked how “it tickles”, “it goes up a nose hole” and how “it protects my grandma”.
Lois Alderson, Clinical Lead for Childhood Immunisations in North Yorkshire said: “We had a lot of fun talking with our five youngsters and finding out what they thought about the nasal flu spray.
“As nurses we know the benefits of having the vaccine and we know parents do too. But we thought it would be interesting to see what some of the young people actually receiving the vaccine thought about it and if they understood why it was so important.
“And even if one child thought it would protect the moon too, it was great to see they knew why it was important and what the benefits were of having it.”
You can also watch each film here:
Maisie: https://youtu.be/Ts_4QU8r7x8
Reggie: https://youtu.be/mscrFf8vAFo
Jude: https://youtu.be/rRE2IK3QBPQ
Oliver: https://youtu.be/1DKuMFDTre0
Noah: https://youtu.be/ngu2pbd08QI
Read MoreCommissioners welcome results of 360 Degree Survey
Published on Aug 31, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has welcomed the results of a national survey which show a high level of confidence in decision-making, leadership and engagement.
The 360 Degree survey, conducted by pollsters Ipsos Mori on behalf of NHS England, was completed by 27 key stakeholders in our area including patient groups, local GP practices, NHS providers, other CCGs and local councils.
Among the findings:-
93 per cent of stakeholders rated the effectiveness of their working relationship with the CCG as very or fairly good, compared to 76 per cent nationally
70 per cent of stakeholders had confidence in the CCG to commission and decommission services appropriately (the national average is 57 per cent)
89 per cent of stakeholders said there was clear and visible leadership of the CCG (compared to 69 per cent nationally) and they have confidence in the leadership to deliver on plans and priorities
81 per cent of respondents said they had confidence in the CCG to act on feedback it receives about quality of services (nationally it’s 64 per cent)
85 per cent of stakeholders said they knew about CCG plans and priorities, compared to 78 per cent nationally, with 70 per cent saying when they had commented on those plans and priorities, their views were considered even if the CCG had not been able to act on them (national average is 53 per cent)
70 per cent of stakeholders said they were very or fairly satisfied with how the CCG involves patients and the public, compared to 64 per cent nationally
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Chairman, Dr Phil Garnett, said: “We rely on strong relationships with a range of health and care partners to be successful commissioners and make good decisions.
“The results of the survey show, by and large, we have those in place and we are good at working collaboratively to address local health and care challenges and engaging and communicating with patients and the public.”
Read MoreKelly’s Place respite facility opens its doors
Published on Aug 15, 2018
A new respite care facility for people with profound and complex learning disabilities has opened near Scarborough.
Kelly’s Place, founded by Ali Wilkins and run by Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited, is a bespoke two-bedroom bungalow in Burnside, Eastfield, featuring en-suite bathrooms, tracker hoists and ample moving space for wheelchairs.
It also has a large lounge, a fully equipped kitchen and a sensory room. The facility has been specifically designed to easily accommodate up to two individuals in a safe and comfortable environment.
Upgrading and development of the bungalow into the bespoke facility was part funded by NHS England (£20,000) and part funded by Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited (£38,000) while one of the two beds is funded in its entirety (£39,000 a year) by NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
The CCG’s Senior Service Improvement Manager, John Turner, said the CCG had been working with Happy Futures and families to get the facility off the ground since 2014.
“I’m delighted Kelly’s Place is now open,” he said. “It’s a brilliant facility that will offer exceptional support for an individual with multiple learning disabilities, while providing much-needed respite for their families and carers. They will be able to take some time off and have a break knowing their loved one is going to be well looked after in a facility that meets all their needs.”
Support at Kelly’s Place is offered by skilled support workers expertly trained to support those with profound disabilities and complex needs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals can be supported at Kelly’s Place for up to 28 days.
Depending on the individual’s needs, Kelly’s Place offers one-to-one or two-to-one support with full day support and waking nights should it be required. Everyone receiving respite can also use the Happy Futures Skills Centre where they are able to expand existing skills, develop new ones and take part in a variety of activities.
Angela Fletcher, Managing Director at Happy Futures, a domiciliary support provider recently rated OUTSTANDING by the Care Quality Commission, said: “Concerned families made us aware of a shortage of quality respite care in 2014 and we knew something had to be done.
“What we now have is an incredible facility that will go a little way towards addressing the demand for short-term respite care. Throughout this process we’ve had some wonderful support from NHS England and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, but I particularly want to thank the families we’ve been working with for their dedication and passion.”
There are more images from the official opening event, here and you can view newsletters from Happy Futures, here.
[embed]https://videos.files.wordpress.com/rYKgYKCt/we-are-happy-futures-with-voice-over_std.mp4[/embed] Read MoreNorth Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups to recommission local adult autism and ADHD services
Published on Aug 10, 2018
Local health groups in North Yorkshire and York are to recommission the services currently available to adults with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Vale of York CCG, NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG and NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG want to redesign a service that better meets the needs of patients.
Led by NHS Vale of York CCG as lead commissioner, the CCGs are beginning to engage with local communities to gather insight which will be used to ensure there are improved pathways for diagnosis of autism and ADHD in adulthood.
Another aim of the engagement work is to increase awareness and understanding of autism and ADHD among frontline health professionals.
Scarborough Medical Group GP and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Associate Chairman, Dr Peter Billingsley, said: “We know the resources we currently have available don’t always meet the needs of adults with suspected autism or ADHD and it’s something that across York and North Yorkshire we’re eager to address.
“We want to take the opportunity to ask service users and carers how they feel about our current service and look at ways to improve the quality of the service for adult ADHD and autism diagnostics to ensure it meets the needs of the local population.
“For example, we’re aware that some people are waiting far too long for appointments and we want to improve that.”
As part of the wider North Yorkshire engagement work, there will be a public event in Harrogate Library on Tuesday 21 August from 10.30am to 12.30pm at which people can contribute to discussions about what a new autism and ADHD assessment service for adults could look like.
Locally, each of the North Yorkshire and York CCGs will be gathering feedback from people with ADHD and autism, their families and their carers.
A survey for Scarborough and Ryedale patients is also being circulated and can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AautismADHD
You can find an easy read version of the survey here.
Below is the full interview with Dr Peter Billinglsy on Thats North Yorkshire Televsion:
Read MoreHealth and care partners back ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign
Published on Jul 26, 2018
Health and care partners in North Yorkshire are urging people to be aware of the early signs of bladder and kidney cancers and to go to their doctor if they see blood in their pee – even if it’s just the once.
‘Blood in pee’ is part of the national Be Clear on Cancer (BCOC) campaign from Public Health England in partnership with the Department of Health, NHS England and Cancer Research UK. Around 300 people in North Yorkshire are diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer each year and approximately 120 people die.
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Governing Body Associate GP Member, Dr Jenni Lawrence, said: “As a GP in the Scarborough and Ryedale District, I’ve been involved in work to improve early diagnosis rates for bladder and kidney cancers. An important part of this is our blood in pee one stop clinic in Malton. Patients just have to see their GP to get a referral, and then go along to the clinic where they can receive all the tests needed in one place – and get an answer quickly.”
Bladder and kidney cancers can affect people of all ages, but the risk of these cancers increases as people get older and are most common in those over 50.
Blood in pee is a key symptom for both bladder and kidney cancer. Other bladder cancer symptoms include a urinary tract infection (cystitis) that is difficult to treat or comes back quickly after treatment and pain when peeing. Other kidney cancer symptoms include a pain in the side below the ribs that doesn’t go away, and weight loss.
County Councillor Caroline Dickinson, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Supported Housing, said: “The aim of Be Clear on Cancer campaigns is to increase public awareness of key cancer symptoms and to encourage people with those symptoms to see their GP early. This new campaign stresses how important it is if you notice blood in your pee, even if it’s ‘just the once’, to tell your doctor straight away.
“Blood in pee is a key symptom of both bladder and kidney cancers. The chances are it’s nothing serious, but these cancers are more treatable if they are found early.
“The campaign also asks people to look before they flush the toilet – and to go to see their GP if they notice blood in their pee. You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting your symptoms checked out. And if you’ve been to the doctor but your symptoms haven’t gone away, go back – they’ll want to know and early diagnosis and treatment could save your life.”
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