LINk County Durham

 

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A Community Voice in Health and Social Care

Welcome to our website

LINk News Update

Enter and View Update

The Enter and View group have recently received a positive response from Tees Esk & Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust to the Auckland Park Hospital Visit they conducted earlier this year.  To view both the response and report please follow this link.  A visit to Ward 41 at Darlington Memorial Hospital has just been conducted and the report is currently being written.  The remit of the visit was quality of food, patient nutrition and fluid intake and how patients are supported. 

Joint Information Gathering Group (JIGG)

The JIGG group have been hard at work producing a report on Hospital Discharge in County Durham and Darlington.  The report is expected to be available by June.

Soft Market Testing: Local HealthWatch in County Durham

Durham County Council is seeking feedback for the provision of Local HealthWatch in County Durham. The arrangements for HealthWatch England and Local HealthWatch were part of the Health and Social Care Bill which received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. Local HealthWatch will be the independent consumer champion for health and social care.  Each local authority area must commission Local HealthWatch which must be in place by 1 April 2013. Feedback is sought to inform research on the potential future provision of this service and this market testing exercise in no way forms part of any competitive tendering process. More information about the Market testing is available here: http://tinyurl.com/c4nr3rq

For more information about HealthWatch County please follow this link

For more information about what happen in County Durham in relation to the NHS and Social Care Reform please follow this link

County Durham LINk working in Partnership with Council for Voluntary Services (CVS'S) in County Durham

Numerous CVS's across County Durham have agreed to provide support to LINk District Repsentative to help them find out more about what the issues are in their area. The role of the CVS is key as they will use their existing networks to reach local people and groups and promote the LINk through holding local engagement events and arranging surgeries to find out what people think about local health and social care services.

To find out more about these partner organisation please click on the logos below to be redirected to their website.

Dates for your Diary

Information Days for 2012

Durham Dales Area: end of June/ early July

Derwentside Area: end of September/ early October

Further details will be supplied as they become available

County Durham Round Up

The items included in this section are an overview of what's happening in County Durham. The meetings, events and consultations posted here are organised by external parties, therefore we do not accept responsibility for their content or organisation and they are not covered by our expenses policy.

Consultations:

Have your say on the PIP Breast Implants issue to the Health Select Committee

The House of Commons Health Select Committee is considering the recent problems with PIP breast implants and is keen to hear from women who have had these implants. If you know of anyone affected by the PIP breast implant issue, or are affected yourself, you may be interested to know that the Committee have set up a web forum which can be accessed here: http://forums.parliament.uk/pip-implants This forum will be running until the 31st May. If you have any questions about this forum or would like to contact the Committee directly, email healthcom@parliament.uk or contact Rebecca Kenner on 020 7219 1595.

Campaigns:

County Durham and Darlington Standardised Plain Packaging

We are urging you to back a campaign aimed at protecting children from tobacco marketing and to help make smoking history for more children in the North East. The Department of Health has now launched a consultation on whether plain, standardised packaging would help to reduce smoking - in particular its role in reducing youth uptake. The consultation will run until July 10 and we would urge you to show your support and respond positively. Sign up your support as an individual at http://www.freshne.com/plainpacksform You only have to give your name and address and it will only take two minutes. For more information or to discuss this further contact Fresh - Smoke Free North East on 0191 333 7140.

Balance urges Action on Alcohol Marketing to Children

On Monday (May 7) Balance re-launched their campaign calling on Government to protect children and young people from alcohol marketing. More than 4,000 North Easterners have already signed our petition online and offline to restrict alcohol marketing, which encourages alcohol consumption at an earlier age and in greater quantities. Over the next 6 weeks they are encouraging the media to raise awareness of the campaign, you can help by making sure you’ve signed the petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/21586 Together we can protect our children and young people by changing the pro-alcohol environment in which they're being brought up.Share the link to the See What Sam Sees video and help us to spread the word.

Information:

Digital Switchover - Small Grants Fund Now Open

Age UK County Durham has been appointed by Digital UK to help vulnerable people prepare for the switch to digital broadcasting that will happen in our area in September this year. Age UK can award grants starting from £100 to local voluntary sector organisations who can help spread the important news about digital switchover.
You may qualify for a grant if you have contact with any of the following groups:
Older people, Socially isolated people, Disabled people, People with mental health needs, People for whom English is not their first language or People with Learning Disabilities
All we ask is that you tell people about the switchover, which begins in County Durham on 12th September this year.  We will support you with free training, friendly advice, some great publicity materials and freebies to give away!

Mark Dunne-Willows, Deputy Chief Executive of Age UK County Durham said,
“This is an excellent opportunity for local groups to get involved in an issue that will affect every one of us.  Television is very important to a lot people and keeps them informed as well as keeping them company. 
We want to hear from the sort of organisations who have regular contact with people who need the information and we hope to fund some fun and interesting events.  We are looking forward to receiving applications from a wide range of groups of all shapes and sizes.”

If you are interested in applying to a grant please contact Age UK County Durham on 0191 374 6363 or email info@ageukcountydurham.org.uk

Even if you don’t want a grant, but think that your group could benefit from a talk, some advice or some more information about televisions, aerials, digi-boxes and what transmitter switches when then please get in touch!

Stressed, anxious or depressed? Talking Changes can help

Talking Changes is a new self-help and talking therapies service designed to help anyone living in County Durham and Darlington to deal with common mental health problems such as stress, anxiety or depression, as well as panic, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post traumatic stress disorder.
Offering a range of talking therapies, this free, confidential service is open to you if:

• you are aged 16 or over
• you live in County Durham or Darlington
• your mental health is causing you concern and is affecting your employment, your health or your home life.

Support is provided by trained professionals and is available in a wide range of locations in the County Durham and Darlington area. We deliver services through a range of face to face, telephone and computer treatments all shown in research to be effective. To find out more please telephone 0191 3740044. To self-refer telephone: 0191 3740044 (north Durham) or 01388 646831 (south Durham and Darlington)

Events / Courses / Opportunities:

Chair and Lay Member Vacancies for Durham Dales, Easington & Sedgefield Shadow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCQ)

Durham Dales, Easington & Sedgefield shadow clinical commissioning group governing body requires a Chair person. Two Lay Members are also required, with a lead role in either Governance or Patient and Public Engagement. These are extremely high profile positions and require outstanding individuals.  The ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate that they are recognised and respected by their peers and also able to demonstrate leadership skills.
Preference will be given to applicants who live or work in Durham Dales, Easington & Sedgefield. Deadline for receipt of applications is midnight 6th June 2012. For a full information pack please go to www.cdd.nhs.uk/layjobs

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Events

Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) is pleased to announce a programme of safe, welcoming and inclusive events for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and their friends who live in County Durham, see below:

• June- University Summer Ball (TBC) -Contact: Russell 07427480590
• 12 July- Social Event, TBC - Contact: Billijean at DISC LGBT health and wellbeing 07826872756

Partners including Gay Advice Durham and Darlington; DISC, Chester-le-Street CVS, Engage, Age UK (County Durham) and Durham County Council are fund-raising to contribute towards the cost of the programme. The events will contribute towards the priorities of the AAP by supporting the voluntary and community sector and making the City Centre a safer place to be. You are invited to contact Jayne Mills at Durham AAP on 0191-301-8871 or jayne.mills@durham.gov.uk

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