Amble Pier Northumberland

Annual Report 2016/17

/in , /by

Amble Pier Northumberland

The latest Healthwatch Northumberland Annual Report is now available, outlining the work undertaken by Healthwatch Northumberland during the year. See how we made a difference to people’s expeiences of health and social care in the county.

Download the Annual Report.

Is it 999 or 111?

/in /by

At some point, most people will either witness or be involved in an accident or experience a medical emergency. Knowing what to do next and who to call can potentially save lives.

Life-threatening emergencies

Call 999 in a medical emergency – when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Medical emergencies can include:

  • loss of consciousness
  • an acute confused state
  • fits that are not stopping
  • persistent, severe chest pain
  • breathing difficulties
  • severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
  • severe allergic reactions
  • severe burns or scalds

Call 999 immediately if you or someone else is having a heart attack or stroke. Every second counts with these conditions. Also call 999 if you think someone has had a major trauma. Major trauma is often the result of a serious road traffic accident, a stabbing, a shooting, a fall from height, or a serious head injury.

 

Non-life-threatening emergencies

If it is not a life-threatening emergency and you or the person you are with does not need immediate medical attention, please consider other options before dialling 999:

  • self care at home
  • calling NHS 111
  • talking to a pharmacist
  • visiting or calling your GP
  • going to a local NHS walk-in centre
  • attending an urgent care centre or minor injuries unit
  • making your own way to your local A&E department – arriving in an ambulance does not mean you will be seen any quicker

Choose the best service for your needs, as this will ensure the ambulance service is able to respond to the people who need help the most.

Source: NHS Choices.

Four easy steps to add ‘In Case of Emergency’ details to your phone

/in /by

Most of us carry a phone with us when we’re out and about, perhaps with keys and a wallet, but what happens if we’re involved in an accident and you aren’t carrying any means of personal identification? One of the easiest and most convenient places to keep ‘In Case of Emergency’ (ICE)  information is on your smartphone, but only if you know how to store the information so that someone can see it without having to unlock your phone. . Folllow these simple steps to set up ICE on your smartphone, and encourage family members to do the same.

I-phones

  • Click on the ‘Health’ application on your home screen.
  • Choose ‘Medical ID’ from the lower right-hand corner.
  • Add your emergency contacts from your contact list and note and input any medical conditions.
  • Make sure the option to ‘show when locked’ is activated. This means the ICE information can be accessed from your lock screen.

To find someone’s emergency contact on their phone:

First swipe to open. On the locked screen, you’ll see an ‘Emergency’ button in the bottom corner. Press to show a dialing screen with a Medical ID button at the bottom. Click on this for the emergency information.

Android Phones

  • Go to your ‘contacts’ list.
  • Click on ‘groups’.
  • The dropdown list will include ‘ICE – emergency contacts’.
  • Click on this option then select your emergency contacts. You can also fill in medical details.

To find someone’s emergency contact on their phone:

To access the emergency contact information on a locked Android phone, swipe to open. This will bring up the passcode page, with ‘emergency calls only’ on the bottom.

Click on ‘emergency calls’. On the top right will be a siren icon. Click on this and it will show the emergency contact information.

There are also several ICE apps available which you can download to your smartphone and which will appear on your lock screen. Have a look at your app store for options.

Annual Report 2015/2016

/in /by

Every year we produce a report outlining the work we have done and what we have achieved during the year. In the last year; April 2015 to March 2016 we:

  • Reached over 40,000 people on social media.
  • Had help from our volunteers with everything from gathering feedback to making animations.
  • Reported on topics such as young people’s views on health services and how people access services.
  • Spent over 100 hours gathering the views of children and young people.
  • Visited over 60 local health and/or social care services.
  • We met hundreds of local people at our drop in events and information stands.
Read the full report