December 2011 - Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

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14 The Shuttle DECEMBER2011 HEALTH CHECK Martyn’s health wake-up call By Faye Adams Martyn Thornber has lost so much weight even friends don’t recognise him. The Witton resident who last year weighed 17 stone has lost fi ve stone in 6 months. Stress at work and a busy social life coupled with a lack of exercise led to his weight gain says the 47-year-old: “I just didn’t feel good about myself and the extra weight was causing me back problems.” Then in May 2010 he saw an advertisement for the NHS health checks and decided to go along. The health checks are provided by Blackburn with Darwen Care Trust Plus and aim to check high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They can help pick up on any risks associated with conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease, which can sometimes be prevented by improvements or alterations to lifestyles. “I was shocked at the results, it was a real wake up call,” said Martyn who now works part time in the motor trade. And he says the news was compounded by a couple of other incidents such as struggling to buy clothes for his holiday. So he decided to make some changes. “When I set my mind to something I do it. I cut out alcohol completely and eating out and the weight started to drop off me. “Then I heard about re:fresh free leisure scheme and you can’t get better than free can you “I started going to the gym at Audley twice a week and that was it.” Since starting his fi tness regime Martyn has lost 75lbs in fi fteen months. Now his main problem is that when he goes out cycling with wife Andrea he has to cycle with the brakes on to slow him down! And that friends often don’t recognise him when he’s out and about. “I was in the supermarket and said hello to a good friend and he didn’t realise it was me!” Health Checks take place in community venues and workplaces around the borough. To book a check call 0800 917 6072 NEW NUMBER LETS YOU CALL NHS Brand new non-emergency number 4Dr Stephen Gunn and Safa Vaid aged 2 Sir Bill’s Patients’ Voice Session Have your say on health and social care in Blackburn with Darwen at the Patients’ Voice Session. Meet Sir Bill Taylor, Chair of NHS Blackburn with Darwen, to discuss any health related issues or local services. There will be a session on Wednesday, January 18 from 4-6 pm in the Quiet Room at Darwen Health Centre. If you wish to attend and speak with Sir Bill, please telephone (01254) 282118 to book your slot. Sessions are private one to ones although a member of the customer care team will be present. All discussions are in the strictest confidence. NHS 111 is a brand new non-emergency number for local health services, which has launched in Blackburn with Darwen as part of a Lancashire-wide pilot scheme. The free service, which is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, can be accessed by calling the easy to remember, three-digit number -111- and offers help and advice for minor injuries and illness when it’s urgent but not an emergency. NHS 111 is staffed by a team of highly trained advisors, supported by specialists such as nurses and paramedics, who will ask questions about your symptoms and then give advice or refer you to the local health service that will best meet your needs. If they decide it is an emergency, they will send an ambulance immediately. CALL You should call the number when: You don’t know where to go for medical help or don’t have a GP to call, it is outside of GP surgery hours or you think you might need to go to the hospital emergency department. Blackburn GP Dr Stephen Gunn said: “We know it can be confusing for people to know where to go for help. We hope 111 will make it easier for them to access NHS services whilst taking the pressure off the ambulance service and hospital emergency department. However, patients should be aware that they can continue to call their GP practice as normal and 999 for life-threatening emergencies.” The 111 number is available to anyone living in, or visiting Lancashire (excluding West Lancashire, which covers Ormskirk, Skelmersdale, Upholland, Burscough and Tarleton). It is already available in some other parts of the country. The Government wants the service to be available everywhere in the country by April 2013. Health services Christmas opening times - page 19. What happens if I call 111 Your call will be answered by a trained advisor who will ask for your name, age and where you live. They will ask a number of questions to determine how you are feeling and what the problem is. They can see information about all the local health services that are available and work out which is the best one for you. If English isn’t your fi rst language an interpreter will be able to help you. Is it safe By Shuttle Staff EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Experts like GPs and hospital consultants have helped to design the service and have had an important role to play in making sure the service is safe. The NHS 111 service has already been switched on in County Durham, Darlington, Nottingham, Luton and Lincolnshire and has received thousands of calls from local people in these areas. Calls to NHS 111 are checked to make sure that the service is safe. What about 999 and my GP 111 999 remains the single number to call if you or someone you care for has a serious or life-threatening health emergency, such as a serious accident, a heart-attack, a stroke or breathing problems. You GP will still be your main contact for your day-to-day health care needs. DECEMBER2011
For more information about all Council Services see www.blackburn.gov.uk The Shuttle 15 Health 4Dr Tom Phillips, Sue Capstick and Cath McCoo at the new health centre and, below, Aeman Ali Afzal and Katie Fielding Health Matters By Dr Chris Clayton MEDICS HAIL NEW HEALTH CENTRE £21m facility opens its doors By Kate Grieves The new state-of-the-art Barbara Castle Way Health Centre has opened its doors. The fi ve-level health centre opened in October and includes GP practices, dentists, mental health clinics, speech therapy, sight and hearing clinics, physiotherapy, a pharmacy and family drop-in, diagnostics from the latest hi-tech X-ray and scanning equipment, and minor operations will be performed there. The Barbara Castle Way Health Centre also includes the ‘Everybody’ resource centre for young people supporting health and wellbeing including sexual health, drug and alcohol advice, emotional and mental health and general help and advice. A group of young people worked with staff, including architects and artists, on the ‘Everybody’ centre, to create a young people-friendly centre with a welcoming feel. One of the group, Katie Fielding, said: "It is really cosy and nice and I think we have designed a pretty By Kim Gregson Oral health promotion manager Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined and in 2008, 1,822 people died from mouth cancer A visit to the dentist for screening for mouth cancer and increased knowledge can help transform good place. I hope young people will be really comfortable here." HOME Aeman Ali-Afzal added: "It is really comfortable, and not like a usual health centre and waiting room. You feel really at home here." “THIS IS A GREAT ENVIRONMENT.” - Dr. Tom Phillips Cath McCoo, speech and language therapist, said it was ‘wonderful’: "There are lovely, spacious treatment rooms which are light and airy so they are so much better. We have had a lot of positive feedback about the centre from families and children already." Sue Capstick, clinical business manager for sexual health, added: "It feels as though there is a real MOUTH CANCER: SPOT THE SIGNS survival rates, as mouth cancer is easier to treat if spotted quickly enough. Poor diet, drinking too much alcohol and smoking all increase your risk of developing mouth cancer. WARNING SIGNS There are several warning signs. These include ulcers or sores which do not heal within three weeks; red emphasis put on the quality of the space and valuing people in a purpose-built centre, and especially the importance of sexual health." MODERN GP and member of the Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Tom Phillips, said: "This is a great environment. “It is a highly modern centre and a new start and it will allow us to deliver highly modern services in an innovative way." Sir Bill Taylor, Chairman of NHS Blackburn with Darwen Care Trust Plus Board, said: "I'm delighted to see patients visiting, and most of the services up and running in, the The Barbara Castle Way Health Centre. “I've been in and spoken to some patients myself and am confi dent this facility is going to be a a tremendous asset for the borough. “It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in local health services and bringing care closer to home." and white patches in the mouth; unusual changes, lumps and swellings in the mouth; and an unexplained pain in your mouth or ear. It is important to check your mouth for any of these changes and see your dentist or doctor if they last longer than three weeks. Other signs include a croaky voice or diffi culty swallowing, a sore or painful throat and an unexplained lump in your neck. CHANGES It is important to check your mouth for any of these changes and see your dentist or doctor if they last longer than three weeks. For help fi nding an NHS dentist for urgent and routine care call the local dental helpline on 0845 53 33 230. There has been much pace gathering around the implementation of the new health reforms. As such, I thought of the need to refl ect on what this actually means and will mean on a day to day basis for the citizens of Blackburn with Darwen (BwD). Essentially, the current system is built around the Department of Health, based in London, giving money and directives to Strategic Health Authorities (ours is NHS North) who in turn give money and directives to Primary Care Trusts (ours is BwD Care Trust Plus). The Care Trust Plus is responsible for “buying” the healthcare that as patients, we receive from our general practices, community services and hospitals. In the new system, doctors and nurses will be put at the heart of that “buying” of care in the formation of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which will replace the Primary Care Trusts. Over the last six months or so, there has been much work undertaken on the best size and structure of a CCG that would cover our area. We believe this absolutely to be a Blackburn with Darwen CCG which relates to the very clear boundaries that we have and our very strong link with the council. In BwD, all of our GPs are members of our CCG are already actively involved in the development and improvement of the service of care that you receive; it was the active engagement of our GPs locally that has led to the development of a new model for the delivery of urgent medical care in our area which we hope to roll out in April 2012. As health professionals, we are well placed to understand the health and social issues that you face. However, we cannot do this alone and as patients, it will be vital that you are involved in decisions taken. The CCG intends to work with the many neighbourhood forums that already exist via the council networks. With the very diffi cult fi nancial times that we face, it is extremely important that we do not allow the quality of care that we receive to drop despite this pressure . We all have our part to play in this; as patients, we need to ensure we use the services we have appropriately and as health professionals, that we provide the most cost effective care delivered in the most appropriate setting. I have no doubt that together, we can succeed in improving the health and well being of us all. DECEMBER2011
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December 2011 - Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

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