Getting to know your healthcare professionals at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has recently been raising awareness of two important, but perhaps lesser known, healthcare roles within their organisation. To celebrate Pharmacy Technicians Day and Physician Associates Week, you can hear from the Trust about both fascinating and vital roles, and from staff working in the roles themselves.

Pharmacy Technicians are key members of the pharmacy team and play a crucial role in helping people understand their medicines. Read all about them here.

Physician Associates work alongside doctors and nurses to provide medical care as an integral part of a multidisciplinary team, under the supervision of a consultant. Read all about them here.

‘Find your little big thing’ for your mental health

Every Mind Matters has launched a new campaign that encourages and helps us to ‘find your little big thing’ – these are the little things we can do, which can make a big difference to our mental health

Making time for your mental wellbeing is important – and embedding these little things as part of your routine can help you feel better and more in control.

These little things can include:

    • Getting physically active – like taking a walk
    • Managing your thoughts and feelings with the help of CBT
    • Talking to someone you trust
    • Getting the most from your sleep – like avoiding screen-time an hour before bed or getting out of bed and doing something simple until you feel tired again
    • Getting closer to nature
    • Planning something nice to look forward to.

The Every Mind Matters website has lots of NHS-approved tips and advice to help you ‘find your little big thing’. You can also get a free, personalised Mind Plan – a mental health action plan that provides practical tips to help you deal with anxiety and stress, boost your mood, sleep better, and feel more in control:

Every Mind Matters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

New Sussex Cancer Centre – share your thoughts 

Plans for a new £155m Sussex Cancer Centre in Brighton are being showcased this month. 

A public exhibition is taking place at Royal Sussex County Hospital main entrance until 5 November, and you can ask questions during an online presentation on 23 October, 6-8pm. 

To support a planning application, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust wishes to engage with patients and public, as well as colleagues and organisations involved in the provision of cancer care and related services. 

To share your thoughts or find out more, please visit www.bdp.com/sussexcancercentre. The closing date for the consultation questionnaire is Sunday 5 November.  

 

Have your say on East Sussex County Council’s ‘Support with Confidence’ scheme

East Sussex County Council would like to know what people think about the plans to close the current Support with Confidence scheme and provide support in another way.

Support with Confidence accredits personal assistants and other care and support providers across East Sussex. The scheme is used by the public, adult social care teams and support organisations to find accredited support providers and services for clients.

If you’d like to take part, you can do so online: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/swcfuture

You can also get in touch with the Support with Confidence team if you have a question about the consultation or to share your feedback:

Please also contact the Support with Confidence team if you’d like a paper copy or easy read version of the survey.

The closing date for the consultation is 5 December 2023

Background to the consultation:

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Help is on hand to navigate community health and social care

Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) is the front door to adult community health and social care services in East Sussex. With a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, the service can help connect people to local health and social care information and community support. It’s also a central point for local health and care professionals to make referrals to community health and social care services.

As of September, it’s been seven years since Health and Social Care Connect became a fully integrated service. To mark the anniversary, we’re bringing you an update on how the team continues to help thousands of people in the county every month, and to hear from staff working for the service.

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Prioritise your eye health this World Sight Day

To mark this year’s World Sight Day, the Sensory Impairment and Reablement Team is going to be out and about in the county talking about the importance of good eye care, and how the team can support people who are diagnosed with sight loss.

World Sight Day aims to highlight the importance of eye care and eye health across the globe, and this year’s theme is eye health in the workplace.

Looking after our eyes is really important, and sight problems can often be treated, or the progression slowed, if they’re diagnosed early.

To hear from the Sensory Team about eye care, and to find out how they can support those diagnosed with sight loss, why not pay them a visit:

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Book your winter jabs without delay

If you’re invited to get your free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, please come forward to book as soon as possible to make sure you get maximum protection over the winter months.

Vulnerable adults are being offered the opportunity to get their annual vaccinations earlier than first expected, as the start date of this year’s winter vaccination programme has been brought forward from October.

The NHS has started to invite people in priority order of risk to book an appointment at a local vaccination service. Across Sussex there will be clinics held in GP practices, community venues, and in pop up venues. Once you’re invited, you can also now book your COVID booster jabs directly through the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119.

NHS Sussex clinical lead, Dr Selma Stafford, said: “We are urging over 65s and other vulnerable adults to look out for their invitation to book their winter vaccinations. We’re asking people to wait till they get invited. Their invitation will come from their GP, and it will be in the form of a letter or a text, that will include instructions on how to book their winter vaccinations.

“Strengthening your immunity is crucial to staying healthy this winter. The vaccinations provide vital protection to the most vulnerable and their families, helping to also keep people out of hospitals during the winter months. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

Help us shape the future of your local drug and alcohol services

East Sussex County Council would like to hear from local people to help shape the future of drug and alcohol services in the county.

The contract East Sussex County Council has with the main drug and alcohol treatment service provider STAR (also known as Change Grow Live) is up for renewal in 2025.

In preparation for this, the Council is asking residents across the county to share your thoughts on what you think this service should look like in the future by completing a short survey.

If you’ve had direct experience with the service, know someone who has, or would just like to get involved, then please do so as we want to hear from you.

Take part in the survey and share your views: eastsussex.gov.uk/newdrugandalcoholservice

 

Money help and advice if you’re feeling the pinch

Lots of us are feeling the impact of cost-of-living pressures right now, and we know for many of you this will be a worrying time. You might be particularly affected if you have a disability or long-term health condition, receive benefits, are a carer, or are unemployed.

If you’re struggling with money related issues, you’re not alone and there is support available. Visit the County Council’s Cost of living support pages for a range of advice and  resources in one place, like access to food, help getting benefits you’re entitled to, debt advice, or because money worries are impacting on your mental health and wellbeing.

It can feel overwhelming to know where to start, so in this article we’ll share some examples of the local and national support on offer, and where you can find more resources.

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Help on offer for people diagnosed with hearing or sight loss

Do you find yourself turning the TV up louder than other people, or have you been struggling to hear on the phone? Or perhaps you’ve noticed some changes to your sight recently? These could be some signs of hearing and sight loss, and you’re not alone. In East Sussex we have a growing population of people who have hearing or sight loss, and both are common.

While hearing and sight loss can affect people of any age, they become more common as we get older. Almost one in six people aged over 65 have sight loss which affects their day-to-day living, and the number of people with sight loss in East Sussex is expected to increase 26% by 2030. According to the charity East Sussex Hearing there are 116,000 hearing impaired people in the county and 40% of people over 50 have a hearing loss.

As more and more people experience hearing loss, sight loss, or both, it’s important you know where to turn to for support if you need it.

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