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Communities is a hyper local blog for community groups in and around Wirral. It will be updated by community groups, and managed overall by The Wirral News Group.

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Health

Local partnership project wins award

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on April 29, 2008 10:08 AM

Wirral Primary Care Trust (PCT) has been selected as a winner of the North West Health and Social Care Award, in the category of Innovative Health and Social Care Technology. The partnership project involving partner agencies Wirral Council, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Wirral Partnership Homes received the award for an innovative project which has helped more than 500 people in Wirral to stay safe.
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Continue reading "Local partnership project wins award"

Lottery funding helps to keep Flo and friends on their toes

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on April 17, 2008 5:20 PM

The first pensioners to benefit from the latest round of Big Lottery Funding to improve health in Wirral took their seats for a lesson in chair based exercise this week – to help protect them from falls, a major cause of hospital admission in the over 60s.
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Continue reading "Lottery funding helps to keep Flo and friends on their toes"

Wirral Primary Care Trust shortlisted for a Health and Social Care Award

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on March 31, 2008 12:59 PM

A local partnership project to help people live independently has been shortlisted for a Health and Social Care Award

Wirral Primary Care Trust (PCT), along with partner agencies Wirral Council, Merseyside Fire &Rescue Service and Wirral Partnership homes has been shortlisted for a health and social care award in recognition of its partnership work on an innovative project which has helped more than 500 people in Wirral to stay safe.

Continue reading "Wirral Primary Care Trust shortlisted for a Health and Social Care Award"

Time to Quit?

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on January 9, 2008 10:01 AM

Wirral Primary Care Trust’s Stop Smoking Service is gearing up for one of its busiest periods of the year – as thousands of smokers prepare to stub out for good.

Continue reading "Time to Quit?"

Birkenhead Fire Station hosts health day

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on November 21, 2007 2:31 PM

Members of Wirral’s black and minority ethnic (BME) communities are being invited into *Birkenhead Fire Station soon to find out about the many local services that can improve their health. The event is free to attend.

Wirral Stop Smoking Service – part of Wirral Primary Care Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Team - is organising the special one-day health fair on Wednesday, 12th December (from 11- 3) to raise awareness of the wide range of services available, including help with stopping smoking.

Although only a small percentage of the Wirral population are from BME groups, a recent equity audit showed that proportionally, numbers accessing the service are lower than expected. Wirral Primary Care Trust is keen that minority groups have the same opportunity as everyone else to benefit from free local NHS services.

Tobacco addiction of a slightly different kind is one of the issues smoking advisors like Pat Smye will be addressing on the day. Said Pat: “In some cultures chewing tobacco is regarded as a harmless pastime even though research has shown it to be just as harmful as smoking it. It's also very difficult to give up because - like cigarettes - chewing tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive.

“Research has also shown that compared with the general population there are higher rates of heart disease among Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and higher rates of diabetes amongst Asians and Afro-Caribbeans.

“We want to raise awareness about the range of services available so that members of the Irish, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and Asian communities and other minority ethnic groups can be more pro-active about their own health.�

Other services supporting the event in Birkenhead Fire Station include Lifestyle and Weight Management, Wirral Heartbeat, Healthy Schools, Irish Community Care and the Wirral Multi Cultural Organisation. Also attending will be the bi-lingual BME Fire Service advocates and other fire service personnel who will be offering advice on fire safety in the home. There will be displays and information plus refreshments.

Wirral Stop Smoking Service is working in partnership with the local Neighbourhood Renewal Programme to help people obtain the most appropriate healthcare at the right place and at the right time.

*Birkenhead Fire Station actively supports community health events like this one.

Note to News Editors: For more information please call Pat Smye

Simply the best - Wirral is officially the number one PCT in the country

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on November 21, 2007 10:02 AM

Wirral PCT has been named as the top Primary Care Trust in the country at a national awards ceremony.

The Trust was awarded Primary Care Organisation of the Year 2007 at the Health Service Journal’s annual awards-giving in London, which attracts entries from across the country.

Over 1,000 people including the Health Secretary Alan Johnson were at the Grosvenor House Hotel to hear that this year the honour went to a trust “that has blazed a trail in public and patient involvement.�

Today, the chief executive of Wirral PCT, Kathy Doran, paid tribute to her “fantastic staff� for helping the organisation to clinch the award. She said: “We have a tremendous workforce whose dedication and enthusiasm took us all the way to London and to the finals of this prestigious healthcare competition. They care passionately about what they do and this shines through at every level.�

One of the judges, Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald, managing director of BUPA Commissioning, said judging the PCT category had been “a privilege.�

She said it offered an insight into “what makes a great primary care trust and a great organisation.�

Kathy Doran said she was delighted that her organisation’s success had been attributed to the Trust being “outstanding in seeking the right type of innovation for the right kinds of improvement, with genuine clinical engagement in service redesign and leaders who reach out across organisational boundaries.�

And she added: “Crucial to our achievement has been our continued commitment to involve the patients themselves in our plans for health and health care services in Wirral. Patient involvement has always been central to our efforts to improve health and reduce health inequalities.

“The HSJ award judges recognised that although Wirral has its fair share of problems – the borough fall within the 20% of districts nationally with the lowest life expectancy - things are improving steadily.�

The Trust was also acknowledged for having secured more than £500,000 of savings over the past financial year - at a time when many PCTs were struggling to meet budgets.

Wirral PCT chair, Frances Street, added: “We also impressed the judges by continuing to invest in our staff, but we know that they are worth it. This award speaks volumes for their dedication, enthusiasm and commitment. It really does show local healthcare at its best.�

Central to the work of the PCT are several key priorities:
1. A focus on patient and public involvement to genuinely influence health, healthcare planning and commissioning
2. Reducing health inequalities
3. Treating more people in the community – at the right place and at the right time – and by doing so reduce ‘avoidable’ admissions to hospital

In July this year the PCT announced an investment of several million pounds in local health services to meet the government’s waiting time targets, a new Alcohol Treatment programme, measures to tackle childhood obesity and to clear IVF waiting lists and an expansion of the Intermediate Heart Centres by investing in more scanning equipment. It also agreed to fund more equipment in GP practices, such as blood testing machines and respiratory monitoring machines.

For information on the HSJ Awards visit www.hsj.co.uk
For more information about Wirral PCT visit www.wirralpct.nhs.uk

Sophie's Bar supports sexual health campaign

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on November 15, 2007 11:14 AM

Wirral Primary Care Trust’s Risk Taking Behaviour team has joined forces with a local bar to support the government’s sexual health information and advice campaign, Condom Essential Wear.

Sophie’s Bar on Argyle Street, Birkenhead, will be hosting the Condom Essential Wear campaign from December 1st - which is World AIDS day - until the New Year.

The campaign is aimed at 18-24year olds and includes posters to be displayed in the bar and information leaflets offering the facts on Sexually Transmitted Infections. Free condoms will also be available.

Latest statistics show that 18-24 year olds are most at risk of catching an STI. Figures show that Chlamydia is the most commonly treated but other infections are increasing.

For more information on the Wirral campaign please contact Deborah Williams, Health Promotion Strategy Manager at Wirral PCT, on 0151 651 0011

Bag a healthy bargain

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on October 23, 2007 3:25 PM

A scheme which supports people to eat healthily and helps the environment has celebrated its first birthday.

Wirral Bag a Bargain offers local communities access to cheaper locally grown fruit and vegetables.

When it was launched the initiative operated out of just three venues in the Tranmere and Rock Ferry areas, providing residents with access to quality fruit and vegetables and salad at a cost of just £2.50 a bag. Following a successful bid for Neighbourhood Renewal Funding the number of venues has grown to eight and there are plans to expand into other neighbourhoods and schools across Wirral.

The scheme sells around 190 bags per week and the aim is to double that. Since its launch more than 8,600 bags have been sold.

Bag a Bargain was set up as part of Together, the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders’ Healthy Neighbourhood plan, which is led by Wirral Primary Care Trust (PCT) in partnership with residents. Its success is largely due to the involvement of local volunteers who help run the scheme. Together recently appointed Green Apprentices (the organisation helping unemployed young people access training and employment) to support residents in delivering Bag a Bargain.

Bag a Bargain is also part of the Healthy Start Scheme, which means that mums or pregnant women can exchange their Healthy Start Vouchers for bags of fruit, vegetables or salad at any of the Bag a Bargain venues.

Bag a Bargain operates out of the following venues every Tuesday between
12 and 3 p.m.
• St Paul’s Church, Tranmere
• Tranmere Community Project
• Courtney Road Community House (Woodward Estate), Rock Ferry
• St. Peter’s Church, Rock Ferry
• Beechwood Advice Centre
• Clover Drive Community House, North Birkenhead
• St James Centre, Laird Street, Birkenhead

For more information please contact Debbie Masters on 644 4830.

Don't risk flu this winter

Posted by Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team on October 4, 2007 10:53 AM

Wirral health officials are urging people to take up their invitation to have the flu jab.

Every year more than a million people in England put their health at risk by not taking up the free vaccination.

People over the age of 65 automatically receive a free flu jab and last year in Wirral three-quarters of people in this age group took up their invitation to be immunised.

However, among other groups of people who are not elderly but are vulnerable to ‘flu because they have certain conditions, the take-up was a very low 40%.

Some people are more vulnerable to the effects of flu - they include people with diabetes, asthma, serious heart or respiratory conditions, kidney, or liver disease, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment, multiple sclerosis, or conditions of the nervous system, and those who have had a stroke.

The flu immunisation drive - and a similarly pro-active Keep Warm, Keep Well campaign - forms part of an annual integrated NHS and Social Care initiative supporting people to take better care of their health and wellbeing. Last year the campaign messages reached an estimated 34.1m people.

The key flu immunisation campaign messages this year include:

•Flu is much more serious than a cold. It can lead to hospitalisation or even death
•It is particularly dangerous to the over 65s and younger people in at-risk groups (e.g asthmatics, diabetics etc…)
•The flu jab does not give you flu
•The flu jab lasts for up to 12 months, so you need a new one each year
•Take steps to reduce the spread of flu – cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and wash hands regularly to avoid picking up/spreading viruses
•To find out more, talk to your GP, nurse or pharmacist or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
or www.dh.gov.uk

Wirral Writers

Posted by Wirral Writers on September 25, 2007 7:37 PM

Wirral Writers meet regularly to read manuscripts, hold workshops and competitons and welcome speakers. We give assistance and advice to all our members, whether experienced or trying out some first creative ideas.

Our membership includes poets, novelists and short story writers and those who are still waiting to be published.

Between us we have a wealth of experience and information on current markets and competitions.

Wirral Writers meet on the first and third Fridays of each month at Bebington Civic Hall

Continue reading "Wirral Writers"

Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team

Posted by Aaron on September 20, 2007 11:03 AM

Wirral PCT Health and Wellbeing Team
Contact: Sue Prince
Email: sue@princejournalism.co.uk
Tel: 07973 871 535


The Health and Wellbeing Team works with local people and organisations to improve health and reduce health inequalities through a range of projects and initiatives, from healthy cookery courses for diabetics to chair based exercise for older people.

The team is based in Wallasey and includes the award-winning stop smoking service (SUPPORT) and the Lifestyle and Weight Management Service.