Author: Jade Quartermaine
Torbay Council is working in partnership with Samaritans South Devon to offer a callback service to vulnerable people who need support.
As of February, the council’s customer-facing staff have been referring people to Samaritans South Devon with the individual’s consent.
It means that those who need to talk to someone do not need to make the active choice to phone the Samaritans. They just need to answer the phone when the Samaritans call back.
If a council member of staff is speaking to someone during the course of their work who they identify as potentially needing further help, they can ask the person if they’d like a confidential call from the Samaritans.
Councillor Hayley Tranter, Torbay Council’s cabinet member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Many people may be going through difficult times for a number of reasons but may not normally consider contacting the Samaritans directly.
“The organisation offers anyone struggling to cope the time and space to talk about the issues and problems they face.
“This new service means they don’t have to initiate a call but simply pick up the phone if the Samaritans ring them.
“It will only be done with their consent. Once the council employee has passed the first name and phone number to the Samaritans, no further information will come back to the council. It could be a lifesaver for someone in real turmoil.”
Dean Sanders, Samaritans South Devon Director, said: “Samaritans South Devon are delighted to be working in partnership with Torbay Council to offer our Callback Service to local people who are struggling to cope.
“We have around 90 well-trained Listening Volunteers committed to weekly shifts at our Torquay centre. They will make the callbacks and offer emotional support without judgement or pressure, giving people the time and space to explore how they’re feeling.”
Anyone can contact the Samaritans for free at any time from any phone on 116 123, even from a mobile without credit.
The NHS National Booking System will open for spring Covid-19 vaccination bookings on Monday (15 April), with those eligible able to book appointments from the following week.
Around 884,000 people in the South West region will be eligible for a spring Covid-19 vaccination, including people aged 75 or over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents.
The South West has one of the best take up rates in the country with last year’s autumn vaccine programme resulting in 60 per cent of eligible people (compared to 47.8 per cent nationally) getting their Covid-19 vaccination.
Spring vaccinations will be available until 30 June 2024.
Anyone eligible can book a vaccine appointment via the NHS website or by calling 119 for free, with parents or carers able to book a Covid-19 vaccination for children under 16 on their behalf. Eligible people aged 16 and over can also use the NHS App to book an appointment.
The NHS is sending texts, emails, NHS App messages or letters to those who are eligible, but they do not have to wait for the invite to book.
Monday will also see the start of visits to older adult care homes and eligible household patients. For those that receive all their care at home, a home visit should be arranged via their GP.
Eligibility for a spring vaccination is similar to previous years but those with a weakened immune system are now eligible from six months instead of five years.
Following JCVI advice, this spring’s eligible cohorts include:
- Adults aged 75 years and over by 30 June 2024
- Residents in care homes for older adults
- Individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.
This year there are thousands of appointments available every day across the country including at pharmacies and GP practices. Some areas also offer convenient walk-in options, with a list of available walk-in sites online.
Covid-19 can still be very dangerous and even life-threatening, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune system. The vaccine gives good protection and helps reduce the risk of serious illness or death, needing to go to hospital, catching and spreading the virus, and protects against different variants.
UKHSA surveillance data on last year’s spring Covid-19 vaccination programme showed that those who received a vaccine were around 50% less likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19 for three to four months after vaccination, compared to those who did not receive one.
Anyone eligible who has not received any previous doses should get vaccinated during this year’s spring offer, to help protect against serious illness.
The NHS is also encouraging those eligible to get the shingles vaccine, which is recommended for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79, and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system. Anyone eligible should be contacted by their GP surgery to book an appointment.
Dr Michael Marsh, South West regional Medical Director, said: “We’re really proud of the fact we have one of the best take-up rates in the country as this is one of the best ways people can protect themselves from the serious harm Covid-19 can still cause. We aim to make it as easy as possible for eligible people to get their vaccinations, so please don’t hesitate to get an appointment and protect yourself or the people you care for.”
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “This spring, the NHS is offering the Covid-19 vaccine to those that are at highest risk of getting seriously unwell if they catch the virus.
“Covid-19 can still be very dangerous, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune system, and over time immunity – either from having the virus or from a previous vaccination – can fade, so it is vital that those who are at higher risk top up their protection.
“If you are aged 75 or over or if you or your child have a weakened immune system, then it is vital that you get your vaccine as soon as possible – you can book quickly and easily through the NHS App, by calling 119, or visiting the NHS website, which also lists walk-in sites across the country that you can visit without an appointment.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Immunisations at UK Health Security Agency, said: “With COVID-19 still circulating, it’s important those at highest risk who are eligible for the spring vaccine get their jab to help top up their immunity.
“We are still seeing COVID-19 causing hospitalisations and severe illness particularly among older people and those with weakened immune systems and the vaccine provides the best protection – so don’t put it off, if you’re eligible book your appointment as soon as you’re invited by the NHS.”
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable from Covid and this spring programme will give those most at risk of serious illness the protection they need.
“Getting vaccinated is quicker and more convenient than ever, with thousands of sites open across the country including local pharmacies and GP practices.
“I urge anyone eligible to book their appointment as soon as possible.”
A summary of the health conditions, treatments and medications that can cause a weakened immune system is available here, and a full definition of immunosuppression can be found in Chapter 14a (table 3) of the Green Book.
Devon colleagues were invited to present the findings from a system piece of involvement and insight into the reasons people chose to attend emergency departments (ED) to the South West Clinical Senate this month.
On 7 March, Jonathan Sewell, involvement and insight manager and Steven Clark, partnerships and involvement manager, both of NHS Devon, presented at the senate’s annual conference with Sarah Lonton, operational lead for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay.
Their presentation on the involvement programme, which was commissioned by NHS Devon and provided by Healthwatch, was well-received and led to conversations about developing a model that could be used regionally and nationally.
Health and care partners across Devon have come together to provide a new coaching and mentoring service to staff.
The One Devon Retention Hub is a team of qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (AHPs) who work across the system as Legacy Mentors and Career Navigators.
Their primary role is to support staff retention in specific services across health and social care where there is a high retention risk, with the aim of helping to retain the highly skilled and valued nursing, midwifery and AHP workforce.
The Retention Hub provides individual and/or group mentoring and career coaching services to specific teams. The meetings are confidential unless there is a safeguarding concern.
Individuals can access the service directly or a manager can refer someone in via the referral form. The service, which is running as a pilot until June 2024, has produced a short video that summarises its offer.
The One Devon Partnership (ICP) has agreed a priority focus on children and young people in 2024 to influence and encourage action across the county.
The ICP is a statutory committee that includes a range of partners who influence people’s health, wellbeing and care.
The commitment follows its meeting in February where it received a joint update from NHS Devon, Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council on the key challenges and progress in children’s services.
Members agreed that a historical lack of coordination had caused significant impact, alongside issues including poverty, poor housing and associated social isolation.
To support in developing a more coordinated approach, the ICP the agreed to support in the following ways:
- To invite education colleagues from the Academy Trust to be involved in Partnership meetings
- Develop a task and finish group to enable strategic conversations regarding commissioning and procurement of children’s services as a system
- Consider an ethical framework and group for prioritisation of service provision
- Hold an all-age neurodiversity symposium
- Further incorporate CYP issues into the next iterations of the Devon Joint Forward Plan.
Services across Devon are collaborating on a project that integrates health and wellbeing data from different services to address health inequalities and improve outcomes.
The One Devon Dataset (ODD) provides a single view of data relating to people, communities and services.
All acute, community, mental health and social care providers in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are signed up and providing data, along with 80% of the county’s GP practices.
The tool allows services to uncover gaps in data quality, identify new risks (such as fuel poverty) and monitor specific patient flows through health and social care datasets.
This enables funding to be targeted at the people and communities where it is most needed, while monitoring and evaluating the impacts of interventions.
Confidentiality is maintained throughout the dataset by using pseudonymised data.
Several projects are already making use of the dataset, including analysing the impact of clinical-decision support software for anaemia of chronic kidney disease patients, supporting the monitoring of palliative and end-of-life care patients, and monitoring the impact of interventions for high blood pressure (hypertension).
Moving forwards, the project has plans to expand to other areas including children and young people and 111.
If you are interested in accessing the dataset, contact the ODD team.
Building work has begun on a new £20 million learning disability and autism (LDA) unit on Devon Partnership Trust’s (DPT) Langdon site in Dawlish.
Preparatory work has been going on for the last few weeks, with a formal formal turf-cutting ceremony taking place at the end of February, with service manager for the LDA unit, Carol Gray, doing the honours.
Carol was joined by Andy Willis, DPT’s Chair; Phill Mantay, DPT Acting Chief Executive; Chris Entwistle, from the learning disability service; Shona Charlton from NHS Devon; and the regional director for construction partner, Kier.
Andy and Phill said a few words to mark the occasion, reminding people that this £20 million investment to support people with mental health needs and a learning disability and/or autism is part of a £40 million regional project being delivered through two locations – with the other unit in Bristol.
The ten-bed unit has been designed with input from people with lived experience and will provide state-of-the-art care for people in a modern, therapeutic environment when it opens next summer.
“A great opportunity to see firsthand the new ways health and care teams are working together to benefit patients” is how a national NHS director described services in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, following a recent visit.
Partners were delighted to have welcomed Professor Sir Stephen Powis (NHS England National Medical Director), Dr David Hargroves (National Clinical Director for Stroke Medicine), Dr Michael Marsh (Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer for NHS England South West) and members of the South West Regional Medical Directorate for a three-day visit in February.
During the first day, the group were based in Cornwall and saw the portable x-ray equipment and community assessment and treatment unit at West Cornwall Hospital, followed by meeting the acute hub, triaging team and homecare team at St Austell Healthcare.
Day two began at North Devon District Hospital where they saw how the electronic patient record system is benefitting patients, followed by a trip to the rehabilitation ward at Tiverton Hospital and later a tour of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter.
On the final day, the delegation visited the thrombectomy service at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) which treats more than 200 patients a year and is one of the most effective types of treatment for certain types of strokes.
The group rounded off with a visit to Livewell Southwest to talk about innovative practice and use of technology across community, primary and acute care. They were impressed by Livewell’s approach to workforce and workforce development and use of Integrated Care of Older People.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “Our visit to Devon was a great opportunity to see firsthand the new ways health and care teams are working together to benefit patients.
“The Nightingale is a real case in point – repurposed from the pandemic to provide day-case surgery for hips, knees and cataracts so Devon can tackle long waits and bringing real benefits for patients.
“Equally the work being done in Plymouth by Livewell Southwest to deliver joined up health and social care for people in the community and mental health team and learning disabilities teams, was very impressive.
“It was also good to see how Devon’s apprenticeship model is using innovative ways to tap into schools and bring new staff into the workforce, which will not only support the NHS workforce now but also in the future.”
The NHS in the South West is facing significant disruption to routine care this week due to industrial action, just as we enter one of the busiest periods of the year for the service.
Junior doctors across the NHS will begin striking at 7am on Wednesday (20 December), until 7am on Saturday 23 December.
With the run-up to Christmas already a busy time for the NHS, the strike is expected to have significant impact as the NHS focuses on ensuring patients needing urgent and emergency care can be treated safely.
This means some routine appointments and operations will be postponed. Hospitals are contacting people directly should their appointment need to be delayed; therefore, people should continue to attend any appointments as planned if they are not contacted.
Dr Michael Marsh, NHS England South West Medical Director, said: “The NHS is always busy during the winter months and in particular over the Christmas and New Year period as staff take a well-earned break to be with family and friends.
“Add industrial action to that pressure means the NHS has to prioritise urgent and emergency care to ensure people are cared for safely. That does mean having to postpone routine appointment and operations so that staff are freed up to cover for junior doctors.
“We are asking people to help the NHS by continuing to use 999 in life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111 online for all other health concerns. GP services and pharmacies are also available for patients and can be accessed in the normal way.
“Patients who haven’t been contacted or informed that their planned appointment has been postponed are urged to attend as normal.”
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “These strikes come at a time that will cause huge disruption to the NHS, with services are already feeling the strain of winter pressure.
“When you factor in the Christmas and New Year break, these strikes will prolong that period of reduced activity and it also puts the health service on the back foot into the new year, which is a time where we see demand start to rise significantly.
“Over the holiday period, I would encourage anyone who needs medical help to continue to come forward – in a life-threatening emergency, call 999 and use A&E in the usual way. For everything else, use 111 online.”
Top tips to help the NHS over the festive period:
- Use 999 in life-threatening emergencies. If you are unsure of the service you need use NHS 111 online or by phone.
- If your loved one is in hospital and well enough to leave, help support them to get home at the earliest opportunity.
- Make sure you have enough regular medication and don’t leave repeat prescription requests until you have run out. Your own GP can help arrange an urgent medication supply if you do run out.
- Make use of pharmacies. Pharmacists are open over weekends and can give you expert, confidential advice and over-the-counter remedies for minor illnesses and ailments. You don’t need to make an appointment to see a pharmacist.
- Call your own GP – even if you’re on holiday – when surgeries are open. They offer appointment via telephone and video, so you don’t need to be there I person.
- Parents can download the free NHS HandiApp for advice about common childhood conditions.
- Check our website over the festive period to see which of your local pharmacies is open, and when: https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/info-professional/pharm-info/pharmacy-opening-hours/
Notes to editors:
- There will be a further period of industrial action by junior doctors from 7am on 3 January to 7am on 9 January.
- South West regional medical director Dr Michael Marsh is available for interview on Tuesday, 19 December. To request and interview please contact england.swcomms@nhs.net
- The pharmacy rotas for Christmas and New Year will be posted later this week, once late changes have been incorporated
NHS England South West is one of seven regions in England, covering Swindon, the Bath area, Wiltshire, the Bristol area, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. We make sure that people across the South West have access to high-quality health and care services.
Our work involves supporting the seven Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and 23 NHS trusts in the region to ensure that together they provide excellent healthcare services that meet the needs of patients and the communities of the South West.
We do this by providing professional leadership to the local NHS on commissioning, digital transformation, assurance and delivery, finance, nursing, medical and clinical leadership.
A new national report on empowering communities to tackle health inequalities has been published. Case studies in the report illustrate the progress that can be made when communities are involved in designing services; and when cross-sector groups work together to invite people in, listen, and then make changes.
