Advice and Information

Eligible people in the Black Country are invited to come forward for spring COVID-19 vaccine from next week.

Similar to last year’s spring COVID-19 vaccine roll out, those eligible for a vaccine include:
• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in a care home for older adults
• individuals aged six months and over who have a weakened immune system.

Those who turn 75 years old between 1 April and 17 June 2025 can also have the jab. Appointments can be booked now via the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119, with first appointments available from Tuesday 1 April until Tuesday 17 June.

Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “The vaccine has been our most effective tool against COVID-19, saving countless lives and helping thousands of people to stay out of hospital.

“However, protection against COVID-19, from either from catching the virus or from a previous vaccination, can fade over time and the circulating strain of the virus can change. That’s why if you are at higher risk of severe illness from the virus, it is important that you top up your protection and come forward for a vaccine this spring.

“If you know you’re eligible, you don’t need to wait to be contacted, you can book an appointment via the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119 today.”

While having the spring vaccine around six months after your last dose is the usual timeframe, eligible people can have it as soon as three months after a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose.

If you are eligible, you can get protection from a spring COVID-19 vaccination even if you have not taken up a COVID-19 vaccine offer in the past.

Women across the Black Country can now get their supply of oral contraception at a local pharmacy, without the need to see a GP.

More than 200 pharmacies in the Black Country are participating in this new service, aiming to increase choice for women in the ways in which they can access contraception.

Oral contraception, known as ‘the pill’, can now be accessed at a pharmacy without a referral from a GP. Women can also be referred to their pharmacy by their GP practice or a sexual health clinic.

The pharmacist will offer a confidential consultation and will offer the first supply of the pill, or the ongoing supply of their current oral contraception. This is an NHS service, so the supply of oral contraception will be exempt from any prescription charges.

Sukhy Somal, Head of Community Pharmacy Clinical Services for the NHS Black Country
Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “This new service is another great milestone in showing how much of an important role community pharmacists are improving wider access to healthcare services.

“This is a safe and confidential service for women across the Black Country and allows general practice and sexual health services to free up appointments for more complex assessments.

“Women will still receive their yearly pill check-up, like they would with their GP, which they will have when requesting their next supply of contraception. It is still encouraged to seek medical advice from a pharmacist or doctor if any unusual side effects continue after three months.”

Individuals do not need to be registered with a GP to access this service. Pharmacies will only inform the GP practice that individuals have accessed the service, with their consent.

Business cards are being rolled out for patients across the Black Country enabling pharmacists to write down the date of the next supply of contraception and the name of the pharmacy.

Contraception is free and confidential, including for young people under the age of 16. The doctor or nurse will not tell anyone, including parents or carer, unless they think you or someone else is at risk of harm.

As Muslims begin to prepare for Ramadan, the NHS has shared a reminder about how to stay safe and healthy during the holy month.
Ramadan is expected to start on Friday 28 February and end on Sunday 30 March, 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.

The NHS has issued important advice to ensure a healthy and safe Ramadan, including:

• If you have a long-term health condition:
Having a medical condition doesn’t mean people can’t fast, but they may need to take precautions such as reviewing their med cation and closely monitoring how they’re feeling. There is also an exemption for people with diabetes, especially for those on insulin or those with any medical complications. If you have diabetes and want to fast during Ramadan, please speak to your GP or diabetes nurse about the safest way to do this. If you monitor your blood glucose levels, you should continue to do so while fasting.

• If you take prescribed medication:
If you are taking prescribed medicines to control an illness, you should continue taking them during Ramadan to prevent further, serious complications developing. You can check with your GP or pharmacist if the doses need to be adjusted or the times that you take them need to be changed. This will allow you to control your illness while completing a fast safely. Those who are unsure about fasting should always seek advice from their healthcare professional.

• If you have a medical condition:
It is important that people keep all medical appointments where possible in Ramadan. If you feel you are unable to keep your appointment, please contact your GP or hospital to re-schedule your appointment for as soon as possible after the holy month ends.

The Bereavement Journey is a 7-session series of films and discussion groups that gently guides bereaved people through the most common aspects of grief and bereavement to help them process their loss.

Facilitated by volunteers, any person bereaved at any time is helped to consider for themselves the implications of their bereavement and to discern the next steps. For most people The Bereavement Journey provides the tools they need, either to process their loss without one-to-one professional assistance or to identify where further support might help.

For full information download the two documents.

The 10th National Self Harm & Suicide Prevention Conference 2025

Online peer support group for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ who has lost a loved one to suicide. 

Meetings are the last Monday of the month, 7 – 9pm virtually.

Edward’s Trust is a specialist bereavement charity based in Birmingham, providing counselling and holistic support to families in
the West Midlands.

Are you caring for someone living with dementia in Walsall?
We can provide information and advice in a friendly, group setting:
An opportunity for carers to regularly meet and share experiences
Find out about local and national initiatives
Group activities

Eligible people in the Black Country are being invited to come forward for a flu and COVID19 vaccine from this week.

The vaccination programmes are set to start from Thursday 3 October 2024, with appointments
available to book now.

Similar to last year, those eligible for a COVID-19 and flu vaccine include:
• all adults aged 65 years and over
• people who live in a care home for older adults
• people aged 6 months to 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
• frontline health and social care staff, including in care homes for older adults
• pregnant women.

The flu vaccine is also available to children aged 2 to 3 years, school-aged children (Reception to Year 11) and children with certain long-term health conditions.

Eligible people can book an appointment via the NHS website, on the NHS App or by calling 119.

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.

Suicide Bereavement UK have developed a series of At Your Side guides for those bereaved by suicide in the Armed Forces community.

Three guides have been written by the bereaved for the bereaved:
At Your Side guide for veterans
At Your Side guide for families
At Your Side guide for serving personnel

Both the veteran and family guide will be launched on the 17th April 2024. The serving guide will be launched shortly afterwards.

Who produced the At Your Side guides?
The guides have been produced by Suicide Bereavement UK, an internationally recognised organisation specialising in suicide bereavement research and the development of evidence-informed support materials for bereaved people.

They were commissioned by NHS England and co-produced with individuals bereaved by suicide as well as experts in military mental health, suicide prevention and bereavement.

The guides are based on the experiences and needs of those who took part in the Armed Forces Suicide Bereavement Study. All were bereaved by suicide, having lost a friend, colleague, spouse, partner, adult child, parent or sibling during or after military service.

The guides are free to download.

Dedication

The guides are dedicated to those bereaved by suicide and to those they have lost in the Armed Forces community.

With cases of whooping cough increasing across the Black Country, pregnant women are being encouraged to come forward for a vaccination.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems, especially in babies and young children.

Mums-to-be are offered the vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy so their baby has protection against whooping cough from birth. The whooping cough vaccine is also routinely given as part of the 6-in-1 combination vaccine for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.

If you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated, or if your child hasn’t yet had the 6-in-1 combination vaccine, please contact your GP surgery to book an appointment to get the protection from whooping cough as soon as possible. If you’re unsure if your child has had the vaccine, check your child’s red book (health record).

Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Anyone can catch whooping cough, but the infection can be very serious in young children and babies.

“Getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant is highly effective in protection your baby from developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life – ideally from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks of pregnancy. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.

“The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide protection for them until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at eight weeks old.
“Vaccination remains the very best protection for babies and children from becoming unwell with whooping cough. So, if you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated, or if your child hasn’t yet had the 6-in-1 combination vaccine, please come forward as soon as you can.”

For more information on the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy, please visit the NHS website.

The 6-in-1 vaccine protects babies against six serious illnesses:
• diphtheria
• hepatitis B
• hib (Haemophilus influenza type b)
• polio
• tetanus
• whooping cough.

If your child has missed their 6-in-1 vaccinations, contact your GP surgery. It's best to have them on time, but children can still have the 6-in-1 vaccine up to the age of 10.

For more information about the 6-in-1 vaccine, please visit the NHS website.