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Diabetes and Healthy fasting awareness event a first of its kind in Berkshire West
Safe and Healthy fasting for people with Diabetes
A diverse mixture of health professionals met last Monday to discuss how best to promote and raise awareness of safer healthier fasting for people with diabetes of all religious faiths.
GPs, Diabetes Educators/Practitioners and Public Health workers came together to attend a meeting hosted by NHS Berkshire West as part of a community initiative, Safe and Healthy Fasting for Diabetics (SHFD).
Local clerics from the Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim faiths attended and gave an insight and understanding into why, how and when they fast.
Recent government research shows that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the ethnic groups that make up Reading's Muslim population is approximately four times higher then their white counterparts. As a result of this up to 20% of Reading's Muslim population is estimated to have Type 2 Diabetes.
People with diabetes who observe fasting without the support of their doctor may be putting themselves at risk of the following:
- Hypoglycaemic episodes (Low blood sugar levels)
- Dehydration (Body does not have sufficient level of water)
- Thrombosis (Clotting of blood within a blood vessel)
With this in mind conference delegates discussed how they could help tackle the management challenges that these patients face.
Guest speaker Dr. Mohamed Hassanain, Consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes and General Medicine at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, spoke on the importance of looking at the fasting behaviours of Muslims with diabetes. Dr. Hassanain has been campaigning nationally on raising awareness of the medical challenges facing people with diabetes who fast.
The feedback from a local GP who attended the event was very positive. Dr Anita Mehmet said:
'I feel I learned a lot from the day, in particular about all types of religious fasting and its implications for patients. I will now apply this to my understanding of my practice's patient base. The suggestion from the lectures about changes to medication regimes was helpful for healthcare practitioners to plan according to the patient's individual needs'.
Dr Miriam Al-Kashi (GP, Balmore Park Surgery and part of the Safe and Healthy Fasting for Diabetics Team) who organised the event said:
'The feedback from the meeting was very positive. Delegates learned a great deal about other faiths and I hope this will help me view my multi-ethnic patients in a more holistic manner. I think what is so exciting is that this is just the start of a new relationship between the health care profession and religious and community leaders, in breaking down the barriers of health inequalities in ethnic minorities'.
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Swine Flu Phase 2 Vaccination of Children over six months and under five years of age
A new statistical bulletin from the Chief Medical Officer for England, published last week, shows that swine flu cases are down, but deaths and serious illness remain a concern.
Over the Christmas and New Year period, new cases of swine flu in England fell to their lowest level since the early stages of the disease in the United Kingdom.
However, patients continue to be hospitalised and admitted to critical care facilities, although these numbers are falling off. Deaths attributable to swine flu are still also occurring.
The swine flu vaccination programme slowed over the holiday period, but all groups prioritised to have the vaccine are continuing to take it up.
Commenting on the latest figures, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England said: 'Levels of pandemic flu are currently very low virtually concluding the second wave of the infection in this country.'
'Although throughout it has not been a severe illness for most people, children and younger adults have developed serious complications, been admitted to hospital and some have died.'
'When the virus returns in the 2010 flu season those who develop complications or die will be doing so from a vaccine preventable disease.'
'I strongly advise that those eligible for the vaccine who have not yet had it, get the jab and protect themselves.'
To view the Chief Medical Officer's fortnightly Bulletin for Journalists, please download the PDF available here
All GP practices in the NHS Berkshire West area of Reading, Newbury and Wokingham are offering the vaccination and are either in the process of writing, or have already written to parents to invite them to bring their children to a special clinic or to arrange an appointment. Further information for parents can be found in the
Swine Flu information leaflet for young children.
Vaccination take up figures amongst the priority groups already targeted for vaccination in Reading Wokingham and Newbury, to date are approximately as follows:
- 17% of individuals aged 6 months and up to 65 years in current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups;
- 17% percent of pregnant women and;
- 26% of people aged 65 and over in the current flu clinical at risk groups
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Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a mandatory requirement and a joint responsibility for Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities. The process in Berkshire West has built on that used in the first JSNA in 2008 but has focused more closely on the three Local Authority areas to build up a more detailed picture of each. JSNA is intended to be a continuous process which engages partner organisations to gain a better and broader understanding of the current and future health and wellbeing needs of a population, to inform strategic planning. A lot of work has been done on engagement in all three areas, with involvement in workshops, sharing of information, and decisions about content and focus of the reports. Currently a mechanism for streamlining the joint working process is under development for 2010 and beyond.
To see the local summaries for Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire click here.
You can feedback your views on the JSNAs to JSNA@berkshire.nhs.uk
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Swine Flu Vaccination Programme Phase Two
Please find details of Flu Vaccination clinics and appointments for children over six months and under five years of age below.
Contact your Practice to book an appointment or for further information.
NEWBURY
| Surgery/Practice |
Dates and Times |
| Falkland Surgery |
Saturday's bookable |
| Kintbury Surgery |
Bookable by appointment |
| Thatcham Medical Practice |
Vaccination available during our baby immunisation clinics and on alternate Saturday mornings. All appointments should be booked in advance - either call in, or telephone 01635 871117
Clinic times are:
- Mondays 8.30am to 12.15pm and 2.00 pm to 5.15pm
- Tuesday 8.30am to 12.15pm
- Wednesday 8.30am to 12.15 pm
- Alternate Saturdays 8.15 am to 11.30am
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| Whitley Villa |
Saturday 13th February 2010 - Please ring the Practice to make an appointment |
READING
| Surgery/Practice |
Dates and Times |
| Circuit Lane Surgery |
Patients to contact the surgery to book |
| Pangbourne Medical Practice |
Saturday 6th February 2010 08:00am to 11:00am. Please ring practice to book. |
| Peppard Road Surgery |
Tuesday, early afternoon - bookable |
| Reading Walk-in Health Centre (Broad Street Mall) |
If you child has an egg allergy special clinics are available on Friday 29th January and Friday 19th February 2010. |
WOKINGHAM
| Surgery/Practice |
Dates and Times |
| Swallowfield Medical Practice |
Please click link to Practice website www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk |
| Wargrave Surgery |
Wednesdays 14:00 - 16:00 bookable |
| Woosehill Medical Centre |
Wednesday 10th February All Day. By Appointment please. |
Please note not all Practices have advertised their appointment schedules here. We advise that you contact your Practice to find out more information.
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NHS Berkshire West Severe Weather - Service Update
NHS Berkshire West is doing everything possible to minimise disruption to services during the poor weather conditions.
Its Community Health Team has already prioritised those patients who might require attention over the next few days and brought forward appointments to treat as many patients as possible.
Although many clinics are still operating, all patients are requested to telephone the number on their appointment card to check that it is still going ahead, or for revised times.
All GP practices and pharmacists remain operational with the Reading Walk-in Centre open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.
Keep Warm and Well
Be a considerate neighbour - make the effort to check on elderly friends, relatives and neighbours to see if they are ok, or if they need any shopping. Older people are often very worried about venturing out in the cold weather and they are at a greater risk of fractures from falling over on the ice.
Forget fashion and opt for sensible footwear. Icy paths and roads can be extremely hazardous, but it's much easier to walk in "wellies" than high heels.
Keep warm - cold weather can contribute to heart attacks, stroke and pneumonia.
- Wear several thin layers of clothing and something on your head during the day and night as this traps your body heat better.
- Eat a well balanced diet as this helps your body to stay warm and healthy. You should aim to eat at least one hot meal a day and have hot drinks throughout the day.
- Make sure your home is well insulated. Keep the main rooms you use warm and close doors to rooms you won't be using.
Make Sure You Choose Well
We are advising everyone to make sure they use NHS resources carefully.
Visit the Choose Well section of our website which advises on the most appropriate NHS services to use.
For more information about how to keep healthy during the winter weather, visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk
And remember that medical advice is available by phone through NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Thank You
NHS Berkshire West would like to thank all staff for ensuring that services to patients continue during these adverse weather conditions. Due to the dedication and determination of health care staff throughout Berkshire West the impact on front line services to patients is being minimised across Reading, Newbury and Wokingham.
Useful websites for further information
NHS Direct -www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
NHS Choices - Tips on keeping warm www.nhs.uk
Thames Valley Police - Advice about current road and weather conditions.
Met Office - weather forecast
Local travel news
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust -severe weather
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Newbury kids can get fit for for free
NHS Berkshire West is offering places on another MEND Programme and giving more children and families the chance to become fitter, healthier and happier in the New Year.
The MEND Programme is the largest national scheme for tackling childhood overweight and obesity and NHS Berkshire West is delighted to offer a course to the Newbury area. Children and families who have previously participated have achieved tremendous results.
MEND stands for Mind, Exercise, Nutrition... Do it! The course is targeted at helping children between the ages of 7 and 13 who are over the healthy weight range for their age and height to become healthier and more active with the support of their parents or carers.
"We learnt so many things on the MEND Programme," says a participating mother. "My child is so much more active and as a family we've changed what we eat and how we prepare meals, which means that we all have lots more energy."
The MEND Programme which takes place after school twice a week for ten weeks starting on 11th January 2010 at Northcroft Leisure Centre, Northcroft Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1RS. A limited number of places valued at up to 400 are available completely free of charge thanks to NHS Berkshire West.
The programme includes a series of sessions to get the whole family involved in helping children to change their eating and exercise habits while learning about nutrition, therefore promoting sustained improvements in overall health, fitness and wellbeing.
"Previous families on the course have had a great deal of success and it changes families' lives. Children become healthier and fitter and we have seen their self esteem and confidence increase greatly," says Rekha Kapoor MEND Programme Manager at NHS Berkshire West. "We are committed to offering families in Newbury the chance to improve their health with this fantastic free course."
Places on the MEND Programme are being offered completely free on a first come, first serve basis to eligible families. For more information or to register for the programme at Northcroft Leisure Centre, please call Debbie Hurrell on 0118 982 2941 or visit www.mendcentral.org . A parent or carer must accompany each child to the twice weekly sessions and places must be booked in advance.
Parents wishing to check whether their child is a healthy weight or whether they might benefit from the MEND Programme can visit the MEND website www.mendcentral.org, which has a handy Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator.
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Choose Well this winter
That is the message being given by NHS Berkshire West as part of its recently launched Choose Well campaign to help people get the most from their local health services.
More people are ill or are injured in winter than at any other time of the year and roughly one in four people who go to hospital A&E departments could be treated more quickly by their GP, local Walk-in Centre, Minor Injuries Unit, pharmacist or even by themselves with basic self-care, first aid and advice.
The Choose Well campaign is designed to highlight all the different services available so that people can choose which is the most appropriate for their need.
The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Fred Pugh visited the Reading Walk-in Health Centre at Broad Street Mall on Friday 18th December, to find out all about Choose Well and to look at the superb new facility. "It's fantastic that this Walk-in Centre is open 365 days a year and that anyone can simply turn up."
Vanny Rimmer, Nurse Manager and Dilip Chakrabati, Regional Manager of Assura which operates the Walk-in Centre; gave the Mayor a tour of the facilities so that he could see first hand how the service works.
Charles Waddicor, Chief Executive of NHS Berkshire West said "One of the key messages of Choose Well is to emphasise that people have a range of options available to them. Accident and Emergency departments are for critical or life threatening conditions. For non urgent illnesses people can contact NHS Direct online or by phone, go and talk to their local pharmacist, use the Reading Walk-in Health Centre in Broad Street Mall Shopping Centre or see their GP."
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NHS Berkshire West Community Health Staff Celebrate Success of Productive Ward programme
One year on after commencing the Productive Ward programme at Wokingham Hospital, West Berkshire Community Hospital and the Oakwood Unit; staff held special events to mark their achievements.
Designed by the NHS Institute of Innovation and Improvement, the Productive Ward programme aims to improve ward processes and environments, ultimately "releasing time to care".
During this first year of the scheme, staff have been able to analyse in great detail how time is used on and around the wards. For example, simply storing items in the best place can save hours of nursing time in the course of a year that might otherwise be wasted through having to constantly fetch and return items.
Special guests at Wokingham Hospital's celebration on Wednesday 17th December, included Wokingham Town Mayor Councillor UllaKarin Clark and NHS Berkshire West Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Mackenzie.
Julie Slevin a District Nurse who is leading the programme explained "As well as helping nurses and therapists spend more time on patient care, the Productive Ward programme also improves safety and efficiency, boosting our aims of delivering safe, high quality care to patients across NHS Berkshire West's community hospitals".
"In the first year, time spent on medicine rounds, serving meals and handover times has reduced and over-ordered stocks returned to stores. Patient complaints have fallen; staff morale has improved and on average nurses and therapists have been able to spend up to 25% more time with patients."
NHS Berkshire West is now looking at how the same techniques can be applied across other areas.
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Severe / Cold weather - essential advice
The emergency services in Thames Valley are continuing to work hard to deal with problems resulting from snow and ice.
Our key health messages for the public are:
- Emergency calls for ambulance, police and fire services should be made in genuine emergency situations only.
- Choosing the right NHS service to help you get well.
NHS Berkshire West - Choose Well To provide you with information on the medical help you need and the local services available.
- If you do have to make journeys out please make sure that you have appropriate clothing and footwear to help prevent unnecessary slips, trips or falls.
- If you are unfortunate and do slip or trip remember minor injuries units may be the best and fastest place to go for treatment.
- Check on the welfare of elderly and vulnerable neighbours and offer them help and support where it is required.
Useful websites for further information
NHS Direct - http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/
NHS Choices - Tips on keeping warm www.nhs.uk
Thames Valley Police - Severe weather - essential advice
Met Office - weather forecast
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - adverse weather conditions
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Have you had an award winning experience of NHS Berkshire West?
Every day people in NHS Berkshire West give their time, care and creativity and there is often not enough time to acknowledge and thank staff for their commitment.
That is why we established the NHS Berkshire West Awards to formally recognise outstanding contributions. Patients or members of the public as well as staff, our stakeholders, partner organisations and independent contractors can nominate individual PCT staff members or teams from across the whole organisation. Nominations will be judged upon the following criteria:
- Patient/user centred approach
- Impact on patients/service users, carers or staff
- Leadership skills
- Innovation
- Improving the patient experience
- Working as part of an effective team
- Going above and beyond the call of duty
If you would like to make a nomination, please fill in and submit the online nomination form. Nominations close on 2nd February 2010.
Please describe how and when your nominees demonstrated their outstanding outcome/commitment to patients, health care or PCT and how your choice addresses the requirements of the award category. It is important to give as much information as possible describing whether they have overcome a problem or difficulty, in what way have they helped or supported a member of staff, how has a service improved, and what patients or staff have said. Each nomination should be no longer than 500 words in length. You may enter your nominee for more than one category, and the categories are:
Team of the Year Award
A team whose work has stood out and shone above all, achieving their objectives as part of the PCT, commissioning or Berkshire West Community Health.
Leader of the Year Award
A member of staff who has shown great leadership skills and is an inspiration to those around them.
Innovation Award
The innovation award recognises something new developed by staff in any area of the PCT's work.
Trust Chair's Award for Excellence - special recognition award
An individual or team from across the organisation that has gone the 'extra mile' or 'beyond the call of duty' to meet the strategic priorities of the Trust.
Dignity in Care Award
A member of staff who has shown they have gone the extra mile to ensure dignity and respect in any area of PCT clinical services. This award will recognise and reward high standards of care.
GP Practice Member of Staff Award
This award recognises a member of staff from a GP practice whose work has stood out and shone demonstrating real improvements in quality of care to patients and or improving the systems within a practice to help patients.
NB. PCT Directors are not eligible for any award.
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