Header Image

 In this issue:


  • New Healthwatch Tameside survey
  • Community groups 
  • Are you bored?
  • The NHS is still open for business
  • Other useful bits and bobs
  • COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidance 

New Healthwatch Tameside survey

Did you complete our new COVID-19 survey last week? If not, here it is again www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/covid-19-survey

This short survey will help us to understand what you think could make lockdown easier to live with. We want you to tell us what is working well, as well as what could be improved. The survey is anonymous. 

There have been several changes in the way that health and care services have been delivered recently. Would you be happy to see any of these changes carrying on after the lockdown comes to an end? Would you need any help or support for this to happen?

We will be sharing the anonymised findings from this survey with commissioners and relevant providers of services. Don't worry if you don't use services in Tameside. The information you provide will be equally useful to other local boroughs, so we will pass it on the relevant Healthwatch where you live. 

The results will be used, alongside other feedback, to plan health and care services for the local population. The report will be published on our website.

The survey can be found on our website at www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/covid-19-survey . Paper copies will be available shortly. Please get in touch on 0161 667 2526 or email info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk with contact details, if you know someone who doesn't have access to the internet, and we will post a copy out, with a FREEPOST envelope. Thank you.

 

Community groups


Community Groups and charities - we asked groups to let us know what they were doing in Tameside at the moment. We heard from these groups this week, and this is what they told us:

Diversity Matters North WestWe live in worrying times and as a local charity we want to do whatever we can to help the Tameside community get through the COVID-19 pandemic as unharmed and supported as possible. In response to the pandemic, our services will be running at a reduced level.

More information about our services can be found at https://diversitymattersnw.org.uk/covid-19-support/. We also communicate with the community through Facebook by sharing links, positive stories and relevant information regularly.

We are all working from home but can still be reached through voicemails left on our landline 0161 368 3268. We have collated all contact information on our website.

 

Guide Dogs - New phone line launched to support you during the coronavirus outbreak.  

Guide Dogs are providing answers and information for people with sight loss and their families during the coronavirus outbreak. They can help you identify ways to continue living actively, independently and well, refer you to their other services or help you access services by other providers. Please call 0800 781 1444 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or visit https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/covid19 to find out more.  

Guide Dogs has changed the way it provides services in response to social distancing, with every channel being used flexibly to give you choice and access to expertise and advice promptly.  For example, Guide Dogs staff can now arrange to contact you regularly by phone to provide individual support through the social isolation period.  

Customers who use BSL should contact Guide Dogs via the webpage https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/covid19, clicking on the SignVideo logo on the right hand side, or through a SignVideo app. This connects you to a SignVideo interpreter who will then connect to the information line.

  

Are you involved with a community group or charity working in Tameside? Give us an update on what's happening in your group, and we'll give you a mention in next week's ebulletin - contact us by email: info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk .  Also, if you are in contact with your members, please can you pass on our details, and the link to our survey, (www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/covid-19-survey) so they can feed back to us about their own experiences of using health and care services.

 

 

Are you bored?


During the last few weeks we have provided links to activities that could be done at home. If you want to look back at these, they can be found at www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/content/e-bulletin 

Here is another selection:

Make it click - a set of online learning resources split into themes such as Working at Home, Documents, Online Safety, Calendars, Using Email etc.  It is part of a national campaign to improve digital skills. It is aimed at 18-65 year olds who are in work and want to improve their skills, or out of work and wanting to look for work or a change in direction. More information is on this leaflet.

Live Active - this page is updated to include additional activities and information on a regular basis. Find the exercise activity that suits you while you are at home www.activetameside.com/live-active/

The NHS is still open for business


NHS primary health care and urgent care services in Tameside and Glossop are still ‘open for business’ during the coronavirus pandemic, even if it’s not related to COVID-19. 

A reduction in numbers of residents presenting with an unwell child, those with cancer symptoms or a long-term health condition including mental health has been seen in Tameside and Glossop, and people must continue to seek the appropriate medical help or treatment.

GP practices remain open and are taking measures to ensure the safety of all patients and staff. Patients are asked to phone their practice in the first instance or visit their practice website for details about accessing their GP via online consultation. Suitable arrangements will be made for those who do need to be seen face to face. In some cases, this may not be at their usual practice location.

GP practices and hospitals have strict infection prevention and control measures in place, so it is safe to attend appointments. It is important that patients attend routine appointments, such as antenatal checks, sexual health advice and contraception, and childhood vaccinations, as normal if they have been informed that it is going ahead.

For more information visit https://www.tamesideandglossopccg.org/news/the-nhs-is-still-open-for-business

 

Other useful bits and bobs

Domestic abuse traffic light support systemAn innovative traffic light system is among guidance created to help adults and children in Tameside tackle domestic violence. The details can be found at www.tameside.gov.uk/earlyhelpoffer/parent-carer/relationshipsupport

Tameside Safeguarding Children Partnership - the ‘About Us’ homepage has been updated to provide links to the support and guidance that is available to children, young people and their families during the coronavirus pandemic - www.tamesidesafeguardingchildren.org.uk/#aboutus

Care Quality Commission - the CQC have paused the inspection timetable during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, they are still urging the public to feed back anything they hear. They will then use this information as part of their work. More information can be found on their website at www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/our-purpose-role/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-information-public

Reports are still being produced following CQC inspections carried out prior to the lockdown, and the latest is:

          Moss Cottage Nursing Home - www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-145286241

Action Togethersupport and information to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations can be found on their website www.actiontogether.org.uk/covid-19  This link also includes information about volunteering - Action Together are co-ordinating the volunteer response in Tameside. 

GM Big Disability surveyThis survey aims to find out what issues disabled people face during the Covid-19/Coronavirus Pandemic and will be used to inform GM services how to meet those support needs. The survey link is https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/gmbigdisabilitysurvey . There is also an easy read version https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Easygmbigdisabilitysurvey . The survey closes on 15 May 2020.

 

COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidance


Here are some trusted websites you can look at, to get up-to-date information:

Tameside Mental Health - www.tameside.gov.uk/coronavirus/mentalhealth

Tameside Council website - www.tameside.gov.uk/coronavirus   If you have further queries, or need help while self-isolating or shielding, the number to ring is 0161 342 8355.

Tameside & Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group - www.tamesideandglossopccg.org/news/covid-19

NHS website - www.nhs.uk/health-at-home/

Healthwatch England - www.healthwatch.co.uk/

View this mailing as a website
Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing
Click here to cancel all mailings

CVAT Logo
Healthwatch Tameside

131 Katherine Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7AW
Part of the Action Together family

t: 0161 667 2526
131 Katherine Street
Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7AW
e: info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk w: www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk

Registered Charity in England & Wales (1165512).

Healthwatch is the new independent consumer champion created to gather and represent the views of the public. Healthwatch will play a role at both national and local level and will make sure that the views of the public and people who use services are taken into account.

This email has been sent by Healthwatch Tameside, part of the Action Together family. Registered office 131 Katherine Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. This email and any attachments are believed to be free from viruses but it is your responsibility to carry out all necessary virus checks and Action Together accepts no liability in connection herewith. If received in error Action Together can be contacted by phone on 0044 (0)161 339 4985 or via email
info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk

Please don't print this email unless you really need to.