Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care Project Team (HASC)

Chair Pam Sharratt email: pam.sharratt456@btinternet.com

HASC is a multi agency group working with all the relevant service providers to help improve the customer/patient experience.

HASC project team members represent statutory and voluntary organisations which are concerned with the provision of health and social care and members of the public who either have a knowledge of health and or social care or simply have an interest in the services provided.

We monitor and influence the provision of health and social care in the Chippenham and Villages area by attending and holding regular meetings with service providers and by seeking out service users experiences.

 

CLICK TO READ ABOUT OUR VISIT TO CHIPPENHAM HOSPITAL

This picture was taken on a visit of some team members to the new ward at Chippenham hospital.

CLICK TO READ NHS WILTSHIRE’S STATEMENT ON OUT OF HOURS SERVICE

CLICK TO READ ABOUT AN NHS DENTIST FOR CHIPPENHAM

 

 CURRENT/ONGOING WORK

 CHILDHOOD OBESITY – HEALTHY EATING PROJECT

Childhood obesity is a particular problem in our area.  We have been granted funding from Chippenham Area Board  and Chippenham Town Council  to provide healthy eating classes for year 2 children in all 19 primary schools in the Chippenham community area and at the clinic/preschool sessions held at the Neeld Hall on Tuesday mornings and aim to get parents involved too.  Catherine Maxwell from Any Body Can Cook will be running the classes.  Catherine was winner of the 2010 Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Award.  We hope to run the classes from mid May to mid July 2011.

 

COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

We are being kept informed and monitoring the transfer of Community Health Services from NHS Wiltshire to the Great Western Hospital, now due to take place in June 2011.    We also receive regular updates on the implementation of the transfer of Health services from NHS Wiltshire to GP Consortiums. 

BOOTS PHARMACY

H&SC received a number of complaints about the poor service from Boots Pharmacy in Chippenham.  We worked with NHS Wiltshire on this problem and the service is now very much improved.  There will be a new Boots Pharmacy open for 100 hours on Bath Road which will help to ease the delays in the town centre. We continue to monitor.  We are also monitoring the introduction of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).

 

VISITING NEW NHS FACILITIES AND HOSPITAL INSPECTIONS

H&SC group members visit new NHS facilities e.g. newly refurbished ward at Chippenham Community Hospital, Devizes Treatment Centre.  Members take part in Patient Experience Action Team (PEAT) inspections and in February 2011 inspected Chippenham Hospital and the Princess Anne Wing at the RUH.  We also provide information for and meet the local Care Quality Commission Compliance Inspector.

 

TELECARE

We are still lobbying to get Telecare, an electronic monitoring system provided free for people in our area as it is in other parts of Wiltshire.

 

MOBILITY SCOOTERS AND ACCESS FOR THE DISABLED

We have received a number of complaints about the lack of training for mobility scooter users and many related problems including the danger they may cause to pedestrians.   We are trying to make sure that there is clear access for scooters, wheel chairs and the disabled on Chippenham High Street particularly on Market days.

 

 CARDIAC REHABILITATION

We are working with relevant service providers to improve the number of patients who attend phases 2 and 3 of cardiac rehabilitation.

 

 ACHIEVEMENTS

 NHS DENTISTS

A main area of concern for Chippenham people was the shortage of NHS Dentists in the area.  H&SC raised awareness of this with NHS Wiltshire.  In March 2010 a new NHS Dentist Facility opened at Hathaway Surgery, Chippenham to provide treatment for an additional 10,000 patients a year who live in the SN14 and SN15 postal areas.

 

HEALTH CHECKS

H&SC arranged for Chippenham River Festival goers to be offered a free health check in 2010.  The health checks provided by NHS Wiltshire were carried out by a registered nurse who provided a blood pressure test and health related advice, information about weight management and stop smoking services.

A steady flow of 51 people took up the opportunity of having a health check and included a police officer, older people with long term conditions, young people aged 18+, parents who had queries about childhood health problems and people with learning difficulties. 

The health checks are part of a wider programme of NHS Wiltshire Health Fairs which have taken place across Wiltshire over the last year.  The number of health checks provided at the River Festival is the most achieved at any of these Fairs and with excellent feedback from those who received health checks the event was very successful.     We are working to offer these checks at the 2011 River Festival. 

HOSPITAL DISCHARGE.

H&SC were concerned about the number of poor hospital discharges which were being brought to their attention.  (This has improved since the introduction of the Neighbourhood Team).   Partly due to H&SC findings Ridgeway Care and Repair Handy Help set up a Home from Hospital Service for over 60’s in Wiltshire.  Their hospital discharge caseworker works with patients in hospital to make sure they have everything they need when they return home, and makes follow up visits.

 HOSPITAL BEDS

In 2008 NHS Wiltshire proposed reducing the number of general medical beds at Chippenham Community Hospital from 40 to 10.   There was considerable concern expressed by everyone particularly the doctors and patients.  A public meeting was held in the town but no one from the NHS was able to attend.

 

As a result of widespread concern expressed at the public meeting H&SC facilitated a meeting so that NHS Wiltshire could discuss with representatives of local organisations the plans for community health care including services at Chippenham Hospital.  NHS Wiltshire told us that although the plans to reduce the number of inpatient beds would go ahead “the number will not go below 20”.

NB Ward refurbishment in 2009 reduced beds to 17 due to more toilet and bathroom facilities being provided and in order to comply with current infection control regulations.

 

The group meets in Chippenham every six weeks or so on a Tuesday from 10.00 am until 12 noon.  Our meetings are informal and friendly.

 

If you are interested in joining us or would like more information please do contact Pam Sharratt or Julia Stacey, email juliasuk@yahoo.co.uk