Bay Health and Care Partners Stakeholder Newsletter Issue 16
Date posted: 3rd October 2022Welcome to the sixteenth edition of our Bay Health and Care Partners (BHCP) newsletter where we will update you every month on the collaborative work that is taking place in Morecambe Bay’s Place-Based Partnership and the outcomes and benefits for communities.
As we head into the colder months of the year it’s really important that we do everything we can to keep ourselves healthy. So, I am pleased to see Covid-19 vaccination bookings are now open to residents in Lancashire and South Cumbria aged 75 and over and those with weakened immune systems. You can find out more here.
Next month, a Common Health Day will take place at Kendal Leisure Centre on Sunday 6 November. The free event aimed at younger people and families is a Kendal Integrated Care Community and Kendal Leisure Centre initiative supported by partners. You can find more details at the BHCP website here.
A new transfer of care hub was launched last month with the aim of ensuring patients living within the Morecambe Bay Place-Based Partnership area are discharged from hospital on the right pathways, with the right discharge information and that they get the right onward care and support. This is a fantastic piece of work which sees partners working together to improve patient experience. You can read more at the BHCP website here.
A newly refurbished 12-bedded ward at Westmorland General Hospital recently opened to service users. The mental health in-patient unit currently offers short-term recovery-based care, focused to meet the needs of individuals with mental health issues. You can read the full story here.
People with a high BMI who feel unable to visit a normal gym can now take part in an exercise class called ‘The Big Baggy T-Shirt Club’. The club, which launched in Millom earlier this month, is a joint venture between Millom Integrated Care Community and Millom Recreation Centre. You can read the full story here.
It has been announced that there will be no single Head Quarters for Westmorland and Furness Council when it comes into operation in April 2023. The Cabinet of the Shadow Authority for the council, has agreed to a distributed headquarters arrangement, with anchor buildings in all the key service centres of Barrow, Kendal and Penrith. This will ensure that services are accessible to residents, even in the remotest parts of the new council’s area.
Finally, I would like to close by drawing your attention to a new Cumbria CVS service which is due to launch on Monday 10 October. The Step Forward into Volunteering and Employment service will support individuals living with severe mental health experiences. The service will be delivered through a personalised one-to-one development plan by the Step Forward team at Cumbria CVS, working in partnership with a range of local mental health providers.
Prof Mike Thomas, Chair for BHCP
Partners transforming services
Every month we will explore a different area of our programmes of work that are transforming services. As part of our Long-Term Conditions programme, we are raising awareness of the work of the North Lancashire and South Cumbria Breast Screening Programme as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Week and the importance of having routine mammograms. You can read more about the service and a patient's story at the BHCP website here.
Listening to our communities
The voices of our communities are central to our new way of working. In this edition, we would like to highlight a Community Wealth Building Conversation which is taking place online on Wednesday 5 October at 6.30pm.
The event is part of a series of community conversations hosted by Lancaster City Council and partners in health and the voluntary/community sector, to support wellbeing and community building in our district. This conversation will raise awareness of Community Wealth-Building: an approach for local places to build a sustainable local economy that benefits people and organisations.
Lancaster City Council is committed to pursuing a Community Wealth-Building approach in achieving its ‘Plan 2030’ priorities (Corporate plan - Lancaster City Council) for the local environment, economy and communities. This conversation is for all local stakeholders; residents, businesses and the third sector. You can find out more about the event and register for a place here.
GP focus with Dr Richard Russell
Our GPs are an important part of Bay Health Care Partners and here our GPs and primary care colleagues have the opportunity to talk about issues and specialties that they are working on or interested in.
Last month we introduced ‘Time to Talk’ a series of films discussing issues, symptoms to look out for and where to go and get professional advice. This month, Dr Richard Russell is raising awareness of male thrush – a common yeast infection. You can watch this video at the BHCP YouTube site here.
The spotlight on…
Every month we will feature a different voluntary, community, faith sector or Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisation across the Bay. This time the spotlight is on...Lymphoma Action.
Lymphoma Action was founded in 1986 by two patients who saw there was a need for support for people affected by lymphoma and their families. The charity has now been providing information and support for over 35 years.
Locally, 60 people are registered for the Lancashire and Cumbria support meetings, annually around 2,000 people attend online support meetings and 1,800 use helpline services. The full case study can be read at the BHCP website here.
Celebrating our teams
There are a variety of roles across BHCP and other organisations we work with in the community. Here we shine the spotlight on the people who carry out a range of roles to keep our communities healthy and supported.
Danii Vipond Houghton is a Healthwise Facilitator at Kendal Leisure Centre. Her role involves helping people reach their physical activity goals in a fun and safe way, from consultations to discuss medical conditions and exercise history to supervised gym sessions, group classes and monthly check-ins. You can read Danii's case study at the BHCP website here.
ICCs update
Our Integrated Care Communities (ICCs) are integrated teams of health and care workers, voluntary organisations and wider community assets who work together to aim to improve physical and mental health outcomes, promote wellbeing and reduce health inequalities across an entire population.
Hundreds of health checks have been carried out with the rural community in Kendal. The private and confidential health checks for farmers and their families take place on the last Friday of every month, between 9am and 1.30pm at North West Auctions Limited in Lancaster.
The rural health checks are an ICC led initiative supported by partners. You can read the full story at the BHCP website here.
Top stories from our Partners
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust - The Mooch podcast
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Health Board- New Hospitals Programme update
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust - Supporting Lancashire & South Cumbria students
Cumbria CVS - How does employment/volunteering impact positively on mental health?
Lancaster District CVS - Information and advice for the Lancaster District
Cumbria County Council - Councillors to ask government for more cost of living support
Lancashire County Council - Councillors to review progress on Warm & Welcome Places
Barrow Borough Council - Help for Barrow businesses to improve energy efficiency
South Lakeland District Council - Changes make Disabled Facilities Grant scheme more inclusive
Lancaster City Council - New culture and heritage strategy
Lancashire and South Cumbria H&C Partnership - Latest news
***Let's Keep Talking Suicide campaign - Debt and fuel poverty video
***Improving Together Newsletter - Issue 3
This newsletter is produced by the BHCP Comms and Engagement Team. If you would like to submit a story please contact Michelle Jordan, Ivan Drozdov and Karen Evans at BHCP.Communcations@mbht.nhs.uk
You can sign up for the newsletter here or send us any feedback on it here.
You can find a PDF version of this edition of the newsletter at the 'Bay Health and Care Partners Newsletters' section of the website by clicking here.