NHS Hertfordshire will be working with all other NHS Trusts in the county over the next year to implement a new Equality Delivery System (EDS) to improve the way in which people from different groups are treated as service users, carers and employees. The EDS will be used in every NHS organisation in England which means that wherever you go for NHS services you will find organisations working to the same set of goals around equality & human rights.  These are:

• Better Health Outcomes for all
• Improved patient access & experience
• Empowered, engaged & well supported staff
• Inclusive leadership at all levels

So what makes this different from everything else that happened before?

Well to make the EDS work properly it’s extremely important that we not only speak to the whole community in Hertfordshire, but also that we get them involved in the process.  What this means is that there will be opportunities for local communities to help us govern what we do around equality and diversity.  This could mean being involved in rating how well we are performing.  However it could also mean that you help us to ensure providing services that meet the needs of all protected characteristics.

What are protected characteristics?

Protected characteristics refer to all the different groups of people that are covered under the Equality Act 2010 – the main piece of legislation that protects people from discrimination in the UK.  These are:

• Age
• Disability
• Ethnicity/Race
• Gender
• Gender Reassignment
• Marriage & Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy & Maternity
• Religion & Beliefs
• Sexual Orientation

What can I do to help?

The Residents' Association, through our membership of Hertfordshire LiNK will be involved in the consultation regarding the implementation of EDS in Hertfordshire, so please let us know your views on this - contact us at health@chorleywoodresidents.co.uk or leave a message on 01923 537637

The Health and Social Care Bill is currently with the House of Lords, and in the meantime, Hertfordshire is moving ahead to be an early implementor. One important feature of the Bill is to bring health and social care closer together through Health and Wellbeing Boards. A Hertfordshire shadow Health and Wellbeing Board has already met to represent integrated patient interests, and Henry Goldberg as Chair of Herfordhsire Link is a member of the Health and Wellbeing board.

Work is also underway in Hertfordshire to transfer helthcare commissioning responsibility from the PCTs to Clinical Commissioning Groups, and these are new gaining the necessary authorisation to take over responsibility for commissioning as soon as possible.

And as we have already reported, Windmill House in Bushey (Intermediate Care unit) is to close with patients to transfer to either Garston or Elstree.

There's more detail on these changes in the upcoming Chorleywood Newsletter which will be distributed to members in early November.

Henry Goldberg, October 2011.

Deadlines are approaching to influence the proposed changes to the NHS.

The consultation exercise is focussing on:

•     The role of choice and competition for improving quality;
•     How to ensure public accountability and patient involvement in the new system;
•     How new arrangements for education and training can support the modernisation process; and
•     How advice from across a range of healthcare professions can improve patient care.

The publuic consulataion document is attached, and we would encourage all members and residents to submit their views.

Significant changes to the way that health services are to be provided locally are being planned. The Government  states that it is committed to putting patients and public at the very heart of The Health Service, but that is not always how it feels.

We need to try and keep up-to-date with the proposed changes.

On Tuesday 15^th March between 1– 4 pm there was a Conversation Café held at the Stanborough Centre  in Watford. It was arranged by NHS Hertfordshire, CVS in 3 Rivers and WatCom Practice Based Commissioning Group and supported by NAVCA and Herts LINk. The event was very well attended by interested individuals and representatives from many local organisations.

Lunch was provided at the start followed by a full agenda of speakers and discussion groups that was well managed by Independent Facilitator, David Moses.

Zillah Turner, Chief Operating Officer of WatCom, set the scene by describing the shift that will take place when GP Consortia take over responsibility from the PCT’s for commissioning health services.

Our very own Joint Chair Henry Goldberg, Chair of Herts LINk, described the recommended changes for LINk organisations. Herts LINk will become Health Watch Hertfordshire and will feed into an umbrella organisation, Health Watch England. They are being asked to provide a new service – advice to patients on their choices and options for health and social care. The public are encouraged to join LINk (Health Watch) to influence policy and practice.

Table discussions followed on the challenges and opportunities presented by the formation of the new GP Consortia.

Peter Wright, Public Health Partnership Manager, NHS Hertfordshire – explained some of the White Paper: Healthy Lives, Healthy People.  Health Promotion having priority.

Neil Dixon, Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Development Manager, Herts County Council and NHS Herts – explained the importance of identifying needs within areas so that money can be allocated and services provided appropriately.  (Telling the story of our people, our places, our communities) All commissioning bodies need to have consulted the JSNA when planning services for both adults and children.

Further table discussions followed on the personal relevance of the JSNA and potential opportunities for joint working. Also how inequalities can be reduced by working together - a key priority for Public Health in Watford and Three Rivers.

David Moses (Facilitator) extracted brief summaries of the table discussions. The participants were asked what has been most interesting for them, what they intend to do next and what they would like to see happen next.

The main points from the discussions will be collated by him, circulated to attendees and used by the participating organisations.   

Jacky Khara attended this meeting on behalf of the Residents' Assocation. If you have any comments or views about local heathcare provision contact us at health@chorleywoodresidents.co.uk  

Every year Three Rivers Council runs it’s Beat The Killer Cold campaign in which local residents are asked to make a donation to help provide fuel vouchers for the older and less well off in our community, every pound donated is matched pound for pound by Three Rivers there by doubling the value of the donation.

Even in Chorleywood which is generally thought of as being well healed there are many of our older neighbours who are struggling to pay the ever increasing fuel bills, so please do try to spare a few pounds to help them keep warm.

The Beat The Killer Cold campaign was introduced by the Lib Dem administration at Three Rivers Council around 20 years ago and is now supported by all parties on the Council over that time many thousands of pounds have been raised and vouchers distributed throughout the District.

A donation form is attached for you to print.

 

 

                                             

The AGM for the LINk will be at 7pm on Wednesday, 8 June, at the Fielder Centre, Hatfield.  A buffet will be available from 6pm.

 

Henry Goldberg

19 January 2011

 

The Trust, which runs Watford, Hemel and St. Albans hospitals, has been under considerable pressure over the last few months, due to flu (particularly Swine Flu) and fractures. There have been up to nine cases of Swine Flu in intensive care.  Extra beds have had to be provided and non-urgent operations cancelled. Hospital staff have been affected by illness and fractures, as has the wider community.  Agency staff have had to be brought in. This increased demand on the hospitals has also brought financial pressures on the Trust. 

 The bill has been published today.  It sets out the legislation to implement the changes to the NHS proposed in an earlier White Paper. Following the consultation on the White Paper, the Department of Health published a paper in December on its response.  A number of changes were made to the original proposals, which generally strengthened the proposed changes.

 Henry Goldberg

19 January 2011

 

Hertfordshire LiNK have notified us of a consultation currently being run by Hertfordshire NHS on the quality of pharmaceutical services available in the county at the moment and an attempt to identify any gaps in these services.

We have found, through this draft PNA, that generally the people in Hertfordshire are happy with the pharmacy services provided, have timely access to the medicines and advice they need and there is good coverage of community pharmacy services in terms of location and opening times across the county. We identified no gaps in provision of essential and advanced services.

We have, however, identified opportunities for existing contractors to focus their current essential and advanced services to better meet the needs of the population and to be value for money.

Pharmacy Team

NHS Hertfordshire

FREEPOST 145

Charter House

Parkway

Welwyn Garden City

Hertfordshire

AL8 6JL

Just over the border in Bucks, changes have been afoot since April 2010 to merge Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust with Community Health Buckinghamshire. Now that the integration process has been completed, the new organisation has announced its new name: