Posts Tagged ‘scarborough’
New community equipment ‘amnesty bin’
A new ‘amnesty bin’ to make it easier for people to return on loan community equipment like walking frames and crutches has been installed at a household waste recycling centre in Harrogate.
It follows talks between Medequip Assistive Technology Ltd – which issues community equipment to patients on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and clinical commissioning groups in the county – and Yorwaste which manages the area’s household waste recycling centres.
In addition to the new amnesty bin at Harrogate’s Penny Pot Lane recycling centre and three amnesty bins at York Hospital and Friarage Hospital in Northallerton there are plans for a further depository at one of the household waste recycling centres in Scarborough.
Medequip’s North Yorkshire Operations Manager, Darren Clark, said: “It’s not as simple as knowing where the equipment is originally deployed – equipment may be lost, passed on to another family member or even put away in a loft.
“We realise we need to get the message across to people that it is important to return these items, but we also recognise that we have to make it easier for people to arrange collection or to return the equipment to an accessible location.”
Community equipment like walking frames, sticks, crutches and other daily living aids costs the NHS and local authorities millions of pounds every year. Unfortunately, a lot of this equipment never finds its way back to the issuing authority, where it can be cleaned and safely reused.
A Return, Reuse, Recycle campaign originally instigated by Medequip in partnership with West Suffolk NHS back in 2017 has been taken up by North Yorkshire County Council and clinical commissioning groups in York and North Yorkshire. The county council and local NHS are hoping to see recycling rates increase significantly as a result of this initiative.
Dr Charles Parker, the clinical chair elect for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “Increasing the number of places where people can deposit unwanted equipment like crutches and walking frames is a huge positive.
“Much of the equipment that’s returned is in a good condition and can be cleaned, serviced then reissued to someone else in need. The objective is to continue to deliver cost-effective, efficient and safe community equipment solutions which help the NHS budget go further.”
Cllr Michael Harrison, North Yorkshire County Council’s Executive Member for Health and Adult Services, said: “The county council, in conjunction with our CCG partners, are always looking for opportunities to encourage and enable people who have been issued with equipment to be able to return this for recycling, repair or disposal.
“As such we have been keen to promote the ‘Return Recycle Reuse’ campaign in conjunction with CCG colleagues and our integrated equipment provider, Medequip, and prevent equipment being discarded or left unused.”
All equipment delivered by Medequip on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and clinical commissioning groups in York and North Yorkshire is accompanied by a leaflet with full details on how to return the items once they are no longer required, and every item carries a barcode label which also features a collection telephone number and a unique identifying code.
In addition to the amnesty bins, equipment can be returned to Medequip’s drop off points at Dunslow Court in Eastfield, near Scarborough and Manse Lane in Knaresborough.
Alternatively, Medequip will pick up some loan items for free – call 01423 226240 or email north.yorks@medequip-uk.com
Read MoreHow to stay well over Christmas and New Year
Doctors in North Yorkshire are urging patients to check their stocks of repeat medication ahead of the Christmas period.
With most GP practices closed for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, other local NHS services often experience increased demand, with the NHS 111 telephone service receiving high volumes of calls from patients who have run out of their vital medication.
NHS Hambleton Richmondshire and Whitby, NHS Harrogate and Rural District and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are asking patients to check their repeat prescriptions to make sure they have enough medication to see them over the Christmas period.
Dr Charles Parker, the clinical lead for NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG, said: “While we do ask patients to only ‘order’ repeat prescriptions when necessary, it is really important people have enough to see them through periods when their GP practice is closed, such as the Christmas period.
“By ensuring they have enough of their prescription medication, patients will be doing their bit for the NHS by freeing up urgent care services for people with more serious health problems.”
Patients are also being asked to remember that their usual pharmacy may be closed at times over the Christmas period, though other local pharmacies may be available. You can find details of pharmacy opening times in your area on your local CCG website.
If patients feel they need urgent health care over the festive period, they should dial 111. If appropriate, patients may then get an appointment at one of the local urgent treatment centres.
If it’s an illness or injury that is serious or life threatening, patients should always call 999 for an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Read MoreScarborough and Ryedale Pharmacy opening hours – Christmas and New Year
Health and social care recruitment event planned at Coventry Univeristy (CU) Scarborough
Humber, Coast and Vale’s Excellence Centre is hosting a recruitment event aimed at people with aspirations of working in health and social care.
The event will be held at CU Scarborough on Thursday 7 November between 2pm and 6pm.
Attendees will be given the opportunity to find out more about the wide range of jobs and careers that are available in Scarborough and Ryedale and across the wider Humber, Coast and Vale region.
Local health and social care employers will be attending the event – supported by NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – to provide information on current vacancies and training programmes within their organisations.
Margaret Wilson, Project Manager at Humber Coast and Vale Excellence Centre, said: “I think this is a brilliant opportunity for people who want to work in health and social care but don’t know where to start.
“It is a chance to learn about the broad range of job opportunities across Humber, Coast and Vale including mental health services, learning disability services, community services, healthy lifestyle and addiction services as well as a number of apprenticeship opportunities.
“There are lots of different jobs in health and social care so there is sure to be something for everyone whether you want to work in a hospital or residential home or in the community.”
Working in health and social care, you could be supporting someone with a physical or learning disability, someone with a mental health condition or someone who is frail or elderly.
The event is open to everyone, whatever your level of experience. Visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/could-you-care-health-and-social-care-recruitment-event-tickets-76421598057 to book your place.
Read MoreLocal NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups have partnered with CU Scarborough to introduce two new mental health nursing courses
Local mental health Trust, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) has worked with CU Scarborough – part of the Coventry University Group, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG to introduce a Registered Mental Health Nursing course and Nursing Associate course.
The first students on the Nursing Associate course will start in January 2020, while the Mental Health Nursing course began in September.
It is hoped that the new courses will bring a welcome boost to the number of people choosing to work in local NHS mental health services.
The three-year BSc degree programmes will allow students to practice nursing in a range of in-patient and community settings, leading them to achieve registered nursing status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
There are 15 spaces available on the Nursing Associate course, and TEWV will be offering students on both courses a range of placements in its services, as well as offering apprenticeships on both programmes to a number of its existing staff.
The apprenticeships will allow Trust staff to obtain valuable skills, whilst remaining in employment throughout their studies, which in turn supports the Trust to retain valued staff.
Elizabeth Moody, Director of Nursing and Governance for TEWV, said: “The work was led by the Trust’s Professional Nursing and Education team, who already successfully work in partnership with a number of other Universities across the wider Trust area.
“We hope that the new partnership with CU Scarborough will bring a welcome boost to mental health nursing across the local area, with students choosing to continue their careers in the Trust once they have completed their studies.”
Emily Harrison, Course Lead for Nursing at CU Scarborough, said: “We were so pleased to welcome our first students onto our Mental Health Nursing course in September, and we’re also looking forward to the first students starting our Nursing Associate course in January.
“Mental health is such an important aspect of people’s wellbeing, and we need to make sure we have enough qualified nurses to take care of people who may be struggling. These courses will give students the skills they need to be able to do that.
“We are proud to be playing our part in training the next generation of mental health nurses to help patients in Scarborough and the wider area.”
Dr Peter Billingsley, Mental Health Lead for the three Clinical Commissioning Groups in North Yorkshire, said: “It is terrific that we now have general and mental health nurse training places available in Scarborough – it will go a long way towards addressing some of the recruitment challenges we face and is great news for the local economy.
“It’s important we support efforts to develop a local workforce with roots already in our community who will want to serve this area when they have completed their training.
“We are confident that many of the students who undertake this training will want to continue living and working in Scarborough and Ryedale, which is great news and will mean employers are not having to look further afield to fill vacancies.”
A programme for Learning Disability Nursing has also been approved and it is hoped that this will commence in the next academic year.
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