Healthwatch Tameside ebulletin 1 February 2024

If you have feedback about these topics, or any recent experiences about health or care services you think we should know about, give Healthwatch Tameside a call on 0161 667 2526. Or email info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk

The survey aims to understand the opportunities and challenges for improving access to primary care in Tameside, and is open to anyone who lives in Tameside and has used GP services in the past 12 months. We want to hear from as many people as possible, to ensure the results accurately reflect the views of people in Tameside, so if you have not already completed the survey, we would love to hear from you!

You can complete the survey online by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWTGPPractice, or by calling 0161 667 2526, where you can either complete the survey over the phone with a member of staff, or request a paper copy of the survey and a prepaid envelope.

The results will be shared with GP providers and commissioners to help improve the quality and accessibility of GP services in Tameside. Help us do this by completing the survey today!

Pathway to CAMHS - New Healthwatch in GM project

Healthwatch in Greater Manchester are interested in hearing from parents and carers who have supported children and young people to access (or trying to access) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Healthwatch in Greater Manchester know there are long waiting times for young people to be seen and we want to investigate how this is affecting them. Findings will aid decision-makers in statutory NHS and Care services as well as in the education and voluntary sectors, to effectively prioritise services.

Healthwatch in Greater Manchester have a launched a survey aimed to gather personal experiences of young people, as well as a separate survey open to parents and carers for them to share their experience of supporting their children.

As part of this project, Healthwatch in Greater Manchester are also going to survey professional staff who are faced with pressures of the increasing numbers of children and young people who seek their help whilst they continue to offer the highest quality of care.

Survey links:

To complete the young people’s survey click here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/5AOYF6/

To complete the parents/carer’s survey click here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/04XCJG/

Get Involved - Local events and activities

There are lots of Tameside organisations offering support and activities you can get involved with. Please see the list below for a few examples:

Groundwork - Activities to boost your wellbeing

Groundwork aim to create a greener, fairer and stronger future for all people, communities and places in Greater Manchester. They run a number of support sessions and regular activities in Stockport and Tameside, helping to connect people with others in their neighbourhood, increase confidence and self-esteem, and learn new skills. Some sessions offer specific support, including activities for the over 50s, and support groups for Armed Forces Veterans. You can visit their website at https://www.groundwork.org.uk/greatermanchester/gm-get-support/improving-my-physical-mental-wellbeing-gm/wellbeing-stockport-tameside/, or email Liane.Kirk@groundwork.org.uk for more information.

Mind – Menopause Project

The Mind Menopause Project aims to increase menopause support across Greater Manchester by funding mindfulness and relaxation for menopause courses, providing training to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s), and delivering culturally appropriate and specific menopause awareness sessions in different communities across Greater Manchester. Details of upcoming courses can be found here: www.gmmind.org.uk/menopause-project/mindfulness-relaxation/, or by contacting one of the project leads: ruth.rosselson@manchestermind.org or alison.watson@mindinsalford.org.uk. You can read more information about the project on the Mind in Greater Manchester website: www.gmmind.org.uk/menopause-project, and you can contact Tameside’s local Mind (TOG Mind) by visiting their website at www.togmind.org/home, calling 0161 330 9223, or emailing office@togmind.org.

Being There – Wellness Club, Hyde

Being There is a local charity providing emotional support and practical assistance to people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. They are organising a Wellness Club in Hyde, to discuss Health and Wellbeing in the local community, and explain what kind of support Being There can offer. An initial ‘taster session’ will be held at St George’s Church (55 Church Street, Hyde, SK14 1JJ) on Monday 5^th February, 10am-12pm. For more information, please contact Shakira Rahman at diversity@beingthere.org.uk. You can read more about Being There’s work at https://beingthere.org.uk/ .

Healthwatch Tameside outreach events

Our staff and volunteers are out in the community on a regular basis, to gather your feedback on local services and talk to you about the help we can offer – come and say hi at one of the following events:

LGBT+ History Month is for everyone; whether you work in education, a museum, a library or an art gallery, a business, a service, or are a member of a network/social group or an individual. It is celebrated every February across the UK and was founded in 2004 by Schools OUT UK co-chairs, Paul Patrick & Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders. It was first celebrated in February 2005.

The UK 2024 LGBT+ History Month theme is: Medicine – #UnderTheScope. The 2024 theme celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare, both historically and today. You can read more about LGBT+ History Month 2024 on the School's OUT website: https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history-month-2024/.

Action Together are currently working on a short campaign for LGBT+ History Month to spotlight groups in Tameside that provide services for LGBTQ+ folk, specifically those who are from the following groups:

If your organisation, or an organsiation you know of, provides services for LGBTQ+ people (even if the organisation is not specific to LGBTQ+ people), particularly people from the above groups, then Action Together would love to hear from you! Please contact tayyaba.kosar@actiontogether.org.uk for more information.

‘The last year of our campaign is all about bringing attention to a higher level—literally. We will raise our voices to engage our leaders. Now that we have knowledge and a united community by our side, we are ready to shake the very foundations of injustice—to become lifelong advocates fully equipped to push for lasting change.

Together, we will make sure our leaders know that we demand a commitment to prioritising cancer, to creating innovative strategies designed to confront inequity and to investing our resources to achieve a just and cancer-free world. We will call on leaders to eliminate health inequities by addressing their root causes, ensuring that everyone has access to quality health services when, where and how they need them.’

Dignity Action Day is an annual opportunity for health and social care workers and members of the public to uphold people's rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people who use care services. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. Happening every year, it’s a day for friends, families, communities, and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives.

The more conversations we have, the better life is for everyone. Talking about mental health isn’t always easy and sometimes it’s even harder to say how you really feel. But a conversation has the power to change lives - Time to Talk Day is the perfect opportunity to start a conversation about mental health.