Jade Quartermaine – Page 20

NHS Devon Board member says collaborative working has supported growth

“Being from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, there is more freedom in the way that we can work, and that has enabled me to make links and given me versatility” – Sarah-Lou Glover (pictured) believes organisations such as hers bring a unique insight and an agility to the NHS.

Sarah-Lou founded Parental Minds Community Interest Company in Honiton in 2019 to support families who are struggling with their mental health. It has multiple support hubs in east Devon, but also a strong foundation in working with other organisations and connecting different mental health services together.

“The more I started talking to other organisations and individuals, the more I realised there wasn’t just a problem in our neighbourhood but in our place and our locality,” says Sarah-Lou, “but I can’t respond effectively by working in a silo.”

One way in which Parental Minds is addressing issues alongside other organisations is by working with the Universities of Exeter and Coventry on research projects into early intervention and young people living with anxiety. It is also working in the Eastern Locality Care Partnership on preventing mental ill health in young people.

Sarah-Lou has also joined the Board of NHS Devon as a partner member for mental health, learning disabilities and neurodiversity; bringing her lived experiences, knowledge of the VCSE sector and also extensive experience of connecting organisations.

While the official transition to an Integrated Care system happened on 1 July 2022, Sarah-Lou has seen a gradual change in attitudes to the VCSE sector’s role and a growth in system working in the preceding years.

“Devon has been good at participation with the VCSE sector in recent years, there’s now increased trust in co-production. There is an understanding and a desire to work together. It’s all happened organically” and a lot of that development has happened because of Covid.”

Sarah Lou believes the move to more online meetings during the pandemic has opened up systems to the VCSE sector and made them much more accessible. Her hope is that the introduction of Integrated Care Systems, and the provisions for allowing more VCSE involvement under the Health and Care act, have widened that even further, allowing a meaningful change in the way the sector can contribute to supporting people’s health and wellbeing.

Chair and non-executive directors saw system-working in action

Partners across Devon were pleased to welcome NHS England’s chair, Sir Richard Meddings CBE, and fellow non-executive directors to the county for a tour that showcased a number of collaborative projects.

The visit was a chance to provide a realistic view of Devon’s challenges and opportunities, showcase the good work already underway – including a number of projects highlighting system-working in action – and look at future plans.

The tour included:

The NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust’s plans for a new emergency department
The new short-term care centre in Plymouth
Plans for a peninsula electronic patient record
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust including Torbay Pharmaceuticals
Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s mother and baby unit
Visiting the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to hear about Eastern Devon’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector work to support refugees and asylum seekers

Each summer, data from our four emergency departments suggests that up to one quarter of patients are visitors to the county.

Devon’s NHS is reminding visitors to the county that there are plenty of options available to them, should they get injured or poorly while on holiday or if they have left their medication at home.

In the vast majority of cases a pharmacist can help you with advice and over the counter remedies. Whether it’s sunburn, an insect bite, an upset stomach or earache a local pharmacy can offer quick and easy assistance for minor conditions. You can find your nearest open pharmacy online here.

If your condition is more serious or you have forgotten a prescription, the best person to help is your GP back home. They will be able to offer an appointment by telephone or online and can arrange a prescription for you.

NHS Devon’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nigel Acheson, said, “Here in Devon, we love to welcome tourists, whether they’re here on holiday or visiting family or friends. We want to make sure that our visitors know how to access medical help if they need it.

“Using a local pharmacy or contacting your own GP, is the fastest and easiest way to get help with minor conditions while you’re away from home. It can save you a long wait in our busy emergency departments and leaves our staff free to care for the people who most urgently need their help.”

For urgent care NHS111 can help online or by phoning 111 and can refer you to a Minor Injuries Unit, Urgent Treatment Centre for or Emergency Department for life threatening emergencies.

Prevention is, of course, better than cure and you can reduce your chances of some of the most commons problems by wearing shoes outside, keeping out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, covering up bare skin and wearing insect repellent or sun cream. NHS England has published a short film with helpful advice for visitors on the best way to access medical care during the summer months.

Residents and visitors to Devon are being reminded that if they have an urgent health issue this summer they can access medical advice online or by phone 24 hours a day at NHS111.

Anyone contacting 111 who needs emergency medical care from a hospital Emergency Department (also known as A&E) will be given direct access to the department. Staff at NHS111 can also refer patients through to Minor Injuries Units and Urgent Treatment Centres. This will ensure that people get to the right place for treatment quickly and may reduce their waiting times.

NHS Devon’s Clinical Lead for Urgent Care and Plymouth GP Dr Dafydd Jones said: “Using NHS111 online or by phone allows you to access medical advice for urgent health issues from the comfort of your home and with the knowledge that, if you do need go to a minor injuries unit or emergency department, you can be booked directly in and have a shorter wait on site. It also helps to reduce pressure on our busy urgent and emergency care services.”

“When you are injured or unwell it can be difficult to know where best to access help, especially outside normal working hours. NHS111 staff have the expertise to make that decision for you and advise you where to go, if needed, and what to do next.”

Parents can also get advice on common childhood illnesses can be found on the HANDi paediatric app and parents from Devon are being urged to download the app to access quick and convenient advice.

Many minor conditions and symptoms can be managed at home without seeking further advice. Visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk for a complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.

People who are visiting Devon and have a medical problem or need a prescription, your GP back home can help. They will be able to offer an appointment by telephone or online and can arrange a prescription, leaving you more time to enjoy the beautiful scenery we have here in Devon.

Mental health support

People are also being reminded that anyone experiencing a mental health crisis no longer needs to visit an Emergency Department for advice. Devon, Torbay and Plymouth mental health services provide a 24/7 First Response Service for anyone experiencing a crisis. The helpline offers expert mental health advice, support and signposting.

Devon and Torbay – call 0808 196 8708
Plymouth (18 years and over) – call 0800 923 9323
Plymouth (under 18s) – call 01752 435122

Pharmacy

Pharmacists are qualified experts in treating minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, stomach upsets and aches and pains. If you need help you can find your nearest open pharmacy.

Dental

If you need urgent dental treatment during a weekend of bank holiday— the NHS is here for you. Call your dentist or use the NHS 111 online service. They will be able to arrange an appointment if it’s necessary.

Devon has been ranked as second best in the country for patient experience of general practice, according to the 2022 England-wide GP Patient Survey.

The results have shown overwhelming public backing for Devon’s GP surgeries, with eight in ten respondents reporting a good experience of their practice.

The GP Patient Survey, administered by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England, found that GP practices in Devon have exceeded the national average across a range of categories.

The news has been welcomed by senior doctors and Healthwatch in the county, who have praised practice teams for continuing to maintain high standards of service throughout the pandemic, despite a staggering rise in demand for services and ongoing staffing and recruitment challenges.

The results of the national annual Ipsos GP Patient Survey, which saw 14,548 people across Devon sharing their views on a range of topics including making an appointment, overall experience, and local GP services, were published this month.

For patients who had struggled to get an appointment, most reported that their practice helped them in another way, with fewer patients reporting attending ED instead than the national average.

Dr Frank O’Kelly, a GP in Tiverton and partner member for primary care for NHS Devon, said: “It’s great that we can demonstrate that we have still been able to offer an extraordinary service in general practice that is well-received by our patients and supported by first-hand experiences.

“We know there will be times when some people have to wait longer than they or we would have liked, but the survey outcomes show the excellent service that local GP practices are delivering, and that the vast majority of patients are able to access services in a timely way.”

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Chair of NHS Devon, said “As a former GP in Devon, I am delighted to see that practices have yet again consistently performed better than the England average. This is fantastic recognition for the county’s GP practices and I am extremely proud of the level of service they offer to people in Devon. It’s rewarding to see both from our perspective, as well as for our patients.

“I know general practice teams across Devon have worked extremely hard over the last year and I know how dedicated they are to their patients, but with the challenges and increased demand they have faced over the last year that has been out of their control, the results could have been very different. We acknowledge that some patients experience challenges, but it is still great to see that over 8 out of 10 patients have a good experience.”

Jane Milligan, Chief Executive for NHS Devon, said: “The national GP Patient Survey is a crucial tool for us when it comes to understanding people’s experience of general practice. It allows us to work with local practices and identify actions that need to take place.

“The survey highlights that there is still more to do to meet the needs of our patients. We will continue to work with our partners, the public and GPs to improve experience and access across Devon as we develop a strategy for general practice in Devon for the next 10 years.

“We have provided additional funding to practices to deliver more face-to-face appointments. Our local GP practices are working with us to develop a solution to better understand and manage demand and capacity.

“We are increasing the range of roles in general practice teams to support GPs, extend access to appointments for evenings and Saturdays, and upgrade GP telephone systems, while making better use of digital alternatives and supporting patients to use these.”

The achievement in the GP Patient Survey closely follows the findings of a different national study that showed GP practices in Exeter have been rated the highest in the country on Google and have the highest proportion of practices with an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission.

Responding to the GP Patient Survey, Pat Harris, Strategic Lead for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, said: “These excellent survey results are commendable. It is a testament to the hard work of our GP Practices in Devon that there are so many categories where the score is higher than the national average, particularly during an incredibly challenging year for all health and care services. We congratulate all the highly rated practices across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and thank them for their hard work keeping patients safe.

“While these results are very encouraging, we have received patient feedback regarding some areas relating to access that are not as positive, and we are working closely with NHS Devon to ensure learning is made from this feedback.

“As health and social care services continue to recover from the pandemic, there will be pressure on all providers to meet the demand for local people accessing their services. Public feedback such as this survey will be very important moving forward so that providers and commissioners of services can capture what is working well and what may need to be improved. We therefore hope GP patients continue to share their feedback, whether directly with the practice or independently through your local Healthwatch.”

Nationally, patient satisfaction levels dropped further this year, with the proportion of patients reporting a good overall experience of their GP practice falling by more than 10 per cent, which demonstrates the challenges that general practice has been facing across the country.

A new free and confidential digital mental health and wellbeing service for adults is now available across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.

Qwell (www.qwell.io), delivered by mental health provider Kooth, will ensure that every adult living in the Devon has access to a choice of support to managing their own emotional health and wellbeing.

NHS Devon, working in partnership with Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Councils, has commissioned Qwell to provide all adults aged 18+ with free, anonymous, confidential digital mental health support.

Qwell offers a safe online space for adults to access therapeutic activities and content including a peer support community. This includes self-help articles, forums, and discussion boards that are moderated by qualified practitioners.

Qwell users can also keep an online journal and monitor their wellbeing via an interactive goal tracker. This will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sitting alongside the self-help and community support, is a one-on-one live text chat and messaging counselling service with a team of qualified practitioners. Appointments can be booked in advance or accessed via a drop-in text-based chat which runs from midday to 10pm on weekdays, and from 6pm to 10pm at the weekend.

Anyone over the age of 18 living in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay can access support from Qwell without a referral from a health professional. There is no criteria to qualify for support.

Children and young adults aged 11 to 18 across Devon already have access to the professional support Kooth.com offers for emotional wellbeing and mental health. Both services are confidential and designed to work as part of wider mental health services across One Devon.

One Devon is the name of Devon’s health and care system working in partnership, which includes NHS organisations and local councils, as well the many other local organisations, groups and communities who work together to improve the health, wellbeing, and care of people in Devon.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Joint chair of the One Devon Partnership said: “This is a great example of how One Devon is working together to improve the health, wellbeing and care of our communities, removing traditional boundaries between services so people get the support that they need.

“This project has been launched as a direct response to the increased need for support for emotional health and wellbeing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This new online support service has been designed to complement our existing mental health services and focuses very much on providing support to help people build resilience and ways of managing their emotional health and wellbeing now and in future.”

Dr Lynne Green, Chief Clinical Officer at Kooth Plc said: “There’s no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to mental health care and it’s not always easy for people to reach out and ask for the help they need.

“This is where an anonymous digital service such as Qwell can help – by providing adults with a confidential and safe space to access support on their own terms, and in a way they feel comfortable with.

“In addition, being able to access early intervention services that offer a balance of self-care and professional support can help combat perceived stigma and prevent certain problems escalating. They can also aid in the reduction of the severity and duration of any potential mental health illness.

“NHS Devon and Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Councils have really raised the bar when it comes to the wide choice of mental health care, services and support it is offering residents.

“This means those living in One Devon will be able to benefit from a clinically robust service, with a team of experienced practitioners and professional counsellors that can provide support. No matter the issue or situation, both Qwell (and Kooth.com) are here to help.”

To access the service, visit the Qwell website, enter your town or location and complete a short registration process. Once registered, Qwell can be accessed 24/7 via any internet-connected device such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Sidmouth GP practice, Sid Valley Practice, has announced plans to improve and expand facilities at the Beacon site, while re-locating the Blackmore site to Sidmouth Community Hospital in the town centre next year.

The expansion at Beacon will mean a staggering 16 new rooms will be available for patients and staff at the Beacon site in late 2023 – a significant increase to the capacity of the current practice and their ability to provide services.

The improvements will enable more physiotherapists, pharmacists, mental health workers, administration support and a team to support care home residents to work from the site.

Dr Joe Stych, a GP at Sid Valley Practice, said: “This is excellent news for the people of Sidmouth and surrounding areas. The expansion enables us to provide significant additional capacity to our clinical teams, ensuring we can provide much more access to appointments for our patients.

“With well-known challenges across the country in the recruitment of GPs, it’s vital that GP practices expand their clinical teams to a wide range of specialties, and we will be able to provide this additional workforce through the new, expanded space.”

Rooms will also be available to student nurses, medical students, and GP trainees.

Dr Stych added: “Access to more clinical space will help us to attract future doctors and nurses to the area. We will also have more room for social workers, midwives, mental health workers and research nurses to see patients locally, which is vital to improving patient care.”

The additional space will also mean the practice is well-placed to see increasing numbers of patients from the Newton Poppleford area, who have been keen to join the practice list for many years.

An extra operating theatre at the Beacon site will provide more operating time for skin cancer surgery and carpal tunnel surgery, saving patients from having to make a journey to Exeter.

Office staff will move onto one site, to streamline administrative services and provide more efficient handling of phone calls and administrative requests coming into the surgery.

The Blackmore branch surgery, which has a lack of safe and modern healthcare facilities, will re-locate to Sidmouth Community Hospital, where the practice will be able to continue seeing patients in the town centre if they can’t travel to Beacon. GPs and the wider clinical team will run clinics from both the Beacon and Hospital sites, ensuring patients from across the town have access to their GP and continuity of care. The same services that were provided at Blackmore will be provided from the Victoria Hospital.

Dr Stych added: “We have worked very closely with our Patient Participation Group, our patients and Healthwatch Devon to ensure that people continue to receive care in the town centre and that the re-location to the Hospital doesn’t adversely impact their care.”

Patients will be able to access Beacon or the Hospital for their GP, nurse or healthcare assistant appointments. The Sid Valley Practice will have exclusive use of three clinical rooms, waiting room space and a manned reception.

Patients of the practice will continue to access services in the same way as they do now – either online through the practice website, via the telephone or through reception. Both premises will continue to have a face-to-face reception service.

Sidmouth Community Hospital, run by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Trust, has modern facilities, and already provides a range of outpatient services for the Trust.

The practice has said that the improvements will not only improve access for patients, but they will also have an impact on staff and patient wellbeing. Dr Stych added: “By expanding our facilities, we will be able to attract more clinical staff to work at the practice, helping to make our services more sustainable and safeguard them for the future, in turn improving access for patients to appointments.”

In late 2020, Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay were commissioned by Sid Valley Practice to seek further local opinion on the proposed Beacon Development, specifically with harder to reach groups. Pat Harris, Strategic Lead for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay is pleased the findings outlined in their engagement report have been used to improve and expand facilities:

“Our report showed a clear need from patients to maintain a service in the town centre and that many patients considered that extension plans would be beneficial. We are delighted this patient feedback has been listened to and used to develop and enhance the service on offer to the local community.

“It really makes a difference to residents when they are heard and placed at the heart of healthcare delivery planning. We hope that the people of Sidmouth and surrounding areas see a positive improvement to their care and continue to share feedback with us at Healthwatch about the service they receive.”

The practice received a grant from NHS England towards the project to enable them to progress. Liz Cosford, NHS England South West Interim Director of Primary Care and Public Health Commissioning, said: “This is fantastic news and was supported by the NHS England Estates, Technology and Transformation Fund to carry out design and planning of the extension. Once complete, the expanded site will allow teams to provide high-quality care and treatment to the local population.”

During the current high temperatures people are being asked to look out for family, friends and neighbours who are more vulnerable during hot weather.

Older people and people with long term conditions may need help to stay cool, particularly if they live alone. Young children are also vulnerable.

The NHS advises people to avoid going out and strong physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day and that, if you do need to go out between 11am and 3pm, to apply sunscreen, wear a hat, walk in the shade if possible and bring a drink.

Director of Public Health for Devon Steve Brown said: “Weather like this is something many people look forward to and go out and enjoy, but it’s worth remembering that high temperatures can pose health risks for some people. It’s important to protect yourself and others from too much sun or heat, to carry water when travelling and to think of those, such as young children or older people, who may feel the heat more acutely than others.”

NHS Devon’s Chief nurse Darryn Allcorn said: “If people do suffer sunburn or a heat rash a community pharmacist can help. If someone is showing signs of minor heat exhaustion the advice is to get them to lie down in a cool place, give them plenty of water to drink and help to cool their skin with a sponge or spray.”

Heat exhaustion symptoms include, a headache, dizziness and confusion, loss of appetite or nausea, excessive sweating and pale clammy skin, cramps, being very thirsty, a high temperature and a fast pulse or breathing.

Heatstroke can be very serious if not treated quickly. You should call 999 if you or someone else have any signs of heatstroke and they are:

feeling unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place and drinking plenty of water
not sweating even while feeling too hot
a high temperature of 40C or above
fast breathing or shortness of breath
feeling confused
a fit (seizure)
loss of consciousness
not responsive

Health services in Devon are currently extremely busy, with the high Covid rates impacting on staffing and high temperatures in recent days leading more people to seek medical help.

At the end of last week there were six times as many people in Devon’s hospitals with Covid-19 than the beginning of June; over 300 patients. More than 1000 hospital staff were absent due to Covid-19; four times the number in early June. Community Covid-19 rates are less accurate, due to reduced testing, but have seen similar increases.

People are being asked to do their bit to help reduce pressure on services. This includes picking family and friends up when they’re ready to be discharged from hospital, choosing the best service to meet your needs if you are unwell or injured, wearing a mask if you have a health appointment or a visiting a loved one in hospital and staying at home if you have Covid or symptoms of any infectious disease.

Dr Nigel Acheson, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Devon said: “We’re here if you need us, but we ask that you support us by helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and using the most appropriate service for your health needs. We also thank people for their patience at such a busy time; health staff are doing all they can to ensure people are seen as quickly as possible.

“If you have a friend or family member who is in hospital, we also ask that you collect them as soon as possible when they are ready to be discharged. This makes the bed available for others who are unwell and reduces pressure on our busy emergency departments.”

If you have any urgent medical needs NHS 111 is on hand 24 hours a day online or by calling 111, leaving emergency departments for life threatening emergencies.

Anyone contacting 111 who needs emergency medical care from a hospital Emergency Department will be given direct access to the department. Staff at NHS111 can also refer patients through to Minor Injuries Units and Urgent Treatment Centres. This will ensure that people get to the right place for treatment and reduce their waiting times.

You can also avoid a long wait in an emergency department by treating minor conditions at home. Pharmacists can offer advice on sunburn, insect bites and stings and will have creams, paracetamol and anti-histamines that can ease discomfort.

If someone is showing signs of minor heat exhaustion (headache, dizziness, nausea) NHS advice is to get them to lie down in a cool place, give them plenty of water to drink and help to cool their skin with a sponge or spray.

Prevention is, of course, better than cure and people can reduce their likelihood of sunburn by; applying cream, avoiding being out in the sun between 11 and 3, covering up and wearing a hat and of being stung by; wearing shoes, covering exposed skin, applying insect repellent and avoiding strongly perfumed cosmetics.

Meanwhile it is not too late for people to have any Covid-19 vaccinations they are eligible for. Appointments can be booked online or by calling 119 and walk in clinics are published on the NHS website.

With Covid-19 rates rising, people attending health appointments at their GP or in hospital are being strongly encouraged to wear a mask. The same advice is being issued to people visiting friends or family in hospital or a care home.

There are currently six times as many people in Devon’s hospitals with Covid-19 than the beginning of June; over 300 patients. More than 1000 hospital staff are absent due to Covid-19; four times the number in early June. Community Covid-19 rates are less accurate, due to reduced testing, but have seen similar increases. This impacts on NHS services, leading health bosses to ask the public for their support.

Dr Nigel Acheson, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Devon said: “Covid-19 is still, very much a part of our lives. We want to minimise the impact it has on our services and our ability to tackle the waiting lists that have built up during the pandemic.

“We’ve tightened infection prevention and control measures in hospitals, GP practices and other healthcare settings and we’re asking you to support us. Please wear a mask to your appointment and when are visiting a loved one, stay away if you have symptoms of Covid-19 and continue to social distance and wash your hands.” Meanwhile it is not too late for people to have any Covid-19 vaccinations they are eligible for. Appointments can be booked online or by calling 119 and walk in clinics are published on the NHS website.

Who we are

Author: Jade Quartermaine