#TalkSuicide campaign encourages people in Scarborough and Ryedale to complete short online suicide prevention training

Published on Jan 31, 2019

The Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership has launched the #TalkSuicide campaign to encourage the people of Scarborough and Ryedale to complete a free 20-minute online suicide prevention training programme.

The #TalkSuicide campaign urges pepole in Scarborough and Ryedale to visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to complete the video-based training so they can learn life-saving skills and improve the support network for those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

The Zero Suicide Alliance – a group of NHS Trusts, businesses and individuals committed to suicide prevention – has created the training to help people spot signs in people experiencing suicidal thoughts, and equip them with the information and skills to help them help these people.

There were 5,821 registered suicides in the UK in 2017 – more than one death every two hours – with the Yorkshire and Humber region having some of the highest suicide rates in England.

Mental health issues and financial problems are some of the biggest contributing factors to suicide.

National statistics show that suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 50. Men accounted for three quarters of suicides registered in 2017, while those aged between 45-49 are considered to be most at risk.

Anyone can undertake the training, which only takes 20 minutes to complete, at www.talksuicide.co.uk

Completing the training will help you to:

Spot signs in people experiencing suicidal thoughts

Feel comfortable speaking about suicide in a supportive manner

Signpost individuals suffering from suicidal thoughts to the correct services or support

Visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to complete the video-based suicide prevention training and learn more about the #TalkSuicide campaign.

Michele Moran, Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership Board and Chief Executive at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Each death by suicide is a terrible loss and a tragedy for everybody involved. By taking just 20 minutes to complete the online training, you could help save someone from taking their own life.

“The training will help you to be better in identifying suicidal thoughts and behaviour and give you the information to direct them to the most appropriate support services.”

Jo Kent, Humber, Coast and Vale Suicide Prevention Lead said: “The #TalkSuicide and Zero Suicide Alliance websites have plenty of material to help businesses and organisations incorporate this training into their workplace. We’re calling on individuals and businesses alike to encourage their friends, family, colleagues or employees to complete the online training – because knowing what to do and say in the right situation really can help to save a life.”

If you need urgent help, or if you’re worried about the mental or emotional state of yourself or someone you know, help is available from the following services:

Samaritans offer a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week support service. Call them FREE on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – for men call 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight every day

PAPYRUS (support for young people) – Freephone 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.

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Ambulance trust awarded integrated urgent care contract

Published on Jan 23, 2019

NHS Commissioners in Yorkshire and the Humber have (22 January 2019) announced that Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been awarded a contract to provide integrated urgent care services across the region for the next five years.

The contract, worth £17.6 million in 2019/20, has been developed in line with a new national service specification to provide the region’s population of 5.4 million with access, where appropriate, to clinical advice and treatment when they have an urgent healthcare need. The contract incorporates the NHS 111 call handling service with core clinical advice and will feature a range of developments, including being able to issue prescriptions and increasing the number of bookings into GP and urgent care appointments.

Agencies across the Yorkshire and Humber region have worked together to commission NHS 111 telephony, a call handling service and core Clinical Advice Service (CAS). The contract award follows a nine-month long procurement process undertaken on behalf of the region’s twenty-one Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) along with NHS England North Region – Yorkshire and the Humber.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service currently provides the NHS 111 service across Yorkshire and the Humber. The Trust is now working with commissioners to implement the new service, which will start on 1 April 2019.

Martin Pursey, Head of Contracting and Procurement at NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG, which is the lead commissioning organisation for the service, said: “I have confidence that by working together with the ambulance service, we will be in a strong position to meet the ongoing and developing requirements in respect of integrated urgent care across our region and through this, ensure that more people receive care and support out of hospital”.

Rod Barnes, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “Having provided the region’s high performing and well regarded NHS 111 service for the last six years, the opportunity for the Trust to transition to the new Integrated Urgent Care service is warmly welcomed.

“In line with our Trust’s strategic ambitions to ensure patients and communities experience fully joined-up care responsive to their needs and with excellent outcomes, we are excited to have the opportunity to develop our NHS 111 service to deliver integrated urgent car through collaboration with primary care colleagues, other providers and commissioners.”

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Patients urged to cancel doctors’ appointments if they are no longer needed

Published on Jan 17, 2019

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is asking patients to do their bit for the local health service this winter by cancelling GP appointments if they are no longer needed.

Nationally, more than 15 million general practice appointments are being wasted each year because patients do not turn up and fail to warn surgeries they do not need the appointment.

That’s around one in 20 of all appointments with doctors, nurses, therapists and other practice staff that could be made available to other patients.

The cost of the wasted appointments is the equivalent of:

the annual salary of 2,325 full time GPs

224,640 cataract operations

58,320 hip replacement operations

216,000 drug treatment courses for Alzheimer’s

the annual salary of 8,424 full time community nurses

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Clinical Chair and family GP, Dr Phil Garnett, said: “At any time of the year but especially in winter when demand on local health services increases, it’s very important that appointment slots are not going to waste.

“Our message is clear: if you cannot make it to your appointment or no longer need a consultation, please let your GP practice know in advance so the appointment can be used by another patient.”

There are 12 GP practices in Scarborough and the part of Ryedale overseen by NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, collectively looking after almost 120,000 patients.

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Ten Year Plan for NHS is published

Published on Jan 8, 2019

The NHS Long Term Plan is the national health service’s plan to make sure it is fit for the future. It aims to give everyone the best start in life, will deliver world-class care for major health problems such as cancer and mental health, and will help people age well.

The plan, backed by extra investment, has been developed by people who know the NHS best – frontline health and care staff, patients and their families, and other experts – who will continue to shape how it is implemented across the country.

Over the next few months, the NHS in Scarborough and Ryedale will be working with patients, the public and partners – including local councils, the voluntary and community sector and social care – to develop local plans to turn the national ambitions contained in the Long Term Plan into real improvements to services and outcomes for patients, building on the progress we’ve already made together over the last few years.

More details about opportunities to help shape our local plans will be shared shortly. In the meantime, to read a copy of the national plan and find out more visit www.longtermplan.nhs.uk.

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Winter vomiting bug and other illnesses on the rise

Published on Jan 7, 2019

Health professionals in Scarborough and Ryedale are seeing a rise in the numbers of people with the winter vomiting bug and other seasonal illnesses.

While the numbers are not necessarily out of the ordinary, GPs and other clinicians say patients and their carers can help reduce the risk of winter infections being transmitted through good hygiene, regular hand-washing and ample hydration.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s Infection, Prevention and Control Team said: “There has been a rise in the number of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting, influenza and chest infections in the community over the past few weeks.

“We would like to remind people they can help reduce the risk of infection through good hygiene and it’s also important that people who are suffering with a winter illness maintain hydration levels to avoid getting more poorly.”

There’s further information about norovirus, here.

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