-
Report -
To observe the physical environment of the home and the interactions of staff and residents. To listen to, observe and capture the experiences of service delivery from the residents and relatives. -
Report -
The report is for Healthwatch Walsall to find out what its work focus for engagement and research should be for the coming year -
Report -
The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Workstream of Healthwatch Walsall carried out a survey in the Accident and Emergency Department of Walsall Manor Hospital during May 2016 -
Report -
Healthwatch continues to gather information locally, through various means, such as surveys, focus groups, one-to-one conversations, and questionnaires. -
Advice and Information -
Five things you should expect from home care, domiciliary care or help in the home. -
Report -
To observe the physical environment of the home and the interactions of staff and residents. To listen to, observe and capture the experiences of service delivery from the residents and relatives. -
Report -
A total of 995 surveys were completed with participants across the 4 Areas listed, along with 3 focus groups and notes from APMS consultation events. -
Report -
To observe the physical environment of the home and the interactions of staff and residents. To listen to, observe and capture the experiences of service delivery from the residents and relatives. -
Report -
Each year Healthwatch Walsall asks the public what their concerns are around health and social care services -
Report -
Walsall CCG carried out a consultation on the future of Urgent Care Services in the area. -
Report -
Walsall CCG carried out a consultation on the future of Stroke Services in Walsall. -
Report -
To observe the physical environment of the home and the interactions of staff and residents. To listen to, observe and capture the experiences of service delivery from the residents and relatives. -
Report -
In light of the fact that people were either waiting to be seen or part way through their journey of having their issues diagnosed we used a semi-structured interview technique with a set of questions to help the interviewer talk to the patients and their families. -
Report -
To observe the physical environment of the home and the interactions of staff and residents. To listen to, observe and capture the experiences of service delivery from the residents and relatives. We carried out the visit at the request of Adult Safeguarding Walsall CCG. -
News -
Local health chiefs have issued important guidance following the updated cold weather
alert.
The Met Office, in conjunction with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has issued an amber weather alert, which is currently in place from Sunday 7 January to Friday 12 January, as severe winter weather is forecast.
An amber alert means extreme cold conditions are expected, with the elderly, people with underlying health conditions, babies and very young children at risk from the weather. In the Black Country, forecasters have predicted severe cold weather and icy conditions with temperatures continuing to reach below zero this week.
People are encouraged to take extra precautions to keep safe while the alerts are in place, such as checking on vulnerable friends and neighbours, keeping food and medications in stock and ensuring homes are adequately heated.
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Taking extra care during cold weather is really important, particularly for people who are more vulnerable to suffering ill health due to the cold, such as babies and very young children, older people, pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions.
“It is recommended that we should heat our homes to at least 18 degrees Celsius in winter as this minimises risks to our health. If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and your bedroom just before you go to bed.
“Try to avoid going out in cold icy weather but if you do need to go outside wear shoes with slip resistant grip and wear a few layers of thin clothing rather than one thick layer to trap in heat. It is also important that you have frequent hot food and drinks as these can help to keep you warm.
“Make sure you also take the current weather alert into account when planning any activity over
the following few days and try to avoid exposing yourself to cold or icy outdoor conditions,
especially if you’re at a higher risk of cold-related illness or falls.
“We are also asking everyone to remember the needs of friends, relatives, and neighbours who could be at risk during this period of cold weather. Make sure they’re well, and warm and have sufficient stocks of food and medicines, in case they cannot go out for a few days.”
For more advice on staying well in cold weather, visit the NHS website here. -
Report -
A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during October 2023.
Also, things that you can get involved with! -
Report -
A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during Novmeber 2023.
Also, things that you can get involved with! -
Report -
A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during December 2023.
Also, things that you can get involved with! -
News -
A callout to anyone who has used the NEW Emergency and Urgent Care Centre at Walsall Manor Hospital.
Share your experience, call us on 0800 470 1660 or Email: info@healthwatchwalsall.co.uk -
News -
Parents across the Black Country are being urged to make sure children are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab, following an increase in measles in the West Midlands.
Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as severe lung infections and inflammation of the brain. It also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.
It can spread quickly among communities, such as schools and nurseries, if children have not had two dose the MMR vaccine.
Symptoms of measles include:
• high temperature
• runny or blocked nose
• sneezing
• cough
• red, sore, watery eyes
• rash, which usually appears a few days after cold-like symptoms (sometimes it starts around the ears before spreading to the rest of the body).
All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age. Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR.
Adults and older children can also be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before and are being encouraged to come forward if they haven’t had two doses.
The NHS has created a video of a local infection prevention nurse sharing the symptoms of measles to look out for and the ways to keep your child safe with the MMR vaccine.
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News -
The Black Country Local Maternity and Neonatal System (BCLMNS) is looking at a way of working across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. This would mean that care is based on where women and birthing people plan to have their babies – rather than being based on geography -
Advice and Information -
If you are living with Chronic Pain, why not join the Chronic Pain Self Care Management Programme and take better care of yourself -
Advice and Information -
By taking part, you will:
• Gain/extend knowledge about how to live with your condition
• Feel confident and more in control of your life
• Manage your condition and treatment together with healthcare professionals
• Be realistic about the impact of your condition on yourself and your family
• Use your new skills and knowledge to improve your quality of life
• Meet others who share similar experiences
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Advice and Information -
Diabetes Self Care Management Programme
If you are living with Diabetes, why not join the Diabetes Self Care Management Programme and take better care of yourself. -
Advice and Information -
Learn new skills to help you to cope with your caring situation. -
News -
With the start of the new school term and the continuing rise in measles cases across the West Midlands, parents and carers in Walsall are being urged to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations such as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) as soon as possible. -
News -
Engaging Communities Solutions (ECS) is the organisation that delivers your local Healthwatch service. As well as delivering local Healthwatch, ECS carries out social research for a range of clients who are usually from the public sector. The subjects that we cover are mainly health and social care related but sometimes we carry out projects that are about other topics too. To be able to involve more people in our research projects we are now recruiting people to join our Participant Panel. Members of the panel are people who would like to take
part in focus groups or interviews about different subjects and contribute to service improvements or new developments that are not part of the work of the local Healthwatch. You will receive a thank you for any focus groups or interviews that you take part in as a Panel Member such as a gift voucher.
If you are interested in joining our Participant Panel, please complete the registration form Https://engagingcommunities.welcomesyourfeedback.net/3d8r22 , or if you have any questions about the Panel, please contact Research Manager, Deborah Faulks, on 07876 897098 or deborah.faulks@weareecs.co.u -
News -
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE’S VOICE SURVEY -
News -
Useful information and support -
Advice and Information -
Due to an increase in measles cases across the West Midlands, pop-up vaccination clinics have been set up in the Black Country to help ensure children aged 12 to 16 are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as severe lung infections and inflammation of the brain. It also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.
It can spread quickly among communities, particularly schools, if children have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine.
All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age.
Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR and adults and older children can be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before.
A series of pop-up clinics offering the MMR vaccine are taking place across the Black Country for 12 to 16 year-olds (Year 8 and Year 11) who haven’t yet had two doses. The clinics are being hosted in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell on the following dates:
Wolverhampton:
• The Health Hub, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton, WV1 3NH, Saturday 20 January,
9am-2.30pm. To book an appointment call 01902 200077
Dudley:
• Fens Pool Community Centre, Tennyson Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 4HY, Saturday 20
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01384 431712
Sandwell:
• Wood Lane Community Centre, Wood Lane, West Bromwich, B709PT, Saturday 27
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 0121 592 1110
Walsall:
• South & Central Locality Hub, Birchills Street, WS2 8NF, Saturday 27 January, 9am1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01922 902035
The clinics will be staffed by trained healthcare professionals from the NHS and Vaccination UK who specialise in childhood vaccinations and follow all necessary safety protocols. Parents and carers who are unsure if their child is up to date with their routine vaccinations can also check this at the clinics. Children will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the clinics.
Dr Fiona Rose, local GP and Clinical Director for Quality and Safety for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board said: “Measles can easily spread between unvaccinated people and can be very serious, so it is important that parents make sure their children are protected. The safest and most effective way to prevent measles is to ensure your child is fully vaccinated with MMR vaccine.
“It’s understandable that parents may be worried about getting their child vaccinated, however the MMR vaccine is one of the most studied vaccines in the world, with millions of doses given every year – it is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community.
“It’s never too late to come forward and our pop-up clinics are a great opportunity for children aged 12 to 16 years to get vaccinated if they have missed a dose, so please do book an appointment as soon as you can.”
Parents who are unsure if their child is up to date with all their routine vaccinations can also check their child’s Red Book (personal child health record), check the NHS app, or contact their GP practice.
For more information about the MMR vaccine, visit the NHS website here. -
Report -
Healthwatch Walsall was successful in a bid for a microgrant from the Black Country ICB to
undertake engagement with the homeless and rough sleepers in the Borough of Walsall. The
aim of the work was to ascertain the views around planned and urgent care.
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News -
If this is you? Or a loved one? Get in touch. Tel: 0800 470 1660 or email: info@healthwatchwalsall.co.uk -
Advice and Information -
Are you grieving the death of a loved one or struggling with the long-term effects of loss? Then join us for this six-session course, The Bereavement Journey, being run by the Brownhills & Willenhall and Walsall Methodist Circuits. -
Report -
To read and download a copy. Use the 'Downloads' button below.
Provider feedback
The below response was received and added.
We at The Willows were happy to welcome the Healthwatch team into the home.
Face to Face relatives meetings will recommence in February 2024, as recent Zoom meetings were not well attended. The Activities Co-ordinator will be inviting residents to a meeting very soon for discussions and recommendations.
We as a home acknowledge the report and look to make improvements for the well-being of our residents and staff. -
Advice and Information -
Pop-up vaccination clinics have been set up during February half term to help ensure hildren are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age.
Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR and adults and older children can be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before.
The clinics, which will be running everyday throughout the half term break, are open to all eligible children who are due or have missed a dose. Adults up to the age of 25 are also invited to come forward.
The pop-up clinics are being hosted at a range of locations across the Black Country. This is in
addition to existing pop-up clinics taking place this weekend:
Saturday 3 February:
• Vaccination van located outside Poundland in Walsall Town Centre, Lower Hall Lane, St Matthews Quarter, WS1 1PU, 9am-3pm. To book an appointment call 01922
902035
• Whitmore Reans Family Hub, Wolverhampton, WV1 4AL, 9.30am-2.30pm. To book an appointment call 01902 200077
Saturday 10 February:
• Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge, DY8 2AA, 10am-3pm. To book an appointment call 01384 431 712
• West Bromwich Central Family Hub, Off Claypit Lane, West Bromwich, B70 9EZ, 9am3pm. To book an appointment call 0121 592 1110
Monday 12 February:
• Tesco, Silver Street, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 6DZ, 9am-3pm, To book an appointment call 01922 902035 -
Advice and Information -
Guidance, information and vaccination information. -
Report -
Read or download a copy.
One download is a PDF and the other in Microsft Word format. -
Report -
Healthwatch Walsall wanted explore how Black and Asian women in Walsall truly feel during
their maternity journey. Do women feel as though they are listened to and valued as individuals? Do women feel they are treated with respect and compassion? These are major factors in the quality of treatment a patient feels they have received. Furthermore, we wanted to ask women if they felt their ethnic background influenced the treatment and care they received.
Gathering such patient experiences helps to give a small insight into the maternity journey for Black and Asian women in Walsall. -
Event -
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News -
Dear colleague,
Your local NHS is asking people for their comments about proposals to reduce differences in access to Healthcare services in the Black Country.
In July 2022, a change in the law created our new organisation, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), to take over local healthcare planning from the former clinical commissioning group (CCG) serving the areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
Since the ICB establishment we have been reviewing our clinical policies. This includes:
reviewing the four existing CCG policies to harmonise them into one new position for the ICB
implementing new policies to take into account national clinical guidelines and best practice
While the majority of their clinical policies were similar, there were several clinical polices that had some differences. To address these differences, commissioning policies for treatments listed below are being reviewed to look at how they can be made the same for the places of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton
Clinical experts have looked at the latest evidence and practice for all of these services, both nationally and locally, to ensure the local offer is high quality and safe.
The clinical policy review will be carried out in stages.
A public involvement exercise is now live to collect wider views and feedback from local people and staff to inform our final decision-making.
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News -
The Dementia Needs Assessment is being developed by Walsall Council in partnership with the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB). The aim is to understand the needs of Walsall residents with Dementia and those caring, supporting or working with them.
A community survey is currently live for anyone who has contact with the public as part of their work or volunteering role in the community. Responses will help the Council and the ICB understand resident needs, whether services are meeting these needs, gaps in support, areas for improvement, and information, knowledge, and training needs.
The Council would like to hear from anyone who comes into contact or support people with dementia. For example, libraries, community services, places of worship, carers support and dementia care. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be completed by going to the survey page for Dementia Needs Assessment 2023: Community Survey. Alternatively you can scan the barcode in the attached poster.
For more information or to request the survey in an alternative format, please
email MWwalsall@walsall.gov.uk. -
Report -
An estimated 1.9 million people living in private households in the UK (2.9% of the population) were experiencing self-reported Long Covid (symptoms continuing for more than four weeks after the first confirmed or suspected coronavirus (Covid-19) infection that were not explained by something else) as of 5 March 2023. Long Covid symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of 1.5 million people (79% of those with self-reported Long Covid), with 381,000 (20%) reporting that their ability to undertake their day-to-day activities
had been “limited a lot”. Long Covid is an emerging phenomenon that is not yet fully understood. -
News -
In June 2023, the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) published the local NHS Joint Forward Plan, describing how NHS organisations in the Black Country will work together with other partners, including Local Authorities and the community and voluntary sector, to arrange and provide services to meet the needs of local people.
The following five priority areas were set out in the plan:
Priority 1- Improving access and quality of services
Priority 2- Community where possible – hospital where necessary
Priority 3- Preventing ill health and tackling health inequalities
Priority 4- Giving people the best start in life
Priority 5- Best place to work.
With the second year approaching, the plan has been updated and a sixth priority - ‘fit for the future’ - has been added. This is to recognise that the Black Country health system needs to change the way it works to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges it faces. -
News -
Ideas Made Real is for young people aged 16-24 to turn their social action projects and community ideas into reality. Each successful young person will receive an award of up to £8,000 and expert support from United By 2022’s youth team to bring their project to life. Whether it's addressing homelessness, promoting mental
health awareness, or improving their surroundings, Ideas Made Real is designed by young people, for young people. Ideas Made Real is part of our GEN22 programme and last year’s projects won a national award.
To celebrate the West Midlands turning 50 this year, Ideas Made Real will hand the reins over to young people to create lasting impacts in their neighbourhood, their community and their home. If you have ever felt that no-one is doing anything about an issue that you care about, then this is for you. Previous participants say that Ideas Made Real made them feel confident and connected, and proud they made a difference for a community important to them, or in the place they call home. -
Advice and Information -
Being active and making connections with others is an important part of our health and wellbeing.
Let's Talk can help to identify what support you would like to access and to make connections in your local community.
For more information, click download for the Lets Talk Service leaflet. -
Advice and Information -
As Muslims begin to prepare for the month of Ramadan, the NHS has shared a reminder about how to stay safe and healthy during the holy month. Ramadan is expected to start on the evening of Sunday 10 March, subject to moon sighting, and end on Tuesday 9 April, during which time many Muslims will fast and not eat or drink during daylight hours. Fasting during Ramadan can be challenging, especially for those living with a long-term health condition such as diabetes, those who take prescribed medicines or anyone who needs a medical appointment during the holy month. -
Advice and Information -
The way to order repeat prescriptions is changing.
Notification to patients of a change in service for repeat prescriptions - please read carefully. (As this applies to specific GP venues as listed below).
From 31 May 2024, you will no longer be able to order repeat prescriptions using the Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) telephone service.
Your GP practice will be taking over the responsibility for your repeat prescriptions.
You can order your repeat prescriptions using one of these methods:
• on the NHS App
• by logging into your NHS account at www.nhs.uk
• by requesting a repeat prescription on your GP practice website
• by contacting your GP practice after 10am, to avoid the morning demand for appointments, for support with your repeat prescription request.
If you are unable to use any of these methods, please contact a member of staff at your GP practice who will be able to discuss your options.
The POD service is currently available to patients registered at the following Modality GP practices in Walsall:
• Collingwood Practice
• Forrester Street Practice
• Harden Health Centre / Blakenall Practice
• Keys Family Practice
• Kingfisher Berkley Practice
• Modality Darlaston Practice
• New Invention Practice
• Pleck Medical Centre.
• St John's Medical Centre.
NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board have provided a set of frequently asked questions explaining why the service is closing, what alternative options you have, and where you can go if you have any questions or concerns.
For more information about the way to order repeat prescriptions, please visit the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board's website.
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Report -
A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during February 2024.
Also, things that you can get involved with!