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Advice and Information -
It's so important that you feel supported as a new parent. Read the article below to find out where you can go to get the help you need. -
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The project aimed to speak to women who had given birth in the last 12 months. -
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A copy of our Annual Public Meeting presentation -
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A copy of our public meeting/ minutes. Agenda plus 4 documents enc. -
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A copy of our public meeting/ minutes -
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A copy of our public meeting/ minutes -
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Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Friday 6 August 2021 02:15 p.m. Virtual online digital platform Zoom -
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Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Monday 19 April 2021 02:15 p.m.
Virtual online digital platform Zoom
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Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Thursday 4 February 2021 11:15 a.m.
Virtual online digital platform Zoom.
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Advice and Information -
Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Thursday 3 December 2020 11:00 a.m. Virtual online digital platform Zoom
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Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Thursday 3 December 2020 11:00 a.m. Virtual online digital platform Zoom
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Healthwatch Walsall Advisory Board (HAB) Meeting held on Thursday 23 July 2020, 2.00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting -
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, themes, and useful information. -
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An NHS guide to... -
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A specialist project that pulls together the support and how to access it when needed. -
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Information of support for those who feel isolated. Available support and services. -
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Our seasonal update contains service information and messages as well as what we have been up to and what you told us. -
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The young person's communication project is aimed at young people aged 14-24 to find out their experiences and challenges in accessing health and social care services and whether young people are aware of alternative options for primary care services. We are conducting this survey to find out what barriers young people are faced with and what could help improve this for them. -
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued an Urgent Safety Alert for baby self-feeding pillows and is urging the public to stop using them immediately and dispose of them safely. Businesses selling these products must immediately remove them from the market as they cannot comply with the safety requirements under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Link to more information: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/urgent-safety-alert-issued-for-baby-self-feeding-pillows -
Advice and Information -
There are a number of things you can do to help including getting your winter vaccinations and using the NHS 111 service first for any urgent medical need. The below links take you to the relevant advice and information to support you during the winter.
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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With the NHS under extra pressure this winter, we need to hear your experiences of care to help services understand what is working and spot issues affecting support for you and your loved ones.
The NHS is facing added pressures this winter. This means that it can be more challenging for people to receive the care they need.
Feedback from the public can play a vital role in helping health and social care services understand what is working and spot issues affecting the care of local people.
This is why we have launched a campaign to get more people to share their experiences of care this winter.
If you or a loved one have used GPs, hospitals, pharmacies, care homes or other support services this winter, we want to hear about your experience.
Every experience matters
Have you faced challenges or delays accessing health and care services this winter? If you have, we want to know how this has affected your health and wellbeing.
Have you found accessing NHS services easy? Are there any aspects of the care you got that you really valued?
Your positive or negative feedback can help services hear what is working and spot issues affecting care for you and your loved ones.
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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If so, please share your views using the link to survey: https://forms.office.com/e/DzzJDzWJET
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Your monthly catch-up on health and social care experiences, topics, and themes, and useful information. -
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Those eligible for the COVID-19 spring booster vaccine are:
People aged 75 and older
Residents in care homes for older people
Those aged 5 and over who have weakened immune systems.
If you are eligible for a spring booster, you will be contacted by the NHS by letter, text message or via the NHS App. Appointments can be booked via the National Booking System or NHS App, with first appointments available from Monday 17 April.
The last date you will be able to book a spring booster will be 29 June, with the last spring vaccinations on offer the following day, 30 June.
To book for yourself or a family member, go to www.nhs.uk/CovidVaccination , visit the NHS App, or call 119 for free. -
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A copy of our public meeting/ minutes. -
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The latest NHS data shows that a record number of people are waiting for care. However, our new research indicates that there is also a hidden waiting list, and more needs to be done to understand what it's like for people trying to get referred.
New NHS data indicates that over seven million people are on waiting lists for specialist clinical care or surgery.
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We have finished our young persons project around barriers to communication when accessing health and social care services. It was really good to be able to link in with so many young people and to hear their views. Click the link below to see what young people are saying about services in Walsall. -
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Here is our Spring Newsletter filled with information, updates, and messages from our partners. -
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Our Healthwatch Advisory Board - Public Meeting Minutes are now available. 18th April 2023. -
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Healthwatch Walsall want to hear from Black and Asian women living in Walsall about their maternity experiences. Were you happy with the treatment and care you received? We want to listen to your feedback and use this to influence service changes to make maternity services better, be more accessible, inclusive and for service users to have the highest quality of care.
Share your feedback by taking part in our short survey. It takes just a couple of minutes. What you tell us can help shape services for the people who use them.
Your feedback is anonymous, we will not ask your name and you do not have to tell us anything personal about yourself.
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Download and read what we have been doing and achieved over the last year. -
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You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.
From 1 July 2023 the way you make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.
By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.
Click on the 'Downloads' button to find out more.
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A brief outline of some of the themes and issues that patients have faced using Walsall Services during April 2023. Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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A brief outline of some of the themes and issues that patients have faced using Walsall Services during May 2023. Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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A great presentation about the 'Care Navigation' service in Walsall. Thank you to Fiona Micheli for presenting about the service.
To learn about Walsall Care Navigation then click on 'Download' to see the presentation. -
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A great presentation about the 'Virtual Wards' service in Walsall. Thank you to Fiona Micheli for presenting about the service.
To learn about Walsall Virtual Wards then click on 'Download' to see the presentation. -
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A great presentation about the 'Bowel Cancer' awareness in Walsall. Thank you to Jo Barlow for presenting.
To learn about Bowel Caner awareness then click on 'Download' to see the presentation. -
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A brief outline of some of the themes and issues that patients have faced using Walsall Services during June 2023. Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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Yes, it will be on Tuesday 17th October from 11.00 am till 2.30 pm.
The meeting venue is Ryecroft Community Hub, 28 New Forest Rd, Walsall WS3 1TR.
This is an opportunity for you the public to meet the team and to find out the work we have been doing and are currently undertaking.
We will present our Annual Report 2022/2023 as well as give an update on our 2023/2024 work projects.
There will be guest speaker(s) and advice and information from support organisations. -
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Engaging Communities Solutions (ECS) is an organisation that focuses on involving patients and the public in healthcare research and decision-making processes including the delivery of local Healthwatch. In 2019, ECS became part of a team led by Birmingham University to conduct a research project funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The aim of the project was to evaluate the use of inter-organizational cooperation to bring about improvements in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
As part of the research, ECS carried out a focus group and interviews that contributed the patient and public voice to the project that evaluated the use of inter-organisational co-operation to make improvements in the NHS. Fieldwork was disrupted by the pandemic which meant that the completion of the research was to some extent delayed, but the report has now been published by the NIHR -
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People in the Black Country are being urged to think carefully about which health service they should use during next week’s industrial action.
Hospital consultants and junior doctors are expected to go on strike for 72 hours next week, from 7am on Monday 2 October until 7am on Thursday 5 October, which will affect NHS local services. All health and care partners in the Black Country are working together to prepare for the industrial action 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.
The NHS is also asking the public to play their part by taking simple steps during industrial action to look after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours. Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Demand for NHS services remains high, and we expect them to remain busy and under increased pressure during the strike action taking place next week.
“Our priority is to continue to provide safe care for those who need it during the strike action,
however, it’s vital that people choose services wisely over this period.
“If you need medical help or advice, or you’re unsure what to do, you should contact NHS 111 online in the first instance, and they will direct you to the most appropriate service for advice or treatment. This could include your local pharmacy, GP or a local urgent treatment centre. “By ensuring you choose the most appropriate service, this will help NHS services to manage demand and ensure A&E departments can focus on treating people with serious and lifethreatening conditions.”
Dr Mark Anderson, Chief Medical Officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said:
“The strike action planned for next week will bring substantial challenges to the local NHS,
particularly hospital services.
“Patients who have a planned hospital operation, outpatient clinics or procedures should attend
as usual unless they hear from their NHS Trust to advise otherwise. “By ensuring you choose the most appropriate service, this will help NHS services to manage demand and ensure A&E departments can focus on treating people with serious and life-threatening conditions. “We’d like to thank all NHS colleagues who are working tirelessly to keep services running over the industrial action.”
NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. You can contact the service online or by calling 111, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pharmacists can also offer expert advice on lots of common conditions such as coughs, colds, aches, and pains. To find your local pharmacy, visit the NHS website.
People should only call 999 if it is a medical emergency. -
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A brief outline of some of the themes and issues that patients have faced using Walsall Services during August 2023. Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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A brief outline of some of the themes and issues that patients have faced using Walsall Services during July 2023. Also, things that you can get involved with!