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Category: Essex

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Essex Health and Social Care Signposting Service

crossroadsA new easy way to find details of local NHS and Social Care services

A new signposting service has been launched in Essex.

If you need to find details of an NHS or social care service and don’t know where to look, you can now call a new telephone helpline.

Essex Signposting is free and can give you details of all local NHS and social care services including dentists, GPs, opticians, pharmacies.

The service can be contacted on freephone 0300 0032125 or email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”], Monday to Friday between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm.   (Note that calls to the 0300 number are normally free from both landlines and mobile phones although you should check your contract if you are concerned about this).

NHS & Social Care Reforms

The Essex Health and Social Care Signposting Service is run by NHS Central Eastern Commissioning Support Service on behalf of Essex County Council and Healthwatch Essex. It is a new service introduced in April 2013, following Government reforms to the NHS and social care which saw the introduction of a new local and independent consumer champion for users of health and social care, called Healthwatch. In some parts of the country, local authorities have commissioned their local Healthwatch organisation to provide a signposting service for users of health and social care. In Essex, the County Council has commissioned NHS Central Eastern Commissioning Support Service to provide the service in 2013-14.

Healthwatch Essex

Healthwatch Essex is the new local and independent consumer champion for users of health and social care. It will play a role at national and local level and will make sure that the views and experiences of the public and people who use NHS and social care services are heard and are taken into account when decisions about the design and delivery of those services are made.

More information about Healthwatch Essex can be found on their website at: www.healthwatchessex.org.uk

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Nick Alston visiting to seek views on police & crime

Nick Alston
Nick Alston CBE, PCC for Essex

On 15th April, the Police Crime Commissioner, Nick Alston will be visiting Colchester and holding a public meeting at the Council Chambers at the Town Hall, High street, Colchester CO1 1PJ from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

Please come along to hear Mr Alston’s plans for Essex and give your views on local policing.

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Traffic Safety Success

Essex County Council has agreed to a range of traffic calming measures in the vicinity of Heathlands School.  The suggestions were previously referenced in a local news update just 2 weeks ago and it is great news that ECC have agreed to the following:

  • West Bergholt – around Heathlands school – New Church Road
 Flat Top table at each end, including lighting; Build out at Mumford Close including footpath link, lighting and signing; Parking restrictions at junctions New Church Road/lexden Road/school lane and chapel road; school keep clear markings, school warning sign and SLOW marking
  • West Bergholt – around Heathlands school – School Lane
 Flat Top Table from junction with Colchester Road; Parking restrictions at junction school Lane and Colchester Road; school warning signs and SLOW markings on carriageway.
  • Lexden Road
 School warning signs and Slow Markings
  • Chapel Road
 School warning signs and Slow Markings

The Council has noted that there may be some concerns about these schemes and have said:

Lighting may be an issue with Local Residents as New Church Road is currently unlit. Power supply required – overhead supply required.  Noise/vibration from vehicles travelling over humps may concern residents.  School should consult with local residents before works begin.

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Potholes – update from Borough Councillors

Essex Council's problem reporting page - report, check progress or find previously reported problems here
Essex Council’s problem reporting page – report, check progress or find previously reported problems here

Borough Councillors, Marcus Harrington & Dennis Willetts yesterday sent the following to residents of Valley Crescent:

The potholes at the junction of Valley Crescent and Chapel Lane have been a cause of anger and frustration for many months.  Many of you have reported them through the proper on-line method on the Essex County Council website.  Many of you have also reported them to us and we have both been in constant communication with ECC’ s Highways Department about them.

We agree the situation is unacceptable.  Potholes of this dimension cannot be left for such a long time without repair.  We have made our feelings abundantly clear.

As Colchester Borough Councillors we cannot do more than apply pressure.  The responsibility for pothole repair does not lie with our Council.  We have, however, also offered to repair the potholes ourselves but that offer fell on deaf ears.

Finally some hope is on the horizon and this is the reason for writing.  We have been faithfully informed by Essex County Council’s Highways Department that repair of these potholes will be part of a wider programme of road surface repair in West Bergholt which should be completed by the end of March 2013.  We want to let you know of this commitment arid hope you share some hope with us, even though it would take a brave man to put his mortgage on it!

With best wishes,
Cllr Marcus Harrington
Cllr Dennis Willetts

If you are plagued by potholes  (or any of a wide range of Highways problems – see picture above) then don’t forget you can report them directly to Essex County Council’s Highway’s Department using their website.

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Local Changes to NHS

NHS North East Essex - Clinical Commissioning Group - Embracing better health for all

We have recently received the following letter from this new body which will affect how local NHS services are delivered to you.  Our local surgery is unlikely to be affected to us but services beyond that point might see some change as a consequence.

 

23rd January 2013

Dear Colleagues

We are delighted to inform you that North East Essex NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been authorised by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) to take over commissioning responsibilities from NHS North Essex (the PCT cluster) from April 2013.

North East Essex CCG is very much ready to take over this important statutory duty of commissioning health services for local people in the Colchester and Tendring districts. The authorisation was granted with one condition at the lowest level of concern. That condition is about providing written evidence of collaboration agreements with our partner CCGs nearby, and we are confident that these conditions will be fully satisfied by March 2013.

We are very grateful for the immense support from local people and our partner organisations.  The scrutiny of our readiness has been very detailed and robust including a 360 degree stakeholder survey, the submission of detailed reports and supporting documents, site visits and assessments by members of the NHS Commissioning Board panel. An incredible amount of hard work and dedication has been put in by the CCG team and constituent GP practices over the last two years. With authorisation comes added determination to achieve our commitment to improving the health outcomes, quality of care and patient experience for our local population.

During the build-up to authorisation, we have been highly rated within the NHS in the East of England.  We will continue to build the organisation so that it has the ability to ensure we are addressing the health priorities and needs of local people. We should all be very proud of the teams of managers and clinicians that have worked extremely hard to achieve this and continue to help take our organisation from strength to strength.

Authorisation is not an end in itself. It is the start of an on-going process to ensure that the new clinical commissioning system will deliver high quality health services and better outcomes for local communities. We are very conscious that we are part of a wider NHS and public services system, so we will work very closely with partners such as the other Essex CCGs, local government organisations and our provider organisations.

Along with all our colleagues in the CCG, we would like to thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working together with you in the future to commission the best health services for people in North East Essex.

Yours sincerely

Dr Gary Sweeney                                                      Dr Shane Gordon

Chairman                                                                   Clinical Chief Officer

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News from Essex Council

ECC has just issued its spring edition of its Essex Works e-magazine. Addressing subjects as diverse as:

… there is something for everyone.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Recycling centres change opening hours

Essex Council have asked us to let you know about changes to opening hours of their Recycling Centres for Household Waste. As of 9th January 2012 the following changes will commence:

  • All sites will open at 9am rather than the current 8am.
  • Winter opening times (from 9th January 2012– 29th February 2012) for all centres will be 9am to 4pm.
  • Summer opening times (1st March – 15th October) will be 9am to 5pm.
  • Late night opening on Tuesdays during a limited period over the summer will no longer take place.
  • Some recycling centres in the county will be closed on certain days of the week from the 9th January 2012.

For further information on recycling centres or to find details about any specific centre either visit www.essex.gov.uk/recyclingcentres or contact 0845 603 7625.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Find out more about First Responders

The village’s First Responders are welcoming members of the public to their next meeting to find out more about their work and the equipment they use. The meeting is taking place in St Mary’s Church Hall starting at 7:30pm.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Chitts Hill – Emergency Closure

Essex Council have announced the emergency closure of Chitts Hill for approximately 100m either side of the level crossing in order to repair faulty high voltage cables. Works are expected to last up to 4 days and so the road may not be reopened until Tuesday/Wednesday 23rd/24th November. The picture shows the location of closure and alternative route via Eight Ash Green (click for larger picture).

Advance notice closures are normally announced on the village website at http://www.westbergholt.net/road_closures.htm

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Update on New A12 Junction for North Colchester


Work has been proceeding apace and the 2nd-3rd October road closure is going ahead as scheduled in order to connect the link roads to the A12 (see website for detail). The new junction will serve an area of redevelopment land to the south of the A12, in the vicinity of the Weston Homes Community Stadium, and will enable the development of
residential areas and other mixed uses. It will form a direct link between the A12 and
the new Northern Approaches Road (Phase 3), and also serve the relocated BP Services and the proposed Park & Ride. The full news update can be downloaded from our website here.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net