LINk Devon have joined forces with Mencap and The Devon Parliament Project to help NHS ‘get it right' when treating people with a learning disability.
Getting it right was the focus of Mencap's Learning Disability Week 2010 (21-27th June) and called on health professionals to commit to a charter that will help make real changes and save lives.
Local Involvement Network (LINk) Devon is due to host a free community health day this Thursday 15th July between 10.30am and 12.30 at the Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth, in partnership with Dartmouth Hospital.
Last year 4,000 people in the county successfully stopped smoking after getting help from NHS Devon.
The Draft Rural Health and Wellbeing Strategy sets out Devon's vision to improve the overall health, wellbeing and quality of life of all people living in rural areas, with a focus on reducing inequalities in health and reducing inequities in health and social care provision.
NHS Devon has asked Brook to undertake an independent review of sexual health services locally.
The Care Quality Commission has committed to use its new regulatory powers to ensure that older people in Devon are able to receive modern and effective mental healthcare.In publishing the findings of a detailed investigation into older people's mental health services, CQC says Devon Partnership NHS Trust has already made significant improvements to its services for older people.
The dates of Devon PCT's public meetings to discuss maternity services are now available on their website:
Working to improve child health through increasing the uptake and completion of the childhood immunisation programme in South Devon
The public health team at NHS Devon is asking parents in south Devon to share their experiences of getting their children immunised to help make improvements to their service.
Low uptake of immunisation and not completing the course including the pre-school booster, can leave children at an increased risk of infection, including the measles virus. The World Health Organisation recommends an uptake of 95 per cent is required to prevent illness and in some areas the pre-school booster is as low as 80 per cent.
The key element to any improvement work is that it is based on the real experiences of local people. So, NHS Devon wants to talk to parents about their experiences, reasons why they may not have completed the programme, as well as to test some improvement ideas to support parents.
Jackie Morse, head of health protection at NHS Devon, explains that: "We are committed to protecting children against preventable illness.
"The reasons why parents do not finish the vaccine course vary, it is through working through these issues together we can increase uptake and reduce health inequalities."
A draft of the Rural Health and Wellbeing Strategy has now been published on the NHS Devon website for a 90 day consultation period.
Please see http://www.devonpct.nhs.uk/ or http://www.devonpct.nhs.uk/default.asp?pg=307 to feedback your views
Are you are a pensioner / retiree (ladies who are 60 years and over and gentlemen 65 years and over) living in East Devon, North Devon Teignbridge or South Hams? Age Concern Devon would like hear about the impact the recession has had on you.
The Government thinks people should be able to choose a GP practice that is most convenient for them. The Department of Health wants to hear the views of the public, patient groups and those who work in the NHS. Have your say by visiting http://www.gpchoice.dh.gov.uk/
South Western Ambulance Service and The Stroke Association are working in partnership to help combat high blood pressure, the single biggest risk factor for stroke. Each year around 150,000 people across the UK experience a stroke; 40% of stokes caused by a blood clot could be prevented by the timely identification and treatment of high blood pressure.
Thousands of additional dental places are now available in Ashburton thanks to NHS Devon.
A new dental practice has opened in the town with 4,000 places available.
People in Exeter are being helped to get healthy through free, confidential, one-to-one clinics run by NHS Devon.
A new healthy lifestyle clinic has been launched at Exwick Community Centre and will be held every Friday between 10am and 12pm. The same service is also offered at Wonford Community Centre on Thursdays between 9am and 12pm.
All the clinics are run by NHS Devon's health trainers, and are open to everyone over 16 on an appointment basis.
The Care Quality Commission, has reported that Devon County Council is doing well in its Annual performance Assessment Report for Adult Social Care services.
CQC is the new independent regulator of all health and adult social care services in England. They promote the rights and interests of all people who use services and are able to inspect services and take action where a service is not working.
From April 2010 all providers must show they are meeting new essential standards of quality and safety across all of the regulated activities they provide. The new system will make sure that people can expect services to meet essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights.
Devon is known to be a healthy county, with life expectancy amongst the highest in England and overall positive health and wellbeing. Many people retire, and visit the county and there is a picture of idyllic rural and coastal life. In a recent review, NHS Devon has identified successes and future improvements in the health and social care services they deliver throughout the county:
All patients in Devon are being asked if they would like to take part in a new system for making key details about their health available to any NHS doctor who treats them.
They will receive a letter this week telling them about the new electronic records, and asking them to decide by the middle of June whether they would like to have one.
The number of children cycling to school in Exeter has more than doubled over the past three years.Public health specialists at NHS Devon have welcomed new research which shows a huge increase in the number of people cycling in Exeter.
In March 2009, Care Direct Plus installed a new telephone system to help them respond better to people contacting their service. In the first 6 months, they have taken 24327 calls in the Assessment and Review Team from people wanting information and help for adults with social care needs, and they have been able to answer 70% first time.
The Care Quality Commission has praised improvements in adult social care but called for a renewed effort to eliminate poor quality services. Across the South West, there has been an overall improvement in councils' social care services, although the region as a whole remains below the national average.
BARNARDO'S has teamed up with Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle to launch a unique virtual campaign to get thousands of teenagers talking.The children's charity hopes to see the young people's online exchanges and views about children in poverty, children and young people in trouble, sexually exploited children and other issues culminate in a film to be available online on Christmas Day.
To read the full article click here.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its annual performance ratings for all NHS trusts in England, including the 40 trusts in the South West. Overall, 73 per cent of trusts in the area covered by the South West strategic health authority are rated excellent or good for overall quality, a slight decrease on last year.
To read the full press release click here.
To read the report click here.
The Department of Health has launched a public consultation on the proposed framework for Quality Accounts and everyone interested in improving quality in the NHS is invited to respond.This consultation sets out the recommendations for the regulations and guidance supporting quality accounts in the first year, and is based on findings from a series of engagement, testing and design exercises over the past year. The consultation will close on 10 December 2009. To view the consultation document click here
The biggest-ever national survey of people's experiences of acute mental health inpatient services, published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), reveals that too great a proportion feel they were let down in some important aspects of the care they received. To read the full article click here
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has set out its concerns around the lack of communication between care homes and hospitals in preventing infections passing between these two settings. To view the full report click here
Report calls for improvements in statin prescribing, cholesterol management and targeting of poorest areas. To view the full article please click here
During 2007 the NHS Centre for Involvement undertook the first national survey of Patient and Public Involvement. The full report and a flier highlighting the key findings of this project are available to download here.
Major Redevelopment for Bideford Community Hospital Single-sex target brings plans forward to redevelop Bideford. For more information please click here