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Category: Essex

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Personal Health Budgets

NE Essex CCG issue news of personal health budgetsNHS North East EssexCCG introduces personal health budgets for local people

People in Colchester and Tendring who get funding from the NHS for their continuing healthcare will now have a greater say in how that money is spent.

From 1 April 2014 everyone eligible for on-going treatment and support for a complex medical condition has the right to ask for a personal health budget. That includes the option of asking for direct payments to be made to them, or to someone who looks after them.  Then, with the help of local NHS professionals in putting together an individual care plan, each person can choose how to use their allocated budget for a tailored package of health services.

Each patient will be able to get a range of help that is appropriate to them and their condition – such as clinical treatments, therapies, personal care and equipment – from NHS, private and voluntary sector providers.  Or the personal healthcare budget can carry on funding the healthcare and support that is already working well for them, if they don’t want to make changes.

Personal budgets are not entirely new. Some people already have the benefit of direct payments for social care, and continuing healthcare is the right place to start with personal health budgets. It is one of the few areas where the NHS commissions healthcare person-by-person,” said Lisa Llewellyn, Director of Nursing and Clinical Quality at NE Essex CCG. “We have learned from pilots across theUK that personal health budgets give patients greater involvement in planning their care, and greater choice, flexibility and control. So they can then buy services they know will best improve their health and wellbeing, and that are right for them and their families.

NHS organisations in Essex are working in partnership with ecdp, an organisation run by and for disabled people, to help introduce the new approach. edcp has a pioneering track record in supporting disabled people at local, regional and national levels and has worked with a number of local authorities to help people to manage direct payments.

Mike Adams, chief executive of ecdp, said:

Along with the NHS, we recognise that the individual is the expert in how a health condition affects his or her life. Personal health budgets offer the opportunity for people to work in partnership with the NHS on how their health needs can best be met. Many people have said that being fully involved in discussions and decisions with their healthcare professionals is the right thing and will make them more positive about the care and support they receive, and better in control of their quality of life. The benefits seemed to be felt more strongly by people with the highest health needs.

Mike added:

You can manage the care and support you choose in different ways, ranging from doing this yourself through to getting help from another person, or from an organisation like ecdp to implement what’s in your care plan on your behalf.  You can review and update your choices with your local NHS team when you need to, for example if your health changes or something in your plan isn’t working for you. You can also continue to receive the support in the same way as now if that is your preference.

People who want to consider whether a personal health budget might be right for them should speak to their healthcare professionals – GP or practice nurse, district nurse or a member of their Continuing Care Team. There is also more information about personal health budgets on the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk/personalhealthbudgets.

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Self-management scheme for cancer survivors

NE Essex CCG issue cancer survivors self-management
We Are Macmillan Cancer Support

New, improved self-management scheme

For those who have survived breast or colorectal cancers

The NHS in North East Essex, in partnership with Macmillan cancer charity, is launching a pioneering new service on the 1st April to better support survivors of cancer. It has been designed with the active involvement of patients from the cancer service user-groups.

This new scheme is designed to take some of the national ideas and build a new local service to better support people to manage their own medical and wider recovery process.

The scheme is specifically for those who have survived breast or colorectal cancers and who are now judged as at lower-risk of relapse, with the intention to learn from this to potentially expand the service to survivors of certain other cancers. Higher-risk patients, such as those who have suffered from aggressive forms of the disease, will continue to need and get a different, more medically intensive follow-up programme.

Dr Linda Mahon-Daly, a GP at Shrub End in Colchester, leading the collaboration with Macmillan, said:

We will be providing an improved service for patients ensuring that every patient has real, continuing practical and moral support. National research and planning is all pointing towards similar services, but we are making it work practically for these patients, who often face very challenging circumstances. There is also the benefit of freeing up hospital doctors’ time, allowing them to deliver more services.

Many people, once their treatment is successfully concluded for these cancers, can find themselves without effective follow-up support. There are about 200 new lower-risk patients each year in NE Essex for each of these cancers. Under the new scheme, they and their families will be invited to attend a workshop specific to their type of cancer, which will help them understand and prepare for problems they may face, for instance certain physical side-effects that may follow. Patients will then be discharged from routine outpatient appointments; they will be assigned a Macmillan “buddy”, a trained volunteer with experience and interest in this type of cancer.

There will be a clear, rapid procedure to get the patient back under consultant care if needed and patients will still be able to contact their clinical nurse specialist (CNS) for advice on medical problems.

Michelle Bath, Macmillan Development Manager for Essex, said:

Following active treatment many patients tell us they feel alone and try to ‘get back to normal’ but their cancer experience has had such a big impact that they’re no longer sure what their ‘normal’ is. By training volunteer buddies we are aiming to give patients a support network and somebody to speak to about their concerns. This will give patients a listening ear that isn’t a member of their medical team but they will know how to access medical support if they suspect a change or recurrence of their cancer.

Clinically proven effective follow-up medical investigations, such as regular colonoscopy and mammography will still be carried out, as at present, to ensure that any problems are found and dealt with quickly.

Donna Booton, Matron for Cancer Services at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, said:

This is an exceptional scheme for the patients of North East Essex. It will reduce their fears and give them the support and knowledge they have not received before in order to be able to move on with their lives. This is also an example of excellent collaborative involving Colchester Hospital Trust, North East Essex Clinical Commissioning and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The volunteer buddies are initially funded and trained by Macmillan offering patients their wide experience, good information and non-medical advice. Perhaps crucially they will offer support for the patient, if needed, with re-building life routines, such as finding a job and other services. Patients will know they have continuing support and quick, easy access to further help as needed. Each patient will get the support they need as an individual, rather than the current system of routine out-patient appointments at hospital for everyone.

Dr Shane Gordon, Clinical Chief Officer at NE Essex CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) said:

This is a brilliant scheme; it will directly support many cancer survivors to rebuild their lives successfully. It is an excellent collaboration between Macmillan and the NHS which meets the support needs of patients at any time and links effectively with professional clinical services.

A lot of work has been done in the NHS nationally to understand why so many people who have been successfully treated for cancer, don’t feel they get effective follow-up support. There is good evidence too that the current routine follow-up appointments are not the most effective way of picking up any symptoms of recurrence of the disease, but patients do need help with any side-effects of treatment and sometimes with re-building their lives after treatment.

There will be an ongoing series of general cancer workshops, run and funded by Macmillan, on topics such as finance, diet and exercise and sexual health, which will be available to all cancer patients. Pilot workshops will be held and then evaluated, with the patient groups defining the feedback questionnaire which will be used.

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NHS – ‘Have Your Say’ Health Forum

NE Essex CCG invite public to Health ForumThe NHS in North East Essex is inviting anyone interested to attend one of their local Health Forum meetings, one of which is taking place in Colchester.

The main themes for the April meetings include:

  • A manager from ColchesterHospital to discuss and take questions on the maternity units at Harwich and Clacton
  •  The CCGs Urgent Care Strategy: a request for people’s views

People attending are welcome to raise their own issues and will have a chance to directly question senior managers from the CCG on their actions and plans.   The Colchester Meeting will be on Monday 7 April, 2pm to 4pm.  Please come to the 2nd floor at the Primary Care Centre (upstairs from the Walk-in Centre) in Turner Road, ColchesterCO4 5JR.

Any member of the local public can join the Health Forum.  Join here to have your say as a member of NE Essex CCG public “Health Forum”:

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NHS Warn of Cancer Hoax

NE Essex CCG issue cancer hoax warningNE Essex CCG issue cancer hoax warning

At least two GP practices in NE Essex have had patients phone in worried about a hoax email. The email looks as if it has come from NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and people are advised not to open it, and not to click on any links.

NICE says the contents are likely to be distressing and has reported the hoax to the police.  It is not clear exactly how many people are affected, but based on the high number of calls to the organisation it is thought to number thousands nationally.

Sir Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of NICE, said:

A spam email purporting to come from NICE is being sent to members of the public regarding cancer test results.

This email is likely to cause distress to recipients since it advises that ‘test results’ indicate they may have cancer.

This malicious email is not from NICE and we are currently investigating its origin. We take this matter very seriously and have reported it to the police.

NICE is advising people who have received the email – the subject line of which is important blood analysis result – to delete it without opening it and not to click on any links.

The NHS national website has information, as does the NICE national website and Twitter feed.

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Are you living with slow Internet speeds?

Slow Internet?

Slow internet connection
Got this?
Fast internet connection
But want this?

Between them Essex County Council (ECC), HMG and BT are prepared to invest nearly £25m improving internet access speeds in those areas of Essex most needing it, their objective is to see minimum download speeds of 2Mbps.  To date only a small proportion or our village is connected to high speed broadband and the remaining residents are living life very much in the slow lane.  If you want to see a share of this £25m delivered to your door then you need to register your concerns because based on the current low-level of response (0.5% of West Bergholt households)  Superfast Essex will not reach us until at least 2016!

What you should do…

Take a speed test to see just how slow your ‘fast lane’ is – try this link – www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/diagnostics.

Superfast Broadband LogoNext register your interest in high-speed broadband on a special website set up by the ECC/BT Superfast Essex project at www.superfastessex.org.

You can also call or send an email to BT’s Regional Manager for East of England, Annette Thorpe, (contact 020 7778 5853 or [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]), explaining why you feel West Bergholt should be a priority – you might want to make comment about how close we are to Colchester homes receiving much faster service and that incremental costs of adding West Bergholt should be relatively manageable for them under their BDUK contract.

Finally, you can also contact County Broadband, after all they came here when BT wouldn’t, and give them an incentive to consider further investment in upgrading the service we receive, by calling 0845 686 5000.

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Speedwatch – Surround a Town

Community Speedwatch targeting speeding in our community
Local Community Speedwatch volunteers were involved in the recent Surround a Town event.
Community Wheels Truck
The Community Wheels truck joined Speedwatch teams and others in raising speeding awareness

Essex Highways, Essex Police, Essex Fire & Rescue and local Speedwatch groups joined forces on  5th February with a crack down on speeding motorists.   The results saw a substantial number of interventions including:

  • Road Safety staff gave advice and showed education videos to 81 offenders at enforcement sites.
  • 400+ people on the “community wheels truck” outside the Town Hall with road safety staff and staff from the fire brigade giving advice.
  • 32 drivers were recorded travelling over 36 mph in Langenhoe, Peldon and West Bergolt by Community Speedwatch.
  • 13 speeding drivers spoken to by school children at a child speed watch event outside a school in Colchester.
Other activities included:
  • year six walks conducted by road safety staff to highlight the dangers on the road to year six students.
  • road safety staff in a college to engage with over 50 students about road safety issues.
  • the north Essex parking partnership were patrolling schools to raise awareness of the dangers arising from poor parking outside schools.
Look out for future similar events.
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Local Bus user – have your say!

Local bus in West BergholtIt’s not too late to have your say on the future of supported local bus services.

As you may be aware, in September the County Council began a major review of its support for local bus services in the County.   The public consultation seeks residents’ and passenger transport customers’ views on local bus services which are supported by the County Council, and their preferences and needs for services in the future.

The consultation has now been ‘live’ for 7 weeks. It’s clear that people care about the future of their individual bus services, however, the Council would like to encourage as many people as possible to take this opportunity to contribute towards the future of local bus services.  It is important the Council has a high level of response from the public so that decisions are made on robust evidence.

The consultation can be accessed online until 9 December 2013.  Paper copies of the consultation are also be available through libraries or by calling 0845 603 7631.

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New Church Road Traffic Safety Plan agreed by PC

New Church Road Traffic Safety
One of the plans to be viewed from the linked page                           (Click for larger image)

At a special meeting of the Parish Council held on 6th November, the plan designed to help alleviate some of the traffic problems in and around New Church Road, particularly around school times, was approved.

In brief the plan is to put restrictions on parking at the junctions along New Church Road, including the end junctions where inconsiderate parking can cause dangers at any time.

Part of the plan is to raise awareness of the need to take extra care in the vicinity of a school and to achieve this the Parish Council will seek the imposition of a 20mph limit along the road.  Also the part the school can play in influencing drivers’ behaviour was discussed and so it is hoped that working with the Parish Council and local residents a campaign to impact on the problem will be launched as the above measures are put into place.

The full plan is now published on this web site [New Church Road Traffic Safety Plan].

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Village Traffic Safety Plan

traffic safety plan for West Bergholt
Overview of part of the new plans – see below for full size copies

In response to issues raised by village residents in the Parish Plan of 2009 the Parish Council spent nearly two years consulting various parties before producing last year a Traffic Safety Plan for the village.   The plan was endorsed by the Local Highways Panel and formed the basis for the funding for the projects under current consideration.

Early indications from the comments on the returned questionnaires from the whole village for the present Neighbourhood Plan are that the most pressing concerns of residents continue to centre on traffic issues, and in particular speeding and parking.  The particular dangers are perceived to be in the areas leading up to the school and the Co-op, both of which provide vital services to the village. Clearly many would support actions to address these dangers.

The Parish Council is now actively pursuing the implementation of this Traffic Safety Plan and is engaged with Essex County Council (ECC) engineers in drawing up plans for safety works in New Church Road.  These will inevitably involve some restrictions on the speed of traffic and parking.  The Council is committed to ensuring that the measures have a positive impact by meeting the aims of the plan whilst at the same time considering the views of village residents.  The intention is to create an environment where parents of older pupils at the school feel safe in allowing their children to walk, or even to cycle, to school unaccompanied thus removing the need to use their car.  This clearly does not exist at the moment and to do nothing will not improve safety.

Set out below are the proposed measures for adoption recommended by the Parish Council.  Any suggestions for changes will be considered before a final version is submitted to ECC Highways for the portfolio holder’s approval.  Once obtained formal notices of the works to be carried out will be published by ECC.

  1. No parking double yellow lines for 15m (the statutory length) at each junction with New Church Road.  This will enable enforcement to be carried out by the relevant authorities.
  2. A low level rectangular table at each end of New Church Road.  The aim is to check driver speeds and raise awareness of potential pedestrian presence ahead.  It is likely that low level lighting will be needed at these points – no specific plans are currently available.
  3. Time restricted parking (single yellow line) for about 20m spanning the footpath from Mumford Close into New Church Road together with minor works to improve the crossing point. This is considered essential at school journey times to give children a clear view down the road.
  4. Time restricted parking from the zig zags for 20m towards Lexden Road.  Designed to give a clear view around the dangerous bend in the road.
  5. Improved signage at the junctions of New Church Road with Chapel Road and  Lexden Road and of School Lane with Colchester Road.

A composite plan and detailed plans for each of these works are shown below.

In addition to these measures the Parish Council is considering making an application for a 20mph speed limit in New Church Road and School Lane. This application is more likely to succeed if the above measures are implemented first.  Please send your comments on the recommendation and the introduction of a 20mph speed limit to the Parish Clerk – Mrs Val Walsom, 17 Armoury Road, or preferably by email to [email protected].

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Ipswich Road/East Street Closure 17-21 June 2013

Essex County Council have notified us of a future road closure in Ipswich Road from the East Street junction in Colchester.  This will start at 08:00 on 17 June 2013 and last for 5 days.  The closure is required in order to “repair consequential damage”.

The road will be closed from its junction with East Street, in a generally north-easterly direction for a distance of approximately 50 metres.  The alternative route will be via Ipswich Road, A133, East Street and vice versa.

Access to properties for residents and emergency vehicles will be maintained during the closure but may be subject to delay whilst the works area is made safe.