Aylesbury Surgery Health and Engagement Forum Newsletter September 2019 issue 13

Aylesbury Surgery
Health & Engagement
Forum
Flu Season – Why it’s important to be vaccinated
ISSUE --- 13 / SEPTEMBER 2019
Can a flu vaccine give you
the flu?
Perhaps the top reason
preventing people from
getting vaccinated is the
idea it can actually cause the
flu. This myth has been
around for decades and it’s
just not true. According to
the CDC No, flu vaccines
cannot cause flu illness. Flu
vaccines made with the virus
contain strains that are
inactive, or by using only a
single gene from a flu virus
(as opposed to the full virus)
in order to produce an
immune response without
causing infection meaning
they’re not potent enough
to do any damage. That
being said, it’s possible you
will experience some
symptoms. The most
common ones are redness
and tenderness around the
point of injection and, in
some cases, a mild headache
or low fever.
CDC recommends that
people get a flu vaccine by
the end of October. Getting
vaccinated later, however,
can still be beneficial. Since it
takes about two weeks after
vaccination for antibodies to
develop in the body that
protect against the flu
virus infection, it is best
that people get
vaccinated in time to be
protected before flu
viruses begin spreading in
their community.
Most people who get sick
with flu will have mild
illness will not need
medical care or antiviral
drugs and will recover in less
than two weeks. Some
people, however, are more
likely to get the flu
complications that can result
in hospitalization and
sometimes death.
Pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus
infections and ear infections
are examples of flu-related
complications. Flu also can
make chronic health
problems worse. For
example, people with
asthma may experience
asthma attacks while they
have flu and people with
chronic congestive heart
failure may experience a
worsening of this condition
triggered by the flu.
Mr Rajash Mehta receiving the flu
vaccination from Nurse Rekha Salan
Contents
Flu Season 1 -2
How does Flu spread 3
John Taylor Hospice 4
Pharmacists in your area 5
Forum meeting 6
Organ Donation 7
Diwali 8
Christmas Toy Appeal 9

AYLESBURY SURGERY HEALTH & ENGAGEMENT FORUM
– Issue 13
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Below are the groups of people who are more likely to get serious flu-related complications
if they get sick with flu.
Adults 65 Years and Older
Pregnant Women
Young Children
Asthma
Heart Disease & Stroke
Diabetes
Kidney Disorders
How to spot the difference cold or flu ?
HIV/AIDS
Cancer
Children with Neurologic Condition
Chronic lung disease (such as chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]
and cystic fibrosis)
Liver Disorders
Viruses cause colds and the flu. Both are respiratory infections. The simplest way to tell the
difference is by looking at your symptoms. The common cold is an upper respiratory
infection caused by a virus. Though you can catch a cold at any time of year, colds are more
common during the winter months.
Flu Symptoms
Flu is different from a cold. As it usually comes on suddenly. People who are sick with flu
often feel some or all of these symptoms:
a sudden fever – Fever* or feeling
feverish/chills a temperature of
38C or above
an aching body
Fatigue, feeling tired or exhausted
a dry cough
a sore throat
If you have a cold, you’ll probably have symptoms like these:
a headache
difficulty sleeping
loss of appetite
Some people may have vomiting
and diarrhoea or tummy pain
nausea and being sick
Runny or stuffy nose
runny or stuffy nose
cough
sore throat
headache or body aches
sneezing
mild tiredness

AYLESBURY SURGERY HEALTH & ENGAGEMENT FORUM
– Issue 13
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How does flu spread?
Flu viruses are thought to
spread mainly by droplets made
when someone with flu coughs,
sneezes or talks. These droplets
can land in the mouths or noses
of people nearby. A person also
can get flu by touching
something that has flu virus on
it and then touching their
mouth, eyes, or nose. The
symptoms of a flu are much
more severe than those of a
cold and they appear more
quickly. Additionally, the
duration of a cold is shorter and
lasts for a few days while the flu
can last for weeks.
Colds come on gradually over a
few days and are often milder
than the flu. They usually get
better in 7 to 10 days, although
symptoms can last for up to 2
weeks.
Flu symptoms come on quickly
and can be severe. They usually
last 1 to 2 weeks.
People with flu may be able to
infect others from 1 day before
getting sick to up to 5 to 7 days
after. Severely ill people or
young children may be able to
spread the flu longer, especially
if they still have symptoms
Can my child go to school, day
care if he or she is sick?
No. Your child should stay
home to rest and to avoid
spreading flu to other children
or caregivers. Keep your child
home from school, or day
care, for at least 24 hours after
their fever is gone. A fever is
defined
as 100°F (37.8°C)* or higher.
Make sure your child gets
plenty of rest and drinks
enough fluids. If your child is 5
years or older and does not
have a long term health
problems and gets flu
symptoms, including a fever
and/or cough, consult your
doctor as needed.

AYLESBURY SURGERY HEALTH & ENGAGEMENT FORUM
– Issue 13
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John Taylor Hospice is offering
people lots of different ways to
be involved this autumn.
From runs and quizzes through
to the annual Light up a Life,
the hospice has an exciting and
varied programme of events.
Pit your wits in our ever-popular
autumn quiz taking place at
Oscott Social Club on Friday 4
October. Enter your team and
test those brain cells with a
range of general knowledge
questions.
If you’re on an autumn fitness
regime why not take on the
Great Birmingham Run? The city
half marathon is a hugely
popular race attracting
thousands of competitors.
You could be on that
finishing line – and raising
money for John Taylor
Hospice.
As we approach the
festive season the hospice
is calling on schools to
hold a Rudolph Run –
children can follow the rednosed
reindeer by donning
costumes and taking a quick
sprint round the playground.
On Saturday December 14 the
hospice, in Grange Road,
Erdington, throws open its
doors for its Christmas Fayre.
With games, stalls and
refreshments, the free event is
the perfect festive family fun
day.
And December brings the
hospice’s annual Light up a Life
– one of the largest events on
the hospice calendar. Light up a
Life is a chance for families to
come together to remember
those they have loved and lost
and people still being cared for.
Taking place at Harvest Fields
Centre in Sutton Coldfield on
Friday 6 December at 6.30pm,
all are welcome to attend,
whether or not you or your
loved ones have received care
from the hospice.
John Taylor Hospice Community
and Events Manager Emily
Boate says: “This autumn
season, we’ve got so many
fantastic events for local
families – and we’d love to see
as many people as possible join
us for them.
“Full details of all of our events
and campaigns are on our
website
www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk
but if anyone would like
additional information we’d
love them to contact us on 0121
728 6739 and
fundraising@johntaylorhospice
.org.uk

AYLESBURY SURGERY HEALTH & ENGAGEMENT FORUM
– Issue 13
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Pharmacists in your area
Pharmacists work across the
NHS to make sure medicines
are prescribed safely and
effectively. They are highly
qualified experts in medicines
and can help people in a range
of ways:
Pharmacists work within your
GP surgery carrying out
medication reviews for patients
with ongoing health problems
and improving patient safety by
They can advise on suitable
treatment and can recommend
when it may be appropriate to
see your GP or practice nurse.
You don’t need an appointment
to see your local community
pharmacist and many are open
in the evening and at
weekends.
Finally, pharmacists in your local
hospital work closely with
Angela Barker (above)- Practice Support
Pharmacist – Birmingham & Solihull CCG
carrying out audits on
prescribing.
They try to make sure that
patients are getting the
very best from their
medicines and that valuable
NHS resources are used
effectively.
There are also pharmacists
working in your local
community pharmacy who, in
addition to dispensing your
prescriptions, can offer expert
advice on how to ease the
symptoms of minor
conditions such as hay fever,
dry skin, head lice, coughs,
colds and sore throats.
medical and nursing staff to
make sure hospital patients
receive the best treatment,
advising on medication choices
and making sure the required
medicines are available for the
patient.

AYLESBURY SURGERY HEALTH & ENGAGEMENT FORUM
– Issue 13
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Aylesbury Surgery Health
and Engagement Forum
meeting 25 th September
2019
We would like to thank everyone
that attended the Forum meeting
on the 25 th September. It is great
to have local support and we
hope that through the support of
the local organisations we can
continue to serve the community.
It was great to see many familiar
faces and catch up with everyone
and share what was going on in
the community.
As we mentioned we
were unable to arrange a
Diwali Celebration event
this year and we were
delighted to share some
sweets and samosas with
our friends and
colleagues to mark the
event.

ORGAN DONATION-
WHAT IS NEW?
Whatever your decision, make your
choice clear to your family and
closest friends to ensure your
choice is honoured
Dr Satya Sharma MBE,DL. Organ donation
Ambassador
Organ Donation (OD) and Transplantation is
a UK success story. In the last decade, the
UK has seen a 67% increase in deceased
organ donors and a 49% increase in
deceased donor transplants. Numbers on
the Transplant Waiting List have fallen year
on year and thousands of lives have been
saved and improved through the gift of
organ donation.
The organ donation is of two types:
1. Live– mainly from friends and family
members, sometimes totally altruistic when
someone gets motivated to save the life of
another human being. It is restricted to
kidney, liver and part of lung only.
Everyone needs to go through various
aspects with the help of professional
support and counselling requiring time and
careful consideration. It forms a small part
of total OD.
2. Deceased-The main type is cadaver or
deceased OD. Although the OD is most
frequently for kidneys but many other
organs such as heart, Liver, lungs,
pancreas, intestine and uterus can be
transplanted successfully. Currently 6500
persons are waiting to receive organs and
approximately 1600 (25%) are from BME
communities due to prevalent illness
pattern. 8% of UK population are Asians.
This means the need for Asians is 3 times
higher. The waiting time is 12 months
longer for BAME persons.
Family matters. You must talk to your
family since they can overrule your wishes.
40% white families and 60% BME families do
so and many have to live with the guilt of
denying others an opportunity to live.
What can be donated?
Organs: Heart, Lungs, Kidneys, Liver,
Pancreas, Small and Large Bowel.
Tissues: Cornea, Skin, Heart Valves,
Tendons, Ligaments, Bone. Recently Uterus
and Hands transplanted successfully
Dr Satya Sharma MBE
WHAT IS NEW?
Deputy Lord-Lieutenant, Dr
15.3.19 Satya was Sharma a momentous MBE day for organ
donation as “Max and Keira’s Law”
achieved Royal Assent. It is also popularly
called “presumed consent”.
Who will the changes affect?
These changes will affect all adults in
England unless they have recorded a
decision not to donate or are in one of
the following excluded groups:
Those under the age of 18
People who lack the mental
capacity to understand the new
arrangements and take the
necessary action
Visitors to England, and those not
living here voluntarily
People who have lived in England
for less than 12 months before
their death
Key points to remember:
From spring 2020, the law around
organ and tissue donation in
England is changing
Unless you choose to opt out or are
excluded, all adults in England will
be considered as a possible organ
donor when they die
Adults covered by the change will
still have a choice whether they
want to be an organ donor and
their families will still be involved
before organ donation goes ahead
You can find answers to commonly
asked questions on our website
at: https://www.organdonation.nh
s.uk/opt-out-faq/
To find out more, or to register
your decision to opt in or opt out,
visit: organdonation.nhs.uk
In Wales presumed consent is a law since 1 st
Dec 2015
New figures released by the Welsh
Government show for the first time a
significant increase in the donation after
brain stem death (DBD) consent rates in
Wales (88.2%) when compared to England
(73.3%). The donation after circulatory
death (DCD) consent rate in Wales has also
improved and is now 68% compared to
England 59.8%.
Under the former ‘opt-in’ system, in
2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 only 50.3%,
53.6% and 48.5% of families consented to
deceased donation in Wales
What do the religions say?
In 1999, a conference of top religious
leaders of the world involving Christians,
Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and other
religions debated the subject. All agreed
that OD is acceptable since the
fundamental principle is to help others.
There is more on this subject available on
NHSBT website
https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/faq/rel
igion/
Conclusion
Organ donation is a noble, most
humanitarian act. All of us in UK should be
proud of the achievements but more can
and should be done by everyone.
The change in law alone is not likely to
succeed unless all of understand, remember
and act.
Two actions required:
DISCUSS your wishes with family and
friends, do not leave it for tomorrow
PASS IT ON !

Diwali
Diwali is one of the most significant celebrations
in India and for millions of people around the
world. Diwali is also known as the festival of
lights.
Diwali is an important religious festival originating
in India. People often think of Diwali
as a Hindu festival, but it is also
celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.*
Diwali takes place annually
and lasts for five days, marking
the start of the Hindu
New Year. The exact
dates change each year
and are determined by
the position of
the moon – but it
usually falls
between October and November.
The word Diwali (or Deepavali as it’s
sometimes called) means “row of lights” in
an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit.
During this festival, people decorate their homes
with lights and oil lamps, called diyas and
decorate the forecourts of their homes with
rangoli
It’s also a celebration of good triumphing over
evil, and different legends based on this theme
are associated with Diwali. In northern India,
Hindus celebrate the return of the deities
(gods) Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya, after
defeating the evil king Ravana! And returning
home after a 14 year exile from their home.
For many people, Diwali honours the Hindu
goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lights and lamps
are said to help Lakshmi find her way into
peoples’ homes, bringing prosperity in the year to
come! During Diwali, Hindus draw bright
Rangoli patterns are made on the floor by the
front door to encourage the goddess Lakshmi to
enter their homes. They are traditionally
drawn using rice grains, flour, sand
or chalk.
Today, this fascinating
festival is celebrated by
thousands of people
in countries all
around the world.
During Diwali,
Hindus living outside
India gather at places
of worship
called mandirs to leave
offerings to deities, watch
firework displays and eat
yummy food together!
But it’s not just about lights and
legends –– Diwali is a time to have fun
with friends and family! People exchange gifts and
sweets, enjoy
delicious feasts,
watch firework
displays and wear
new clothes. It’s a
time to clean and
decorate and
spring clean your
home, too.

Aylesbury Surgery
Health &
Engagement Forum
Aylesbury Surgery
Warren Farm Road
Kingstanding
Birmingham
B44 0DX
Tel: 0747479195
E-Mail:
ashiforum@outlook.com
Facebook: Aylesbury Surgery
Health and Engagement
Forum
Twitter: @rajashmehta
Aylesbury Surgery
Health & Engagement
Forum
Next meeting
will be held on
Wednesday
11 th of December 2019
at 2.00 pm
Christmas Toy Appel
As we mentioned at our forum meeting we are now launching our
Christmas Toy Appeal as from October. Every time the community of
Kingstanding comes together it never ceases to amaze me with their
generosity. Once again it is time for all of us to come together and help
families of our community. It truly is a magical time when everyone in the
community works together to provide much needed support for vulnerable
members in the community
We appeal to anyone wishing to join us in this venture or know of families
that may benefit from the proceedings to come forward and help make a
difference.
Last year the families your donations helped, were overwhelmed with the
gifts and gratitude. It bought us so much joy to the children and relief for
the parents to know they were able to see their children’s’ faces light up
with excitement and not feel they were not letting their children down.
Your support at this time does really help to make Christmas a truly special
time
We appeal to you please donate. We really need as many new toys as
possible so that we help as many families as we can. Main presents (age 0 –
17 years) – Lego, dolls, toiletries, cars, Board games, puzzles. If you would
like to make a donation you can drop off at the surgery or contact us at
ashiforum@outlook.com
Mr Rajash Mehta -Chairman
Aylesbury Surgery Health &
Engagement Forum would like to wish
everyone a very Happy Diwali