Response to the publication of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry

It is clear that what occurred at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2009 represents a series of catastrophic failings by the hospital trust and other health bodies which had catastrophic consequences for the care that patients received.

The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority admitted at the Francis Inquiry that there were a number of areas where the SHA failed in its responsibilities and contributed, in some measure, to the failures in care of people when they were at their most vulnerable.

We would like to apologise clearly and unequivocally to the families of the patients who died or were harmed as a result of those failings. The care they received was appalling and it is a source of shame for all concerned that it should have ever occurred.

The terrible care that patients received at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was not the fault of one person, organisation or profession. Regulators and supervisory bodies, such as the SHA, did not identify what was happening soon enough and so did not intervene quickly enough but it should be remembered that the care that was provided was the prime responsibility of the Board of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

In 2009 the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority was responsible for overseeing 44 NHS organisations covering acute hospital, mental health, community and primary care trusts. It has been part of the NHS Midlands and East since 2011.

The West Midlands SHA worked hard to deliver the performance and targets of the day, which over the past decade have seen the NHS achieve great progress in improving services to patients. Yet, as the Prime Minister said this afternoon, in doing so the SHA had become too remote from the patients it was there to serve.

We have received Robert Francis’s report in the last few hours and will need time to consider its findings. On March 18, Robert Francis will be speaking to more than 300 of the region’s most senior clinicians and leaders at the SHA’s Clinical Summit, called to consider the health service’s response to the inquiry. The Summit will consider the transformation of the NHS’s culture and the report’s five main recommendations for:

·         clearly understood fundamental standards and measures of compliance

·         openness, transparency and candour throughout the system

·         improved support for compassionate and committed nursing

·         strong and patient centred healthcare leadership

·         accurate, useful and relevant information.

The summit’s recommendations will be reported in public at our final Board meeting in Birmingham on March 25. They will also contribute to the government’s response to the report. 

The SHA embraced the national approach to quality from 2008 and the NHS has changed significantly since the scandal at Stafford Hospital was uncovered. For example:

• The National Quality Board was established following Robert Francis’ first report. It ensures that all the key regulators come together frequently to jointly work in the best interests of patients.
• Hospital savings plans can only go ahead if that hospital’s medical and nurse directors agree that it will not affect patient care.
• SHA-leads “Appreciative Enquiries”– an intensive 24 hour multi-disciplinary investigation of a unit, ward or hospital the findings of which get reported in public.

·         The NHS responds much more quickly and effectively at the first indications of emerging failures in the quality of care experienced by patients.

As in any area of work mistakes happen and pockets of poor care occur in some organisations at some times. The NHS is committed to their elimination and with all the safety and surveillance mechanisms now in place we do not believe the sort of systemic failings witnessed at Stafford Hospital could again go undetected or without intervention in the Midlands and East of England. As part of the Midlands and East SHA the NHS in the West Midlands has contributed to a number of initiatives that prioritise patient care including.

• Pioneering a programme to eliminate preventable grade three and four pressure ulcers in NHS settings, leading to a 36% reduction in the NHS in the Midlands and East of England between June and December 2012.
• Slashing healthcare acquired infections in acute hospitals in the West Midlands. Since 2009/10 C.Difficile cases have dropped by nearly two thirds from 1554 to a predicted 536 by the end of March this year. Over the same period MRSA has fallen from 80 to 31 cases.
• Progress in reducing still births means that in 2011 the West Midlands regional stillbirth rate fell below the national average representing 53 fewer stillbirths than might be expected.
• Driving a revolution in patient experience through the development of the Friends and Family Test. To date 250,000 patients from 46 hospitals in Midlands and East answered a simple question about whether they would recommend the hospital they had just used to friends and family. Since the survey’s start a year ago patient satisfaction as measured by the test has improved by 15 %.

The Friends and Family test has been personally endorsed by the Prime Minister. It is a small part of the current government’s transformation of the health service. This will see strategic health authorities and primary care trusts abolished. They will be replaced by doctor-led clinical commissioning groups, putting clinicians at the heart of commissioning decisions, and by the NHS Commissioning Board.

The vast majority of people receiving care from the NHS get excellent treatment from dedicated staff, all of whom, nurses, doctors and managers joined the NHS to do their best for the patients and communities they serve.

But let us say again, that things should have gone so terribly wrong at Stafford Hospital is a tragedy and for the part the Strategic Health Authority played in those failures, we are profoundly sorry.

-Ends-

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at NHS Midlands and East on 0121 695 2252/2489/2281, or by e-mail at communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk.

Notes to editors:

1.         NHS Midlands and East is a cluster of strategic health authorities (SHAs) comprising NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.

From next week (10 to 21 September), a healthcare bus will be visiting eight city and town centres across the West Midlands, to provide people with information about how to improve their health and manage any long term conditions they have.

In some locations, people visiting the bus will also be able to have a free health check, which may include lung function (spirometry), memory, and blood pressure tests.

Doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals and representatives from patient groups, local authorities and charities will be on hand to give advice.

Visitors will be able to access a wide range of health information, including advice on managing long term conditions (such as Diabetes or Asthma), self care, and Personal Health Budgets, where patients are given a set amount of money and can decide what care is best for them, with the assistance of a medical professional.  People visiting the bus will also be able to get advice about making practical changes to improve their health and quality of life, such as taking more exercise, eating healthily and stopping smoking.

This is the second bus tour organised by NHS Midlands and East.  The first tour took place during Self Care Week in November 2011, and was visited by 2,000 people in the West Midlands.  This year the tour has been expanded, and it will be making 21 stops across the Midlands and East of England over the first three weeks of September.

The bus is visiting Essex and Bedfordshire and the East Midlands before arriving in Wolverhampton on 10 September.  It will then visit Ludlow, Stafford, Birmingham, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Redditch, before the tour finishes in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday 21 September.

As well as health checks and advice, the bus will be providing information about Personalised Care Planning.  This is a discussion between a healthcare professional and a patient, which aims to improve overall health and wellbeing.  It assesses what’s important to an individual patient in order to help them understand and manage their condition in a way that fits in with their lifestyle.

The tour will also be piloting an online Personalised Care Planning system, hosted on digital health service NHS local.  This will allow people to plan their care at a time and place to suit them.

Joanne Harding, Long Term Conditions Lead at NHS Midlands and East, said:

“We’re really excited about the health bus coming back to the West Midlands.

“We were delighted that so many people visited last year’s bus tour and found information and support from charities and healthcare professionals.

“We want to build on the success of last year’s tour and support even more people with long term conditions to manage their condition and stay healthy.”

“People with busy lifestyles might not feel they have time to seek health advice.  By taking the bus to high streets across the region, we’re able to provide advice and help that fits into their routine.”

Often people turn up at hospitals with minor illnesses and injuries that could often be better treated more quickly elsewhere, or at home using self care.

Everyone can help the health service, especially during winter months, by making sure they ‘choose well’ and consider using other parts of the NHS, such as a pharmacist, their GP, or ringing NHS111.  If you need treatment, consider using a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

-Ends-

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at NHS Midlands and East on 0121 695 2542, or by e-mail at communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk.

Notes to editors:

1.         The healthcare bus will be visiting the following city/town centres at the following dates.  Unless otherwise stated, the bus will be at these locations between 10am and 3pm.

West Midlands

Mon 10 Sept:                     Wolverhampton – Queens Square

Thurs 13 Sept:                   Ludlow – City Centre

Fri 14 Sept:                        Stafford – Market Square

Sat 15 Sept:                       Birmingham – Edgbaston Street

Mon 17 Sept:                     Tamworth – City Centre

Wed 19 Sept:                     Nuneaton – Church Street, Town Centre

Thurs 20 Sept:                   Redditch – Town Centre

Fri 21 Sept:                        Stoke-on-Trent – Tontine Square

East Midlands

Fri 7 Sept:                          Corby – Corporation Street, Town Centre

Sat 8 Sept:                         Kettering – Meadow Road, Town Centre

Tues 11 Sept:                    Aspley (Various locations)

Wed 12 Sept:                     Derby:

·                10am-12:30pm: HSBC Bank Site/St Peters Street

·                2-4:30pm: Clay Cross – Tesco Extra Car Park

Thurs 18 Sept:                   Northampton – Abington Street, Outside Primark

2.         More information about the health bus will be available in local health centres and libraries.

3.         For more information about Personalised Care Planning, visit: http://nhslocal.nhs.uk/story/features/personalised-care-plan

4.         For more information about long term conditions, please visit: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Longtermconditions

5.         For more information about Personal Health Budgets, please visit: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/policy-areas/nhs/personal-budgets/   

6.         Long term conditions include illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease, dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease

7.              NHS Midlands and East is a cluster of strategic health authorities (SHAs) comprising NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.

The NHS in the Midlands and East is proposing to transform the care that patients receive when they suffer a stroke or transient ischaemic attach (TIA) by reviewing stroke services across the East Midlands, East of England and West Midlands with the aim of  introducing an improved system of care.

Whilst we have a network of stroke specialists who are committed to improving the lives of stroke survivors evidence tells us that we can do even better.

Significant improvements have been made over the past four years in stroke services, which include stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and rehabilitation services.  Whilst we have a network of stroke specialists who are committed to improving the lives of stroke survivors evidence tells us that we can do even better. 

Talking about the need for change Sally Standley, who is the Programme Lead for the Midlands and East Stroke Review, says: “It is a national requirement in the NHS Operating Framework for 2012/13 which states that ‘where change is needed in the interest of patients and tax payers, we must be prepared to take on the challenge during 2012/13.  Stroke is also recognised as both a national and a regional priority. 

“We know that there are variations in services across the region and our aim is to improve those services so that patients who have suffered a stroke or TIA receive the best care possible.  By making improvements we want to focus on the whole pathway of care, addressing issues of health, social care and partner services including housing and third sector support with the aim of providing high quality, sustainable and safe services 24 hours a day 365 days of the year across the whole of the Midlands and East region.”

The collaborative review, led by clinicians, will build on the existing review work undertaken in recent years across the region and includes the nine cardiac and stroke networks who will play a key role within their local areas, taking into account the very different geography and demography.

In England Stroke killed more than 40,000 people in 2009.  Over 12,000 of those people live in the area covered by NHS Midlands & East.  Plus many people suffering strokes are left with long term disability.  This review, which will focus on adults aged 18 or older, aims to provide high quality, equitable, safe services across the whole of the Midlands and East region.  Benefits will include:

·         Improvements in clinical outcomes – reducing mortality and disability

·         Access to high quality, safe services available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year

·         Speedier recovery

·         Severity of patient disability reduced

·         Patients able to live more independently following their recovery

·         Access to specialist staff, services and facilities

·         Improved access to rehabilitation services

·         Quality improvement programmes ensuring continuous improvement of high quality care

Review Programme Lead, Sally Standley, Programme lead continued: “This work is a major priority across the region, and it is encouraging to see the commitment and interest of partner organisations stepping up to tackle this challenge.  Wherever possible we will build on existing good practice in the region, and will work with and through local organisations to ensure that they have the opportunity to shape the future of stroke services.”

Professor Tony Rudd, Stroke Review Chair and Royal College of Physicians Stroke Lead agrees saying: "Stroke care has improved considerably in the UK over the last 10 years and certainly compared to many other countries in Europe and elsewhere we already have services of which we can be proud. However there are still inequalities in the standards of care people might receive depending upon where they have their stroke and what time of day or day of the week it happens. We have to ensure that everyone has access to the highest quality of care and I am delighted to have been asked to chair the project board for this really important piece of work.”

“The reorganisation of stroke care in London has been a major success but I know full well that the solutions we used in London are not going to be directly transferrable to the Midlands and East of England. We have to ensure that we find systems in collaboration with our partners and service users which are appropriate to the regions and build on existing high quality services. I also want to emphasise how important it is that we work on the whole stroke pathway, both in hospital and the community. This work is not just about getting more patients thrombolysed; that is perhaps the least important outcome of all. We need to see all patients at all stages of their illness getting the best quality care.  Through this work we want everyone who has a stroke in the NHS Midlands and East to have access to the best treatment and has the greatest chance possible of making a recovery.”

Talking about the clinical commitment, Sally Standley said: “We have built strong clinical advisory groups, whose membership includes the national lead for stroke as well as the local networks. The clinical commitment to improving stroke services will see hospitals and commissioners working closely together to care for patients from the 999 call when a stroke happens, through to their treatment and recovery back to good health.”

Speaking on behalf of the Stroke Association, Chris Clark, Director of Operation - Life after stroke services, added: “Tremendous progress is being made and we know that by improving the whole of the stroke patient’s pathway people are more likely to survive, make a better recovery and spend less time in hospital if they are admitted directly to a high quality stroke unit and receive specialist care from a        co-ordinated team.

“We’d like to see that everyone who has a stroke in this country has access to the best treatment and has the greatest chance possible of making a recovery.”

NHS organisations set to take part in sustainability day

On Wednesday 28 March NHS organisations across West Midlands will be taking part in the first annual NHS Sustainability Day of Action.

Five organisations in the West Midlands will be engaging with staff, patients and the public on sustainability by holding recycling events, planting trees, and showing climate change documentaries and films to get people to understand the mutual benefits of sustainability and health.

NHS Sustainability Day is being led by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) and the University College London Hospitals and aims to promote sustainable action in the NHS and across the health sector.

Dr David Pencheon, NHS SDU Director says:

“NHS Sustainability Day is a day of action and a rallying call to the NHS to embrace and consider all elements of delivering sustainable healthcare: care that improves health today but which doesn't jeopardise our ability to do it tomorrow.”

In addition to the support of local NHS organisations the NHS Sustainability Day is being backed by well known figures such as Sir David Nicholson, Health Minister Simon Burns and actor and presenter Stephen Fry. (quotes available at www.nhssustainabilityday.co.uk).

Sarah Boulton chair of NHS Midlands and East, said:

“It is great to see NHS organisations in our region taking part in the NHS Sustainability Day of Action. We hope the day will encourage them all to work towards a more sustainable health service, one where hospitals serve more locally sourced fresh food, where patients can receive their care closer to home and where buildings are more energy efficient. This will help to reduce waste and save money, money which can then be reinvested back into frontline services, as well as helping to protect the wider environment by lowering harmful carbon emissions.”

In a recent Ipsos Mori survey 92% of the public said they wanted the NHS to be more sustainable and the NHS Sustainability Day is one way where the public can see that the NHS is taking sustainability seriously.  It is an opportunity for the public and staff to understand that a lower carbon NHS is not only healthier for them but also improves the health of the environment.

All 100 plus organisations taking part in the day across the country will be doing something unique to promote sustainability.

For more information on NHS Sustainability Day of Action please visit www.nhssustainabilityday.co.uk.

ENDS

Editors Notes:

Contact:  For all media enquiries and interviews giving a national perspective on the day please contact Karl Heidel, Communications Manager NHS Sustainable Development Unit.  Tel:  07802 151 758 / 07946 755 758.  Email: Karl.Heidel@sdu.nhs.uk

About the NHS Sustainable Development Unit

The NHS Sustainable Development Unit is a dedicated national unit set up to coordinate and stimulate sustainable development systematically across the NHS.  It provides leadership and helps develop organisations, people, tools, policy and research to ensure the NHS fulfils its potential as a leading sustainable and low carbon organisation. 

About UCLH

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK.  The Foundation Trust aims to become a leading ambassador for sustainable health regionally, nationally and internationally.

Organisations taking part in NHS Sustainability Day by region include:

NHS East of England

East of England Ambulance Service

Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Bedfordshire

NHS Sustainable Development Unit

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS East Midlands

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

NHS West Midlands

UHCW (University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust)

Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospital North Staffordshire NHS Trust

NHS North East

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

NHS North West

Liverpool PCT

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Alder Hey Childrens Healthcare Hospital

Blackpool, Fyre and Wylde NHS Foundation Trust

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool Heart & Chest NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust & Alder Hey Foundation trust

Mersey Care NHS Trust

North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Trust

North Tees & Hartlepool NHS FT

Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust

Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Yorkshire and Humber

Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

NHS South Central

Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Buckinghamshire

PHT Director of Development & Estates

NHS South West

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

NHS South East Coast

NHS Kent and Medway

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals

Epsom and St Helier NHS University Hospitals NHS Trust

Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Medway PCT

Sussex Community NHS Trust

West Kent PCT

West Sussex PCT

NHS London

Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals Trust

Barts and The London NHS Trust

Bexley NHS Care Trust

Brent PCT

Bromley PCT

Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust

Central & North West London NHS Trust

Central London Healthcare CCG – Westminster

Chelsea & Westminster Hospital

City & Hackney PCT

Ealing Hospital NHS Trust

East London NHS Trust

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

Greenwich PCT

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Hammersmith & Fulham PCT

Harrow PCT

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Isleworth

Kensington and Chelsea NHS

King’s College Health Centre

Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Kingston Hospital NHS Trust

Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Mayday Health Care Trust

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Newham University Hospital NHS Trust

NHS Camden

NHS Croydon

NHS Enfield

NHS Havering

NHS Islington

NHS Newham

NHS Redbridge

NHS South West London

North East London Foundation Trust

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

North West London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Richmond and Twickenham PCT

Royal Brompton & Harefield Foundation NHS Trust

Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

Southwark Health & Social Care

St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust

Sutton & Merton PCT

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Waltham Forest PCT

Wandsworth PCT

West London Mental Health Trust

West Middlesex University NHS Trust

Westminster PCT

Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust

Whittington Health NHS

Whittington Hospital

Other NHS Organisations

Royal College of General Practitioners

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society

A free drop-in health advice clinic is being held in Stoke-on-Trent city centre next Wednesday (29 February).

The advice clinic, which is being held at the Stoke Local Service Centre between 10am and 3pm, is mainly aimed at people with long term conditions such as diabetes, cardiac or respiratory conditions, and their carers.

NHS Midlands and East is working with the local NHS, local authority and voluntary organisations to run the day.  People will be able to get advice and information about healthy lifestyles, and access support to manage any conditions they might have.

Nurses, a lifestyle coach and other healthcare professionals will be on hand to answer any questions and offer advice on healthy living.

There will also be a wellbeing clinic offering free testing for members of the public on health indicators like blood pressure, body mass index and blood sugar.

There will be lots of information on the day about how people can access local health and social care services, as well as tips on managing long term conditions.

The clinic will also be offering 10 minute taster Personalised Care Planning sessions.  Personalised care planning aims to address an individual’s full range of needs, taking into account their circumstances as well as their condition.  It recognises that there are other issues in addition to medical needs that can affect a person’s total health and well-being.  The taster sessions are being held so that people are able to get a feel of what their Personalised Care Plan could look like and how they could benefit.

The day is being run by the same team who organised a regional healthcare bus tour in November for Self Care Week.  1,907 people visited the bus over six days to get healthcare advice and information, including 150 on the first day of the tour in Stoke-on-Trent.

Joanne Harding, West Midlands Long Term Conditions Lead, said:

“We’re really excited about the healthcare advice day in Stoke-on-Trent on 29 February.

“We were very encouraged by the interest in the regional healthcare bus tour last year.  As a result of comments during the tour, we’re offering even more screening and testing this time, as well as continuing to offer trusted advice on managing long term conditions.”

“We hope that lots of people will drop by on the day to get advice and support from charities and healthcare professionals.

“The day is mostly aimed at people with long term conditions.  However, everyone is welcome to attend to get advice and free screening.”

People often turn up at hospitals with minor illnesses and injuries that could often be better treated more quickly elsewhere, or at home using self care.

Everyone can help the health service by making sure they ‘choose well’ and consider using other parts of the NHS, such as a pharmacist, or their GP.  If you need treatment, consider using a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

- ends -

For more information, or to arrange a photograph or interview, please contact the Communications Team at NHS West Midlands on 0121 695 2542, or by e-mail at communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk.

Notes to editors:

1.         The healthcare advice day is being held between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday 29 February 2012 at the Stoke Local Service Centre, South Wolfe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4SZ

2.         Partners on the day include:

• Carers Advocacy
• Community Matron for the Homeless -Shelton Primary Care Centre
• Dementia Advocacy Services
• Expert Patient Programme
• Lifestyle Programme
• NHS local
• North Staffordshire Carers Association
• Pill Dispenser Project
• Social Care
• Solutions 4 Health
• Staffordshire PCT Cluster
• Telecare & Lifeline Services
• Vascular Well-being Service

3.         More information about the day will be available in GP surgeries, hospitals, libraries, health centres, the Stoke-on-Trent market and local shops.

4.         Long term conditions include illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease

5.         NHS West Midlands is part of the NHS Midlands and East cluster of SHAs comprising NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.

6.         For more information about long term conditions, please visit: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Longtermconditions

Health bosses in the West Midlands are reminding the public not to use A&E or 999 unnecessarily, especially during busy times.

The region’s ambulance service and hospitals have reported a recent rise in calls and attendances.  Health chiefs are predicting that demand for NHS services will continue to remain high during the coming days.

While hospitals are continuing to see many seriously ill patients in A&E, conditions such as colds, flu-like illness, vomiting or minor cuts and sprains can be treated at home with help from your pharmacist or GP.

If it’s not an emergency, please don’t go to A&E or ring 999.

People can help the NHS by making sure they ‘choose well’ and consider using other parts of the NHS, such as a pharmacist, GP, walk-in centre, or the advice available online at www.nhs.uk.

Professor Chris Welsh, Medical Director at NHS Midlands and East, said:

“Staff across the West Midlands have been doing a fantastic job at treating the increased number of patients who have been using emergency services in recent weeks.

“However, while NHS staff are always there to help, there is a lot people can do for themselves and their families to avoid becoming ill or having accidents.”

“Despite the rising temperatures this week, we are still in the winter period, and it’s really important to look after yourself and choose the right NHS service.”

Health chiefs today issued some easy tips to help people stay safe and healthy and get the right treatment:

• Winter always brings more coughs, colds, sore throats and flu.  If you start to have the symptoms of flu or a heavy cold, stay at home, keep warm and take plenty of non-alcoholic drinks.
• Norovirus and other stomach bugs are circulating at this time of year.  They can usually be best dealt with by rest and drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.  Most people make a full recovery within 1-2 days, however some people (usually the very young or elderly) may become very dehydrated and require hospital treatment.
• If your cold causes a chest infection (sometimes known as a lower respiratory tract infection or RTI), you should seek advice from NHS Direct or your GP.  Most RTIs can be treated at home, or with GP advice.  However, in some cases hospital treatment may be required, especially in young children or people aged over 65.
• Your local pharmacist can advise you about minor medical problems.  Check for the opening times at your nearest pharmacy or visit www.nhs.uk.
• Make sure you have cold and flu medications and remedies in the house, as well as other basic first aid supplies such as painkillers, plasters and bandages.  If you are on other medication, check first with your pharmacist to make sure any cold or flu medicines are right for you.
• All GP surgeries offer an emergency out-of-hours service.  If you call when the surgery is closed, keep a pen and paper handy to take down the number of the GP’s emergency service.
• For more serious injuries or illnesses, hospital Accident & Emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all bank holidays.
• Wash your hands regularly.  Correct respiratory and hand hygiene (RHH) practice is one of the most effective actions the public can take to protect themselves and others from infection and the spread of germs that can lead to cold, flu and other illnesses.

Generally, people should treat the situation as an emergency if, for example:

·           someone has stopped breathing or their heart has stopped,

·           the person is experiencing severe chest pain or is having trouble breathing,

·           there is severe bleeding from any part of the body,

·           the person is, or has been, unconscious,

·           there is a suspected broken bone or dislocation.

Cuts, bruises or sprains are not normally considered emergencies. They can usually be treated at home, by a GP or in an NHS walk-in centre or a minor injuries unit.  If you are not sure if it is an emergency, you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for advice on what to do.

- Ends -

For more information, contact the Communications Team on 0121 695 2542 or communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk.

Notes to editors:

1.      For more information on winter health, go to: www.nhs.uk and visit the ‘Winter Health’ section

2.      You can find out more about coping with winter at home and on the move at www.direct.gov.uk/getreadyforwinter.

New NHS ‘friends and family’ test to improve patient experience and care in hospital

Patients will be able to have their say about the care and treatment they receive in hospital like never before, following an initiative launched across the NHS in the Midlands and East.

The new ‘friends and family’ test will ensure that patient experience is at the top of the region’s nursing and management agenda.

From 1 April, patients admitted to hospitals will be asked a single, simple question to gauge how well their expectations are being met. The question is "how likely is it that you would recommend this services to a friend or family?" using an "extremely likely" to "not at all likely" scale.

New implementation guidance on the ‘friends and family’ test, ‘Creating a revolution in patient and customer experience’, is being issued this week to all acute hospitals in the new Strategic Health Authority cluster,  NHS Midlands and East, which now covers a quarter of the NHS. 

NHS Midlands and East has appointed three new Associate Medical Directors, to help focus its clinical vision and priorities across the new strategic health authority cluster area.

Mr James Quinn has been appointed as Associate Medical Director covering the East of England. James was Associate Medical Director for the NHS East of England before the SHA’s clustered as well as being Medical Director at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust for five years. Previously he held a six-month post as Deputy Medical Director with a remit for clinical efficiency post at the Trust and prior to this he was the Trust’s Clinical Director for Surgical Specialties for three years. He was appointed as an ENT Surgeon at this Trust in 1998. He has a specialist interest in ear surgery and balance disorders and continues to practice at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust.

Dr Peter Miller has been appointed Associate Medical Director covering the East Midlands. Peter became the medical director of Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust in April 2006. Prior to this Peter was a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist for 10 years, and had a number of key posts including clinical director of CAMHS services.  Peter’s interests are in the professional development of consultants and the delivery of high quality clinical services, supported by audit, research and appropriate use of information. Peter still works actively as a clinician at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust with interests in ADHD and children in care.

Dr Neil Deuchar, based in West Midlands, has been appointed Associate Medical Director with Cluster-wide responsibilities for Mental Health and Revalidation. He has been Medical Director for Mental Health at NHS West Midlands for the past two years, prior to which he was Medical Director at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.  Neil is also Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Neurosciences, University of Birmingham, Associate Registrar (Medical Management) and Commissioning Lead for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Mental Health Advisor, DH Right Care Team. Neil continues his clinical practice at the Health Xchange, a primary care facility for homeless people in Birmingham.

Chris Welsh, Medical Director for NHS Midlands and East said:

“I am very pleased to announce today’s appointments and would like to wish all of our new Associate Medical Directors the very best in their new roles. We are fortunate to have secured a wealth of skills and experience with these three appointments. They will be a huge support to me and all will drive forward NHS Midlands and East’s clinical priorities and ambitions across the three regions.”

Patients in the West Midlands will benefit as their local NHS receives a cash injection of £10.5 million to boost services in their communities, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced today.

The Department of Health is providing a total of up to £100 million in additional funding to doctors in emerging Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) across England to improve local services and reduce pressures on the NHS during the colder months.

Clinicians in these groups will spend the money directly on local care services that best meet their patients’ clinical needs and prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital. For example, prospective Clinical Commissioning Groups could use the funding to:

provide more effective cover for urgent care services
improve out of hours services for patients
improve local arrangements with nursing homes
extend GP practice opening times, or
commission any service which supports patients in the community and in their homes to help avoid unnecessary visits to hospital.

This is the first time these prospective clinical groups – made up of GPs and other local clinical professionals – have been given money to spend on patient services in their areas. They will have £2 per head of population made available to them via their Primary Care Trust (PCT) cluster to spend this financial year.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:

“I am pleased to be able to give the NHS in the West Midlands £10.5 million in extra funding to spend directly on local frontline care for their patients during the winter months.

“This funding, available due to good management of the Department’s central budgets, will harness the expertise of local clinicians who know better than anyone, what you – their patients – need.

“Moving decision-making closer to patients will mean ‘no decision about me without me’ and ensures that patients receive the right care according to their individual needs. This more effective and efficient way of working will see savings reinvested in front line NHS care.”

Many prospective Clinical Commissioning Groups are ready to take responsibility for investments of this kind and will be supported by their local Primary Care Trust cluster, who will sign off their plans. The funding must be used to improve patient services – it cannot be spent on running costs.

The funding will enable prospective CCGs to implement measures which support their longer term plans to improve services for patients.  

Dr David Hegarty, Chair of Dudley CCG said:

“Extra funding is always welcome especially during the winter months, as it will help us to ensure that people can access high quality services in Dudley when they need them most.

“This funding is a welcome boost and will help us to ensure that things continue to run smoothly at a time when there is increased demand on the system.  We are working with CCG colleagues to decide how this money should be used to deliver the best possible care to our population over the next few winter months and beyond.”

Emergency service and healthcare workers are encouraging people to stay safe, and drink sensibly this New Year’s Eve – a time when services across the region are typically put under pressure treating people who have over-indulged at parties.

Alcohol poisoning is not the only reason drinking too much can land you in hospital. People are more likely to fall and hurt themselves or get injured in fights they would not ordinarily be involved in.

Some people will be responsible and drink sensibly, but unfortunately there are always some people who will overdo it.

Mark Gough, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer at West Midlands Ambulance Service, said:

“Every New Year’s Eve we see a big increase in 999 calls. In the first five hours of 2011, we received 1,407 emergency 999 calls.  We want people to enjoy themselves but they must take responsibility for themselves and their friends.  Many 999 calls on New Year’s Eve could have been avoided if people had drunk alcohol in moderation and taken care.

“If you do drink too much you can expect to experience that horrible morning-after feeling which involves a banging headache, sickness, dizziness, dehydration, tiredness and weakness.

“A hangover does not warrant a 999 call and should be treated at home by drinking as much water as you can before you go to sleep and during the next day, taking a paracetamol or painkiller to treat your headache and antacid to settle your stomach.

“Excessive drinking will damage you, so don’t expect to make a quick recovery – make sure you get plenty of rest and you’ll eventually start to feel more human again.”

If you are worried about your symptoms or need health advice, telephone NHS Direct - 0845 46 47 or your local Out-of-Hours service (accessed via your local GP telephone number) and they will help you.  Be prepared, and make a note of their contact numbers so you have them if you need them.

Top tips for a hangover-free New Year:

• Enjoy yourself but don’t drink too much
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with a glass of water or fruit juice – this will help to prevent you becoming dehydrated
• Never drink on an empty stomach
• Pace yourself by taking small sips
• Drinking in rounds can mean you end up drinking more than you intended. Opt out and drink at your own pace
• To avoid your drink being tampered with, never leave it unattended
• Know your limits: men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day (a pint of larger contains 3 units); women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day (a 250ml glass of wine contains 3 units).

Dr David Walker, Director of Public Health, NHS Midlands and East, said:

“It’s a time for celebration, but nothing ruins the party mood more than starting the New Year in A&E.  At this time of year hospital and ambulance staff spend a large amount of time dealing with people who are drunk or have had accidents as a result of drinking too much.

“If you keep an eye on how much you drink and are careful not to go overboard, you can save yourself a trip to hospital, not to mention free up services for those who really need them.”

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For further information, please contact the Communications Team at NHS Midlands and East on 0121 695 2542, or West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust on 01384 246496.

Notes to editors:

1.      Are you sticking to your recommended units? To calculate your units or for more information about watching what you drink go to http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/alcohol

2.      To find out more about the effects of drinking too much, visit: http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/pages/effects-alcohol.aspx

3.      For details on how to deal with a hangover visit the Drink Aware website: http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tips-and-tools/dealing-with-a-hangover?gclid=COPUqfmxkK0CFSEhtAodAlFenQ

4.      Earlier this month, NHS North West announced two new festive funny videos, encouraging people to choose well and drink sensibly.  These videos follow on from the series of three films released by the Strategic Health Authority in November.  You can access the new films here: http://youtu.be/QVjFmfqtL14.

5.      Choosing well ensures you get the treatment you need in the shortest possible time, and reduces the pressure on essential NHS services.  If it’s not an emergency, please don’t go to A&E or ring 999.

6.     NHS Direct is available 24 hours a day at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or on 0845 46 47

Uptake of the free flu jab in ‘at risk’ groups is higher than this time last year, but health bosses at NHS Midlands and East are urging residents not to rest easy and to get vaccinated soon as possible - it takes up to ten days for the flu jab to take effect.

Figures recently released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that overall the number of over 65s, those with long term conditions and pregnant women that have had the free flu jab is up year-on-year.  England is on course to hit its target of 75 per cent, as 65 per cent of over 65s have already had the vaccination compared to 59 per cent this time last year. 

Those under 65 who have a long term condition should also be vaccinated.  This includes people with breathing problems, heart conditions, diabetes or an illness where their immune system is compromised.  Uptake so far has been 40 per cent (33 per cent in 2010/11). 

It is also important that pregnant women have the vaccination.  This is because pregnant women are particularly at risk of the effects of the H1N1 strain of flu virus, which is expected to be circulating this year.  Mums-to-be who do catch the H1N1 flu virus are at increased risk of bronchitis and pneumonia.  To date, 18 per cent of pregnant women have had the jab (3 per cent in 2010/11). 

Those who care for elderly or disabled people are also being urged to have the flu vaccination to stop the risk of spread to people whose health is vulnerable.

It takes up to ten days for the vaccination to take effect so it’s important to have it as soon as possible.  The flu vaccination does not contain live viruses so cannot give you flu.  If you believe you should have the free flu vaccination and haven’t yet been invited to by your GP, contact your GP surgery as soon as possible. 

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For more information, contact the Communications Team on 0121 695 2542 or by e-mail at communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk

Notes to editors:

1.      Flu vaccination data is taken from up to the week ending 13 November 2011.

2.      For more information visit: http://winterwatch.dh.gov.uk/category/data/

3.      The NHS Midlands and East cluster of SHAs comprises NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.

Following the Government’s decision to cluster Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), NHS Midlands and East is pleased to announce the appointment of a chair designate to the newly created West Mercia PCT.

Joanna Newton is Chair designate of NHS West Mercia cluster. Joanna is currently Chair of NHS Herefordshire and has built up her knowledge of the wider West Mercia region through a number of other chair roles including Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust, the West Midlands/Central Wales cross border group on health & social care and the West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Board, which contracts for specialist services on behalf of 17 West Midland primary care trusts.

Sarah Boulton, Chair of NHS Midlands and East, said:

“I am very pleased that Joanna Newton has been appointed as Chair designate for the West Mercia PCT Cluster and wish her the very best for her new role. Her skills and experience will be vital in helping to ensure the smooth transition of commissioning responsibilities from PCTs to clinical commissioning groups as well as ensuring we maintain high quality and safe services over the next 18 months”.

These appointments are made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice (Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments).  All non executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. 

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For more information, please contact the Communications Team at NHS West Midlands on 0121 695 2542 / 07970 066818 or by e-mailing communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk

Notes for editors

1.    NHS Midlands and East is the Strategic Health Authority Cluster incorporating NHS East of England, NHS East Midlands and NHS West Midlands. The Strategic Health Authority cluster provides strategic direction for health care services across the three regions.

2.    All appointments have been made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.

3.    All non-executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees political activity (if declared) to be made public. Joanna Newton has not declared any political appointments

4.    The Chair and the Non Executive Directors are recruited from the local community.  The appointments are made the Appointments Commission who are acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health.

5.    Joanna Newton will receive a remuneration of £42,033. 

Next week (14-19 November 2011), a double-decker healthcare bus will be visiting six city and town centres across the region to give people information about how to improve their health and manage any conditions they have.

The bus tour is part of the regional plans for Self Care Week, a national awareness campaign to encourage all of us to learn how to take control of our own health and well-being.  This is especially important for those with a long term condition such as diabetes.

This is the first regional bus tour for Safe Care Week.  Healthcare professionals and local and national charities will be joining the bus on its six stops during next week.

The bus will be offering 10 minute taster Personalised Care Planning sessions.  Personalised care planning aims to address an individual’s full range of needs, taking into account their circumstances as well as their condition.  It recognises that there are other issues in addition to medical needs that can affect a person’s total health and well-being.  The taster sessions are being held so that people are able to get a feel of what their Personalised Care Plan could look like and how they could benefit.

We will also be providing the public with health information, including managing long term conditions, Personalised Health Budgets, and self care.  The team will also offer advice about how to make practical changes to improve health such as taking more exercise, eating healthily and stopping smoking.

Joanne Harding, West Midlands Long Term Conditions Lead, said:

“We’re really excited about the health bus touring the region for the first time.

“People with long term conditions know their illness better than anyone, but sometimes need more help and information to help them manage it.

“We hope that lots of people will visit the health bus, so they can find information and support from charities and healthcare professionals.”

People often turn up at hospitals with minor illnesses and injuries that could often be better treated more quickly elsewhere, or at home using self care.

Everyone can help the health service, especially during winter months by making sure they ‘choose well’ and consider using other parts of the NHS, such as a pharmacist, their GP, or NHS Direct on www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk / 0845 46 47.  If you need treatment, consider using a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

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A photograph of the healthcare bus is attached.

For more information, please contact the Communications Team at NHS West Midlands on 0121 695 2542, or by e-mail at communications@westmidlands.nhs.uk.

Notes to editors:

1.         The healthcare bus will be visiting six city/town centres between 10am and 3pm at the following dates:

Monday 14 November 2011 – Stoke City Centre - Tontine Square

Tuesday 15 November 2011 – Wolverhampton City Centre - Queens Square

Wednesday 16 November 2011 – Coventry - Millennium Place

Thursday 17 November 2011 – Worcester - South Quay

Friday 18 November 2011 – West Bromwich -The Public, New Street

Saturday 19 November 2011 – Birmingham City Centre - Edgbaston Street

2.         More information about the health bus will be available in local charity shops, GP surgeries, hospitals and libraries.

3.         For more information about Self Care Week, please visit: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Longtermconditions

4.         Long term conditions include illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease

5.         NHS West Midlands is part of the NHS Midlands and East cluster of SHAs comprising NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.

NHS Midlands and East is supporting a series of NHS videos which use humour to get over a serious message about choosing the right NHS service by highlighting some inappropriate reasons for attending A&E.

Actors from stage and screen gave up their time free of charge to appear alongside NHS staff as characters - including women waiting for treatment for hair-dye disasters and botched false nails, a pushy mum desperate for her son to be seen by senior doctors for his diarrhoea, and even a man hoping A&E staff will turn their hands to helping out his poorly dog!

Focusing on patients in the waiting rooms, the viewer can’t tell until the end of the films whether they’re in a vet’s surgery, TV talent show audition, beauty salon – or a hospital.  At the end of each, viewers are reminded that they should go to their local pharmacy for advice on treatment of very minor illnesses and injuries.

The more serious message is that cases such as these put added pressure on already busy A&E and 999 teams.  Recently more than 120,000* people went to A&E departments in a four month period in the NHS Midlands and East area when they could have been treated and advised by their local pharmacist or GP, or could have looked after themselves at home.

The videos, produced by NHS North West and available on Youtube, are being distributed through social media as part of the NHS Choose Well campaign.  NHS Midlands and East is appealing for as many people as possible to post them to their Facebook and Twitter profiles, to try and get the message across that A&E and 999 are for serious and life-threatening conditions.

Chris Welsh, Medical Director at NHS Midlands and East said: “The examples in the videos are very funny and extreme cases but there is a very serious message behind them.

“On average an ambulance call out costs more than £200 and an A&E visit can cost a minimum of £59.  With one in four people attending A&E unnecessarily, as they could have been treated by their pharmacist or GP or did not need any form of medical intervention, this puts an enormous strain on the NHS and not just in financial terms.

“A&E doctors’ time is precious and if they spend it treating very minor problems they have less time to spend attending to those who have serious problems such as those who have suffered heart attacks, strokes and life-threatening injuries.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

·         To view the videos, click here:

Nail Bar: http://goo.gl/vWqkg

Vet: http://goo.gl/RZEO0

Talent Show: http://goo.gl/DFRQj

For more information about how to choose the right NHS service in the NHS Midlands and East area or to get stills from the videos, please contact the Communications Team on 0115 9684468.

·         *Based on NHS Information Centres Hospital Episode Statistics from November 2010 to February 2011(which can be found here http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/hospital-care/accident-and-emergency-hospital-episode-statistics-hes). The regional breakdown of these figures is below:

o   West Midlands – 47,375

o   East Midlands – 37,339

o   East of England – 35,367

·         The NHS Midlands and East cluster of SHAs comprises NHS East Midlands, NHS East of England and NHS West Midlands.