Issue 38 - Summer 2012 - Wigan Council

Meeting all ourhealth needsSIGNIFICANT changes areunderway to both healthand social care services inour borough.HealthWatch will havekey role in making surethat the voice of localpeople and the views ofthe people who actuallyuse services are properlyheard. It’s important forall of us that newarrangements for healthand social care are easyto access and friendly andeffective.Clinical CommissioningGroups: CCGs are madeup of local GPs and otherhealth professionals.They’ll be responsible forassessing local healthneeds and planning theright kinds of servicesthat will work for localpeople.Health & WellbeingBoards: Members of theboard will be drawn fromthe ClinicalCommissioning Groupsand HealthWatch (seeabove), local councillorsas well as peopleresponsible for runningthe services.The main job of theboard will be to developa ‘health and wellbeingstrategy’. To do this theywill talk to patients andmembers of the public tounderstand more aboutwhat people expect fromthe services that areoffered and how theycan be improved.HOSPITAL chiefs in Wigan have launched acampaign to raise awareness aboutpressure ulcers and how to prevent them.It is not a glamorous topic but pressureulcers are a very real problem. Often calledbedsores, they can cause a lot of pain andserious harm to patients.Wrightington, Wigan and LeighNHS Foundation Trust (WWL) isworking with the national YourTurn campaign to tackle thepainful subject.In the last two years,nurses at WWL have reduced8 BOROUGH LIFE Summer 2012Residents drive forwardCHANGEHEALTH and social care HealthWatch will be to give Early consultation work toservices in Wigan citizens and communities a seek local views on these newBorough arestronger voice to influence arrangements is nowchanging… and residents arebeing offered a new chanceto help make the changeshappenIt’s part of a nationalinitiative to give people whoand challenge how health andsocial services are providedwhere they live.”HealthWatch will continuemuch of the good work of theexisting Local Involvementunderway. The messagecoming across strongly is thatlocal people feel passionatelyabout the quality of servicesand want to be able to havetheir say on how things work.use health and social care Network (LINk) but will have That’s not always aboutservices a greater say in how extra responsibilities and making a complaint – it’s alsothey are run.greater powers.about giving constructiveIt gives patients andIt will receive independent feedback and opinion to helpservice-users a direct role in funding to employ its own guide people responsible forhelping to shape and improve staff to work with volunteers running services.the services we all benefit to improve health and social HealthWatch will have afrom.care services. All of its work vital role to play in helpingIt all starts next April when will be public.top plan and shape futurethe borough’s new Local“Most importantly it willservices in the Borough asHealthWatch body will be up hold the borough’s health andwell as checking currentand running.social services to account,”arrangements.“HealthWatch will be a said Cllr Cunliffe.A steering group has beenconsumer champion for“It will act on the public’sset up to help support thehealth and social carebehalf and have the power tointroduction of the newservices,” explained Wigan investigate complaints, makesystem from April 21013.Council’s Cabinet Member for recommendations that willIf you want moreAdults and Health, Cllr Keith help ensure that local peopleinformation about what’sCunliffe.get the highest quality healthplanned or you think you’d“It will be an independent and social care services.”like to get involved directlyorganisation that will provide HealthWatch will have itsan influential and effective own management Boardthen now is the time to get invoice for the general public made up of members fromtouch:in health and social care across the Borough – patients ■ For more information onservices. The aim ofand public alike.HealthWatch visit:www.wigan.gov.uk/Services/HealthSocialCare/HealthwatchCampaign to reduce risk of ulcersFor moreinformation go tothe Your Turn websitewhich has moreinformation on pressureulcers and theirprevention.Visit:www.your-turn.org.ukcases of pressure ulcers by 85 per cent. Notonly has this prevented patients fromsuffering but it has also saved more than£400,000 a year. The Trust’s aim is to noweradicate the problem completely.Gill Harris, Deputy Chief Executive, WWLsaid: “I am personally passionate about andcommitted to reducing preventablepressure ulcers across the whole ofWigan and this campaign givesus an excellent opportunity toreally educate our communityabout the risks of pressureulcers and how to avoid them.”■ To find out more or to takepart in the discussions pleasecontact: Wigan Council’sPeople Directorate, PO Box100,Wigan, WN1 3DS.■ For more information onWigan ClinicalCommissioning Groups,you can visit:www.wiganboroughccg.nhs.uk■ For more information onWigan Local InvolvementNetwork, you can visit:www.healthandcaretogether.co.uk