Archive for August, 2009

Following a presentation and discussion at the LINk Executive meeting on 8 June and a joint public meeting organised by the LINk and the Furzedown project on 27th July, the LINk has now published its response to the Wandsworth NHS consultation. You can read the consultation documents on NHS Wandsworth’s website.

The LINk’s response comments on the consultation process itself and responds to the issues raised in the consultation document.  Download the response from Wandsworth LINk to the Consultations with Wandsworth NHS on Improving Health (Word 50Kb).

The NHS Centre for Involvement (which currently supports the LINks Exchange of behalf of the Department of Health) is due to close at the end of August. LINks Exchange is a network which exists to support those who are implementing LINks. NHS Choices, which provides a comprehensive information service on health and social care in England, will take over the running of LINks Exchange.

In the short-term the LINks exchange will continue to offer all the same services as before and there will only be minor changes to the site in terms of design and content. The site address www.lx.nhs.uk will remain the same. In the longer term, NHS Choices will be discussing with LINks how they would like things to evolve.

According to the Department, the LINks Exchange is likely to become a sub-site of NHS Choices but this will not happen until they have talked to LINks about their needs.

NHS Choices has been chosen to support the LINks Exchange because it already provides information to the public on how they can help shape services and it has extensive experience of supporting online communities. With 7 million users, It is hoped that NHS Choices will also help to raise the profile of LINks.

The next meeting of the Secondary Health and Social Care Sub Group will be held on Monday September 14th, at Putney Library, 5/7 Disraeli Road, Putney SW15 2DR, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Light refreshments will be available.

For further information, please contact Susan at the LINk host office. She can be reached on:
Email: enquiries@wandsworthlink.org.uk or
Telephone: 020 8696 170

The next meeting of the Primary Health and Social Care Sub Group will be held on Thursday September 10th, at Putney Library, 5/7 Disraeli Road, Putney SW15 2DR, 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

Light refreshments will be available.

For further information, please contact Susan at the LINk host office. She can be reached on:
Email: enquiries@wandsworthlink.org.uk or
Telephone: 020 8696 170

NHS Wandsworth, in response to a request from the PEC (see minutes of meeting on 14 July), has increased the number of collection points for antiviral drugs and is now putting information about local swine flu arrangements on its website. The link is www.wandsworth.nhs.uk/health/flu/swineflu

Note that there are four additional locations to collect antiviral drugs (Tamiflu) by a flu friend on behalf of someone who has been prescribed the drugs. That makes 7 in total in the borough. More locations will be made available if the PCT decides there is a need for this and it will also look at extending opening hours of pharmacies which are collection locations. Tamiflu is not an emergency drug – you can take it up to 48 hours after developing symptoms.

A flu friend with an authorisation number from the National Pandemic Flu Service can collect the antiviral drugs prescription for any collection point in the country, it does not have to be in Wandsworth, if that is more convenient. For a list of all collection points, see the link to the National Pandemic Flu Service below.

If an individual has no flu friend, arrangements can be made by the PCT through the Eileen Lecky clinic, open seven days a week, to deliver them by courier.

INVOLVED is a new newsletter produced by Wandsworth Council (click here for the latest newsletter – opens in Adobe PDF) looking at patient and public involvement issues and opportunities in Adult Social Care.

It announces the launch of the new Wandsworth Service User and Carer Engagement Strategy (also discussed on our website here) and the setting up of two new groups, one for organisations working in patient involvement and one for service users and carers. Another article describes the new strategy for carers and young carers “Looking after someone and having your own life” which has been developed in consultation with carers themselves. A priority here is to improve how carers’ assessments are experienced in the borough. Finally the newsletter includes a description of the LINk encouraging local people and organisations to become members.