News and reports

As the end of the school term approaches, parents and carers in the Black Country are being reminded of the importance of managing their child’s asthma over the summer.

Asthma is a lung condition that affects around one in every 11 children and causes symptoms like coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.

It varies from one child to the next, but most types of asthma can be managed well by using a preventer inhaler every day to control their asthma. A reliever (blue) inhaler may be needed occasionally if symptoms flare up.

Engaging Communities Solutions CIC (ECS) are the providers of local Healthwatch in Bedford Borough, Halton, Sandwell, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall and Warrington. We are carrying out a survey across all seven areas about people's knowledge and experiences of Pharmacy First services that were launched in 2024.

Help us find out what the public know, how they have used the service and what opinion they have of the service.

A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during June 2024.

Also, things that you can get involved with!

A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during May 2024.

Also, things that you can get involved with!

A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during April 2024.

Also, things that you can get involved with!

We have just launched our latest work project. If you have used Walsall Urology services in the last 18 months, we would like you to share your experience of using the service. To get involved please take part in a questionnaire.

Download and read what we have been doing and achieved over the last year.

People in the Black Country are being urged to think carefully about which health service they should use during the upcoming industrial action.

Junior doctors are planning to strike for five consecutive days, starting from 7am on Thursday 27 June to 7am on Tuesday 2 July.

All health and care partners in the Black Country are working together to prepare for the industrial action, which will have significant impact on NHS local services, and are asking the public for their support.

Emergency care will be prioritised, and people are being reminded that 999 and emergency departments are still the right services if it is a life-saving emergency. However, for anything that isn’t life-threatening, people are being urged to use 111 online as the first port of call for health needs. People can also call 111 for help, advice, and signposting to the most appropriate service.

Pharmacies, GP appointments, walk-in centres, minor injury units and urgent treatment centres will continue to be available during the industrial action and can help people with a range of injuries and illnesses.

People with hospital appointments should continue to come forward for the care they need and do not need to call to check if appointments are going ahead. If appointments do need to be rearranged due to strike action, patients will be contacted directly.

With just one week left of this year’s spring COVID-19 vaccine programme, the NHS is urging all eligible people who haven’t yet had their top-up to come forward and get protected.

The spring COVID-19 vaccination programme started in April, with eligible people invited to come forward and book an appointment via the National Booking System or by calling 119.

Following advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), those eligible for a vaccine have until Saturday 29 June to book an appointment, with the last spring vaccinations on offer the following day on Sunday 30 June. Appointments can be booked via the National Booking System, the NHS App or by calling 119.

People eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine include:
• those aged 75 and over (you need to be 75 by Sunday 30 June 2024)
• adults and children (aged six months to 74) with certain health conditions
• care home residents.

The spring COVID-19 vaccine is also available at a range of pop-up clinics which have been set up across the Black Country. The clinics will be running until the end of June, with no appointment necessary. You can find your nearest pop-up clinic on the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) website.

Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “As the weather gets warmer, it’s easy to forget that COVID-19 is still circulating in our communities.

“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 and the spring booster
programme provides an opportunity for those who are at highest risk of severe illness to keep their immunity topped up.

“There is now only one week left to book an appointment either online or by calling 119 as the offer of ends on Sunday 30 June. So, I would encourage anyone eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine who hasn’t yet come forward to book an appointment while they can or pay a visit to one of our pop-up clinics.”

For more information on the spring COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the NHS website.

This year one of our priority projects is ‘The Patient Experience of Cancer Services in Walsall’. Our aim is to gain an understanding of the patient experience of those who have used cancer services in Walsall; generally we are trying to find out whether people in Walsall were happy with the treatment and care they received. We want to know if people were treated with compassion, if they felt safe and cared for, if they were listened to; and whether they were given the support and information they needed. Getting an understanding of this will help us to understand how services can be improved for the future.

Our work programme document for 2024 - 2025

Priority Project 1: (Q1 – Q2) Patient Experience of Cancer Services at Walsall Manor Hospital

Healthwatch Walsall are wanting to gain an understanding of the patient experience of those who have used cancer services in Walsall. We want to find out about whether service users were happy with the treatment and care they received. We want to find out if people were treated with compassion, felt safe, were listened to and whether they were provided with support and information needed. An overall report will be produced with recommendations included and once finalised and approved this will be shared with stakeholders and partners, together with being published on our website.

We have just launched this project, to take part in this survey Click Here

Healthwatch Walsall is delivered by Engaging Communities Solutions CIC (ECS). ECS deliver seven local Healthwatch across England.

We are carrying out a project to gather feedback across all seven local Healthwatch areas to understand what people know about Pharmacy First and their experiences of using it after it’s introduction at the beginning of 2024.

The survey is open until 1st July 2024.