News and reports

Dear colleague,

​​Your local NHS is asking people for their comments about proposals to reduce differences in access to Healthcare services in the Black Country.

​​In July 2022, a change in the law created our new organisation, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), to take over local healthcare planning from the former clinical commissioning group (CCG) serving the areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.

​​Since the ICB establishment we have been reviewing our clinical policies. This includes:

reviewing the four existing CCG policies to harmonise them into one new position for the ICB
implementing new policies to take into account national clinical guidelines and best practice
While the majority of their clinical policies were similar, there were several clinical polices that had some differences. To address these differences, commissioning policies for treatments listed below are being reviewed to look at how they can be made the same for the places of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton

​Clinical experts have looked at the latest evidence and practice for all of these services, both nationally and locally, to ensure the local offer is high quality and safe.

The clinical policy review will be carried out in stages.

​​A public involvement exercise is now live to collect wider views and feedback from local people and staff to inform our final decision-making. 

Healthwatch Walsall wanted explore how Black and Asian women in Walsall truly feel during
their maternity journey. Do women feel as though they are listened to and valued as individuals? Do women feel they are treated with respect and compassion? These are major factors in the quality of treatment a patient feels they have received. Furthermore, we wanted to ask women if they felt their ethnic background influenced the treatment and care they received.

Gathering such patient experiences helps to give a small insight into the maternity journey for Black and Asian women in Walsall.

Read or download a copy.
One download is a PDF and the other in Microsft Word format.

Guidance, information and vaccination information.

Pop-up vaccination clinics have been set up during February half term to help ensure hildren are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.

All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age.

Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR and adults and older children can be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before.

The clinics, which will be running everyday throughout the half term break, are open to all eligible children who are due or have missed a dose. Adults up to the age of 25 are also invited to come forward.

The pop-up clinics are being hosted at a range of locations across the Black Country. This is in
addition to existing pop-up clinics taking place this weekend:
Saturday 3 February:
• Vaccination van located outside Poundland in Walsall Town Centre, Lower Hall Lane, St Matthews Quarter, WS1 1PU, 9am-3pm. To book an appointment call 01922
902035
• Whitmore Reans Family Hub, Wolverhampton, WV1 4AL, 9.30am-2.30pm. To book an appointment call 01902 200077
Saturday 10 February:
• Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge, DY8 2AA, 10am-3pm. To book an appointment call 01384 431 712
• West Bromwich Central Family Hub, Off Claypit Lane, West Bromwich, B70 9EZ, 9am3pm. To book an appointment call 0121 592 1110

Monday 12 February:
• Tesco, Silver Street, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 6DZ, 9am-3pm, To book an appointment call 01922 902035

To read and download a copy. Use the 'Downloads' button below.

Provider feedback
The below response was received and added.

We at The Willows were happy to welcome the Healthwatch team into the home.

Face to Face relatives meetings will recommence in February 2024, as recent Zoom meetings were not well attended. The Activities Co-ordinator will be inviting residents to a meeting very soon for discussions and recommendations.

We as a home acknowledge the report and look to make improvements for the well-being of our residents and staff.

Are you grieving the death of a loved one or struggling with the long-term effects of loss? Then join us for this six-session course, The Bereavement Journey, being run by the Brownhills & Willenhall and Walsall Methodist Circuits.

If this is you? Or a loved one? Get in touch. Tel: 0800 470 1660 or email: info@healthwatchwalsall.co.uk

Healthwatch Walsall was successful in a bid for a microgrant from the Black Country ICB to undertake engagement with the homeless and rough sleepers in the Borough of Walsall. The aim of the work was to ascertain the views around planned and urgent care.

Due to an increase in measles cases across the West Midlands, pop-up vaccination clinics have been set up in the Black Country to help ensure children aged 12 to 16 are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.

Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as severe lung infections and inflammation of the brain. It also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.

It can spread quickly among communities, particularly schools, if children have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine.

All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age.

Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR and adults and older children can be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before.

A series of pop-up clinics offering the MMR vaccine are taking place across the Black Country for 12 to 16 year-olds (Year 8 and Year 11) who haven’t yet had two doses. The clinics are being hosted in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell on the following dates:

Wolverhampton:
• The Health Hub, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton, WV1 3NH, Saturday 20 January,
9am-2.30pm. To book an appointment call 01902 200077
Dudley:
• Fens Pool Community Centre, Tennyson Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 4HY, Saturday 20
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01384 431712
Sandwell:
• Wood Lane Community Centre, Wood Lane, West Bromwich, B709PT, Saturday 27
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 0121 592 1110
Walsall:
• South & Central Locality Hub, Birchills Street, WS2 8NF, Saturday 27 January, 9am1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01922 902035

The clinics will be staffed by trained healthcare professionals from the NHS and Vaccination UK who specialise in childhood vaccinations and follow all necessary safety protocols. Parents and carers who are unsure if their child is up to date with their routine vaccinations can also check this at the clinics. Children will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the clinics.

Dr Fiona Rose, local GP and Clinical Director for Quality and Safety for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board said: “Measles can easily spread between unvaccinated people and can be very serious, so it is important that parents make sure their children are protected. The safest and most effective way to prevent measles is to ensure your child is fully vaccinated with MMR vaccine.

“It’s understandable that parents may be worried about getting their child vaccinated, however the MMR vaccine is one of the most studied vaccines in the world, with millions of doses given every year – it is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community.

“It’s never too late to come forward and our pop-up clinics are a great opportunity for children aged 12 to 16 years to get vaccinated if they have missed a dose, so please do book an appointment as soon as you can.”
Parents who are unsure if their child is up to date with all their routine vaccinations can also check their child’s Red Book (personal child health record), check the NHS app, or contact their GP practice.

For more information about the MMR vaccine, visit the NHS website here.

Useful information and support

CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE’S VOICE SURVEY