News and reports

A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during April 2024.

Also, things that you can get involved with!

We have just launched our latest work project. If you have used Walsall Urology services in the last 18 months, we would like you to share your experience of using the service. To get involved please take part in a questionnaire.

Download and read what we have been doing and achieved over the last year.

People in the Black Country are being urged to think carefully about which health service they should use during the upcoming industrial action.

Junior doctors are planning to strike for five consecutive days, starting from 7am on Thursday 27 June to 7am on Tuesday 2 July.

All health and care partners in the Black Country are working together to prepare for the industrial action, which will have significant impact on NHS local services, 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.

With just one week left of this year’s spring COVID-19 vaccine programme, the NHS is urging all eligible people who haven’t yet had their top-up to come forward and get protected.

The spring COVID-19 vaccination programme started in April, with eligible people invited to come forward and book an appointment via the National Booking System or by calling 119.

Following advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), those eligible for a vaccine have until Saturday 29 June to book an appointment, with the last spring vaccinations on offer the following day on Sunday 30 June. Appointments can be booked via the National Booking System, the NHS App or by calling 119.

People eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine include:
• those aged 75 and over (you need to be 75 by Sunday 30 June 2024)
• adults and children (aged six months to 74) with certain health conditions
• care home residents.

The spring COVID-19 vaccine is also available at a range of pop-up clinics which have been set up across the Black Country. The clinics will be running until the end of June, with no appointment necessary. You can find your nearest pop-up clinic on the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) website.

Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “As the weather gets warmer, it’s easy to forget that COVID-19 is still circulating in our communities.

“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 and the spring booster
programme provides an opportunity for those who are at highest risk of severe illness to keep their immunity topped up.

“There is now only one week left to book an appointment either online or by calling 119 as the offer of ends on Sunday 30 June. So, I would encourage anyone eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine who hasn’t yet come forward to book an appointment while they can or pay a visit to one of our pop-up clinics.”

For more information on the spring COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the NHS website.

This year one of our priority projects is ‘The Patient Experience of Cancer Services in Walsall’. Our aim is to gain an understanding of the patient experience of those who have used cancer services in Walsall; generally we are trying to find out whether people in Walsall were happy with the treatment and care they received. We want to know if people were treated with compassion, if they felt safe and cared for, if they were listened to; and whether they were given the support and information they needed. Getting an understanding of this will help us to understand how services can be improved for the future.

Our work programme document for 2024 - 2025

Priority Project 1: (Q1 – Q2) Patient Experience of Cancer Services at Walsall Manor Hospital

Healthwatch Walsall are wanting to gain an understanding of the patient experience of those who have used cancer services in Walsall. We want to find out about whether service users were happy with the treatment and care they received. We want to find out if people were treated with compassion, felt safe, were listened to and whether they were provided with support and information needed. An overall report will be produced with recommendations included and once finalised and approved this will be shared with stakeholders and partners, together with being published on our website.

We have just launched this project, to take part in this survey Click Here

Healthwatch Walsall is delivered by Engaging Communities Solutions CIC (ECS). ECS deliver seven local Healthwatch across England.

We are carrying out a project to gather feedback across all seven local Healthwatch areas to understand what people know about Pharmacy First and their experiences of using it after it’s introduction at the beginning of 2024.

The survey is open until 1st July 2024.

Read or download a copy.

Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. Type 1 diabetes is a rarer form of the condition, which is caused by genetic or environmental factors, and can’t be prevented. Those with type 1 diabetes require regular insulin injections for life to keep blood glucose levels under control.

However, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight or inactive, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes, and the health implications can be serious and life changing. It is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age, as well as a major contributor to kidney disease, loss of limbs, increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Some groups are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes including: men, people of South Asian or Black ethnicity, people who are overweight and people with a family history of type 2 diabetes. Black and South Asian people have a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes after the age of 25, compared with those from a white background where risk increases after the age of 40.

From next week, a mobile testing van will be at a number of locations across the Black Country offering free health checks for local residents. The bus is a walk-in service so no appointment is required and will be available between 9am and 5pm (times may vary by location). People are advised to arrive no later than 4pm:

Tuesday 11 June
Black Country Family Practice, Neptune Health Park, Sedgley Rd, Tipton DY4 8PX.

Thursday 13 June
Bently Bridge Car Park, Main Block (towards Cineworld). Wolverhampton, WV1 1BP.

Friday 14 June
Tesco Car Park, Marston Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 4NJ.

Wednesday 19 June
Dudley Market Place, Dudley, DY1 1JP.
Those attending can simply have a conversation about their risk of type 2 diabetes with a clinician or have a finger prick blood test for early signs of diabetes. Blood pressure checks, body mass index (BMI) checks and cholesterol testing is also available, all of which can be early indicators of developing type 2 diabetes. Depending on the results of your tests or your risk based on your conversation, you can be signposted to appropriate sources of help or to a healthcare professional.

Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “It's really important for type 2 diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it will get progressively worse if left untreated. Early treatment also reduces your risk of other health problems.

“Type 2 diabetes can be a very serious condition but there are lots of things you can do to reduce your risk of developing it such as achieving a healthy weight, getting more physically active and eating healthy food.

“For anyone who is looking to find out more information about type 2 diabetes or those who may be concerned they are at risk, please do pop down to the mobile testing van – it will be well worth a trip.”

The first step to preventing type 2 diabetes is finding out what your risk is. The Know Your Risk tool from Diabetes UK can also help you find out your risk. You enter information including your ethnicity, age, height, weight and waist measurement, and it will give you an assessment of your personal risk of developing type 2 diabetes and advice about next steps.

As we celebrate Volunteers' Week 2024, we want to take a moment to put a spotlight on and say thank you to our amazing volunteers. We are very grateful for the time that they generously give, along with their support and efforts, to help to create positive change within our communities.

Healthwatch Walsall held its public Independent Strategic Advisory Board Meeting on 15 May 2024 at Ryecroft Community Centre. We were delighted to be joined by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby the Chair of Healthwatch England along with Healthwatch Walsall staff, volunteers and members of the public.

The meeting was an opportunity for open discussions to take place about issues relevant to those present and it was a very interesting and informative session with a lot of interaction.

Please see photos from the event and if anyone would be interested in joining us at future public meetings the details for these will be on our website or we can be contacted on our Freephone number 0800 470 1660 and we will be pleased to let you have the information.