NHS England » Decision support tool: making decisions about managing depression NHS England » Decision support tool: making decisions about managing depression

Found some fab Patient Decision Aids by @nicecomms.bsky.social

to help patients understand their options:

Depression: shorturl.at/F5zfW

Stable angina: shorturl.at/c7QyT

Chronic primary pain: shorturl.at/aVWjW

Knee osteoarthritis: shorturl.at/kW0sY

Abdominal aortic aneurysm: shorturl.at/gTDAW

From hospital to home: Improving patient discharge Every winter, the NHS is under pressure to free up beds. However, getting hospital discharge wrong can harm both patients and services. We look at what people have told us about leaving hospital, and ...

.@healthwatchengland.bsky.social latest review of hospital discharge, useful summary of key issues/evidence, plus four recommendations:

If you are based in Barnet, have been affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts, and feel comfortable to speak about this, there is a workshop on 19 February to shape the Council's Suicide Prevention Strategy

Registration: ow.ly/TaNn50UWHGZ
Vouchers will be provided as a thankyou for peoples' time

Suggest a topic for a scrutiny review 2025 Background The role of Overview and Scrutiny is to review performance and examine the decisions taken by Cabinet, the council’s decision-making body. Much of this work is undertaken in committee but s...

Barnet Council survey, inviting people to suggest topics for their 2025 Scrutiny Review: ow.ly/HuOp50UWGxi

Deadline 28 February

Suggestions can be for scrutiny of council services, but also e.g. the NHS, police or housing associations

Just found this NHS guide on how to register with a GP if you're experiencing homelessness: assets.nhs.uk/prod/documen...

If you need health info in other languages, NHS in North Central London has produced some good leaflets.

They cover health services in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey & Islington, in Arabic, Polish, Somali & lots more languages: nclicb.enquiries@nhs.net
nclhealthandcare.org.uk/information-...

Today@patientsassoc.bsky.social launched resources to help patients make most of healthcare appointments.Our animation&guide takes you through
👨🏽‍⚕️ how to prepare before
🏥 what to do during appointment
💉 steps to take after to ensure you get the best care
www.patients-association.org.uk/getting-the-...

Are you a Barnet resident with experience of mental health services? Apply to join the Barnet Council Social Care Involvement Board as a Mental Health Rep.

Deadline 7 Feb: ow.ly/nyfg50UK34w

Reps are given vouchers or payment as a thankyou: ow.ly/q3Yf50UNIi6

Seven quiet breakthroughs for climate and nature in 2024 you might have missed Global temperatures rose and extreme weather ramped up, but there were also some significant breakthroughs for the climate this year.

Seven quiet breakthroughs for the climate in 2024, including the closure of the UK's last coal-fired power plant: www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Healthwatch Barnet's Healthy Heart team ran this joint course. Healthwatch provided culturally tailored outreach & GP surgery had Pharmacist, Dietician & Social Prescriber help teach sessions. So pleased to reach patients not previously in contact with surgery: healthwatchbarnet.co.uk/healthy-heart

3/3 However, many people could have a better experience & help the system by messaging online. Explainer also references campaigning work on GP access & what to do if you can't get an appointment. Keen to know others thoughts- this area is changing fast, seems many patients don't understand options

2/3 Covers role of the NHS App & Patient Access re: appointments, and Accurx, eConsult or PATCHS, depending on which apps someone's GP surgery uses. Also emphasises that people with an urgent query or without internet access need to be able to phone.

How to access your GP | Healthwatch Barnet We know it’s sometimes difficult to arrange a GP appointment. We’ve put together a short guide on different ways to contact your surgery. For non-urgent problems, requesting an appointment online may ...

1/3 Lots of people don't understand how to arrange GP appointments online; surgeries receive v.large volume of phone calls. Healthwatch Barnet have published a short explainer on when & how to use online messaging- caveat that people need option of phoning www.healthwatchbarnet.co.uk/news/2024-12...

2/2 Good to see recommendations on further involvement of patient groups, and on development of cross sector protocols - for shortages of life critical medicines.

1/2 New report - calling for government to tackle medicine shortages - from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Argues for legislation to allow pharmacists to amend prescriptions when medicines are in short supply:
www.rpharms.com/about-us/new...

A map showing London boroughs with significantly higher levels of poverty than England as a whole. Camden, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Brent, Ealing and Enfield, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge, Wandsworth, Hounslow. Lewisham, Hackney, Barnet, Greenwich and Hillingdon all have significantly higher levels of poverty compared to England as a whole.

Compared to England as a whole, a *16 London boroughs* have higher than average levels of poverty.

Only three have lower - Bromley, Merton and Richmond.

Poverty by London borough, the latest data: bit.ly/3ALubqd

3/3 As well as getting heart health support, people shared challenges they faced. This, for example, resulted in Healthwatch Barnet's new GP access project which was developed in collaboration with @NHS_NCLICB during 2024.

2/3 Project made possible by the fantastic community groups who collaborated on this - including food banks, community centres, places of worship & libraries, and by funding from @BarnetCouncil & @NHS_NCLICB.

1/3 Just published - Healthwatch Barnet's Healthy Heart report: ow.ly/3zMJ50U7Ohe. In the project's second year, the team delivered 1,190+ heart health interventions to people in Barnet at drop-in events, plus 170+ interventions in workshops & courses.

Royal Free London NHS Trust online event 'Building Healthier Communities'- 6pm on 18 Nov. Chance to hear about their work beyond hospital sites to prevent disease & ask questions. Free booking - email rf.membership@nhs.net by 5pm this Friday 15 Nov: shorturl.at/o2NyT
#prevention #health #equalities

"I am treated in a fair and inclusive way, irrespective of who I am" (covering inequalities): NHSE inequalities director Bola Owolabi; and Jacob Lant, National Voices CEO. "I can access the high-quality and effective care I need, when and where I need it" (covering access): Louise Ansari, Healthwatch CEO; and NHSE chief operating officer Emily Lawson. "My care is centred around my needs and I'm listened to" (covering person-centered care/multimorbidity): Claire Fuller, NHSE deputy medical director for primary care; and Caroline Abrahams, Age UK charity director.

Excellent news that the NHS 10-year plan groups will include a focus on these crucial subjects and that Louise Ansari of Healthwatch England, @jacoblant.bsky.social of National Voices and Caroline Abrahams of Age UK are leading them.
www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...

New mental health trust covering five North London boroughs launched The NHS trust has been created from a merger of two separate trusts that previously covered Barnet, Enfield and Haringey and Camden and Islington

New mental health trust covering five North London boroughs launched

The NHS trust has been created from a merger of two separate trusts that previously covered Barnet, Enfield and Haringey and Camden and Islington
barnetpost.co.uk/2024/11/01/n...

New resources from @BarnetCouncil on suicide prevention and staying safe - useful list of apps, local support groups, counselling services, upcoming training:
ow.ly/1F3550TWNhX. Builds on success of local suicide prevention work: shorturl.at/9A3II.

Trans & Non-binary Experiences of GPs Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.

Healthwatch England are running a research project looking at adult trans and non-binary people’s experiences of NHS GP services, and changes to medical records as part of the trans experience:
www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Healthwatc...

Opportunity for people with certain long-term health conditions, who live in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. Share your experience & help plan better health services. £25 per hour, 3-4 meetings over six months. Register interest by: 8 November

Feeding Barnet – A Food Security Summit Exploring Barnet's growing food crisis with emergency food demand surging. Join us to discuss building a sustainable, food-secure future.

Barnet Food Partnership is running a food security summit on Sat 2 November, 10am-4pm, register for free: ow.ly/etp550TGPN5. Number of people using Barnet food banks is rising - join to discuss ways to tackle food insecurity, speakers include Director of Feeding Britain

Physical health checks for people with severe mental illness - Race Equality Foundation People with severe mental illness face health inequalities. They are more likely to have a preventable physical illness, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, than the general population which...

Useful resources from the Race Equality Foundation, on access to physical health checks for people with severe mental illness - check out their report, video and easy read leaflets: raceequalityfoundation.org.uk/health-care/...