News and reports

People in the Black Country are being reminded to order any repeat prescriptions they may need ahead of the Easter bank holiday (Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April).

GP practices and pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the Easter bank holiday weekend, making it more challenging for people to access medicines at short notice.

Every bank holiday, NHS 111 sees an increase in people getting in touch about repeat prescriptions. Waiting and using emergency or urgent services over the Easter break puts added pressure on already busy services.
To avoid this and to ensure health is not put at any unnecessary risk, people are being asked to submit any repeat prescriptions that are due for renewal by Friday 22 March at the latest to make sure there is enough time for them to be processed and dispensed.

Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said:
“If you take any medicine on a regular basis to help manage a long-term condition such as high
blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma, now is the time to check that you have enough medication
left to last you over the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.

“By ensuring you have your required supply of prescribed medication, you save yourself the
worry of possibly not getting what you need on time and being caught short over the bank
holiday when your GP practice will be closed.

“The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is via the NHS App or through your GP practice website. If you do not have access to GP online services, you can phone your GP practice to order prescriptions.”

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

Also, things that you can get involved with!

The way to order repeat prescriptions is changing.

Notification to patients of a change in service for repeat prescriptions - please read carefully. (As this applies to specific GP venues as listed below).

From 31 May 2024, you will no longer be able to order repeat prescriptions using the Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) telephone service.

Your GP practice will be taking over the responsibility for your repeat prescriptions.

You can order your repeat prescriptions using one of these methods:
• on the NHS App
• by logging into your NHS account at www.nhs.uk
• by requesting a repeat prescription on your GP practice website
• by contacting your GP practice after 10am, to avoid the morning demand for appointments, for support with your repeat prescription request.

If you are unable to use any of these methods, please contact a member of staff at your GP practice who will be able to discuss your options.

The POD service is currently available to patients registered at the following Modality GP practices in Walsall:
• Collingwood Practice
• Forrester Street Practice
• Harden Health Centre / Blakenall Practice
• Keys Family Practice
• Kingfisher Berkley Practice
• Modality Darlaston Practice
• New Invention Practice
• Pleck Medical Centre.
• St John's Medical Centre.

NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board have provided a set of frequently asked questions explaining why the service is closing, what alternative options you have, and where you can go if you have any questions or concerns.

For more information about the way to order repeat prescriptions, please visit the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board's website.

As Muslims begin to prepare for the month of Ramadan, the NHS has shared a reminder about how to stay safe and healthy during the holy month. Ramadan is expected to start on the evening of Sunday 10 March, subject to moon sighting, and end on Tuesday 9 April, 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.

Being active and making connections with others is an important part of our health and wellbeing.

Let's Talk can help to identify what support you would like to access and to make connections in your local community.

For more information, click download for the Lets Talk Service leaflet.

In June 2023, the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) published the local NHS Joint Forward Plan, describing how NHS organisations in the Black Country will work together with other partners, including Local Authorities and the community and voluntary sector, to arrange and provide services to meet the needs of local people.
The following five priority areas were set out in the plan:

Priority 1- Improving access and quality of services
Priority 2- Community where possible – hospital where necessary
Priority 3- Preventing ill health and tackling health inequalities
Priority 4- Giving people the best start in life
Priority 5- Best place to work.
With the second year approaching, the plan has been updated and a sixth priority - ‘fit for the future’ - has been added. This is to recognise that the Black Country health system needs to change the way it works to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges it faces.

An estimated 1.9 million people living in private households in the UK (2.9% of the population) were experiencing self-reported Long Covid (symptoms continuing for more than four weeks after the first confirmed or suspected coronavirus (Covid-19) infection that were not explained by something else) as of 5 March 2023. Long Covid symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of 1.5 million people (79% of those with self-reported Long Covid), with 381,000 (20%) reporting that their ability to undertake their day-to-day activities
had been “limited a lot”. Long Covid is an emerging phenomenon that is not yet fully understood.

The Dementia Needs Assessment is being developed by Walsall Council in partnership with the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB). The aim is to understand the needs of Walsall residents with Dementia and those caring, supporting or working with them.

A community survey is currently live for anyone who has contact with the public as part of their work or volunteering role in the community. Responses will help the Council and the ICB understand resident needs, whether services are meeting these needs, gaps in support, areas for improvement, and information, knowledge, and training needs.

The Council would like to hear from anyone who comes into contact or support people with dementia. For example, libraries, community services, places of worship, carers support and dementia care. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be completed by going to the survey page for Dementia Needs Assessment 2023: Community Survey. Alternatively you can scan the barcode in the attached poster.

For more information or to request the survey in an alternative format, please
email MWwalsall@walsall.gov.uk.

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.