In this issue:


If you have feedback about these topics, or anything about your health or care, give Healthwatch Tameside a call on 0161 667 2526. Or email info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk


Health services open for business

The NHS wants everyone to know they are there to help you. Safety measures have been put in place to protect people from COVID-19. Please wear a mask when you attend appointments and use the hand sanitiser provided.

Dental care - It is currently very difficult to get an appointment with an NHS dentist, and even more so if you do not already have an NHS dentist. Appointments are being offered to people needing emergency care initially, following the closure of practices for several months due to COVID-19. Each dental practice has a large backlog of NHS appointments. If you have a dental emergency, give your dentist a call. If you have a dental emergency and do not have a dentist, you can ring the GM Urgent Dental Service on 0333 332 3800. They triage calls and then give appropriate advice. If you are still having difficulty and have an emergency you can call the NHS England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.

 


Malnutrition and dehydration

Help is available to support Tameside and Glossop residents over the age of 65 who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

Now more than ever, due to unforeseen difficulties faced due to the coronavirus pandemic, malnutrition and dehydration pose a threat to older people who are not eating and drinking enough to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Many older people and those with serious health conditions, that raise their risk of malnutrition, are without access to their usual support networks. Some people may not have been able to get out so often, or are feeling less fit and able, or are worried about winter, the approaching flu season and what will happen with the coronavirus.

Tameside Council and NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group want residents to recognise and understand the risk of undernutrition and dehydration in later life. Support is available so that people know how to screen themselves, loved ones and those being looked after; know what to do to prevent malnutrition; and know what to do if anyone has concerns about someone who has experienced unplanned weight loss. 
It supports Malnutrition Awareness Week (5-12 October 2020) led by The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) together with Malnutrition Task Force (MTF).

More information can be found at www.tameside.gov.uk/Newsroom/Articles/Help-available-for-elderly-at-risk-of-malnutrition


Flu jabs

More people are being offered a free flu jab this winter. These will be made available to people in the highest health risk groups first. To find out if you can have a free flu jab, go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/


COVID, flu or a cold?

During the past couple of weeks, most of the online newspapers and news websites have included an article about the differences between symptoms of COVID, flu and a cold.

A brief summary is included on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/

You can also look at your favourite news site.


Tameside Hospital Foundation Trust membership

Tameside Hospital wants to hear from the local community on how they can improve the services on offer. For more information about getting involved, please see www.tamesidehospital.nhs.uk/get-involved/foundation-trust-memberarea.htm

 

COVID-19 guidance - what can Tameside residents do?


Tameside has stricter restrictions about what residents can and can't do than some other places in England. This can change from week to week. To summarise, at the time this ebulletin is released:

There are exemptions to these rules, which can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/north-west-of-england-local-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do

Here are some other trusted websites you can look at, to get information. If you can't find what you are looking for, give us a call on 0161 667 2526.

Tameside Council - www.tameside.gov.uk/itworks

COVID-19 testing - www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119. This website also includes information about Test and Trace, and downloading the new NHS COVID-19 app.

Self-isolating - www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

 

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