Free event – Women’s cancer awareness

Free event – Women’s cancer awareness

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Join us on Friday 13 February at 1pm to hear from Betsy Holmes, Community Cancer Awareness Worker from Healthworks who will talk to us about the most common cancers in women.

This will include awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors associated with common cancers. We will also hear about the importance of screening and get information about self-checking your body, and what to do if you find something that’s not normal for you.

Please note this session is not intended to give specific medical advice. The talk is suitable for professionals and the public.

There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

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Message in a bottle

Message in a bottle

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The ‘Message in a Bottle’ scheme helps you to keep your personal and medical information in a place where it can easily be found in an emergency – your fridge.

Having this information to hand will help the paramedics treating you and could make all the difference in a life-threatening situation.

How does it work?

The Message in a Bottle kit includes a form to complete that you put inside the bottle and keep in your fridge – ideally in the door to allow it to be found quickly in an emergency.

Two stickers are also provided to let paramedics know about the bottle. One should be stuck on your fridge door, and the other inside your front door. If you don’t want a sticker on your fridge, put the other sticker close to your back door.

Filling in the form

You should fill the form in with the following information:

  • Your name and details of any allergies
  • The name, address and contact number for your doctor
  • A brief description of any medical conditions you have or medication you take
  • The contact information for two emergency contacts
  • If you are a carer, the details of the person you are a carer for
  • A copy of your repeat prescription list if you have one.

Who can get a bottle?

The scheme is free and open to anyone in the community. However, it’s particularly suitable for vulnerable people who find it difficult to recall information or communicate with emergency staff, such as people living with dementia or learning difficulties, or people whose first language isn’t English.

Where can I get a bottle?

The bottles are supplied by the Lion’s Club International to health centres, GP surgeries and chemists, local Lions clubs, Neighbourhood Watch, Age Concern and housing associations.

Bottles are also being distributed via ambulance crews and at public events across the region.

Find out more at the Lion’s Club website

Free event – Vision Northumberland

Free event – Vision Northumberland

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Join us on Friday 9 January at 1pm to hear from Sue Taylor, chair of Vision Northumberland, about their range of services available for those with sight loss in Northumberland.

This includes their Low Vision Assessment Service, advice on aids and equipment, wellbeing clubs and groups, befriending and transport.

Sue will also give an overview of sight loss including some of the main causes and everyday challenges.

There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

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Your feedback November 2025

Your feedback November 2025

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Your NHS and social care feedback November 2025

Top issues

This month we heard mixed feedback about GP and hospital services. We heard negative feedback about hospital IT systems not being joined up with other parts of the NHS and that post-operation advice was not always provided to patients. However, several people did mention good quality service from both GPs and hospitals.

This month’s focus

Our Here to Hear drop-in sessions took place in East Bedlington, Hexham, Morpeth, Prudhoe and Ashington. We also attended Wooler Warm Hub, Hexham Livestock Mart, Ageing Well’s Winter Warmer event in Ponteland, Carers Northumberland’s Carers Rights information day in Morpeth and the ‘Digital health in rural communities: bridge or barrier?’ conference, organised by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise.

This month’s free online information session from the ME Association was an update on the latest research on ME and Long Covid. A recording of the talk can be found on our Online Events webpage.

Working with local Healthwatch and the NHS in our area, we asked for feedback on three services designed to help people access the care they need more quickly. These are GP out of hours appointments, the NHS App, and the Pharmacy First Service. You can leave feedback about these services online.

Positive feedback example

A person told us they have attended a hospital on many occasions for cancer care, and found all the staff they came into contact with to be friendly and very attentive. They particularly liked that the staff remember their name and use it throughout their interactions, making the person feel more at ease and like a person not a number.

Tynedale resident

Negative feedback example

“The Newcastle Hospitals and Northumbria Trusts operate totally different IT systems and appointment systems and don’t cross over. Arranging appointments between them as new patients to the English NHS was farcical and tortuous and not helped by the Scottish hospital records not being sent over into the England systems – which apparently is ‘normal’. Why? This is an everyday occurrence and surely can be
facilitated much more professionally, bearing in mind the huge and potentially serious range of health issues that are needing to be monitored/managed?”

North Northumberland resident

Impact

“Healthwatch Northumberland does a great job in terms of collating all of the patient feedback, distilling it, and presenting the key themes of that back to us. This evidence base can give us more to go on from a commissioning/contract perspective.“

Comment received from the Strategic Head of Primary Care (Northumberland and North Tyneside Delivery Team) at NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including sight loss support, elderly support groups, respite day care and drop-in hearing aid clinics.

Read more in our feedback summary for November 2025

Christmas tips for health and wellbeing

Christmas tips for health and wellbeing

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To help you take care of yourself and your family this Christmas season, we’ve pulled together some useful information and tips for health and wellbeing. Find more support on our Your Health pages.

Stay healthy this winter
Useful advice from the NHS to help you stay fit and well this winter, including vaccinations and what to do if you feel unwell.

Looking after your mental health at Christmas
Top tips from Mind to look after your mental health or support someone else, with ideas to help cope with money and relationship worries and where to find support.

Christmas and dementia
Christmas can be stressful and emotionally challenging, especially for those affected by dementia. Dementia UK Admiral Nurses share 12 tips to help people with dementia and their families have a happy and relaxing time.

Christmas tips for autistic people
National Autistic Society tips to make the festive period as stress-free as possible for autistic people and their families.

Healthier Christmas recipes
British Heart Foundation has created healthier versions of some favourite Christmas recipes. Try healthier mince pies, berry trifle, Christmas pudding ice cream and low-fat Christmas cake.

Support with an eating disorder at Christmas
Charity Beat shares some common questions and answers and tips for dealing with the challenges of Christmas, whether you have an eating disorder or are supporting someone you care about.

Pharmacy opening hours Christmas 2025

Pharmacy opening hours Christmas 2025

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Pharmacies open in Northumberland over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays

Over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays, some pharmacies will be closed. Below is a list of Northumberland pharmacies which are open. You may want to call the pharmacy before attending to check the opening hours haven’t changed.

For out of hours advice contact NHS 111.

Allendale Pharmacy 3 Shield Street, Allendale, NE47 9BP. Phone: 01434 683 274. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Alnwick Boots 50-52 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, NE66 1JD. Phone: 01665 602 143. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Ashington Asda Pharmacy Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9XG. Phone: 01670 528 610. Open 10am-4pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Ashington Crescent Pharmacy 110 Alexandra Road, Ashington, NE63 9LU. Phone: 01670 858 959. Open 10am-1pm Christmas Day and 10am-2pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Ashington Pharmacy Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9UN. Phone: 01670 528 610. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Bedlington Front Street Pharmacy 28 Front Street, Bedlington, NE22 5UB. Phone: 01670 822 297. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Blyth Asda Pharmacy Cowpen Road, Blyth, NE24 4LZ. Phone: 01670 542 710. Open 10am-4pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Blyth Boots 60-62 Maddison Street, Blyth, NE24 1EY. Phone: 01670 546 092. Open 10am-1pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Berwick Pharmacy 4-6 Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1JS. Phone: 01289 307 387. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Cramlington Northumbria Way Pharmacy Health Hub, Northumbria Way, Cramlington, NE23 6NZ. Phone: 01670 222 256. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Hexham Boots 7 Fore Street, Hexham, NE46 1LU. Phone: 01434 602 024. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Morpeth Health Hut Pharmacy 2 Abbey Meadows, Kirkhall, Morpeth, NE61 2BD. Phone 01670 510 510. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Seahouses Chemist 32 Main Street, Seahouses, NE68 7RQ. Phone: 01665 720 228. Open 10am-1pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Seaton Delaval Cohens Chemist 21 Avenue Road, Seaton Delaval, NE25 0DS. Phone: 0191 237 1813. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Wylam Pharmacy Main Street, Wylam, NE41 8AB. Phone: 01661 852 253. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

 

Your feedback October 2025

Your feedback October 2025

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Your NHS and social care feedback October 2025

Top issues

This month we heard mixed feedback about GP services with a few people saying the appointment booking process had improved. We also heard about long waiting times for audiology appointments and long distances to travel to hospital outpatients appointments.

This month’s focus

This month we were out and about at our Hear to Hear events in Alnwick, Hexham, Morpeth, Seaton Valley, Prudhoe, Blyth and Cramlington. We also attended Hexham Mart, Thriving Together’s information sharing event in Ashington and had a table at the Young at Heart event in Blyth.

We hosted a ‘Mind the Gap’ session organised by Northumberland Health and Wellbeing VSCE Network, around farmers’ mental health.

Our online session was from Northumberland Talking Therapies, Tyneside and Northumberland MIND, and Northumberland Recovery College on ‘prioritising mental health in the workplace’, in support of World Mental Health Day. The session included a guided reflection and tips for dealing with stress. This was our second highest attended online event of this year.

Our ‘Pharmacy First’ project took place throughout October, with the aim of finding out people’s awareness and experience of the scheme. The results of this will be published in November.

Positive feedback example

A patient left positive feedback about their GP surgery.

“I get fantastic treatment at my GP surgery. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the receptionists, the practice nurses, the GPs or recently a trainee GP, they are all knowledgeable, approachable, thorough and very, very caring. I don’t think anyone can ask for more.”

Ashington and Blyth resident

Negative feedback example

A patient asked for a simple audiology appointment as her hearing aids are whistling. There are no obvious signs of what’s wrong but the person is very social and relies on the hearing aids. They have been told it’s at least 13 weeks wait for an appointment.

Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley resident

Impact

A person asked us for support at our Hexham General Hospital Here to Hear event in June 2025. They wanted help to find a missing hospital appointment letter and scan result on the NHS App. Their GP had received the letter but it wasn’t showing on the App.

We confirmed the details were not there and advised them to contact the consultant’s secretary or PALS for support to get the information uploaded onto the App, or speak to GP reception.

This month we received an update. The patient had followed our advice and contacted PALS, who had carried out an investigation.

The outcome was that the letter and scan result were added to their health record on the NHS App and they had an apology from the department concerned.

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including counselling for young people, audiology, carers’ rights and cancer support groups.

Read more in our feedback summary for October 2025.

Update on gluten-free prescriptions

Update on gluten-free prescriptions

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Update on gluten-free prescriptions in the North East and North Cumbria

Following a six-week public involvement period earlier this year, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in our area has agreed to change how gluten-free foods are prescribed.

From 1 March 2026, gluten-free bread and flour mix will continue to be available on NHS prescription for young people aged under 25. Prescribing for adults aged 25 and over will no longer continue after this date.

This decision balances the need to use limited NHS resources fairly and effectively while taking steps to protect vulnerable patients. The decision to continue supporting children and young people recognises the challenges of adapting to a gluten-free diet following a coeliac disease diagnosis, as well as the wider impact of child poverty in our region.

When gluten-free products were first introduced to the NHS in the 1960s, there were very few suitable alternatives available. Today, gluten-free products are widely available in supermarkets, online and in local shops, with clear labelling to support safe dietary choices. As the NHS now cares for more people with complex and long-term health conditions, it needs to make sure funding delivers the greatest benefit for everyone.

Read more on the ICB website

Free event – Tyneside and Northumberland Mind

Free event – Tyneside and Northumberland Mind

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Join us on Friday 12 December for our next free online event where we will hear from Steph Golder from Tyneside and Northumberland Mind. Learn about the range of mental health and wellbeing support services in Northumberland and how to access them.

We will find out more about the general support services available to all and their specialist support services for victims of crime, and those who have been affected by a traumatic bereavement.

There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

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Carers Rights Day 2025

Carers Rights Day 2025

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Carers Rights Day is on Thursday 20 November 2025. This year’s theme is ‘know your rights, use your rights’.

Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or a friend – many of whom don’t see themselves as carers, often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits.

Carers Rights Day is about raising awareness of the rights the UK’s 5.8 million unpaid carers are entitled to, and to help them get the support they need and the recognition they deserve.

We’ll be at the Carers Northumberland Carers Rights Day information event on Thursday 20 November, 1.30pm to 4pm, at Berwick Sports and Leisure Centre. Come along to find out more about your rights as a carer and how to get support for you or the person you care for.

You can also get involved by sharing your story of being an unpaid carer, raising awareness or holding your own event. Find out more at Carers UK.

If you would like to tell us about your experience of health or social care services as a carer or would like information about local services and support please get in touch.