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Covid-19 vaccination pop-up pilot launched in Northumberland

Covid-19 vaccination pop-up pilot launched in Northumberland

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People in Northumberland are soon to benefit from new pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinics.

As part of its commitment to reducing health inequalities in the county, NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been working with the Cramlington Seaton Valley Primary Care Network (PCN) to set up a Roving Vaccination Service. This will see vaccines safely transported to people in the most rural parts of Northumberland as well as minority groups including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, those affected by homelessness and residents from a BAME background.

A transit van has been specifically modified and customised to help ensure that residents in remote communities and hard to reach groups are not left behind in the vaccination programme.

Already more than 200,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered to Northumberland residents and, thanks to the CCG’s partnership working with the PCN and Northumberland Fire and Rescue, another 100 received their first dose of the vaccine at the pop-up clinic at Bellingham Fire Station in Hexham on Thursday 15 April.

The vaccination team will be led by a team of healthcare staff from the Village Surgery in Cramlington, which includes a community paramedic, two practice nurses and a healthcare assistant. They will be supported by an admin team from the same practice, who will provide a vital support service to this clinic as they have done so far within the local vaccine sites.

Vaccinating from the pop-up clinic is Paula Jamieson, senior practice nurse from the Village Surgery in Cramlington. Paula said, “This new service provides people who live out in our most rural communities in Northumberland, who may find it difficult to travel to a large vaccination centre or their more local vaccination site, more choice as to where they can get vaccinated.

“Northumberland has a really unique geography with a diverse and disparate population and we’ve worked in collaboration with lots of different organisations to find the best and most practicable solutions to roll out Covid-19 vaccines. Piloting our pop-up vaccination service demonstrates this and also shows our commitment to ensuring as many people in Northumberland as possible are protected from Covid-19.”

Richard Hay, Head of Planning and Operations at the CCG said, “We have never seen a vaccination programme on this scale before and our teams in primary care have been working flat out to get the vaccine into as many people’s arms as possible whilst following the national roll-out guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) and have done a phenomenal job so far.

“We understand the uniqueness of Northumberland and we’ve had to overcome some big challenges with this roll-out. For example, the distance people have been expected to travel to attend a large vaccination centre.

“The introduction of the Roving Vaccination Service will make sure no-one is left behind. It’s a fantastic example of our local GPs working in collaboration across the county to deliver innovative services for the benefit of residents.”

Residents are being reminded not to contact their GP practice to seek a vaccination appointment from their practice or the Roving Vaccination Service. Practices will contact people when it is the right time – no one will be missed. People are also being reminded not to turn up too early for their appointments.

Find out more about the Covid-19 vaccination programme here

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

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In response to some of the questions people in Northumberland have raised about the Covid-19 vaccination programme, NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has put together a series of short videos. These will hopefully address some of the common concerns we have been hearing about the vaccination programme.

The CCG is responsible for the planning and buying of local NHS services for people in Northumberland.

In the videos, Richard Hay, Head of Planning and Operations at Northumberland CCG talks about how the Covid-19 vaccination programme is going in the county, addresses concerns over supply and safety of the vaccine, and how people will be contacted with an appointment for to get theirs.

 

One minute videos:

Why am I being offered an appointment for my vaccination so far away?

Should we be worried about the supply of the Covid-19 vaccine in Northumberland?

Why isn’t there a large vaccination centre in Northumberland?

Are people in Northumberland having to wait longer for their Covid-19 vaccination than people in other parts of the country?

Is the Covid-19 vaccination safe?

Why am I being told not to contact my GP about my vaccination appointment?

If I’ve had my Covid-19 vaccine, why can’t I mix with other people?

 

Podcast: How the vaccination programme is going in Northumberland, with Richard Hay of Northumberland CCG.

 

Visit our Covid-19 Information Page

Visits out of care homes

Visits out of care homes

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The latest guidance on care home visiting applies from 12 April. On visits out of care homes the government says:

Spending time out of the care home has always been an important part of life for many people living in residential care. This might include visits with friends and family to outdoor spaces and leisure venues, or to celebrate special occasions.

For some residents, regular visits may be part of their care plan – accessing care and support in day services, participating in community groups and volunteering. For many residents of working age, this might include regular overnight visits to the family home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that much of this visiting out of the care home has had to stop.

As part of the roadmap out of lockdown – guided by the data – we want to enable care home residents to enjoy a range of trips out of the care home, wherever it is safe and proportionate to do so.

We recognise how important this is for residents’ health and wellbeing, their ability to remain at the heart of family and social networks; and in some cases to deliver the objectives of their care plan.

However, spending time with others outside the care home will increase the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for the resident and potentially to other vulnerable residents on their return. This is the case even as we see community infection rates dropping and vaccine coverage increasing.

Whereas it is possible to mitigate and manage infection risks within the controlled environment of the care home – including by testing anyone coming into the home – it is simply not possible to control the environment outside of the care home in the same way.

This means that there is still the need for some measures to manage the risk of residents returning from visits bringing infection into the care home environment.

This guidance sets out the approach that care homes should take to planning and supporting visits out of the home where residents wish to make them. It explains the measures that should be taken – by the home, the resident and others taking part in the visit – to manage the risks.

The most significant of these is the requirement that a resident making a visit out of the care home should isolate for 14 days on their return (the day of return is day zero). This is to ensure that – in the event they have unknowingly become infected while out of the home – they minimise the chances of passing that infection on to other residents and staff.

We recognise that in practice, this is likely to mean that many residents will not wish to make a visit out of the home.

Read the full guidance on visits out of care homes

Visit our Covid-19 Information Page

Healthwatch Northumberland walks

Healthwatch Northumberland walks

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Covid-19 Vaccinations: April 2021

Covid-19 Vaccinations: April 2021

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Covid-19 Vaccinations Northumberland

As we head into April, priority for vaccinations in Northumberland is being given to those who are due their second dose, with any extra available vaccinations going to those in priority groups 1 – 9 who are yet to have a first dose. People in groups 1 – 9 will continue to be invited for their vaccination in age order.

If you are due a second dose in the next few weeks and haven’t yet got an appointment, look out for a text message and keep an ear out for the telephone as you will be contacted soon.

Please don’t call your GP practice to ask when you will get an invitation to be vaccinated. Vaccination centres and GP practices have no control over supplies coming into the county and so are unable to tell patients when they might be invited to make an appointment. Your surgery still want to hear from you if you have an urgent medical issue.

Noone will be forgotten and everyone who would like a vaccination will be offered one over the coming weeks and months.

Government information on the Covid-19 vaccination programme

Covid-19 information for Northumberland

Care home visits: public forum

Care home visits: public forum

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At our online forums recently we have heard how visiting restrictions in care homes have affected people living there and their relatives. We have also heard about people’s experiences of other ways of keeping in touch during Covid-19. From 8 March those who live in care homes will be able to receive one regular designated visitor.  We want to hear from you about your experience of this change, and what would help as restrictions are gradually eased.

We are holding another online forum on 31 March from 2.00 – 3.30pm where Dr Jim Brown, Consultant in Public Health at Northumberland County Council and Alan Curry, Senior Manager – Commissioning Northumberland County Council, will be there to answer your questions on the visiting guidance for care homes from a public health and county council perspective and what we may expect for care home visits in Northumberland as we move on from Covid-19.

If you would like to register for a space please contact helenb@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call us on 03332 408468.

If you cannot come along but have a question you would like an answer to, send it to us and we will ask it for you.

You can also tell us about how you’ve kept in touch with relatives in care homes here

More on care home visits guidance as of 8 March

Covid-19 vaccinations – the next phase

Covid-19 vaccinations – the next phase

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The Covid-19 vaccination programme in Northumberland, led by Primary Care Networks of GP practices has been successful in offering a vaccine to those in priority groups 1 to 4 – those aged 70 and over – by 15 February 2021. Thank you to those who have had their vaccine and who are helping to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. If you are over 70 and haven’t had your first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine yet, please contact your GP straight away or make an appointment here, or by phoning 119.

The next phase of the programme is to vaccinate those in priority groups 5 to 9 (everybody over 50 years of age) and the target date for this is 15 April 2021. This phase will also include delivering second doses of the vaccine to those already vaccinated in January and February.

If you are in group 5 (over 65 years) or group 6 (those aged between 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions) you will be invited by your GP practice to have the vaccine at one of ten hubs across the county or you may receive a letter inviting you to make an appointment at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. If travelling to Newcastle is inconvenient for you, you can ignore the letter and choose to wait to hear from your GP about having the vaccination at a hub closer to where you live.

Read more about the NHS in Northumberland’s reassurance that people can choose to have their vaccine at a hub closer to home.

You don’t need to call your practice; you won’t be forgotten and will be contacted when it’s your turn – look out for a letter, listen for the phone and check for text messages, as you could be contacted in any one of these ways.

GP practices will be calling people on the basis of:

  • Age – this is by far the most significant factor in determining an individual’s level of risk of complications or serious illness as a result of Covid-19 infection
  • Comorbidity – individuals with a number of underlying health conditions have an increased level of risk from Covid-19
  • Ethnicity – individuals from a BAME background are more at risk from Covid-19

You can be prepared ahead of your vaccination appointment by thinking about how you might travel to the centre, make sure you arrive on time and take your NHS number with you if possible – this can be found on letters from your GP or hospital or your prescription.

Visit our Coronavirus Information Page for more on the pandemic.

Public concerns about dentistry continue

Public concerns about dentistry continue

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New data gathered by Healthwatch England shows access to NHS dentistry remains a huge problem for the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthwatch continues to hear concerns about dentistry which were highlighted at the end of last year in the Dentistry and the impact of COVID-19 report after a 452% rise in calls and complaints over the summer (July – September).
In a follow-up review, Healthwatch looked at 1,129 people’s experiences of accessing dental care received between October and December 2020 and found:
  • Access to dentistry was difficult for more than seven in 10 people (72%), with some people actively seeking dental treatment being told they would have to wait anywhere between a few months to, in one case, two years for an appointment.
  • Access to urgent NHS treatment was difficult for people with painful teeth, with patients being told that dental pain was not considered an “emergency”, and for those who were prescribed multiple courses of antibiotics by NHS 111 without being provided any further treatment.
  • Examples of the extreme lengths some people went to, to get treatment, include calling over 40 practices to find an NHS dentist, and pulling their own teeth out when they couldn’t bear the pain.
  • When dentists couldn’t offer an appointment, they advised people to buy dental repair kits to treat themselves.

The findings come after some MPs and the British Dental Association called on the Government to scrap its new targets for NHS dentists, which require them to deliver 45% of their pre-pandemic levels of dental activity.

There are concerns this is likely to push practices into prioritising appointments such as check-ups over emergency or more complex longer treatments.

Healthwatch’s findings also suggest that patients are being told that although NHS appointments are not available, they can be treated privately. This creates a real barrier for everyone, and in particular for people on low income, to receive vital treatment.

Tell us about your experience of dental care during the pandemic here or text 07413 385275 and one of our friendly team will call you back.

Keeping People Connected Project

Keeping People Connected Project

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Northumberland Independent Advocacy Service is running a project called Keeping People Connected. The aim of the project, which was first delivered by People First at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, is to support people with learning disabilities and/or autism who have no other access to support from family or other agencies, to link with local services during lockdown.

The service is being run until 31 March 2021, thanks to funding from NHS Northumberland Clinical Comissioning Group. Referrals are welcome for people who have a learning disability, learning difficulty or autism who qualify for, and would benefit from, independent telephone support from experienced, friendly and specialist professionals to gain access to services throughout the county.

The organisations involved will help people to:

  • Understand what ‘staying at home’ or ‘staying alert’ means
  • Understand the guidance on how to stay safe and not catch the virus, who to contact and where to go
  • Understand and treat any symptoms and illness they might have and generally look after themselves in this difficult time
  • Decide what immediate support they might need e.g. getting food or medication, knowing how to ask for help in an emergency
  • Know where to access more support services and connect to local groups
  • Feel supported, by staying in touch on an ongoing basis, if needed
  • Solve problems if things go wrong
  • Get help from other services where needed
Care homes – keeping in touch with loved ones

Care homes – keeping in touch with loved ones

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Care home lockdown: how are you keeping in touch with your loved one?

As we enter a further period where visiting relatives in care homes is restricted, we want to hear how this is affecting you and your loved ones. What information have you had about keeping in touch and maintaining communications about care and wellbeing?

We are particularly keen to hear if you managed to be tested and have an ‘in person’ visit during December.

We would like to know your experience of:

  • Using video calls (FaceTime, Zoom etc.) or telephone calls – does the home support these? How many times a week and how long? Does a member of staff help your loved one with the call?
  • Socially distanced visits – does the home support ‘window’ visits.  How many times a week and how for long?
  • How does the home keep you informed about how your loved one is getting on (apart from necessary issues about their care or health), for example, manager updates, photographs, videos
  • Does the home have a programme of group and one-to-one activities? Has your loved one taken part?
  • Has the home asked you what, within the current restrictions, would make this time easier?
  • What, within the current restrictions, would make it better for you and your love one?
  • When restrictions are eventually eased (not totally lifted) what would help you and your loved one?

You can tell us your experiences at one of the ways here on our contact page, text us on 07413 385275 to make an appointment to speak to one of our team, or come along to our public online forum around these issues on Wednesday 27 January, 1.00pm – 2.00pm.

If you would like to take part in the forum please contact Laura Haugh: laurah@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk, or call 03332 408468.

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