why are GP services different

Why are GP practices working differently?

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The NHS has given the following information and guidance about what to expect from your GP practice.

In order to keep staff and visitors safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, GP practices have had to adapt how they work. Like the rest of the health service, practices have made use of technology by introducing additional telephone and video appointments.

As the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing, practices are continuing to keep robust infection prevention measures in place, and telephone triage continues to be the first point of contact. However, face-to-face appointments are being offered and you can still visit in person should you need to.

If you need to you visit your GP practice, your temperature may be taken on arrival and you will also need to sanitise your hands. We would appreciate your co-operation in ensuring you observe social distancing while in your GP surgery. There is clear signage to help guide you and chairs in the waiting room are positioned apart from each other. You should wear a face covering (unless exempt) if you need to attend the surgery in person.

Please be mindful that at times, workforces may be affected by Covid-19, so teams may be smaller than usual. Whilst we appreciate that this can be a frustrating and unsettling time, please rest assured that practices are doing all they can to manage patient needs during a time of increased demand. Thank you for your patience.

Although it remains a challenging time for all NHS services, you should not put off getting the care you need. Your GP practice is open and is here for you and your family.

How you can access support

There are a number of ways to get the help you need in a way that suits your needs.

  • Go online to nhs.uk or call NHS 111
  • e-consult service on your practice’s website and get a reply within two working days. You can also request medication, sick notes and bloods results through this service
  • Call your practice to discuss the most appropriate appointment
  • Visit your GP practice website and complete a confidential online form
  • Download the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments or check your symptoms
  • For life-threatening emergencies, please call 999 or go straight to A&E

For healthcare needs regarding children, urgent problems or for those patients who are unable to access our online services, we ask that you telephone your practice and your call will be answered as soon as possible.

What to expect when you contact your GP practice

Practice reception teams will conduct an initial assessment over the phone to make sure that those with the greatest need are seen first. The receptionist will ask you some questions so that they can get you the right care, in the right way, by the right professional. This may not necessarily be a GP.

They will consider:

  • Who is best to help you.
  • What type of appointment best suits your needs.
  • Whether help from another health service is more appropriate. For example, a pharmacy or urgent treatment centre.

Practice reception teams and are trained to know about the care and services available to you.

  • They will know whether self-referral is available for certain services.
  • They can make appointments for your care.
  • They can direct you to new services you may not be aware of.

They are skilled in assisting with triage and treat all information in confidence. All staff operate according to strict guidelines and work under clinical supervision. You can trust them to treat all information confidentially. They are a vital part of your practice team. Please treat them with respect. Any form of abuse towards staff will not be tolerated.

Who might you see at your GP practice?

GPs work as part of large multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) who all support the physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, cultural and economic aspects of a person’s care. Although these will vary depending on your practice, some professionals you may see at your practice include:

  • GP: a highly skilled doctor who support patients throughout their lives.
  • GP registrar: a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP.
  • Locum/sessional doctor: a fully qualified GP who works at the practice on a temporary basis.
  • Practice nurse: a qualified and registered nurse who can help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks and dressings.
  • Nurse practitioners: a trained specialist nurse who has undertaken additional medical education in order to provide advanced nursing care and to prescribe medication. Nurse practitioners can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past.
  • Healthcare assistant: supports the practice nurse with their daily work and helps to carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (drawing blood), blood pressure measurement and new patient checks.
  • Pharmacist: a highly qualified expert in medicines who can help carry out structured medication reviews for patients with ongoing health problems as well as a range of other treatments.
  • Mental health practitioner: a first point of contact to give patients guidance, advice and treatment for mental health symptoms such as low mood, anxiety and depression.
  • Health visitor: a registered nurse who has received training particularly related to babies, children and pregnant women.
  • Podiatrist: treats abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs.
  • Social prescribing link worker: connects people with local community activities and services that can help improve their health and wellbeing.
  • Practice managers: manage the business aspect of the practice.
  • Receptionists and administration staff: provide an important link for patients with the practice and are your initial contact point for general enquiries.
What else do GPs do?

GP services remain very busy, providing more appointments than ever before whilst also delivering the winter vaccination programme.

In addition to this, their work can include:

  • Reviewing and acting upon letters from hospital specialists and patients
  • Signing repeat prescriptions
  • Immunisations
  • Processing referrals
  • Medication reviews and pharmacy liaison
  • Learning Disability reviews
  • Mandatory training
  • Death certificates and coroner reports
  • End-of-life care
  • Statements of fitness for work
  • Home visiting
  • Care home ward rounds
  • Managing national and local targets
Other important information

Tell us your experiences of using GP services through the pandemic

How Are We Doing?

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Read more
NHS Dental Services

NHS dentistry services

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We know that some people have struggled to access the dental care they need during the pandemic. We want to hear about your experiences of trying to use NHS dentistry services since March 2020. Tell us what worked well for you and what could be better so we can help providers improve their services.

Due to strict infection control measures in place in dental practices, fewer appointments have been available causing a backlog of patients. We have been hearing that some people are unable to find an NHS dental practice which is taking on new patients while others aren’t sure where to go for urgent dental care.

We would like to hear about your experiences of accessing NHS dentistry since the start of the first lockdown.

The survey will run from Monday 29 November 2021 until Friday 7 January 2022. We will then combine our findings with colleagues at other local Healthwatch to build a regional picture of NHS dentistry services in the North East.

NHS Dentistry Survey

More information about finding an NHS dentist and what to do if you need urgent dental care is available on the NHS website:

How to find an NHS dentist

Get in touch with our Information and Signposting Service

 

This survey is now closed.

Healthwatch Northumberland AGM screenshot

AGM 2021: questions and draft minutes

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A big thank you to everyone who came along to our AGM and Review of the Year 2021 on 4 November. Special thanks also go to Councillor Wendy Pattison for opening the event, and all at Northumberland Recovery College for their presentation and the taster sessions they provided.

If you missed the event you can view the recording (please note the taster sessions were not recorded).

The draft minutes, plus answers to the questions raised before and during the event can be found below.

Questions for Healthwatch Northumberland

Q: Are people leaving Healthwatch Northumberland for any particular reason?

A: Derry: I’m really happy to say people have left for positive reasons; our young volunteers have gone on to university but with an enhanced CV and other volunteers have gone into work. Our staff member Caroline now works at the Care Quality Commission and Lesley now works at the Clinical Commissioning Group. I feel that Healthwatch Northumberland has enriched those organisations.

Q: People are often concerned about waiting lists for treatment.  What can Healthwatch do around this issue?

Q: Waiting lists are a worry. What is Healthwatch Northumberland going to do?

A: Derry: We will continue to monitor publicly available statistics around waiting times and how Covid-19 recovery addresses those and we will want public feedback about it. It is not something we are seeing coming through at the moment, but we will be monitoring it and once we have got that, we will be having conversations with the NHS.

Q: Regarding your ‘here to hear’ drop-in sessions, why did you choose those five places? Why haven’t you come to Alnwick?

A: Derry: We chose the locations for sessions where we felt we would get a good spread across the county and in places from where we sometimes do not hear enough. However, to make sure we are in the right places so we will give it six months in the current locations and assess if we need to change them.

Q: It would be helpful to have advice and support on how we can develop Patient Participation Groups for a network of practices and Integrated Care System.

Q: My Patient Participation Group stopped meeting due to Covid-19 and has not restarted. Given this is supposed to be a key part of feeding back what can we do about this?

A: Derry:  The first thing we would say to people is to start a conversation within your practice, talk to the practice manager, find out what the plans and ambitions are and how it’s going to work. Now individual practices are part of larger Primary Care Networks, maybe some of that conversation could go on across the network. If you also want at some stage to speak with us we are happy to have that conversation.

The Clinical Commissioning Group would also love to hear from you as we are working together and they are really keen to pull together what is happening across the county. You can contact them through their website or contact Lesley Tweddell who would love to hear from you.

Q: It is difficult for people to actually see a doctor at the moment; particularly older people are struggling as may find the eConsult (online system) difficult to use. Can Healthwatch Northumberland provide support with this?

A: Derry: That is part of the conversation we need to have. If you look at the report we did called Click and Connect, that is part of what we are saying that all these different ways of getting in touch with primary care services are good but we need to make sure people know there is a choice and if people find eConsult difficult, let’s find out why. This is part of the conversation that needs to go on and is going on. We are working the Clinical Commissioning Group around hearing from people about GP access and this is a current piece of work.

Q: You mentioned closely working with other local Healthwatch teams.  Will this mean any of the focus on Northumberland will be lost?

A: Derry: Absolutely not. Our work will always be and can only be Northumberland, but collaboration means you can do greater things and some of the neighbouring Healthwatch share services –  Healthwatch North Tyneside share Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust and all Tyne and Wear Healthwatch and Northumberland share CNTW NHS Trust (mental health) services so it makes sense that we work together, but our work will always be bringing the voice and experiences of Northumberland into those services.

Q: Last year Healthwatch Northumberland produced an excellent report – Audiology ‘Let’s Talk’, but maybe it and other reports from last year, ‘got lost’ due to Covid-19. Will it be possible to look at the impact of this and the other Healthwatch Northumberland reports?

A: Derry: That is an important issue for us to think about – how do we measure the impact of our work. The Healthwatch Northumberland Board has tasked the staff team to make sure the recommendations we are making in our reports are sensible and achievable, and when they are put to service providers that we get some feedback as to what has happened to them. This year we need to pick up on those recommendations and find out what has happened as a result.

Q: Most of the work you describe seems to be centred around primary care and social care. What work is being carried out with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust?

A: Derry: Quite a lot of it – the major piece of work we are working on with them at the moment is End of Life Care. If you look at our quarterly reports you’ll see our routine reporting and feedback and Northumbria Healthcare is figured in there. We have a very open and trusting relationship; we both know we can pick up the phone to each other if there is a problem.

Alan Richardson, Chair Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (in chat): Healthwatch Northumberland is a small but vital partner to Northumbria Healthcare in our service to the people of Northumberland. Their local knowledge is valuable and Derry and her team can carry the messages directly into our Trust through their regular meetings or more quickly if needed. The ICS offers new and interesting opportunities.

Q: My mam had real trouble getting her booster jab sorted through her GP – it took a lot of phone calls.  What can Healthwatch Northumberland do?

A: Derry: Please get in touch with us and tell us more about the circumstances. We would want to share your mam’s experience (anonymously) with both the Clinical Commissioning Group and if necessary the practice. The Clinical Commissioning Group wants to hear about patient experiences of the programme to iron out problems and encourage people to take the vaccine.

Q: Given all the change that will be coming up with the Integrated Care System how will Healthwatch Northumberland maintain stability?

A: Derry: The plan for the Integrated Care System, including the new Care Act, says the new organisation has to work with Healthwatch. As said previously our focus will be Northumberland. Through our engagement and communications we will want to hear what is happening to local services so that we can give this information to the Integrated Care System and quickly spot where things are not going as well as intended or where they are better. The key is to share your experiences with us!

Q: Does Healthwatch England know about Northumberland?  We are a large rural county a long way from London and it is important we are heard. Are we?

A: Derry: Yes. Anonymised information from all enquiries is shared with Healthwatch England where you give us consent.  So they do know what issues you are raising with us and can see how this fits with what is happening in the rest of England. We also share all the reports we produce. This year we are very pleased to be talking at the Healthwatch England Conference about two areas of our work which have been highlighted as good practice.

Questions to Northumberland Recovery College

Q: Wondering about the 2022 Wellbeing Festival. Have you a venue yet?

A: Tracy: We are currently working with partners to look at a variety of locations. We are really spoilt for choice given how beautiful Northumberland is.

Q: Could you provide a little more detail about your co-production process?

A: Tracy: It’s about keeping it fluid. We will go along and speak to groups of residents to find out what they would like to see in their community, find out what’s important, a bit about the area and anything that’s been an issue in terms of wellbeing and look at what activities that group might want to put forward. We also have members of the community on our development group. Throughout we keep checking in to make sure the way we are delivering it is right.

Q: What were your thoughts around the Clinical Commissioning Group bringing together the Northumberland Recovery College?

A: Kate: About 18 months ago the Clinical Commissioning Group along with CNTW, the Mental Health and Disabilities Trust, other partners and Healthwatch Northumberland started to think about what would make the biggest difference in Northumberland – what had people said was missing from our commissioning portfolio. Luckily the Mental Health and Disabilities Trust gave us some money to consider a recovery college, enabling discussions with people with lived experience of mental health difficulties and with people who wanted to support organisations who could come together to form a recovery college. We listened to what people wanted and thought about diversity across large rural areas and urban towns and Mental Health Concern expressed an interest in delivering the recovery college. With Healthwatch Northumberland’s support we shaped up what our expectations would be and what ambition was for people of Northumberland.

Q: How does it differ from what we think of as mental health services, if people are not quite sure, why should we not feel nervous to come to Northumberland Recovery College?

A: Tracy: One of our strengths is that we are approachable, open and friendly and fortunate to have peer supporters – people with lived experience who know how difficult it can be to get through the door. So we can meet people outside, give people sense of what the place is like, who will be there.

Kate: This is not a medical model where people will be assessed and treated or prescribed medication, it’s a service where we build on community and neighbourhood assets to have opportunities to meet people that have similar experiences and try activities for the first time.

Q: How do you communicate with Community Psychiatric Nurses about the Northumberland Recovery College offer?

A: Tracy: We send out regular information to all of our partners but are really keen to come along to any team meeting to give an overview of the work we are doing and how to develop referral processes. Please do get in touch as we are keen to strengthen relationships and keep building as we go along.

Q: How long is this (recovery college) here for?

A: Kate: The service is funded recurrently so we have made commitment as a Clinical Commissioning Group. As we move into the Integrated Care System we are working in close partnership with CNTW –  our Mental Health and Disabilities Trust who will be there throughout the change and are also committed to having a recovery college. The money is there and has been committed for the long-term future.

Q: What is the thing you are most proud of that you have achieved so far?

A: Tracy: The engagement we have done with communities. We have invested in that time and are so proud and humbled that communities are giving us the time to come along and find out what is important to them. And the team – there are so many committed and passionate people and we are privileged to have peer supporters with lived experience working so closely with us.

 

Healthwatch Northumberland AGM 2021 draft minutes

Consulting Room sign in GP surgery

Feed back on new Elsdon Avenue Surgery

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Have Your Say on Proposed New Building for Elsdon Avenue Surgery

Elsdon Avenue Surgery is proposing to build a new purpose-built practice half a mile from the current location. This is because the current building needs a lot of maintenance and no longer supports the needs of the service. The layout of the building has no scope to accommodate new services that the practice would like to provide. In addition, parking for patients is limited and there is no provision for those with a disability.

Patients and local residents are being given a chance to ask questions on the proposal for a new surgery. After 12 weeks, all feedback and options for the surgery going forward will be reviewed. The results of all this and what happens next will be shared in early February 2022.

How to leave feedback

  • You can have your say on the proposals for a new surgery building in the following ways.
  • Write to the Practice Manager at The Surgery, Elsdon Avenue, Seaton Delaval, NE25 0BW
  • Contact the Practice Manager by calling 0191 237 2299 or email elsdon.avenuesurgery@nhs.net
  • Ask at reception for a feedback form. This can be filled out anonymously if you wish – you do not need to give personal information if you choose not to.
  • Join us at Healthwatch Northumberland for an online event on Monday 29 November 2021, from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Please register by emailing: helenb@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk. Alternatively you can get in touch with us in a way that suits you, to leave feedback about the proposals.
  • Attend an open afternoon (2pm – 4pm) or evening (5pm – 7pm) on Thursday 2 December 2021 at The Heather Mills Factory, Avenue Road, Seaton Delaval NE25 0QJ.

Elsdon Avenue Surgery proposed new build: FAQs

Why has the decision been taken to build a new surgery in Seaton Delaval?

We wish to remain located in Seaton Delaval.  Our current premises were converted by the former GP himself over 20 years ago and so were never purpose built.  We have no scope for expansion but the number of registered patients is growing quite quickly.  In addition to looking after our patients we also teach medical and nursing students.  We also have other clinical staff helping us – paramedic, pharmacists, the mental health team to name a few – and sometimes we have to turn clinical services at alternative premises because we have no room. Also, the premises are quite dilapidated – for example the windows are rotting; the electrics on the porch doors are unusable; the roof leaks. We also do not have enough car parking for our patients and staff.

When will work begin on the new surgery building? 

We hope it will be within the next 12 months.

Will I continue to go to the current surgery during this work?

Yes, we aim for a seamless handover between one site and the other and notice will be given of when the proposed new surgery is up and running.

Will I be able to consult with my usual doctor or nurse?

Yes, all our staff team will continue to work as normal both during the building works and in the transfer period.

I have a long term health problem – how will this affect my care?

Not at all. Our ongoing care of patients will continue to be our top priority.

 Will there be any change to the service we receive from community services such as district nurses, midwives or health visitors?

No; all these services will continue as before.

Will I be able to access new services at the other surgery?

We hope that the increased space will make it easier to offer additional clinics.  We are looking to increase the amount of psychotherapy time we can offer – as one example.

 Will my medical records be affected?

No; everything will be transferred from one site to the other.

 Will your opening hours change?

The opening hours will only change if central government require a change of all general practice.  Otherwise, we envisage no change.

 What is the likely timescale?

We hope to be ready to open in approximately 18 months.

How can I contact the surgery – will the surgery phone number still be the same?

 You should be able to contact the surgery in the same way that you currently do and the phone number is expected to remain the same.

How can I make appointments?

You will be able to make appointments in the same way at the new site as you choose to use at the old site.  That will not change.

This piece of work has now finished.

NHS waiting lists

NHS waiting lists

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NHS waiting lists are inevitable. It’s how we manage them that matters.

 

A record-breaking 5.7 million people are waiting for hospital care. In response, the Government is spending an extra £5.9 billion to tackle the problem. Healthwatch England‘s latest research looks at how the backlog is impacting the lives of those waiting.
It is well known that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on hospital waiting times.

Early in the pandemic, the NHS postponed lots of non-urgent care, freeing up beds for COVID-19 patients. As things progressed, people put off coming forward with new symptoms because they were simultaneously worried about putting extra pressure on the NHS and the risk of catching COVID-19 themselves.

Most recently, the struggles of seeing a GP may mean there are even more people who need hospital care who simply cannot get referred in the first place.

All this has combined to create a huge backlog of people waiting for a diagnostic test or treatment.

Even with the extra money announced by the Government, long waiting lists are here to stay. The NHS lacks the staff to see people more quickly, and doctors, nurses and other clinicians take a long time to train.

But what does this mean if you or a loved one are currently on a waiting list or think you may need hospital treatment?

Over the last three months Healthwatch England heard from more than 2,500 people about their experiences, helping to dig beneath the headlines and support the NHS to make good policy decisions on how best to manage waiting lists.

Current waiting lists

How long are people actually waiting for care?

Let’s start by looking at how long people are actually waiting for hospital care.

At a glance, media headlines can give the impression that very long waits are the norm and that everyone will be waiting two years to be seen. But in reality, many people will get care much faster than this.

For example, the latest performance figures show that the most typical waiting time is 11 and a half weeks to start treatment.

Of the 2,500 people, nearly one in ten (8%) reported waiting for more than two years to receive care. This is still far too many, given the impact waiting can have on someone’s mental and physical health, but is lower than many may think.

The problem with how waiting lists are talked about is that people may see no point in seeking out a crucial diagnosis or much-needed treatment because they fear they will never be seen anyway or feel guilted into not ‘burdening’ the NHS further. This risks creating even bigger problems for patients and the NHS.

Who is waiting for the longest?

In September, Healthwatch joined forces with the King’s Fund to show that people who live in poorer areas are nearly twice as likely to experience a wait of over a year for hospital care than those in the most affluent areas.

Our further analysis found that people on low incomes are significantly more likely to report living in pain and struggling to manage work and household chores due to their wait.

While the numbers of people from minority ethnic communities who responded to the research was small, there is some indication that people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds are experiencing similar issues to those on low incomes. This came through in both our polling and our national survey.

The NHS must look into both of these trends or risk significantly exacerbating existing health inequalities due to how they are managing waiting lists.

Read more

Please tell us your experiences of waiting for NHS treatment

What you told us: Jul – Sep 2021

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Between July and September 2021, we received feedback from 85 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face engagement events, telephone calls, emails, our website, social media, and other sources.

We signposted 35 of these people to services.

Read below to find out who we heard from this quarter, what people told us and whether their experiences of NHS and social care were positive or negative. We also outline what is working well for the people of Northumberland across care services and where there are areas for improvement.

What you told us: July to September 2021

Carers Rights Day 2021 Northumberland

Carers Rights Day 2021

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There are thousands of unpaid carers living in Northumberland. Carers UK estimates that carers save the UK economy £132 billion per year – an average of £19,336 per carer – demonstrating the vital role carers play in our community. The care provided by families just over the course of the pandemic was valued at £135 billion, and this amount is still climbing.

Carers Northumberland is passionate about supporting and empowering unpaid carers across Northumberland.

This year’s Carers Rights Day campaign will focus on raising awareness of the rights of unpaid carers. The pandemic has had a massive impact on the lives of carers, affecting access to services, the ability to juggle work and care and much more. That’s why it’s more important than ever that carers are aware of their rights.

In a recent survey of nearly 6,000 carers, Carers UK found that:

  • 4 in 5 unpaid carers are providing more care for relatives
  • 78% reported that the needs of the person they care for have increased during the pandemic
  • Two thirds worried about how they will cope through further lockdowns or local restrictions.

This Carers Rights Day Carers Northumberland wants to:

  • ensure carers are aware of their rights
  • let carers know where to get help and support
  • raise awareness of the needs of carers.

Debra Blakey, CEO for Carers Northumberland says “It’s as important as ever that carers are aware of their rights.  Having a caring responsibility shouldn’t mean that you no longer have choices.  Carers have rights in the workplace, as well as having the right to decide what level of care they are comfortable providing without external support.  Throughout the pandemic carers and the person they care for were often unable to access some of their usual services, and some are still unavailable.  Carers need to be fully supported if they are they are to continue caring effectively.  We want carers to know they are being listened to and that they have rights which are being respected and addressed appropriately. We are always here to champion carers when they need us, but carers need to know what their rights are so they can feel confident in their caring role.”

 

Join Carers Northumberland and a variety of other service providers at a free Carers Rights Day 2021 Information Event at: The Community Hub, Cramlington NE23 6YB (next to Concordia Leisure Centre)

10:30am – 12.00pm: Live Know Your Rights Carers Workshop – booking is essential for this part- call 01670 320025 or visit the website.

1.00pm – 4.00pm: Carers Rights Day Information Fair – this is a drop in event so no booking necessary. Support, advice and live demonstrations from organisations including Healthwatch Northumberland, Alzheimers Society, Northumberland Parent Carer Forum, PALS, Citizens Advice, Northumberland Fire Service, Health Trainers, Northumberland County Blind Association, Escape Family Support, Age UK Northumberland and more.

 

Tell us your experiences of using NHS and social care services as a carer

Arthritis Action

Arthritis Action online event

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If you live or work in Northumberland, join us at a free, online public event to hear from Ruth Smith of Arthritis Action.

Ruth will be joining us to talk about arthritis, self-management, and resources for people living with the condition. She will cover topics including keeping active, pain management and diet.

The event is suitable for people who live or work in Northumberland and are living with or working with any form of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis and gout. The presentation may also be useful for those with other conditions causing joint pain such as fibromyalgia.

There will also be a chance to ask questions.

and we will send you a link to join closer to the event.

Join us at our AGM/Review of the Year!

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Healthwatch Northumberland AGM 2021

Thursday 4 November, 2021, 10.00am -12.00pm

 

If you live or work in Northumberland, we’d love you to join us at our AGM and Review of the Year 2021.

This free, online event is a chance to find out more about our work as health and social care champion for Northumberland.

We’ll be reviewing our work over the last 18 months and letting you know our priorities for the coming year.

The event will be opened by Cllr Wendy Pattison, Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Wellbeing.

This is also a chance to hear from the new Northumberland Recovery College.

Offering free courses, workshops and activities across the county and online, the Northumberland Recovery College is here to promote and improve the wellbeing of all residents of Northumberland.

The team will be telling us about the growth and future plans of the college along with showcasing some short tasters of what the college can offer to support mental health and wellbeing.

Taster session 1: A Guided visualisation- using imagery to support your wellbeing

Guided imagery involves listening to someone’s voice, relaxing the breathing and directing the ability to imagine. Research has shown that guided imagery can help to manage stress, reduce fear and anxiety, as well as reduce the occurrence of headaches.

Taster Session 2: Building Resilience:

Resilience: our ability to bounce back when we get knocked down, just like a Weeble. This taster session will introduce the concept of emotional resilience, answer some questions from our dear friend Bob and look at a skill we can all use in everyday life to improve our wellbeing.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the event but if you’d like to raise a question now, to be asked at the AGM please email info@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk.

Read more about our work