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17th March 2023
Hello and welcome
Welcome to 5 on Friday, our stakeholder bulletin for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The bulletin will help you to keep up to speed with what is happening in the local NHS. Please do share with your networks to help us reach as many people as possible.
At the end of this issue you will find our communications e-toolkit which provides you with the opportunity to support us by sharing our campaigns and messages.
Please give us feedback and tell us what you want to know more about. If you have any questions or would like to ask about a topic please email us at:
llricb-llr.pressoffice@nhs.net
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1. Spring into action and get vaxxed
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Now that Spring is here, people will be enjoying going out more and planning holidays, therefore it’s important to make sure you are protected against the Covid virus.
Currently the Covid vaccine doses available are the 1st or 2nd primary doses, for those people who have still not had them, plus a 3rd primary dose for people aged 5 and over who have a severely weakened immune system.
The NHS is getting ready to offer a further Covid vaccine over the springtime to people at greatest risk of severe illness from the virus, including those aged 75 and over, people with a weakened immune system and residents of care homes for older adults. Those eligible will be able to get a spring vaccination from 17 April, with vaccination in care homes for older adults beginning earlier in April.
Further information on how to get the vaccine is available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/how-to-get-a-coronavirus-vaccine/
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Specialist clinic for people with a learning disability
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) is running another specialist Covid-19 vaccination clinic for children and adults (aged 5+) with a learning disability next week. Those needing a first or second dose are able to book an appointment on:
- Friday 24 March, from 10am-4.30pm at The Agnes Unit, Anstey Lane, Leicester LE7 7GL.
The clinic will offer attendees a friendly and calm atmosphere, longer appointment times and vaccinators specialising in learning disability support and care, to provide the best environment to enable people to have the vaccine. Each appointment can be tailored to suit the individual’s needs. Appointments much be booked in advance.
Find out how you can book an appointment on the LPT website.
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2. A look inside LRI's Emergency Department
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Healthwatch Leicester, Healthwatch Leicestershire and Healthwatch Rutland has reported on people’s experiences of the Emergency Department (ED) at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI).
They undertook “Enter & View” visits on two dates in September 2022, and spoke with patients, their friends, carers and family members, about their experiences of accessing emergency services.
Their report highlights what patients told them that works well, but also where their experience could have been better. Of the 139 people they spoke to:
- 78% had tried to get help elsewhere before coming to the ED
- 62% had contacted their GP practice before attending the ED.
Our local Get in the Know campaign encourages people to be aware of the services available and to seek advice before going to the emergency department, unless there is a life-threatening emergency. We appreciate the support of partners in sharing the camapign messages and we invite you to continue to do so. The full range of Get in the Know campaign resources can be downloaded from our website: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutlandhwp.uk/partner-toolkit/
The patient feedback Healthwatch received also shows high praise for medical staff and treatment once seen. However, patients shared increasing struggles of, generally, navigating emergency care systems and, specifically, their difficulties with LRI ED processes and environment.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said: “We would like to thank all patients and visitors to the emergency department in recent months for their patience and understanding, and apologise to anyone who has experienced long waits to be seen over what has been a challenging Winter.
“We have taken several steps over the course of the last year to make our Emergency Department more accessible. This has included design of a new centralised system to support those with additional needs, following engagement with these groups.
“Similarly, we will be taking the Healthwatch report’s findings on processes and environment through the relevant teams to establish where further improvements can be made. This will complement existing projects to improve our signage at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, and the patient and visitor experience of navigating the hospital as a whole.”
You can read the full report here: https://healthwatchll.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HWLLR_ED-LRI_Enter-and-View_Report_Feb2022.pdf
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3. Live Well Little Ones support for parents and carers
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Live Well Little Ones is a local campaign designed to help parents and carers make the right choices when looking after babies and young children.
Launched this week by Leicester City Council, the campaign covers topics such as safer sleep, what to do if your baby is unwell and how to cope with a crying baby, aiming to show that looking after little ones doesn’t have to be hard or complicated – it just requires a little planning.
The campaign includes an animated short film, produced in collaboration with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and local animation studio Kino Bino that can be shared with your networks. If you would like to use the film on your channels please email Alexandra.Barker@leicester.gov.uk
To find out more about the campaign go to: Live Well Little Ones (leicester.gov.uk)
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4. Rutland inpatient ward reopened after £1.5m refurbishment
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The inpatient ward at Rutland Memorial Hospital has reopened following a £1.5m refurbishment.
The 18-bed ward relocated temporarily to Loughborough last August so that contractors could carry out the work, which involved replacing gas boilers, remodelling patient bays, improving the flooring, removing asbestos and redecorating.
The hospital was opened in 1924 as a memorial to those who fought and died in the First World War and is one of the oldest buildings owned by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.
Two of the longest-serving members of staff had the honour of cutting the ribbon to reopen the ward. Sue Hudson, a registered nurse with 33 years’ service at the hospital, said: “It is going to give patients a better quality of stay. It looks more spacious and is a better environment for them.”
Ruth Edwards has spent 22 years on the ward, initially as a healthcare support worker, now as its ward clerk added: “It is amazing. It is modern, it is lighter and it is warmer. The patients will love it.”
To find out more about the refurbishment visit, https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/news/rutland-inpatient-ward-reopened-after-1-5m-refurbishment/.
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5. It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine
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With flu still in circulation, in what has been the worst flu season for a decade, the NHS is urging anyone who has not yet taken up the offer of the vaccine, to get it done now.
More than 4 million people have now had their flu vaccination in the Midlands. However, there are still a number of eligible people who are yet to have their flu vaccinations and are therefore at increased risk of serious illness.
Those eligible for the flu jab include all people aged 50 and over, health and social care workers, those “at risk” due to another medical condition, as well as pregnant women and children aged two and three.
For children, the flu vaccine is offered as a nasal spray, which is quick and painless. Parents and guardians of children aged two and three and children in high-risk groups can make an appointment through their GP surgery.
Secondary school aged children are being vaccinated this month through schools and community clinics. If parents and guardians think their reception and primary school aged children have missed their flu vaccination, they should contact their local school-aged vaccination service or ask at their school if unsure.
To book or manage a free NHS flu vaccination at a pharmacy visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/book-flu-vaccination/
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Extra, extra
Industrial action update
Just a quick note to say that good co-ordinated planning across health and care partners helped prevent serious problems in the NHS this week, during the junior doctors’ 72 hours of industrial action. Inevitably there were pressures but health and care services generally coped well. It is important that we continue to remind local people of the pressures on the NHS, not just on the days of action but leading up to and beyond the industrial action. Some patients will have had appointments cancelled, but this was kept to a minimum to ensure the NHS could focus on those most in need. We also highlighted the need for patients to come forward if they needed help.
Although the signs are hopeful that there may be a settlement for some groups we will continue to work with partners to ensure we are prepared to respond to any action taking place. Thank you to everyone who has played their part, including the public, to ensure health and care services continue to manage these challenges.
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Have you heard.....?
Our latest Health and Care Together podcast has just gone live today. In this episode, we’re talking about virtual wards for patients with heart and lung disease, neighbourhood teams who support people with mental health needs and how skin cancer checks are happening in the community.
You can listen to all three episodes here: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutlandhwp.uk/news/podcasts/.
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Have your say!
Below are the current consultations and surveys taking place across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland:
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NHS communication toolkit
This e-toolkit provides you with the opportunity to support us by sharing our campaigns and messages. The toolkit, which will be updated every week, includes all our latest assets for you to use across your communication channels, such as social media messages and graphics.
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