The Government has launched its national consultation Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future . Full details are at NHS England » Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future . Everyone is encouraged to contribute and there’s an online survey to start this off. During November a ‘workshop in a box’ will be provided to enable SWF Health & Social Care Group to run our own public engagement event for the Town as part of the consultation’s local engagement programme. This is described as a ‘once in a generation opportunity to set the NHS on a path for the future’.
Reflecting on the Budget and its significant boost of funding to the NHS, NHS England’s Chief Executive welcomes “the additional capital investment, which will help repair and modernise hospitals, GP practices and other facilities, as well as continuing to update technology like diagnostic scanners and develop key platforms like the NHS App and FDP (Federated Data Platform), which will boost productivity for the benefit of patients and the taxpayer in the long term.”
“Both the Chancellor and Secretary of State were clear that everything can’t be fixed in a single budget. Hard work by Trust and ICB teams has already delivered £2bn of efficiency savings in the first five months of this financial year, while also taking important steps towards improvement and reform, and delivering record levels of patient care. That kind of rigour will continue to be required.”
Last week saw the launch of the new stroke symptom awareness campaign today, https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/11/nhs-launches-major-new-stroke-campaign-as-thousands-delay-calling-999-by-nearly-90-minutes/ seeking to address the fact that almost half of people who had a stroke in 2023/24 waited at least an hour and a half between the onset of symptoms and someone calling 999 – time which could have made a significant difference to their outcomes.
Friday’s Sudlow Review on uniting health data is timely. Professor Sudlow said: “We are simply not maximising the benefits to society from the rich abundance of health data in the UK. Far too often research about health conditions affecting millions of people across the UK is prevented or delayed by the complexity of our data systems. We are letting patients and their families down as a result. This review shows that getting this right holds a great prize, for our own care and for an effective NHS. We need to recognise our national health data for what they are: critical national infrastructure that can underpin the health of the nation.” England’s Chief Medical Officer responded: “Using data from multiple sources is essential to improve current patient care, make the NHS more effective and improve outcomes for future patients through research. This report will help us use data more effectively for current and future patients, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality.” This will lead to supporting care and planning (through the FDP) and for safely supporting vital research (through Secure Data Environments).
14 November is World Diabetes Day. This date is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, the Canadian pharmacologist who co-discovered insulin, the treatment that has saved millions of lives around the world. Diabetes day is a day to make some noise, raise awareness and shout about the things that matter to people with diabetes, shining a light on what it’s like to live with it day in, day out. Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System would really like to hear about your experience of living with diabetes and by answering a short survey, it can help them to improve diabetes care. Please visit the ‘Living with Diabetes’ page on their Virtual Views engagement platform and complete the short survey https://virtualviews.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/experiences-of-living-with-diabetes .
Using Freedom of Information requests Essex Live News reported on 27 October that the worst time to visit A&E in Mid & South Essex Hospitals, when they are at their busiest and when waiting times will likely be the longest, is between 11 a.m. and midday. That is when there are most admissions to A&E.
The new figures come ahead of the winter months with hospitals across the county monitoring the number of elderly patients needing treatment due to the cold in response to the cut to winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
Based on figures obtained between January 2019 and August 2024, there were an average of 67 admissions to A&E at Broomfield, Basildon and Southend hospital A&E departments between 11am and 2pm Monday to Sunday. That’s compared to just 21 admissions between the hours of 11pm and 2am.
At Mid and South Essex NHS hospitals, there were an average of 81 admissions between 11am and noon on a Monday morning – the most across any day and any hour-long period.
The average time to triage patients in the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s emergency departments (EDs) in August was seven minutes. Hospital bosses know the key periods where their departments are busiest and ensure they have the right amount of staff and skill mix to support the number of patients coming through the door.
Staff make use of Same Day Emergency Care units which reduces impact on the EDs and supports with admission avoidance. They also continue work to improve the flow of patients into hospital and the discharge of patients out of hospital, including revising their emergency care pathways and working with their wider health and care system.
Neighbourhood Health Centres are being trialled, bringing primary medical care together with a wide range of other services including dental, sexual health, urgent care and diagnostics.
Recent reports of buses not turning up in SWF as timetabled led to people missing hospital appointments. It was heartening to read that some of our District and County Councillors are trying to get other bus services re-routed to include SWF. In 2025 our group is looking to undertake another of our research projects into accessibility to all medical services in our area.
UKHSA, the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England have launched their “Get Winter Strong” campaign. Everyone is encouraged to ‘Smash’ and ‘Wallop’ flu and COVID-19 this winter. The latest National COVID-19, Flu & RSV surveillance report says:
- COVID-19 activity remained stable or decreased slightly across most indicators and was at low levels
- Influenza activity increased slightly across some indicators but remained at low levels
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity increased further and is now circulating above baseline levels overall, with more pronounced increases in those aged below 5 years of age.
Stay on top of your lung health this winter: As winter arrives it’s important for people with long-term respiratory conditions, including COPD and asthma, and parents of children with asthma, to take extra precautions. https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/health/winter/keeping-well-in-winter-if-you-have-a-long-term-respiratory-condition/
Vaccinations are offered against flu, COVID-19 and RSV and we urge those eligible to take up the vaccines ahead of the peak season to ensure they are protected heading into the winter months.
Norovirus activity between 14 to 27 October was 16% higher than the previous 2-week period. Total reports were more than double the 5-season average for the same 2-week period. Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs. Norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time and to isolate. Public health news is on our website and in weekly e-newsletters. SWF Library provides online services and help with internet access. For health & welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com , or leave voicemails on 01245 322079 https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/
SWF Health & Social Care Group 