Community health Watchdog to investigate Waiting Times

THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE LINk is to look into an area of health and social care concern that will be an issue for most people - waiting times! And the health watchdog wants your stories and experiences to help carry out its task.

The latest newsletter from the ERYLINk (Local Involvement Network) says that Monitoring of Waiting Times for Health and Social Care will be one of the major issues that the group's leaders will concentrate on in the coming months.

Under the NHS constitution you have the right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of eighteen weeks from being referred by a GP. If it is not possible to be seen within the maximum waiting time, then this must be investigated and you must be offered a range of suitable alternative options.

Patients with urgent conditions such as cancer and heart disease, should be seen and receive treatment more quickly. For example, you have the right to be seen by a specialist within a maximum of two weeks from GP referral where cancer is suspected. The Government has also made a pledge that there should be a maximum four-hour wait in A&E (Accident and Emergency Departments) from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.

But what is the reality on the ground? What is your experience of waiting times? Is the 18 weeks rule of relevance to you? How long have you been kept waiting in A&E? And what is the experience of waiting times for social care?

If you have a view on this and a story to share for the ERYLINk study - then contact them at:

ERYLINk Office
Challenge House
35 Eastgate North
Driffield East Riding of Yorkshire
YO256DG
Telephone: 01377 232135 or 232136

Email: erylink@hwrcc.org.uk
Website: www.erylink.org.uk

NOTE FOR DIARIES: The ERYLINk is holding a meeting of its Lead Group in the Holderness area on Tuesday 15th November 2011.

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Adult Social Care - Councils urged to provide financial advice now

A REPORT ON FUNDING THE COSTS OF SOCIAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY will ignite a political row when it is published next week. But while the politics will dominate the news, the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has suggested that Councils act now to ensure that people receive appropriate advice about how they can fund their future care.

The biggest area of spend for local authorities is caring for the elderly. The population in the UK and the East Riding are living longer and the number of older people is growing. The costs of social care for an aging population will increase.

A new Government commissioned report by Andrew Dilnot published on Monday will say that there should be government investment in social care of up to £3bn and that people should pay between £35,000 and £50,000 towards the costs of their care before the state steps in. Insurance companies should make products available to cover an individual’s costs up to the cap and also any potential extra accommodation costs that may be incurred.

The Local Government Information Unit has issued an early suggestion in advance of the report. They argue that councils could do more to signpost people to independent financial advice that could help them make decisions and avoid depleting their funds by taking out insurance or using their assets more effectively.

Jonathan Carr-West, LGiU, director,said:
“Dilnot’s recommendations are sure to be important but rather than waiting for government to respond to them councils can and should act now to mitigate their exposure to increased care costs by ensuring that citizens receive appropriately qualified advice about how they can fund their care”.

Whilst the political fallout from the Dilnot Commission is likely to dominate the headlines next week, local people need to read between the lines and think carefully about how the proposals might affect them and their loved ones - and crucially what they can do about this.

Perhaps this is something that the East Riding LINk could take up?

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Home from Hospital? Tell us your story asks ERYLINk

WITH THE NHS never far from the national news then it is encouraging to know that there are local ways to influence local health services.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network - or ERYLINk - has established a group to to study the whole issue of getting discharged from hospital.

Consultation responses in Government discharge 'toolkit' 

People should not be discharged from hospital unless they are medically fit and have been formally discharged by a named doctor. Every hospital has a hospital discharge policy. This is a public document that you can ask to see. It should include details of how the hospital will arrange the discharge. But how do these policies work out in practice?

Have you just come home from hospital? ERYLINk want to find out:

• What went well and what went badly when you were discharged from hospital?
• What ongoing support was available when you arrived back home (or at your residential/nursing home)?
• Were all your personal belongings returned to you? 
• Did you get all your necessary medicines, equipment and advice notes that might have been needed?
• What about transport home?

The ERYLINk want to hear your stories so that services can be improved.

The Hull LINk carried out a similar exercise last year which lead to recommendations being made for better communication, less waiting for medication and improved support for patients after discharge.

Contact Ortrud Nield at ERYLINk if you can help with this study on e-mail ortrud.nield@hwrcc.org.uk or telephone at Driffield 01377 232 136.

Note: The ERYLINk Social Care Forum and AGM takes place on Tuesday 28th June 2011.

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Social Care Forum: "Care and Support in your own home - Where do you go to get them?"

ERYLINk, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WATCHDOGS for the East Riding, are holding a special Social Care Forum with the opportunity to talk to people who deliver social care services.

The population in the UK and the East Riding is living longer and the number of older people is growing. Efforts from a wide range of organisations are working towards helping people remain in their own homes and live independent lives for as long as possible. This help may include altering your home so that you can manage easier or providing meals-on-wheels or more intensive support.

ERYLINk is the East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network and at its next meeting in Beverley in June 2011 a line up of speakers will be answering the question:

"If you need care and support at home, what services are on offer and where do you go to get them?"

One of the guest speakers will be Rosy Pope who is the Head of Adult Services at East Riding Council.

The Social Care Forum, which will incorporate ERYLINk's Annual General Meeting, takes place in the Westwood Room, Beverley Arms Hotel, Beverley on Tuesday 28th June from 10am - 5pm.

For further information contact Julia Bugg at Challenge House, 35 Eastgate North, Driffield, YO25 6DG. Telephone 01377 232 135 or e-mail erylink@hwrcc.org.uk

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ERYLINk seeks new leaders

THE ERYLINk is watching the health and social care providers in the East Yorkshire area on behalf of patients and the public. But new blood - sorry for the pun! - is needed for the community network's Lead Group.

The Local Involvement Network's Lead Group is the body elected by the ERYLINk members to manage and steer the organisation. A key part of the role of the Lead Group is to ensure that the organisation is representative of, and accountable to local communities.

The ERYLINk is seeking 2 individual members and 4 organisational members to join the LINk Lead Group and nominations from members have to be in by Wednesday 4th May.

If you want to join the ERYLINk, or find out more about the Lead Group elections then have a look at the ERYLINk website or contact Susan Oliver at the organisation's Driffield HQ on 01377 232135.

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A Public Meeting will be held at The Spa, Bridlington on 20 April 2011 from 6.30pm to 8.30 pm to facilitate the questioning of the Chief Executives of Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust and York Hospital Foundation Trust. Patrick Crowley (York) and Mike Proctor (SNEY) will be present to give an update on the merger between the two trusts and to answer questions from the floor.

Come along and hear about it from the men who know.

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News from LINk - Your voice on health and social care

THE MARCH 2011 edition of the ERYLINk Newsletter has been published. The East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network is the public and patients' voice on health and social care in the area. Reproduced on Scribd:
ERYLINk March 2011 Newsletter

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What health concern priorities ought to be investigated?

ERYLINk, THE EAST RIDING LINk (East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network) is planning its Workplan for the coming year and is asking for help in deciding what its health and social care priorities should be.

ERYLINk is the community "Health Watchdog" for the area. LINks have special powers granted to them by an Act of Parliament that enables them to investigate health and social care concerns in the local area and put forward patient and public recommendations for improving services.

The ERYLINk is meeting on Tuesday 22nd March to plan its forthcoming work programme but welcomes ideas and suggestions from local people on what issues it should be investigating and say "No job is too big, and no job is too small!"

If you have suggestions on what ERYLINk should be investigating, or want to get involved,  then call them on 01377 232135 or e-mail erylink@hwrcc.org.uk or write to:

ERYLINk Office
Challenge House
35 Eastgate North
Driffield East Riding of Yorkshire
YO256DG
Website: http://erylink.org.uk

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Health Watchdog leaders seek to appoint new Chair

LOCAL HEALTH WATCHDOGS the East Riding of Yorkshire LINk have lost their Chair who has resigned "due to unforseen circumstances". The organisation which meets in Beverley next week for a crucial discussion on the Government's Health Bill now seeks to appoint a new Chair from within its leading group of activists.

Under its existing rules the organisation would have to organise a hustings of its entire membership to elect a new Chair - so the organisation's governance document is being changed to allow the LINk's Lead Group to elect this important role.

It would seem to make sense that the Chair is elected by the body in which she/he will spend the most time facilitating, but members will have the opportunity to accept or reject this, along with other proposed policy and procedure changes, at the meeting on Thursday February 24th.

See Beverley Forum on the ERYLINk website.

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ERYLINk Forum - Giving you a stronger voice on Health and Social Care

BEVERLEY IS THE LOCATION for the next Forum Meeting of health watch-dogs the ERYLINk (East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network).

Taking place at the Beverley Arms Hotel, on Thursday 24th February, the Forum is an opportunity to hear about how the Government's health reforms will affect you. Proposals to set up the new 'HealthWatch' initiative, which aims to "put patients at the heart of the NHS", will also be under discussion. The Forum takes place from 10:30am - 3:00pm.

The ERYLINk has over 400 groups and individuals involved and has carried out some major investigations into local health issues. The Beverley Forum is an opportunity to discuss how these successes can be built upon and help provide a vision of how HealthWatch East Riding of Yorkshire might work.

Contact the ERYLINk on 01377 232 135 for more information or e-mail erylink@hwrcc.org.uk.

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East Riding LINk publishes 'Enter and View' Reports into hospital wards

COMMUNITY HEALTH WATCHDOG the East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network - or ERYLINk - has published its first reports resulting from 'Enter and View' visits into health services.

LINks were set up by an Act of Parliament in April 2008 and funded through Local Authorities in England. One of the activities carried out by LINks is 'Enter and View'. This activity includes training individuals from the community to visit hospitals and care homes, on behalf of patients and the public, to observe and assess service provision. These should then lead to positive recommendations to improve services.

The ERYLINk has published six reports on its website as a result of visits to hospital wards at Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary; and residential care homes Lindum House and Old School House in Beverley, and Wold Haven, Pocklington.

The reports are available to download from the ERYLINk website.

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Pharmaceutical Needs Analysis

THE EAST RIDING LINk (Local Involvement Network) has circulated information from the NHS East Riding of Yorkshire that maps the current pharmaceutical services available in the area. This Pharmaceutical Needs Analysis (PNA) is done in order to identify any areas that do not have easy access to a pharmacy or perhaps have local needs or issues.

The key facts for this area - the South West Holderness Ward - show that three pharmacies serve the area (two in Hedon and one in Thorngumbald).

One pharmacy in Hedon (East Riding Pharmacy) gives essential extended hours access to pharmaceutical services in the early mornings, evenings and at weekends. These are listed in the PNA as 'Open from 6.30am to 10.30pm on Monday to Friday 6.30am to 10pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday'.

The PNA states that the NHS East Riding of Yorkshire does not consider that there are any gaps in the provision of pharmaceutical services in the Ward that either need to be filled to meet an immediate gap or need to be commissioned in specified future circumstances.

There are two GP Surgeries, Hedon Group Practice (includes surgery in Keyingham) and Church View Surgery. Extended hours are offered by both GP practices.

The nearest Minor Injuries Units are found in Withernsea, Hull and Beverley.

A smoking cessation clinic is held on Wednesdays in Hedon (Church View Surgery) from 4pm to 6pm. However, there is considered to be a gap in smoking cessation service provision in the area and the commissioning of further services will be considered.

NHS East Riding of Yorkshire also considers that there is a gap in service offering supervised buprenorphine consumption to those in need of this (Buprenorphine is a medicine which is used in the treatment of patients dependent on opioids e.g. heroin) and will commission this low demand service on an individual patient basis.

Potential new services that have been identified are 'NHS Health Checks' which includes support for obesity, for example weight management services and diagnostic screening for vascular disease, and also a need for more residential medication support services.

The NHS East Riding of Yorkshire wants to hear your views on the PNA by Friday 1^st October 2010. You can find all the information you need at their website.

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