NHS dentistry in Northumberland

NHS dentistry in Northumberland

/in , , /by

As part of our work on NHS dentistry services in Northumberland, we, along with 29 other Local Healthwatch, made a formal submission to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee.  The committee has now published the submissions.

The Chair of the Committee, Conservative MP Steve Brine, was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 PM programme on 6 March. The item is at 38 minutes in, with reference to Local Healthwatch just after 42 minutes.

In the interview Mr Brine says “We’ve had hundreds of pieces of written evidence from trade bodies, professionals, charities, people working in the profession, but quite a lot of it has been from local Healthwatch and from patients themselves, telling some pretty painful stories of…DIY dentistry…home tooth extractions, people tying shoelaces to teeth…”

At the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 7 March, our Project Coordinator Derry Nugent, urged local elected members to encourage their residents to contact us for issues such as this, which can only be fixed at national level.

NHS dentistry in Northumberland continues to be difficult to access, especially in the Berwick area. If you are in pain and need to see a dentist urgently, please call NHS 111.

Please keep sharing your experiences of NHS dental care, so that we can keep making sure these are heard by those paying for services.

 

Healthwatch logo with health and social care graphics

Integrated care strategy in our area

/in , /by
Read more
Eating Distress North East (EDNE) logo

Online event: Eating Distress North East

/in , , /by

Join us for our next free lunchtime event on Friday 14 April, 1pm-2pm, to hear from Maria Lavelle of Eating Distress North East (EDNE), who will talk about the early identification of eating disorders and how best to support those who have one.

She will cover how to recognise signs, symptoms and potential triggers of an eating disorder; practical strategies for working with people with eating disorders; and increase your knowledge of local support services in Northumberland and the North East of England.

This session is suitable for anyone living or working in Northumberland. There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

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

If you would like to tell us about your experience of accessing support for an eating disorder or would like help finding local support services please get in touch.

This event has now passed

Felton and Widdrignton surgery proposals

New Felton surgery FAQs

/in , /by

Following a public meeting at Felton Village Hall on Tuesday 31 January regarding the development of the new Felton GP surgery, further responses have been added to the Frequently Asked Questions on the project website. These new FAQs address some of the questions raised in the survey responses with answers from the developer, Assura.

Questions include car parking, emergency access for ambulances, when the building will be complete and the space available in the new surgery.

Read the FAQs

If you would like to leave feedback or ask a question about the development you can do so via the project website or by emailing: hello@assura.co.uk

Where to find hearing loss services

/in /by

Audiology services for residents of Northumberland

When accessing audiology appointments there are five general appointments open to patients:

  • First hearing assessment
  • Hearing aid fitting
  • Re-assessment of hearing & fitting
  • Repairs (booked appointments only)
  • Troubleshoot appointments

Consumables (batteries, replacement tubing, tips, cleaning wires) are all available upon request and this can be done in the following ways:

  • Online
  • Telephone: 0191 223 1043
  • Post a request for replacements making sure you include a return address and clearly state what you need, to: The Audiology Department, Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road, High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7DN

Please note there is currently no drop-in provision for repairs OR consumables.

Appointments may be offered at these sites

  • Alnwick Infirmary (reduced repair service – we recommend a postal request)
  • Battle Hill Health Centre, Wallsend (no repair service)
  • Benfield Park Healthcare & Diagnostic Centre (no repair service)
  • Corbridge Health Centre
  • Cramlington, Manor Walks Shopping & Leisure Centre (some appointments may be diverted to North Tyneside)
  • The Freeman Hospital
  • Morpeth NHS Centre (no repair service & reduced capacity currently, may be diverted to Cramlington)
  • North Tyneside General Hospital
  • Union Brae Surgery, Berwick

The contact number for all locations is: 0191 223 1043.

Email: tnu-tr.audiology@nhs.net

 

Tell us your experiences of accessing audiology services

Feedback report January 2023

/in , /by

Health and social care feedback – January 2023

Our short monthly reports give an overview of what people have been telling us about the NHS and social care services they have used recently. We can also see who we have been hearing from and if we’ve had more feedback from some parts of the county than others.

What you tell us helps us build a picture of what is working well and where there are issues in services, and is taken into account by those providing services when making decisions about local care.

Read our ‘at a glance’ feedback report for January 2023.

 

health and social care feedback 2022

Mid-year trends report Jul-Dec 2022

/in , /by

Our mid-year report looks at the trends in who we heard from over the last six months, and what we heard about services. We are a listening organisation and act on what people are saying, sharing their views with those who have the power to make change happen. We also help people find the information they need about local services in their area through our Signposting and Information Service.

Between July and December 2022, we received feedback from 368 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face engagement events, telephone calls, emails, our website and our social media pages.

The feedback we have had in the past six months has been around two big issues:

1. Accessing GPs and arranging appointments – 29% of all feedback received.

2. Accessing NHS dentists – 20% of all feedback received.

Read more in our mid-year report for July to December 2022

 

 

Healthwatch Northumberland Board Chair recruitment

Come on board!

/in , /by
Read more
Laptop, cup of coffee and logos for the Limbless Association and Healthwatch Northumberland

Online event – Limbless Association

/in , , /by

Join us to hear from Tania Spurling from the Limbless Association on Friday 10 March, 1pm-2pm via Zoom. Tania will talk to us about having a limb amputated, tips to help manage and how we can help others living with their loss of a limb. We will also hear what support is available from the charity and there will be a chance to ask questions.

The Limbless Association is the largest civilian limb loss charity in the UK. As a national charity, working with amputees and sector professionals for over 39 years, the Limbless Association offers both practical and emotional support for amputees throughout their pre and post-amputation journey.

This session will provide an overview of the Limbless Association’s services and support available for amputees, their families, friends, and professionals. Register now and we will send you a link to join closer to the event: bit.ly/Limbless-Association-March-2023

This event has now passed

Look North visits SeaFit event

/in , /by

The Fishermen’s Mission January SeaFit event in Amble was featured on BBC Look North on Monday 31 January.

This regular drop-in event at Amble Quayside brings GP and physio services, plus health information to fishermen and their families, making it easier for them to access healthcare and support. We were there with our Signposting and Information Service, and Project Coordinator Derry was interviewed by the BBC for the piece on the BBC programme.

View the clip.