Just in case you run out of medication or require a prescription to be filled over the Easter bank holiday, you can follow this link to find out which pharmacies are open.
Category Archives: Health
New opportunities within the community for people living with dementia and their families.
There are new projects to enhance the wellbeing of those with dementia and their carers. To find out how their quality of life can be improved, visit our ‘New Ventures’ section on the ‘Events’ page.
Could you be eligible for a Warm Home Discount?
Keeping warm during the winter is essential for good health and wellbeing. However, when money is tight, turning off the heating is one of the first sacrifices people make. Heating should not be a luxury and there is help available for those who are struggling to pay for the cost of heating their home. You can check if you could be eligible by contacting your energy supplier or following one of the following links: Warm Home Discount Scheme British Gas EDF Energy Co-operative Energy Scottish Power etc.
Patients and staff shut out of NHS transformation plans
‘NHS England has told local health leaders not to reveal the plans to the public or the media until they are finalised and have been approved by their own officials first, according to published documents and a new analysis by the King’s Fund. The national body even told local managers to refuse applications from the media or the public to see the proposals under the Freedom of Information Act’. (Guardian 14.11.16). To find out more, please go to ‘Older People’s Issues – news items’ on the ‘Publications’ page.
‘Like being shot in the face’
Surgeons have issued a warning about the risk of using electronic cigarettes, following incidences of exploding batteries. There has been a significant rise in the number of reports of exploding e-cigarettes; some causing catastrophic injuries, similar to those resulting from being shot in the mouth. There have been calls for stricter guidance for consumers and tighter regulation of imports.
Reported by Jem Collins in ‘Independent’ newspaper 10.10.2016 Follow this link for further details.
Will you be warm and safe this winter?
HARCVS is a partner in the Warm & Well project which seeks to assist residents and patients who are most at risk from the physical and emotional effects of being too cold at home, such as those on low incomes, with long-term health conditions, and the frail or elderly.
Support is varied according to people’s individual needs, but can cover energy switching, benefits advice, improvements to the home so it is both warmer and more efficient, crisis interventions where someone is without heating or hot water, and support with fuel debts. Funded by the British Gas Energy Trust, the project is only active until the end of December this year, so people are encouraged to get in touch sooner rather than later.
Referrals can be made into Warm and Well by calling 01423 740 001 or by visiting www.first4contact.org
‘Snug as a Bug’ and ‘Switch to Save’
Come and join us at our next Forum meeting on September 22nd 2 – 4pm. Admission £2 includes refreshments and a raffle ticket.
Looking after oneself is very important to us all so we are revisiting this topic. Our speaker this time will be Helen Brown who is not only the NEA representative for the Harrogate District but also the Lead Officer for the Health and Social Care Liaison Development Team. She is an excellent person to provide guidance and information about the latest and best ways of keeping warm and snug during the winter both inside and outside the house. In the second part of the meeting, Helen will talk about the advantages (and disadvantages?) of switching our utilities provider; most people can make considerable savings by shopping around. This will be an interesting talk and we hope to learn new ways of keeping warm and well.
New report on disability and poverty in later life
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has published Disability and poverty in later life. This report explores the relationship between disability and poverty among the older population. It examines the additional living costs that disabled people face and the importance of taking disability costs into account when making poverty assessments in the older population.
It also considers alternative directions of reform for the system of public support for older people with disabilities, and casts doubt on some of the suggestions that have been made for improving the targeting of public support for older disabled people. (Also available via our ‘Publications’ page).
Important consultation on 111 and 999 emergency care
The way you receive Urgent and Emergency Care through 111 and 999 could be changing. Over August, Healthwatch North Yorkshire will be having conversations with the public about potential improvements to the way Urgent and Emergency Care is accessed in your part of the County. Your views and experiences are incredibly important in order for Healthwatch to feed public opinion back to the NHS.
More information about how you can get involved and have your say, as well as a helpful short video explaining the proposals, may be found see our ‘Have your say’ page.
The NHS Care.data project had been abandoned. What next for the security of patients’ healthcare data?
For three years the NHS information sharing scheme has been mired in controversy. Now, after the publication of the Data Guardian’s report ‘Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-outs’ there are new standards for data security and NHS England has announced that the care.data project has been abandoned. Now is the time to respond to the consultation (before September 7th 2016) about the rights of patients over the use of their personal healthcare data and their right to ‘opt-out’ of sharing personal data. By participating in the consultation, you can determine the wording of ‘consent’ and ‘opt-out’ to ensure that your personal data is only used by those permitted by you.