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Welcome to February's edition
of In Touch
from Andy Donald
Accountable Officer at Stafford and Surrounds, Cannock Chase and South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula Clinical Commissioning Groups
In this edition we have several articles about looking after yourself. We all know that prevention is better than cure and yet in too many cases simple health needs are met by a trip to the GP or the local A&E department rather than through self-care or a trip to the pharmacy. We need to encourage and support you to look after yourself and stay well rather than treating illness.
And remember - if you are unsure about where to go, for any health advice or treatment, NHS 111 should be your first point of contact and they will direct you to the most appropriate service.
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Children’s emergency services at County Hospital
 University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) expects to receive the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) review into Children’s emergency services at County Hospital shortly.
UHNM will continue to provide weekly updates to the local community about the progress of the RCPCH review, and where appropriate additional media coverage will be arranged to keep you updated and informed.
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Mental health service wins contract in Staffordshire
The Recovery Hub, a mental health social inclusion and recovery service commissioned by Staffordshire County Council, offers individually tailored support to the over-16s. The service helps people with mental health needs in Staffordshire to live, work, study and follow leisure pursuits in the community.
The three year contract, led by charity Making Space, covers Stafford borough, Cannock Chase district and South Staffordshire district areas. It will be delivered in partnership with charities Mental Health Matters and Wise Ability and South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust.
More information ...
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Public encouraged to nominate in community NHS Trust staff awards
Local people in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are encouraged to nominate community health and social care staff who go above and beyond in their duties to provide exceptional care in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust’s annual Celebrating Excellence Awards 2017.
This year local people who use community health services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and adult social care services in Staffordshire are being asked to nominate staff in nine categories;
- #proud2share (Adopt, Adapt and Innovate)
- Delivering a Good Experience
- Promoting Independence
- Apprentice/Student of the Year
- Behaviour to Inspire
- Leading with Compassion
- Delivering Savings
- Breaking the Boundaries
- Commitment to Delivery
Patients, carers, relatives, partner organisations and Trust staff are all able to nominate staff that work within any of the Partnership Trust’s health and social care services.
Nominate here until 10 February 2017
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Be Clear on Cancer – Abdominal Symptoms
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Inspiring healthy lifestyles
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To get more people in Cannock Chase aged 16-25 into mountain biking Sport England Sportivate Innovation fund have given funding to enable:-
- Three two hours' worth of mountain biking session at Chasewater (each session has a maximum of eight people) - sessions can be booked at time and dates that suit the group
- Free app to download – Chase Fit Cycling
- On completion of the projects a Chase Fit MTB goodie bag with all the MTB essentials
- Voucher for each individual, either towards a bike or maintenance on a bike
There is no cost, all that is required is the young people to get to Chasewater for the sessions.
For more information please contact Hettie Piggott
E: h.pigott@wlct.org M: 07917505854 T: 01543 501516
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Blood pressure
High blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer, as it often has no symptoms but can significantly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia. Take part in this pressure quiz to find out how much you know and read more information about what your blood pressure reading means.
10 lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure
1 Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline. Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. ...
2 Exercise regularly. ...
3 Eat a healthy diet. ...
4 Reduce sodium in your diet. ...
5 Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
6 Quit smoking
7 Cut back on caffeine
8 Reduce your stress
9 Monitor your blood pressure at home
10 Get support
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BERTIE - Beta Cell Education Resources for Training in Insulin and Eating
There is now an accredited national Type 1 Diabetes programme available free online at http://www.bertieonline.org.uk/. BERTIE is a structured diabetes education course that teaches people with type 1 diabetes how to manage insulin doses compared to carbohydrate intake.
It was created by the Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre (BDEC) with the aim of teaching patients how to recognise and count carbohydrates, how to work out insulin doses, and how this affects blood glucose levels.
Participants are encouraged to solve problems individually to assess what works best for them, and learn what to do to stay healthy.
Read more by visiting BERTIE online.
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Get involved with future development decisions in the District
Cannock Chase Council is asking local people to get involved with future development decisions and have their say in the local plan consultation. The consultation runs from 31 January until 27 March and asks residents, employers, local organisations and others for input into two important documents which will set out future development and investment in the District in the future.

The Local Plan (Part 2) will allocate sites for homes and businesses and green spaces based on the overall figures and policies set out in the Local Plan (Part 1), which was adopted by the Council in 2014. In addition to this the council is also developing an Area Action Plan for Cannock town centre which focuses on improving local facilities and bringing much needed investment into the area.
The Council wants to hear your views on the range of issues which both plans are covering and options for addressing these. There are drop in events at local libraries, where officers will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, all exhibitions will be the same so it doesn’t matter which one you attend.
There will also be a drop in event which specifically focuses on the Area Action Plan for Cannock town centre. This will be on Friday 3 March from 10am-1pm in the retail unit at the entrance of Cannock Market, Market Hall Street.
You can find out more at www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/planningpolicy, or see our exhibitions in the reception areas at the Civic Centre (Beecroft Road, Cannock) and Rugeley Area Office (Anson Street, Rugeley) and in the retail unit (entrance to Cannock Market, Market Hall Street).
For more information please contact Kirsteen Miles
E: kirsteenmiles@cannockchasedc.gov.uk T: 01543 464495
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Since 1 August 2016 all organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care were legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand and with support so they can communicate effectively with health and social care services.
The aim of this review is to assess the impact of the Standard and to ensure that it is ‘fit for purpose’.
We are inviting you to take part in a survey and share your experiences. You can complete a survey online (also available as a Word document, and in audio, braille, British Sign Language video, and easy read (associated diversity monitoring questions, also available in easy read)
Please complete and return your survey by 10 March.
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Raynaud Awareness Month
February
February is Raynaud's Awareness Month - to highlight Raynaud's and the work of the Raynaud's & Scleroderma Association (RSA) they are asking you to “LOVEyourGLOVES!”. February is statistically the coldest month of the year and it is vital to wrap up warm and protect your extremities.
Read more information
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Eating Disorders Awareness Week
27 February - 5 March
Eating Disorders Awareness Week is an international awareness event, fighting the myths and misunderstandings that surround anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified).
Eating disorders are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behaviour. A person with an eating disorder may focus excessively on their weight and shape, leading them to make unhealthy choices about food with damaging results to their health.
For more information visit the NHS website, or you can talk in confidence to an adviser from the eating disorders charity Beat by calling their helpline on 0345 634 1414.
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