Content originally from Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System
Welcome
Welcome to the latest engagement newsletter from NHS Mid and South Essex.
There have been a few quiet weeks for public involvement since our previous edition due to the pre-election period for local authority polls on Thursday 4 May.
The local NHS tends to follow our council partners’ rules on resident engagement during this time, limiting what we could discuss with you. We are back in full flow now, though, with two important conversations currently underway.
There is still plenty of time to engage with us on either topic before the closing date for these conversations next Wednesday. You can find out how to get involved below.
Claire Hankey
Director of Communications and Engagement, NHS Mid and South Essex
Most people needing an MRI scan, endoscopy or X-ray have to go to their nearest hospital because that’s where the necessary equipment is. But that is changing in our area, as Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust starts work on its new community diagnostic centres.
Hospital trust staff and colleagues from the local integrated care board were in Braintree’s George Yard shopping centre earlier this month to speak to residents about plans for a community diagnostic centre on the St Michael’s site in the town.
The centres are part of a national initiative to support faster diagnosis and access to tests and scans closer to home. Funding has already been approved for a similar community diagnostic centre on the Thurrock Community Hospital site, and the next may be in Pitsea, Basildon.
You can have your say about similar facilities around the area by completing an online survey and read more about the Braintree community diagnostic centre on the hospital trust website. There will be more news about future community diagnostic centre public drop-ins in future issues of this newsletter.
Complete the survey
NHS Hospital Trust
Perceptions of Co-production – Learning Exchange Event
The University of Essex and the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) have come together to deliver a learning event to share the insight gathered on how effective co-production is, in the health and social care sector.
The workshop takes place at Chelmsford’s Central Baptist Church, a two-minute walk from the railway station, on Tuesday 18 July 2023. Panel discussions and lived experience will help you gain a fresh perspective on how service users and providers can work in partnership to shape local health and social care.
Service users, research experts from the University of Essex and planners from across the ICS members will be discussing their experience of co-production. Hear about best practice and explore the barriers to its effective implementation.
You can find more details, a full agenda and booking form for the event online, and if you feel others in your network might wish to attend, you are welcome to share the poster below.
Listening to residents regularly monitoring their blood pressure at home
 In autumn 2022 your local NHS ran a survey for residents who take their blood pressure at home to help them live more healthily. To follow up on this, NHS Mid and South Essex has asked the University of Essex to interview individual residents about their experiences of the BP@Home programme under which the testing happens. If you completed the survey and gave us your permission for us to contact you, you may receive an email and if you are still happy to be involved the University of Essex would contact you about BP@Home. |
Integrated Care Partnership Spring Conversations
 Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Partnership is holding a series of “Spring Conversations” throughout May 2023. These face-to-face events bring together community members and local public service providers to explore what currently works well in health and care. The Spring Conversations are expected to become an annual series. In their first year, they are focused on the recently published Integrated Care Strategy, which is intended to convert our ambitions into actions and the Joint Forward Plan being developed for our NHS partners locally. These plans will help us tackle the challenges that the NHS and partners face, and decide how we can best work together, alongside our communities, to address them. You can have a say from the comfort of your own home by completing the survey linked from our website before 31 May 2023.There is also still a chance for you to book your spot at a face-to-face conversation this Friday, 26 May. The event runs from 2pm to 4pm at the new Corringham Integrated Medical and Wellbeing Centre (First Floor, Meeting Rooms 2–4), The Sorrells, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 7ES.Please email lily.rymill-smith@nhs.net if you have any accessibility needs. |
Help to shape a unified community musculoskeletal and pain service
| The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) is currently developing plans for a single community-based musculoskeletal (MSK) and pain management service rather than the patchwork of providers currently serving our area. We would like to hear residents’ views about the proposals at an early stage so we can make changes reflecting people’s real-world experiences. To that end, the NHS Mid and South Essex engagement team is visiting MSK outpatient clinics until the end of the month. For people who don’t see us in person, we have developed an online survey asking for people’s views on the proposed changes (closing date 31 May 2023). You can find out more and take part through the ICS website.You do not have to be receiving MSK services to have your say. And if you are able to help us promote the survey we would be grateful. Print and social media resources are available from the buttons below. |
Virtual Views
Have you joined the NHS Mid and South Essex Virtual Views panel? Join today to help your local NHS make the right choices in planning for the future and reducing health inequalities.
You will be able to share your thoughts and views with local health and care decision-makers to help improve existing services. You will also find out about new plans and ideas from across the health and care system – which includes local authorities, hospitals, GP surgeries and NHS providers – at an early stage in discussions.
The Virtual Views panel regularly gauges residents’ views on a range of health and care-related topics. The information we gather helps to shape the choices we make in how we deliver care and support for the 1.2 million people living in mid and south Essex.
If you would like more information including how to sign up, just visit the Virtual Views page of the NHS Mid and South Essex website.
| Helping carers be recognised by the NHS People who look after a friend or loved one without being paid for it – often known as “unpaid carers” – frequently have health issues of their own that get ignored because of the responsibility they feel.NHS Mid and South Essex is asking GP practices to display a sign like the one below in staff areas to remind both clinical and administrative staff how important it is to check whether someone has unpaid caring responsibilities.You can help too. GP surgeries’ patient participation groups can ask their practices to display the poster. If you know any unpaid carers, why not check with them whether they’ve told their GP practice? And if you’re a carer yourself, please do register the fact. Paying less attention to your own welfare isn’t good either for you or the person you look after if you fall ill.Remember, there’s a reason that airline emergency instructions advise people to put their own masks on before helping others! Unpaid Carers A4 Poster |
SWF Health & Social Care Group 