Dudley LINk is closing down
Sorry to say that the LINk project in Dudley borough comes to an end on 31st March 2013.
We would like to thank all of those that have been involved in Dudley LINk; especially our volunteers whose work we cannot be more proud, and the efforts we have made to influence and improve health and social care services in our borough.
We will allow this blog to remain, for a while, as a record of our good work and achievements in the hope that all of our efforts are not lost.
Thank you all for your support.
Getting an appointment with your GP
Can you get an appointment with your GP easily and when you want?
Many patients using GP surgeries in Dudley borough have told us that they have problems getting an appointment with their GP when they are unwell and they need one.
This is what some of them have said to us using Service Watch from Dudley LINk:
- “Very good service, Have to ring an 0845 number. Can’t. Get an appointment when you ring up for that day”
- “Alright, bit of a pain to get through on the phone in the morning”
- “Service is good sometimes. Problem getting appointment, takes 2 or 3 days when you are in pain”
- “sometimes cant make appointment when you need one”
We would like to know if you have problems like these , and what you think about the appointments service available in your GP surgery
Can you spare a couple of minutes to tell us? We would like to know about:
- Booking an appointment
- Getting an appointment at the time you want
- Seeing the doctor that you want to see
To tell Dudley LINk about your GP surgery
Fill in our survey here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8HFZN5S
Ring us up on: 01384 886444
Email us dudleylink@shaw-trust.org.uk
Text us on: 07961 766243
Dudley LINk will be using the results of this survey to ask commissioners and providers of this service to make changes and improvements where needed, on your behalf
LINk visiting Dudley Libraries
Starting in September, we will be visiting libraries across the borough to give local residents the opportunity to meet us and find out more about Dudley LINk, get involved in our work and to tell us about local health and social care services.
We’d like to meet local groups who are involved in issues concerning health and social care and support them to identify and suggest improvements to services in Dudley.
The current program for our visits are as follows:
| 6th September | Lye Library | 10-1pm |
| 17th September | Kingswinford Library | 10-2pm |
| 19th September | Long Lane Library | 10-1pm |
| 20th September | Halesowen Library | 10-2pm |
| 25th September | Gornal Library | 10-2pm |
| 26th September | Cradley Library | 10.1pm |
| 2ND October | Stourbridge Library | 10-2pm |
| 11th October | Brierley Hill Library | 10-2pm |
| 15th October | Lye Library | 10-1pm |
| 19th October | Sedgley Library | 10-2pm |
| 23rd October | Stourbridge Library | 10-2pm |
| 25th October | Halesowen Library | 10-2pm |
| 6th November | Long Lane Library | 10-1pm |
| 13th November | Cradley Library | 10-1pm |
We will also be planning visits to other libraries not currently on the list.
Please feel free to come along and visit us.
Service Watch posters now available in GP surgeries
We’re sure that Gp’s are helping us by displaying these posters, however there may be a few that have slipped the net!.
If you haven’t seen our poster, please let us know by completing this quick survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WCB9QP6 and we will follow it up.
Many Thanks
Dudley LINk Digest
Every week, Dudley LINk receives information from organisations, groups and national bodies in relation to Health and Social care. This information was usually distributed to LINk members to read; however recently we thought it would be a great idea to share this information with others in the borough who may find it useful as well.
So the Dudley LINk Digest was born… now distributed weekly by email to over 500 LINk participants, local councillors, residents, groups, health and care providers and others. Unfortunately we do not have recoursec to publish and post this every week but we hope that those who receive it are able to share with their friends and colleagues.
Something must be working because we now have local organisations sending us information to send out too, (including local community information).
We hope that the community in Dudley (and beyond) appreciate Dudley LINk Digest.
If you have something to add, please send it over to us as dudleylink@shaw-trust.org.uk or you can always phone us up on 01384 886444.
To read issues of the Digest please visit our webpage HERE
Thank you to the community of Dudley for supporting us!
Vascular Surgery in the Black Country
Residents in Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton have been hearing a lot recently about planned changes to Vascular surgery in the Black Country.
From 14th July, all emergency vascular operations or planned operations for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) will be carried out at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley where a state of the art endovascular suite has been developed.
However, if patients require surgery on veins or arteries, diagnostic investigations etc, these will be carried out at their local hospitals. Also following operations at Russells Hall your follow-ups will take place at your local hospital.
The following pamphlet has been produced to explain the changes:
Additionally at a recent Members Health Fair at Russells Hall Hospital, visitors were given presentations about Diagnostics, Medical Photography and Vascular Surgery. The Vascular Surgery presentation was given by Mr Atiq-ul Rehman, who is the Medical Services Head for the Black Country Vascular Network. Mr Rehman gave an extremely interesting talk on the new services, answering questions from the floor, and going into great detail as to how the new Vascular service would be of great benefit to the residents of Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall.
We are very grateful to the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for sharing the slides from these three presentations with us and you can view them by clicking HERE
f
Dudley LINk Annual General Meeting
The Annual general Meeting of Dudley LINk will take place on Wednesday 20th June 2012 from 1 pm till 3.30 pm at The Old Hall, The Retreat Community Cafe, St Francis Parish Centre, Poplar Crescent, DudleyDY1 4AF.
Guest speakers have been booked to attend:
Kimara Sharp – talking about the progress of the Dudley Commissioning Group
Gary Graham – Update on Dudley & Walsall Mental Health Trust
Shohba Asar-Paul – Dudley MBC – Update on the progess of local Healthwatch.
All are welcome to attend and a lunch will be provided.
further details can be found here http://www.dudleylink.org.uk/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ykPnOvNaGCQ%3d&tabid=1359&mid=3122
Update on public health funding for local government
An update on public health funding for local government has been published by the Department of Health. The document, which is aimed at public health specialists, sets out current thinking on local authority public health finance and in particular:
- the next steps on moving from the estimates of baseline spending published in February 2012 to actual allocations for 2013-14 which are expected to be published by the end of 2012
- provides further information on the high level design of the health premium which will be targeted towards areas with the worst health outcomes and most need
- conditions on the ring fenced public health grant which state how the grant may be used, including proposals for local authority financial reporting requirements on public health spend.
Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Update on Public Health Funding sets out:
- Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation’s (ACRA) interim recommendations on the public health formula
- an update on the health premium
- conditions on the ring-fenced public health grant, including proposals for local authority reporting on public health spend.
An active period of engagement and consultation will take place following publication of ACRA’s interim recommendations. The Department will welcome feedback on the approach used and the proposed formula which will inform ACRA’s continuing work to finalise their recommendations for 2013-14 public health allocations.
New LINk Board Induction 9th May 2012
An induction workshop was held at the Retreat Café in Dudley for board members to help them understand their role and how they can promote and support the involvement in people who live in theDudleyborough area in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of local health and social care services.
A copy of the presentation given to the board by Shaw Trust host staff can be found here
The host received positive feedback from those present about how they felt that the induction workshop helped them to understand their role including:
“I have really enjoyed it today. I have learnt more what Dudley LINk is all about from the Induction meeting than I did beforehand. I feel honoured an proud to be a board member to make decisions on issues what concerns people all round the borough on health matters. There is a lot to take in. I don’t know you and Ian do it, getting all the relevant information for presentations to who serve on board. “
We also welcome to the board two new faces, Ambrose Koryang manages the Dudley Health Trainer service, previously Ambrose was a psychiatric nurse, as well as being involved with Birmingham LINk.
Roy Norton was a businessman and a volunteer at Compton Hospice. He is also vice-resident of the International Veterans Table Tennis Society, so it is good to haveRoy batting for Dudley LINk!
Also welcome back to Maxine Fowler who returns to Dudley LINk. Maxine is a volunteer for Multiple Sclerosis locally and is working to encourage more involvement into the Dudley MS support group
We are please to announce that Angela Hill was elected to serve as the Chair of the board, and Damian Nicell elected as Vice-Chair. David Orme will continue to represent Dudley LINk both locally and regionally as an advocate in our involvement in partnership working.
Our Annual General Meeting to be held on the 20th June from 2.00pm until 3.30pm at the Retreat Café, Dudley(details to be confirmed in a future edition) the board will be agreeing their remaining officers for the year ahead before commencing on an exciting programme of work until the end of March 2013.
General Medical Council Patient Survey
The General Medical Council is asking people visiting their GP to complete a questionnaire in order to provide their doctor with information about their work through the eyes of those they work with and treat.
This is part of the ‘revalidation’ process, which the General Medical Council (GMC) describe as:
Revalidation will help us strengthen the way we regulate doctors who practise in the UK. We will do this by working with employers to ensure they regularly check that their doctors are up to date and fit to practise
These quesionnaires should be apprearing in your Gp surgery to give you the chance to take part and have a say in how you thibk your GP is doing.
To find out more about Revalidation, and how patients can become involved, please visit the GMC website here
dudleylink 