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WelcomeWelcome to the third edition of the Get involved, share your views newsletter. We would like to keep you updated about what activities NHS Kirklees has been involved in and what plans are in place for the forthcoming months.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank those people that have given up their time to be involved in the work of NHS Kirklees and we hope that you continue to do so. Your contribution is much appreciated.

Get involved, share your viewsnewsletterIssue 3 July 2010

We have movedNHS Kirklees have relocated to their new headquarters in Bradley Business Park. For those wishing to contact the organisation, you should ring 01484 464000. The Patient and Public Involvement Team’s (PPI) new contact details are at the end of the newsletter.

We are trying to reduce the amount of information that we post to people. We are therefore asking people to contact us if they would be happy to receive this newsletter and other correspondence from the PPI Team via email. If you are, then please email us at PPI@kirklees.nhs.uk so that we can update our records.

B r o a d L e a H o u s e , B r a d l e y , H u d d e r s f i e l d

We are turning GREEN

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Voluntary groupsWe are keen to develop the relationships we have with the voluntary and community sector and to make sure that organisations are given the opportunity to be involved in the development of services. We have therefore been working with Voluntary Action Kirklees (VAK) to find out if voluntary groups feel that they are given the opportunity to be involved and if not, if they would like to be. We are starting to get some of this information back and we are contacting those groups that have expressed an interest in being involved. If you haven’t been asked by VAK, but are interested in finding out more then please contact the PPI Team.

NHS Constitution – consultation updateA new right for patients has been added to the NHS Constitution, which came into effect on 1 April 2010. This addition means that patients now have the right to start treatment by a consultant within 18 weeks of them being referred by their GP and to be seen by a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral.

Information is being distributed to local practices about this and you will be able to access this on our website at http://www.kirklees.nhs.uk/public-information/nhs-constitution/ Patients who wish to request an alternative provider if their waiting time has not been met should contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS):

Telephone or text: 01484 464464 Email: enquiries@kirklees.nhs.uk for England 21 January 2009

PPI Annual ReportWe have a new duty to tell you about our engagement and consultation activities which have influenced our decisions about the services we buy (commission) on your behalf. Consultations are described as the act of asking a person for their views on a proposal or issue, before a decision is taken on any changes to services or how they will be delivered. Although we have produced annual reports previously, this one is more detailed to show how we have met the duty set out in the NHS Act 2006.

This year has been a busy one for all of our staff and we hope that our annual report captures all the work that has taken place to involve you in what we are doing.

During this year, the concept of World Class Commissioning (WCC) has been used to help us deliver an NHS which is fair, person-centred, effective and safe. WCC was introduced in 2008 to improve the way PCTs commission services and to make sure that there is an improvement in local people’s health and well-being.

To improve how we do things and capture our commitment to putting patients at the centre of everything we do, we have produced a Communications and Engagement Strategy which was published in February. This sets out how we will improve our communication with you and inform and involve you in our plans.

If you are interested in reading this report it can be downloaded at http://www.kirklees.nhs.uk/get-involved/patient-public-involvement/

We hope that you find our report both interesting and informative. If there are any aspects that you would like to discuss or if you want to get involved in the work of NHS Kirklees, please contact a member of the PPI Team.

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Single Equality Scheme (SES)Between 2 August – 15 October 2010, we will be consulting with the public and key stakeholders on our draft Single Equality Scheme 2010-2013.

This will replace and update our previous scheme (2007-2009) and will aim to demonstrate our commitment to delivering our legal duties in this area and also pave the way for changes in legislation and responsibilities, which are anticipated in the near future. The scheme covers the following equality strands:• race• disability• gender• sexual orientation• religion or belief• age.

To develop the draft scheme, we have built on the feedback we have received from our first equality scheme and have made sure that we have listened to the views of a range of different individuals, organisations and members of our staff.

You will be able to download a copy of the consultation document and give your comments at www.kirklees.nhs.uk/get-involved/public-consultations

Alternatively, we can arrange for someone from NHS Kirklees to attend any community group or voluntary organisation meeting to explain the Single Equality Scheme and answer any questions you may have.

Control of infectionNHS Kirklees’ Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) team are looking to get more public feedback about the standards of hand hygiene and the quality of healthcare environments within GP and dental practices throughout Kirklees. A patient survey has been designed to assess current standards of hand hygiene by health professionals within the community as well as the cleanliness of the environment in which healthcare is provided. It is also hoped that the survey will highlight issues relating to the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections so that patients are more aware of what to look out for next time they visit a health professional.

The survey was officially launched at an event at Dewsbury Health Centre on 5 May 2010 to coincide with the World Health Organisation’s ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ day.

Copies of this survey were made available at all GP and dental practices throughout Kirklees from the beginning of May 2010. Alternatively, the survey can be accessed online at https://www.kirklees.nhs.uk/your-health/infection-prevention-and-control/infection-questionnaire/

The Infection Prevention and Control team are delighted to be able to offer the chance for participants to enter a free prize draw as a thank you for completing the public survey. Each

survey returned before 31 August 2010 will be entered into a free prize draw with the possibility of winning a Nintendo DSi.

The team are also currently organising an event on 28 October 2010 at Red House Museum, Gomersal, 10:30am–4pm as part of the National Infection Prevention and Control Week. This event will give them the opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene, as well as demonstrate the work that they do behind the scenes to make sure that the environment in which healthcare is provided is safe and clean.

Feedback about the work that has been carried out by the IP&C team with the public will be made available on the NHS Kirklees website as well as in future editions of the Get Involved newsletter.

For further information about the Infection Prevention and Control team or to raise any concerns about hand hygiene or infection control, please contact Infection Prevention and Control team on 01924 512159 or e-mail Infection.ControlTeam@kirklees.nhs.uk

Win me!

Survey free prize draw

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Pharmaceutical Needs AssessmentNHS Kirklees has a statutory duty to develop and publish by 1 February 2011 a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) that reflects local health needs. This work is being led by the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Project group and contains representatives of community pharmacy contractors, practice based commissioners and public health. Mapping of existing pharmaceutical services against future need will support the assessment to develop our services and plan for the years ahead.

The objectives of this PNA are:

• to have a clear picture of the current services provided by community pharmacies

• to be able to plan for future services to be delivered by

community pharmacies

• to make sure that any gaps in service provision are adequately addressed

• to make sure that community pharmacies are used as a means of reducing health inequalities.

We are currently developing our PNA and have just done a pre-consultation exercise to gain patients’ views on current pharmaceutical services within each locality and which future services they might wish to have available. The information gathered is now being used to prepare a draft PNA and we will be consulting with the public during 9 August – 8 October 2010. If you want to know more then please come along to one of the drop-in sessions.

Drop-in sessions being held:

9 August 2010 Eddercliffe Centre 1pm – 4pm

12 August 2010 Mill Hill Health Centre 10am – 1pm

16 August 2010 Dewsbury Health Centre 1pm – 4pm

17 August 2010 Holme Valley Memorial Hospital 1pm – 4pm

18 August 2010 Batley Health Centre 1pm – 4pm

23 August 2010 Fartown Health Centre 1pm – 4pm

25 August 2010 Kirkburton Health Centre 1pm – 4pm

You will also be able to download a copy of the consultation document and give your comments at www.kirklees.nhs.uk/get-involved/public-consultations

Alternatively, we can arrange for someone from NHS Kirklees to attend any community group or voluntary organisation meeting to explain the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and answer any questions you may have.

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Important information about your health records

Tobacco and young people websiteWe are looking for young people who are willing to review websites from areas across the UK, tell us what they think of them and how these can be improved. If you are aged 12 or older, we would welcome your contribution and help in developing a tobacco and young people’s website for Kirklees. The website will aim to raise the awareness of the effects of smoking as well as providing information for those young people who might be interested in stopping smoking. Therefore, we welcome both smokers and non-smokers to help us to create the best website possible. We are also open to suggestions as to what the site could be called so we need some creative ideas!

For more information please get in touch with Rebecca on rebecca.elliott@kirklees.nhs.uk

The NHS is changing the way it uses patients’ medical records. Summary Care Records are being rolled out across Kirklees and the rest of England and are set to change the way important medical information is shared with healthcare professionals in the NHS.

NHS Kirklees has written to everyone living across the district to tell them about the changes. This means that all Kirklees residents who are 16 and over or approaching their sixteenth birthday, and are registered with a GP practice in Kirklees, should have received information about the Summary Care Record and what it means for them.

Your Summary Care Record will contain important information about your health, such as details of any allergies, your current prescriptions and whether you have had any bad reactions to medicines.

The availability of the Summary Care Record means that medical professionals can quickly access essential health information about you in the event of urgent or unscheduled care.

Summary Care Records will only be accessible to NHS staff directly involved in patient treatment. Patients have the option to not to be involved in the scheme, in which case healthcare staff will

continue to access and record medical details as before.

To find out more about the Summary Care Record or to request a letter if you have not already received one, you should contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01484 464464.

Information, including frequently asked questions, is also available at www.kirklees.nhs.uk and www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk.

If groups would like a representative from NHS Kirklees to come and speak to them about Summary Care Records, please contact Peta Wolstencroft on 01484 464273 or email peta.wolstencroft@kirklees.nhs.uk

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A patient’s point of view

Some of Bini’s work

Patient’s story Bini Atkinson, a local resident and artist, has shared her views with us on her journey as a patient and the benefits of capturing this through art. We would like to share this with you.

“During the last 15 months I have produced work based on recent surgery to my feet. I have documented the physical changes through the medium of print, bookmaking manipulating papers and textiles. I work using altered and

recycled materials and papers. Through a combination of cutting, tearing, waxing, oiling, glazing, scratching, sanding and stitching, I produce work that records my healing process. I learnt a number of suture techniques from the surgical team that worked on my feet and am incorporating these into more current work.

As an artist I was familiar with responding to events, direct experiences and my environment but I was surprised at the creative effect surgery had on the outcomes to my work. At first I used my

time after surgery to produce work that

could be broadly termed creative

therapy, using the experience, with all

its inherent

associated pain to divert me from reaching for more painkillers. As a displacement activity it worked remarkably well. The work created was very figurative and linked directly to my experience of pain levels over a period of weeks.

Most of us find a fascination with how are bodies respond to physical and emotional experiences and I am no different in that respect. After a number of weeks of healing I became interested with the physical changes of the outer evidence of surgery, the scar and suture techniques. Getting out the magnifying glass and investigating the stitching further, I was able to develop an appreciation of the changes in colour, texture, pattern and I recorded these over a period of time. The resulting work gave way to greater abstraction and I was able to develop and explore a broader range of media. On reflection this was a more pertinent record of my emotional journey towards full foot health.”

We are looking forward to working with Bini to see how we can use her experience and skills to support the work of the organisation.

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Update on the Chronic Pain Pathway In the last newsletter we explained the progress made to develop a Chronic (long term) Pain Pathway in Kirklees.

Last summer, NHS Kirklees organised a series of discussions with service users living with chronic pain to help inform the way that the Chronic Pain pathway would be commissioned. The main feedback included:

• more immediate action for relevant assessments/investigations

• being able to see the right person, at the right time

• more links between pain services

• to improve waiting times for referral to physiotherapy

• to improved GP understanding of chronic pain services and self care programmes

• more continuity of care with each service having an understanding about other services that can provide help

• regular access to self care information, advice and programmes.

This feedback was reported back into discussions with GPs, service providers and commissioners, and was well received.

Since then, commissioners and providers have been working together to agree how services need to be re-designed to

better meet patient needs. A Chronic (long term) Pain service specification has been prepared in consultation with service providers and commissioners, which has included service user views. There is now a process of negotiation with providers to make changes to the service.

We will be involving people living with chronic pain at regular intervals, particularly linking with existing patient support groups.

As part of the ongoing development of the Expert Patients Programme (EPP), a Persistent Pain module will be delivered as a pilot for those people living with chronic (persistent) pain who have not previously attended pain self care programmes or EPP. The Persistent Pain Programme is a free self-management course for people who live with day-to-day persistent (long term) pain.

By taking part in a Persistent Pain course, you will:

• improve your quality of life

• reduce pain and tiredness

• be able to do more without increasing the pain

• learn that becoming and keeping active doesn’t equal harm

• reduce feelings of isolation and depression

• increase confidence and self esteem

• improve relationships with family, friends and work colleagues

Discussion group with service users

• reduce visits to health care professionals and needing to take time off work

The programme is delivered by trained and accredited tutors, living with persistent pain themselves, who have become good pain self-managers.

The course is due to start on Wednesday, 1 September and every Wednesday thereafter and ending on Wednesday 13 October, 11am – 1.30pm and will include a light lunch. The course will be held at the Textile Centre.

If you are interested please contact: Julie Lawes, EPP administrator/support officer, Julie.lawes@kirklees.nhs.uk or Tel: 01924 351448

Get involved, share your views newsletter

If you would like any further information please contact the PPI Team on tel: 01484 464024/464025 or email: ppi@kirklees.nhs.uk

Sexual Health Needs Assessment

Kirklees Recruitment of Community Researchers

BackgroundMBARC has been contracted by NHS Kirklees to carry out a comprehensive review of local sexual health services. The aim is to gain a full understanding of the needs, demands and gaps in local services. As part of the assessment we will be interviewing people from across Kirklees who are interested in supporting this work and have an interest in sexual health. To support us with this we are recruiting Community Researchers to conduct the interviews with local people.

If you interested in applying to be a community researcher, these are the skills that we are looking for:

Skills and abilities• good written and verbal communication skills

• ability to conduct interviews in a sensitive manner

• word processing skills

• commitment to equal opportunities

• ability to work at least one day on the project and to be flexible about working hours.

What we offer• training in interview skills and conducting

interviews

• competitive rates of pay and travel expenses

• full support and supervision

• though this is a short term project we may in the future be able to offer further community researcher work.

Application procedureApplicants should contact iain.easdon@mbarc.co.uk for a copy of the application form and return filled in applications to: iain.easdon@mbarc.co.uk or in the post to:

Iain EasdonMBARCCommunity Research Department6th Floor63 St Mary AxeLondon EC3A 8AA

London Office: 6th Floor, 63 St. Mary Axe, London EC3A 8AA. 020 7469 5730 www.mbarc.co.uk

If you have any queries about the Community Researcher Programme or you would like to talk in confidence about anything in this advert,

please don’t hesitate to call Iain Easdon on 020 7469 5730.