Contribute to new disability strategy

On 1 December 2011, the government announced a discussion with disabled people to gather suggestions for a new cross-government disability strategy.

The Government’s ambition is to enable disabled people to fulfil their potential and have opportunities to play a full role in society. To realise this ambition, we want to tackle barriers to realising aspirations and individual control, as well as change attitudes and behaviour towards disabled people.

This new strategy will build on previous discussions with disabled people, including the Independent Living Strategy, the Roadmap and the UK’s report to the UN on implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People.

ODI has worked with disability organisations to create a discussion document which is available to download below. We would like to hear from disabled people, and the people and organisations that support them.
Please send us your response by 5pm, 9 March 2012.

EVENT: Calling all Parents & Carers who have children & young people with additional needs...

Are you able to help? Two Social Work students need to review the services that support families who have children and young people with additional needs. They have had the privilege of being on placement with the Family Information Service at ask. They would like to set up a one off forum with the people who can really tell them about the services – you!

The aims of the forum would be to discuss your experiences of using services within;

·        Voluntary Sector

·        Statutory Sector

·        Leisure Providers

·        Self Help Groups

·        Directories e.g. ‘Special Find It’

·        Web information; facebook and twitter forums.

They would like to know what has been the most helpful or the least helpful? What are your biggest frustrations you have with the services? 

What will you get out of it? 

·        A free lunch with home made cakes

·        A chance to meet other parents and carers

·        A chance to shape and help our learning.

Date:     Friday, 13^th January 2012

Time:    11:00am – 1:00pm

Venue:  ask, Elmsgate, Edington road,

              Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire BA14 6HP

 Please contact: lucy.clark@askwiltshire.org

or

                            grace.padfield@askwiltshire.org

Phone Number:   08457 585072

Please RSVP by: 6^th Jan 2012

Dementia care: Hospitals 'must make improvements'

Hospitals in England and Wales are falling short in the care given to dementia patients, a review says.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists' audit of 210 hospitals - the first of its kind - says while services are safe, they are lacking in other areas.

The report highlights issues such as poor communication with families and a lack of personal care for patients.

Dementia campaigners said a "radical change" was needed to ensure patients got the care they needed.

Full Article on BBC News

Proposed benefit rates from April 2012

The Department for Work and Pensions have released a schedule of proposed benefit rates from April 2012.

Attendance Allowance is set to rise from £73.60 to £77.45 (higher rate) and £49.30 to £51.85 (lower rate).

Carer's Allowance is set to rise from £55.55 to £58.45.

For a full list of benefit rates, including Disability Living Allowance, please take a look at their website.

Emergency admissions for dementia patients rise 12%

Experts say the increasing number of admissions is costly to the NHS and in many cases unnecessary, as well as traumatic for vulnerable patients.

Campaigners are calling for new strategies to improve care for dementia under the reformed health service, with greater involvement from patients themselves.

Better services will become critical in the coming years as the ageing population means many more people in England will develop degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Currently some 750,000 people are estimated to have dementia, although many go undiagnosed, and the figure is expected to rise to 1million within a decade, pushing the financial cost to £27billion and posing “one of the most significant challenges” to health and social care.

Full Article on  Telegraph

Wiltshire Carer/Community Hero of the Year Award 2012

Are you a professional or voluntary carer who puts others’ needs before your own?

Wiltshire Life is currently seeking nominations for their awards initiative ‘Carer/Community Hero of the Year’. If you have made a significant contribution to the care of another person or other people; they would like to hear about you.

This is a prestigious award for a professional or voluntary carer of any age. Do you know an individual who goes that extra mile and who illustrates a selfless ability to put other people’s immediate needs before their own? Do they deserve recognition?

They are looking for a short statement of about 500 words giving details of what makes your nominee unique. It should include details of achievements or awards they may have received.

To be eligible, candidates must live in Wiltshire. Free to enter - shortlisted nominees free of charge on awards night.

Please send in all entries either by email to sarah.white@markallengroup.co.uk, or via the website link which can be found at www.wiltshirelife.co.uk/awards.shtml or by post to Sarah White, Wiltshire Life magazine awards, Jesses Farm, Snow Hill, Dinton, Salisbury, SP3 5HN.

Closing date for entries: January 6, 2012.

Primary Care Trust allocations announced

The revenue allocations for primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2012-13 are announced today. The total investment in local NHS services for 2012-13 is £91.6 billion an increase of £2.5 billion or 2.8 per cent

It includes:

• £87.5 billion in recurrent revenue allocations to PCTs including an additional £150 million for reablement (assistance regaining independence if daily living skills are lost through illness or injury), an increase of £2.5 billion
• £4.1 billion in allocations for primary dental services, pharmaceutical services, general ophthalmic services, and to support joint working between health and social care.

Full details & table of allocations

Dementia sufferers targeted by scams

Vulnerable people suffering from dementia are the latest victims of financial abuse from con artists, says the Alzheimer's Society.

An alarming 15% of people with dementia have been targeted through cold calling, scam mail or mis-selling by salespeople on the doorstep. This works out at 112,500 people who have lost an average of £850 each.

The research shows that 62% of carers say the person they look after has been approached on the doorstep while 70% of victims have been contacted over the phone.

Full Article on Money Wise

IN PICTURES: Princess Anne's visit to Carer Support Wiltshire

We were lucky enough to have a Royal visitor to our offices in Semington on Friday 9th December. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne came along to meet Staff, Trustees, Carers and other local Professionals, as well as to unveil our official 'launch' plaque for Carer Support Wiltshire.

A very enjoyable time was had by all and we would like to share with you some pictures from the event.

To view them, please go to our Facebook page. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view the photographs.

Therapeutic Swimming Sessions for Pre-school Children with Special Needs

With the recent opening of the Starfish Hydrotherapy Pool at St Nicholas School, Chippenham (SN15 1QF)...

On January 11th we will be starting a new Therapeutic Swimming Sessions for Pre-school Children with Special Needs...

on Wednesdays 12.00 – 1.00

Sessions will be led by a specialist physiotherapist and who will teach you how to support your child in the water. Numbers are small so there is time for individual therapy as well as games & activities to help your child enjoy the water & start learning to swim. These also provide opportunities for interaction with other children to further help develop their social skills.

Preschool siblings are also welcome and we may be able to provide a volunteer to
assist you with them in the water.

Cost - £4 per session – concessions available

For more information contact Pamela Galloway, Physiotherapist
Tel no 01225 337555 - contact@bathswimtherapy.org.uk
visit – www.splashers.org.uk

Patients to give GP surgeries TripAdvisor-style ratings

Andrew Lansley said the NHS needed to become more like TripAdvisor, the holiday website, so patients can rate the performance of their health service.

Under the new system, surgeries are ranked on their treatment of common conditions such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes and depression. Patients can also compare practical benefits, such as how easy it is to get an appointment on the phone and whether staff are friendly.

Mr Lansley said: “Once people relied on the recommendation of a travel agent, now they take control with sites like Trip Advisor. Once people took pot luck, now they read Which? online reviews and Amazon customer ratings.”

Full Article on Telegraph

The Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership wants your ideas and opinions!

Are you interested in supporting Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership in delivering/developing patient services? They are looking for patients from all age groups, social and cultural backgrounds to help them. To achieve this they would be looking to create an e-mail group whereby they can contact members, without the need for people to attend meetings at the practice.

If you are interested in being involved, please contact the surgery during December, using the e-mail address below.  Your contribution will be valued.

The Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership boamhp.patientvoice@nhs.net

Wiltshire health services shake-up

Three committees, comprising mainly GPs, have been set up by NHS Wiltshire.

The committees represent the three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Wiltshire that will take over commissioning health services when NHS Wiltshire is abolished in April 2013.

The committees will have the mandate to lead in specific areas of commissioning and contracting, review performance, finance and to recommend clinical policies.

The minutes of their meetings will be presented to the board of NHS Wiltshire.

The CCGs are Sarum (south Wiltshire), North and East Wiltshire, whose chairman is Corsham GP Dr Simon Burrell, and West Wiltshire, Yatton Keynell and Devizes, whose co-chairman is Dr Helen Kingston, a partner in Frome Medical Practice which has a branch surgery in Warminster.

Original Article on Wiltshire Times

Andrew Lansley: sixty-step plan to help NHS 'focus on what matters'

The Health Secretary will unveil a new system to assess success in the health service based on the quality of care patients receive – not merely the speed at which they are treated.

Comprehensive data on hospital death rates, the individual performance of GPs and surgeons and patients’ experiences under their care are to be published in an attempt to improve standards.

Mr Lansley will set out 60 benchmarks that will replace Labour’s system of targets and will be used to define success in the NHS.

Full Article on Telegraph

Mental illness rife among families caring for disabled children, study reveals

Around three-quarters of carers of disabled children suffer from anxiety, depression or have had a nervous breakdown, according to latest survey.

The Contact a Family survey of 1,100 families with disabled children found that 72 per cent have experienced poor mental health.

Half of those surveyed have asked their GP for help with a mental health issue or have seen a counsellor.

Full Article on Children & Young People Now

Three million patients to be cared for 'remotely' and perform own DIY check-ups

Three million patients will be cared for remotely with medical equipment that will monitor them at home and send the results back to their doctors.

David Cameron said the 'tele-health' drive will allow vital health checks to be carried out and sent electronically to GPs without the need for a patient to make an appointment or visit their surgery. 

The scheme, which will be aimed at patients with chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes will be rolled out over the next five years.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2070521/Three-million-patients-cared-remotely-perform-DIY-check-ups.html#ixzz1flcKo5J6

David Cameron eyes NHS-life sciences partnership

The NHS should be "opened up" to private healthcare firms under plans which include sharing anonymous patient data, David Cameron is due to announce. 

He is expected to say that the "end-game" for the health service is to drive innovation and growth by working "hand-in-glove" with industry.

The PM wants to give patients faster access to new treatments and make the life sciences sector a world leader.

But critics say commercial interests are being put ahead of patient privacy.

Full Article on BBC News

Almost half of carers made ill by money worries

Carers said they had lost earnings because of their responsibilities but at the same time 45 per cent said they had run out of money because of extra costs for medicines, transport and specialist equipment.

Many carers said they had cut back on essentials such as food and heating just to make ends meet while almost a third were living on their bank overdrafts.

Three-quarters were going out with friends and family less, as well as cutting back on buying clothes and taking holidays.

In addition, the poll of 4,250 carers carried out for Carers Rights Day found that the isolation and stress of looking after relatives or friends had led 76 per cent to suffer problems such as anxiety and depression, with 47 per cent worried about their finances.

Full Article on Telegraph