Community Mental Health Teams - Dudley Primary Care Trust

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BOOST TO NHS DENTISTRY IN DUDLEY
The 1st of April marked the dawn of a new era for
NHS dentistry in Dudley as dentists and the Primary
Care Trust took on the new Dental Contracts.
The contracts bring an £8.74m investment in Dudley’s
dentistry from the Primary Care Trusts along with an
increase of 5% in dental activity commissioned by the
PCTs. This will mean that anyone who wants to see an NHS
dentist should be able to do so within 24 hours.
This is great news for Dudley with 30 out of the 33 dental
practices in the area agreeing to the new terms. The
contract seals some of the many reforms in dentistry
IMPORTANT
CHANGES TO
YOUR DENTAL
OUT OF HOURS
SERVICE
From the 1st April 2006, if you require dental
treatment between the hours of 6:30pm and 8:00am
Monday to Friday, all weekend and on bank holidays,
you need to call 01384 568792.
The call will be received by the Out of Hours Dental Team
based at Bhandal Dental Practice, 148 High Street,
Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 5HJ and they will
offer advice or where necessary, make you an appointment
to come and see them at the practice or direct you to the
most appropriate alternative.
This service is for urgent dental treatment and should only
be accessed if your treatment cannot wait until your dental
practice is open. You should only consider using the
Out of Hours Service if:
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You are experiencing severe dental and facial pain not
controlled by over-the-counter pain relief
You think you may have a severe infection in your gums
If you are unsure whether your treatment is urgent, please
call NHS Direct for advice on 0845 4647. If you have any
concerns regarding this service, please contact FHS Shared
Services on 01384 366017.
Patients in Dudley can now benefit from a new minor
injuries service which has been launched to help beat
waiting times at GP practices.
The new pilot service runs from Ladies Walk
Health Centre in Sedgley and is being
provided because many GP practices in the
Borough are at their busiest at the
beginning of the week as patients wait to
see a clinician to deal with illnesses that
have occurred over the weekend.
The service, being run by two advanced
nurse practitioners and a GP, provides help
for people suffering from minor ailments or
injuries that do not require emergency
treatment such as cuts and grazes, sprains
and strains, bites and stings, infected
wounds, minor eye infections, foreign
bodies and scratches.
And because the service does not require an appointment,
health chiefs in the Borough are hoping that patients who
are unable to get an appointment with their GP on a
Monday morning will choose to get their care from the
new centre.
bringing with it a number of benefits for patients,
including giving them a clear charging structure for NHS
dentist services and will help ensure even more people are
able to access dental services in the Borough.
The new contract will ensure that patients only pay once
for each course of treatment - no matter how many times
they need to visit the dentist to complete that treatment.
The new contract will also enable dentists to agree with
patients how regularly they need to have a check-up, with
patients with better oral health being able to visit their
dentist less frequently than every 6 months.
Andy Harrison, Director of Operations & Primary Care
welcomed the news saying: “The teams have been
working hard to ensure that we maintain our excellent
level of dentistry here in Dudley and I am pleased that so
many dentists have
chosen to continue
working with us.
This level of
investment can only
improve on this
already high standard
of care provision.”
CARE PAPER CHASE
BECOMES A THING
OF THE PAST
NEW SERVICE TO BEAT MONDAY BLUES
“Because GPs can
only see so many
people, some
patients chose to
go to A&E as an
alternative - but
often end up just
being referred
back to their GP”
Patients and carers in Dudley are set to benefit from a new streamlined way of recording health and social care
needs as clinicians and social care staff abandon reams of paperwork and roll out a new streamlined process.
April saw the beginning of the new single assessment process, which gives patients in the Borough a single set of papers
that explains the care they will receive - something clinicians and care workers can add to over time.
Until now, every nurse or care worker who provides services has had to keep their own paperwork, which has meant
that some patients have had a number of files kept on their condition -
information that sometimes isn’t shared between services.
Cath Molineux, Nurse Consultant said: “Monday’s have
always been the busiest days for our practices because
many patients who develop minor health problems over
the weekend wait until Monday to see their
GP. But because the GPs can only see so
many people, some patients choose to go
to A&E as an alternative but often end up
just being referred back to their GP.
“By launching the new service we hope to
get those patients off the merry-go-round
and offer a service which they can drop
into and be guaranteed to be seen and
treated. And if the trial is successful, we
may look to roll the service out elsewhere
as well.”
If you are unsure if your injury requires
A&E, please call NHS Direct on 0845 4647
or contact the Minor Injuries Centre on 01902 575909 or
01902 575910.
The centre will operate from 9am-5pm every Monday from
Ladies Walk Health Centre.
By providing a single system, clinicians and social care workers are now
able to see who is providing what care for patients, helping them to
make a better judgement about the care they provide.
Anna Stanley, project manager for single assessment in Dudley said:
“The Single Assessment Process, with its emphasis upon person
centred care, not only places the service user at the heart of the
care they receive, but enables clients and professionals to share
information thereby promoting a co-ordinated response to
their needs.
“The Single Assessment Process is designed to cut down on the
amount of paperwork health and social care staff have to use and to
help ensure that better clinical decisions are made.”
Linda Sanders, Director of Dudley Council’s Adult, Community and
Housing Services said:”The strong local partnership that has developed
the Single Assessment Process is welcomed as a way to making a
positive difference to how residents of Dudley can
access services.”
PODIATRY SERVICE
MOVES OFFICES
As from Monday 24th April, the
administrative offices of the
Podiatry service will be relocating
to 1st Floor Office Suite,
Cranham House, Amblecote,
Stourbridge, DY8 4BZ.
All appointment request slips should
be directed to this address after this
date. Telephone numbers will
remain unchanged.
It is important to be aware that we will
no longer be able to accept personal
callers at our new location. These are
multi-use offices and we do not have
reception facilities. All appointment
queries must, in future, be made by
telephone or letter.
PNEUMO JAB - DO YOU NEED IT
Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus
pneumoniae, which usually lives harmlessly in the back of many peoples’ throats.
However it can invade other parts of the body and cause serious, possibly
life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning)
and meningitis.
The bacteria (germs) that cause pneumococcal disease are spread by coughing, sneezing
or close contact between people. The bacteria get into the nose and throat and they
may stay there without doing any harm. But sometimes they can invade the lungs or
bloodstream causing pneumonia and septicaemia, or they can reach the brain and
cause meningitis.
The symptoms of pneumococcal infection of the lungs are:
● A high fever, coughing, shaking chills, breathlessness, chest pains and confusion.
The symptoms of pneumococcal meningitis are:
● A severe headache, a stiff neck, a high fever, confusion and being sensitive to light.
Immunisation with pneumococcal vaccine helps to prevent pneumococcal disease. The
Department of Health recommends vaccination against pneumococcal disease if you are
65 years of age or over OR have any of the following medical conditions:
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Serious breathing problems, such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema
Serious heart conditions
Severe renal disease
Long-term liver disease
Diabetes that needs medication
Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment such as chemotherapy or
radiotherapy for cancer or long-term steroid for conditions such as asthma
An absent or poor functioning spleen
Cochlear implant(s)
A CSF shunt
If you think you need this jab then check with your doctor or practice nurse. Side effects
are usually mild and most people will only need to have the vaccine once. However
those with a damaged spleen or problems with their kidneys may need a second dose.
You can get more information about the pneumo jab from your doctor or practice nurse,
or you can call NHS Direct on 0845 4647. You can also visit the NHS immunisation
website at www.immunisation.nhs.uk.
The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust is applying to
become an NHS Foundation Trust by November 2006.
If we do become an NHS Foundation Trust, it will be very
much up to the members of the public, patients, carers,
staff and volunteers to help shape the development of our
hospitals, and you can be part of this by becoming a
member of our Foundation Trust.
What is a Foundation Trust
All NHS hospitals will become Foundation Trusts by 2008,
but by becoming an NHS Foundation Trust, it means that
our hospitals will be run in a different way, whilst
remaining part of the NHS.
The benefits:
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There is real involvement of local people in running the
hospitals through becoming members and through an
elected Council of Governors
The hospitals are accountable to local people for the
quality of services they provide
The hospitals can raise money for changing and
improving services from several sources, and are not
restricted to using only Government funds
The hospitals have to ensure they are managing their
finances in a more business-like way
STAFF GIVE THUMBS
UP TO TRUSTS AS
TOP EMPLOYERS
Health staff in Dudley have given the thumbs up to the NHS as a good employer,
with staff claiming the two PCTs have improved the way they operate by up to
half the areas they are judged against. A report published by the Healthcare
Commission at the end of March, which took into account of the views of just
under 700 doctors, nurses and support staff, puts the two Dudley PCTs in the top
20% of PCTs in the country for giving management support, providing a quality
work life balance, providing staff with job satisfaction and well structured
Appraisals and Personal Development Plans.
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At least 80% of staff across the two PCTs said that they had taken advantage of flexible
working options in their current job.
96% of staff working for the PCTs said that they had taken part in employer-supported
training, learning or development in the last 12 months.
Staff were also asked a series of questions about how satisfied they are with various
aspects of their job including recognition for good work, support from their immediate
manager and the extent to which the Trust values their work.
With possible scores ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 representing very unsatisfied staff and
5 representing very satisfied staff, the Trust’s score of 3.74 for Dudley Beacon & Castle
staff and 3.68 for staff employed by Dudley South put the PCTs again in the highest
20% of Trusts in the country.
Chief Executive, Mark Cooke said: “The report showed that the PCTs are a good place to
work. We have worked hard to ensure that our staff have a greater say on how we
develop our services and how we run our organisation and our success in doing that
shines through from today’s report.
“It’s really important to have an organisation where the staff feel happy and valued
because they are the people who are making sure we modernise our services to improve
patient care”.
The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
Why does The Dudley Group of Hospitals want to
become one
The Dudley Group of Hospitals provides hospital care to
everyone in Dudley and to some patients from surrounding
areas. With state-of-the-art medical and diagnostic
equipment, in impressive new facilities, the Trust now
offers the very best in hospital healthcare to its patients.
Becoming an NHS Foundation Trust gives us the
opportunity to bring up to date how we work with the
local community, to make sure we are providing services
that local people want, in the way they wish to have
them delivered.
The Government’s policy on Choice now means that from
January this year, patients going to their GP are able to
choose which hospital they want to go to for their planned
treatment and care.
The Dudley Group of Hospitals has the aim of being the
‘Hospital of Choice’ for local people providing high quality
healthcare services which respond to patients’ needs.
We recognise we cannot, and should not, achieve this
without the active support of our local communities.
Individuals and groups now have the chance to become
involved and help us to achieve this aim. We believe that,
with local people as members, and with the Council of
Governors working with the Trust Board of Directors, we
can positively improve the quality of services we provide.
A key part of this is to make our care more accessible
and more personal.
NHS Foundation Trusts can recruit members of the public
to become members of the Foundation Trust. These
members will receive regular information about the
hospitals and have the opportunity to learn more about
how the hospital works through meetings, tours and
discussions with staff.
How Can You Find Out More
To find out more about NHS Foundation Trusts or to
express your interest in becoming a Member please
contact us:
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You can call the Membership Office on
01384 456111 ext 1419
You can send a letter to Les Williams,
Project Director, Foundation Trust Office,
2nd Floor C Block, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley,
West Midlands, DY1 2HQ.
You can send an e-mail to
foundationmembers@dgoh.nhs.uk