Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB Update

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is the first NHS Trust in the country to launch a domestic abuse app, which will enable staff to quickly refer victims of domestic abuse for free legal advice, in just a few simple steps.

The free to download app, WEPROTECT, will allow a clinician, who identifies someone that needs help, to make a referral to the Domestic Abuse Alliance (DAA), who will contact the victim within 24 hours. The support offered may include general legal advice, issuing a warning letter to a perpetrator, applying for an emergency court order or making an application for legal aid on behalf of the survivor.

The WEPROTECT app is already being used by frontline officers across Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria and Sussex Police Forces, and by several independent domestic violence and abuse services and charities across the UK, who support victims of domestic abuse.

You can find the full details of the launch on the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust website.

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One Step At A Time began in 2020, during her recovery from cancer, Macmillan nurse Emma Harnett and patient panel lead Ann Nutt joined forces with patient engagement expert Shahid Sardar to promote the patient voice in cancer care and improve services.

Now a bigger team, the One Step At A Time team support the
cancer journey by producing non clinical cancer information ‘by patients, for patients’.

The RCN award winning OSAAT team recently held a cancer conference, Talking Cancer. It was attended by 60 lived experience partners, healthcare professionals, key stakeholders and voluntary sector. In total 75 people registered for the event. Key themes included issues with transport, holistic needs, support groups and a request for more information and signposting.
 
The team will be working with lived experience partners to address these issues and continue their work to raise the profile of cancer, whilst amplifying the patient voice.

You can see fantastic videos that the conference was based around, including the conference premiere focused on men's experience of cancer, a carer's story discussing a cancer diagnosis through the eyes of a family member and a story about dealing with cancer through COVID times.

You can find more about One Step At A Time on the My Health Essex website.

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Healthwatch Essex has published a book and short film series of people’s stories of fertility and baby loss, as part of a project named “Happiness, Heartbreak & Hope: Experiences of Fertility in Essex”.

The project explores 13 people’s stories through interview-based study investigating themes of stigma, mental health, self-perception and support and advice. The work also encompassed identifying what is working well and what could be improved within services across Essex throughout the fertility journey.

You can find out more about the project and access the book and films here.

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Many of us are young at heart, aren’t we? To help us stay active and able, we need to care for ourselves in a different way as our body changes.

As our bodies change, different exercises can help to keep us strong and steady later on. The Find Your Active ‘Able like Mabel’ resources, are a series of movements to do whilst at home and to introduce during your normal daily routine. Regardless of your age, these simple movements will support you in completing every day jobs, and help keep you steady, strong and able – all with the aim to ensure you can enjoy your life now, and in your years to come.

Be able like Mabel whilst making a cuppa, or perhaps strong like Ron whilst doing the dishes! Find the support you need to ensure you can stay healthier, strong and active for longer.

You can find the online version of the booklet that contains all the information on movements and exercises that can get you moving on the Find Your Active website. On this page you will also find videos that go along with the videos, with demonstrations and more information on the movements.

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Since we launched the ICB Update in July last year we have continually been thinking about how we can develop and grow to make it the best it can be for you.

With this in mind we are always hugely grateful to hear what you think about it – and your suggestions for how we can make it better.

We are currently putting together a survey to gather your thoughts too so please watch out for when we launch that via a future edition of this newsletter.

In the meantime, please do email our communications team with your feedback and any suggestions for items we could include.

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People living in Essex with lung conditions, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), are being invited to complete a survey to share their experiences of the care and treatment they receive.

The survey will take five minutes and responses are anonymous. If you would like to discuss your answers in more detail, you can include your contact details in the survey and a member of the Healthwatch Essex team will contact you.

Complete the survey on the Healthwatch Essex website by 28 April.

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Healthwatch Hertfordshire has been coordinating some essential research on the impact of the cost of living on the lives of local people. If you haven’t taken part in the short online survey and would like to, make sure you do before it closes next Friday (31 March).

The results will help the county council, district and borough councils and charities in the area to understand what help is needed. It will also help identify how the crisis is affecting people’s physical and mental wellbeing, in order to help mitigate some of these effects. 

Take part in the survey and visit the Healthwatch Hertfordshire website to hear what over 4,700 of Hertfordshire’s residents have shared so far. Thank you for sharing your views if you have already taken the time to feedback.

For cost of living support, visit the Hertfordshire County Council and Essex County Council websites.

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Every year we need to do our Annual Diabetes Review – but why is it necessary and what are the risks if we ignore the check?

Join a webinar on 26 April, 7pm to 8pm and join Dr Asif Faizy who is a Partner at a Watford Practice as well as the Diabetes lead for Primary Care in South & West Herts who will be discussing the need and benefits of these reviews.

If you would like to send a question to Dr Faizy to answer during the webinar, please send them to Alan Bellinger, you can sign up for this event via Eventbrite.

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Each day our heart beats around 100,000 times; and it's pumping about 5 litres of blood (8 pints) through around our circulatory system. Our blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our body to help our organs and muscles work properly. Our blood also carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products. That's when everything is working well.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from leading Cardiologist Consultant at the Royal Free, Dr Sundeep Kalra, about avoiding the complications of Heart Disease. In addition we'll learn how to better understand how we can manage if the worst happens.

This will take place on 12 April 2023, 6.30pm-7.30pm. You can sign up to this webinar on Eventbrite.

If you would like to send a question to Dr Kalra to answer during the webinar, please send them to Alan Bellinger, you can sign up for this event via Eventbrite.

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