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.

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Healthy Hearts website launched to help people in Scarborough and Ryedale

A new website has been launched to help improve heart health among people living in Scarborough and Ryedale.

The Healthy Hearts website is designed to help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack among people considered to be most at risk, and reduce the number of people dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease – a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.

The website has been created to help people living in Humber, Coast and Vale – a region which covers Hull and East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, Vale of York, Scarborough and Ryedale.

More than 220,000 people in the Humber, Coast and Vale area are affected by high blood pressure, while around three in 10 people (more than 72,000) have undiagnosed high blood pressure. More than 32,000 people living in the area have an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) and almost 30,000 people have experienced a stroke or mini-stroke.

The Humber, Coast and Vale Healthy Hearts website contains a wealth of information about how people can reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including advice about healthy eating and exercise. It also features interactive tools, with users able to use the website to determine their high blood pressure risk.

The website forms part of collaborative efforts by healthcare organisations in the Humber, Coast and Vale area to reduce the number of people suffering from cardiovascular disease. They are committed to improving the health of people who have cardiovascular disease, or are at risk of developing it, as it remains one of the most significant health challenges in the area.

More than a quarter (26%) of all deaths in England in 2017 were caused by cardiovascular diseases, with coronary heart disease and stroke accounting for the majority of those deaths. Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK, but it can often largely be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Dr Greg Black, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Governing Body Member and Lead for Cardiovascular Disease, said: “Heart disease and stroke are two of the biggest ‘killers’ in Scarborough and Ryedale. Often linked to smoking and obesity, it’s imperative these issues are tackled.

“The new Healthy Hearts website will be important resource for GPs and other healthcare professionals, while giving people the tools and confidence to make those all-important lifestyle changes.”

Alex Seale, Senior Responsible Officer for Planned Care at the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, said: “The Humber, Coast and Vale Healthy Hearts website will become a key asset to healthcare professionals and patients to help reduce instances of cardiovascular disease in our communities.

“Heart disease remains a significant challenge for health organisations within the Humber, Coast and Vale area but one we are determined to overcome by working with healthcare professionals and members of the public alike to enhance cardiovascular disease education and improve cardiovascular disease detection.

“Heart health should be everybody’s concern so visit www.humbercoastandvalehealthyhearts.co.uk for information on how you can improve your heart health and take steps to protect against cardiovascular disease.”

For more information, visit www.humbercoastandvalehealthyhearts.co.uk

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Partnership nominated for leadership award

The Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership has been shortlisted for a national award in recognition of the strength of its joint working to improve mental health outcomes for its population.

The Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership has been shortlisted for the Health Services Journal (HSJ) Award for “System Leadership Initiative of the Year”. The HSJ judging panel, made up of a diverse range of influential figures within the healthcare community, has shortlisted the Partnership despite the tough competition from hundreds of excellent applicants.

The Award recognises the progress made since the Partnership was established to improve mental health services by working together. The Mental Health Partnership has achieved many successes by bringing together all the organisations that are responsible for commissioning (“buying”) and providing mental health services across our region to put in place care that is seamless and built around the needs of individuals regardless of which organisation is responsible for each element of that person’s care.

The Partnership’s many successes include the development of specialist mental health services for new and expectant mothers across the region and the launch of the Every Mum Matters campaign; ensuring more people are treated closer to home by significantly reducing the number of patients in “out of area” placements; developing and securing funding for a Partnership-wide suicide prevention strategy and securing over £1 million additional funding to support people with enduring mental health problems into employment.

Michele Moran, Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership Board and Chief Executive, Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are overjoyed to have been shortlisted for another HSJ award. Being nominated for this award highlights the fantastic work that our staff members carry out to transform and improve mental health services, in an area stretching across Northern Lincolnshire, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, York and Scarborough. As a partnership we have achieved a number of notable successes through collaborative working between partners and this is something that we are all proud of. To be nominated is an amazing achievement in itself and, as always, we would like to thank all of our patients, stakeholders, our staff, and those working in close partnership across Humber, Coast and Vale. This is about working together to make a difference for our communities.”

Stephen Eames, Independent Chair for the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, said: “This is fantastic news and a testament to the hard work and commitment of local leaders. This
is well-earned recognition for the cutting-edge work the Mental Health Partnership is doing, which is improving peoples’ lives across Humber, Coast and Vale.”

The full list of nominees for the 2019 HSJ awards can be found here. Winners will be announced at the 2019 HSJ awards ceremony, which is due to be held in London on 6 November 2019.

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Work continues to improve mental health services for new and expectant mums

Published on Mar 7, 2019

Mental health services for new and expectant mums in Scarborough and Ryedale and other parts of the Humber and Yorkshire region are continuing to be developed courtesy of NHS funding worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Having secured a share of a £23 million nationwide investment announced by NHS England in 2018, the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership – a collaboration of 28 health and social care organisations – is working to deliver specialist community perinatal mental health services in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Scarborough and Ryedale, and the Vale of York.

The funding is part of a £365 million plan by NHS England to ensure 30,000 more women in all areas of England can access specialist perinatal services by 2021.

Perinatal mental health problems are those which occur during pregnancy or during the first year following the birth of a child. Perinatal mental illness affects one in five (20%) women, and covers a wide range of conditions. If left untreated, it can have significant and long lasting effects on the woman and her family.

Examples of perinatal mental health conditions include:

Moderate to severe postnatal depression

Anxiety disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder

Eating disorders

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Severe mental illnesses including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar affective disorder

Postpartum psychosis

Severe self-harm

Suicidal thoughts

Late last year, pre-existing perinatal services began to be developed further, while new ones were created to ensure women in all parts of the Humber, Coast and Vale area who experience complex mental health needs have access to treatments and support as early as possible. Providing support for families and signposting to relevant services has also been part of the service improvements.

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has strengthened its already established specialist community perinatal mental health services in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire. The Trust is also working with NAViGO and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust to introduce a new service in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is also introducing new specialist community perinatal mental health services across the Vale of York and Scarborough and Ryedale.

Michele Moran, Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership Board and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, said: “So many new and expectant mothers experience mental health problems and we’re proud to work with our partners to extend the perinatal service into underserved areas and hopefully help hundreds of women and their families.”

Michelle Thompson, Perinatal Mental Health Lead for the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership and Assistant Director for Women’s and Children’s Services for North East Lincolnshire CCG, said: “Having a baby is a major life event for mums and dads, and it’s natural to experience a whole range of emotions and reactions during and after pregnancy.

“But if these problems start to have a big impact on day to day life, it might be a sign of a mental health problem and this service will provide some much needed specialist support for local families who are experiencing difficulties during or after the birth of their child.”

If you are concerned that you or someone you care about might be experiencing perinatal mental health problems you can speak to health professionals involved in your care, such as your GP, midwife or health visitor, who will be able to offer support and refer you to an appropriate service.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

For Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire patients: https://www.humber.nhs.uk/services/perinatal-mental-health.htm

For Vale of York and Scarborough and Ryedale patients: https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/services/north-yorkshire-and-york-perinatal-mental-health-service/

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#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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