Hampshire residents who work in or live on the borders of Berkshire can now choose to have a hearing test near to their workplace.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) has been awarded ‘Any Qualified Provider’ (AQP) status for its Adult Hearing Service. This means the Trust can assess and treat adults over 55 years old who live in Hampshire, including Southampton and Portsmouth, creating greater choice for some residents who may find it more convenient to receive hearing care in Berkshire. The Trust is delivering the service on behalf of the NHS in Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth.

Dr Jagjit Sethi, Head of Hearing and Balance Services at BHFT: “We are very proud of our service in Berkshire. Our most recent data shows that 94% of our patients rate our Hearing and Balance Services as good or excellent and 98% feel that we take enough steps to ensure they have privacy during their appointment*.

“We are now also able to offer high quality care and up-to-date hearing aid technology to people living in Hampshire. It could be that they commute to work in or around Bracknell or Slough, and prefer to have an appointment with an audiologist close to their place of work. We can offer appointments not just in the morning and daytime, but in the evening and at weekends too. We have tailored our service around the needs of our patients.”

The service is hoping to set up clinics in Hampshire later this year.

The change is a result of the government’s patient choice agenda. Under the ‘Any Qualified Provider’ (AQP) initiative, NHS, voluntary organisations and private providers were invited to bid to become an approved provider of adult age related hearing loss services. BHFT’s Hearing and Balance Services was able to demonstrate that it meets all the strict NHS standards required and has been awarded AQP status for the service.

Dr Sethi added: “We only use the most up-to-date, reliable hearing aid technology for our patients to ensure they have a good hearing experience. All our current hearing aids have 12 channels, which means they are very good at addressing individual hearing needs. These are smart digital hearing aids with wireless and Bluetooth technology: they actively learn and adjust to the person’s listening environment.

“All our staff are highly trained and experienced, and our close links to other health and social care professionals ensures we draw on their expertise to provide additional support patients may need.”

Any adult over 55 years old who would like to receive hearing care from BHFT can ask their GP to refer them.

Ends

1. This service is delivered by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation trust on behalf of the NHS in Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth.

2. *Data collected by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust between January – June 2012.

Romina Ejaz from Baylis Court School, Priya Khatwa and Harshita Bansal from Langley Grammar School, Charlotte Wallace from The Westgate School and Megan Fricker from Wexham School, all aged 15 years old, were selected due to their outstanding achievements on the Slough Cook Project. The Project ran in August 2012 and was tutored by Pip Collings, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s (BHFT) Public Health Dietitian for Slough, and Steve Scuffell from the Craft Guild of Chefs.

Steve was so impressed with the students he invited them to work with his team of chefs at the hotel.

“These students worked really hard during the Cook Project to produce food that would not look out of place in a top restaurant. I am delighted that we have been able to organise this event to give them more experience of working in a commercial kitchen,” he said.

During the Cook Project, the students learned how to handle knives, basic butcher and fishmonger skills and the importance of a healthy diet. The project culminated in a presentation dinner for the students’ friends and family, at which each student received a certificate from the Craft Guild of Chefs.

Explained Pip: “This is a great opportunity for the students to continue to learn how to cook healthy food. Not only will this help them to gain valuable experience in the work place, it also provides them with essential life skills they need to eat healthily.

“We have been running the Cook Project for many years in Slough, and we have trained more than 250 students. Parents have told us that the course makes a big difference to the students’ confidence and ability to cook.”

The Cook Project is one of the programmes BHFT’s Public Health Dietetic Service delivers in partnership to develop caring and compassionate communities. The service works with community groups and partners in east Berkshire to educate and empower people to eat healthily. Projects are aimed at preventing obesity, poor dental health and long-term conditions.

The Cook Project relies on sponsorship from local businesses in order to run each year. Slough businesses and organisations interested in sponsoring the 2013 Cook Project can contact Pip Collings on 01753 638673.

The Slough Macmillan One-to-One Support Service will help people get information about living with cancer, including treatments and side effects, benefits and grants, getting back to work and details of other local groups and services that can also offer support. This one-to-one support can be at home or over the telephone, depending on the person’s needs. It is available to anyone with a confirmed cancer diagnosis who is registered with a Slough GP.

Hilary Atkinson, Macmillan Complex Case Manager and Paul MacDonald, Macmillan Cancer Support Worker at BHFT are leading the new service. Hilary said: “When someone is told they have cancer, there is often a lot of information to take in and it can be difficult to know where to go for more information. We understand what people are going through and are able to offer support throughout their cancer journey. We work with the oncology nurses and teams at Wexham Park Hospital to help people understand their diagnosis and the treatment options available to them. We can offer practical advice on coping strategies and managing symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment, and link people to other services or sources of information that can help them to take an active role in their own care and maintain their independence.”

Helen Petley, Macmillan Development Manager added: “Today there are two million people in the UK living with and beyond a diagnosis of cancer. Cancer is the toughest fight that many of us can face so it is important that cancer patients are given the right support at the right time. The overall aim of the One-to-One Support project is to create a workforce to deliver the best care for people living with and beyond cancer.”

Macmillan Cancer Support is working with 16 partner organisations across the UK to pilot and evaluate the One-to-One Support project, as part of redesigning local care. It is only able to pay for services such as Slough Macmillan One-to-One Support Service because of the generosity of its supporters.

If you have questions about cancer, or to find out more about how you can help, please visit www.macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 00 00.

Anyone with a confirmed cancer diagnosis who is registered with a GP in Slough and would like support, can call the Slough Macmillan One-to-One Support Service on 01753 635682.

Young people leaving care in Maidenhead have taken part in a course to learn how to prepare and cook a healthy and well balanced diet, courtesy of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust dietitians.

The five-week course, which was piloted at Newlands Girls School in Maidenhead with eight 16-20 year-olds who are mostly still in full time education, aims to show them it’s possible to eat healthily on a budget, without having a huge amount of fresh ingredients available.

Dietitian Jacqui Copp said: “The idea behind the course is that many young people will open their store cupboard and say, ‘Oh, what’s for tea?’ because they won’t have very much fresh food available. But we want to show them that you don’t have to be Jamie Oliver or Heston Blumenthal to prepare nutritious, well balanced food.”

The course was facilitated by specialist nurse Jill Evans, dietitian Carol Cornish and Jacqui.

For example, on the first session in November, the students made spaghetti bolognaise and apple crumble and everything came from a packet or tin, except the mince and onions. On the course, the youngster made one serving to eat on the evening and took home one serving to eat later. In the following sessions they made chicken curry, pork and noodle bake, Spanish omelette and baked apples and spicy chicken wraps and mince pies!

Clinton Meldrum (above), who took part in the course said he’d made chicken and spaghetti bolognaise since taking part. “Before, I didn’t trust myself with chicken – I’d given myself food poisoning. Now I’m happy to cook it – because I’ve been taught how to cook it properly.”

Berkshire residents can choose to have a hearing test near to their workplace from today (Wednesday January 2).

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) has been awarded ‘Any Qualified Provider’ (AQP) status for its adult age related hearing loss service. This means the Trust can assess and treat adults over 55 years old who live in both the east and west of Berkshire, creating greater choice for some residents who may find it more convenient to receive hearing care in closer to their workplace. Previously, the Trust was only able to accept referrals from people registered with a GP in the east of Berkshire.

Said Dr Jagjit Sethi, Head of Hearing and Balance Services at BHFT: “We are very proud of our service in the east of Berkshire. Our most recent data shows that 94% of our patients rate our service as good or excellent and 98% felt that we took enough steps to ensure they had privacy during their appointment*.

“In addition to continuing our service in the east of Berkshire, we are now also able to offer high quality care and up-to-date hearing aid technology to people living in the west of the county too. It could be that they commute to work in Bracknell, Slough, Windsor, or Maidenhead, and prefer to have an appointment with an audiologist close to their place of work. We can offer appointments not just in the morning and daytime, but in the evening and at weekends too. We have tailored our service around the needs of our patients.”

The service is hoping to set up clinics in Reading, Wokingham and Newbury later this year.

The change is a result of the government’s patient choice agenda. Under the ‘Any Qualified Provider’ (AQP) initiative, NHS, third sector and private providers were invited to bid to become an approved provider of adult age related hearing loss services. BHFT’s Hearing and Balance Services was able to demonstrate that it meets all the strict NHS standards required and has been awarded AQP status for the service.

Added Dr Sethi: “We only use the most up-to-date, reliable hearing aid technology for our patients to ensure they have a good hearing experience. All our current hearing aids have 12 channels, which means they are very good at addressing individual hearing needs. These are smart digital hearing aids with wireless and Bluetooth technology: they actively learn and adjust to the person’s listening environment.

“All our staff are highly-trained and experienced, and we have close links to other health and social care professionals ensures we draw on their expertise to provide additional support patients may need.”

Any adult over 55 years old who would like to receive hearing care from BHFT can ask their GP to refer them.

*Data collected by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust between January – June 2012.

Festive tips from the dietitians are: roast your potatoes in vegetable oil rather than duck fat, remove the skin from your turkey and serve your Christmas pudding with low-fat custard or crème fraiche. Think about swapping your pint of beer (180kcals) for a glass (125mls) of wine (85kcals) and alternate the alcoholic drinks with either a soft drink or water.

Dietitians offer people advice about nutrition and food so they can make sensible food choices that can help their condition and improve their health.

Please contact your GP initially if you would like to see a dietitian for any of the following: weight management, diabetes, raised cholesterol, food intolerances and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. Specialist help is also available for more complex conditions.

The BHFT dietetics team wishes all Berkshire readers a happy festive season and good health for years to come.

The NHS and Diabetes UK are urging people with diabetes to get their free flu jab this winter.

So far this winter, just 33 per cent* of people with diabetes registered with a GP practice in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have had their free flu jab. This is in comparison to last winter, when 70 per cent of people with the condition registered with GPs across the region had their jab between October and February.**

People with diabetes are considered ‘at risk’ when it comes to flu as having this long-term health condition can make it harder to cope with the flu virus and can lead to serious complications. Catching flu can also cause blood glucose levels to rise and lead to uncontrolled diabetes.

All people with diabetes are encouraged to have their flu jab and should contact their GP to arrange an appointment to get flu safe.

Cathy Beresford, Diabetes Specialist Nurse at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If you have diabetes you need to look after your health very carefully, whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes and get flu you run the risk of it developing into a serious illness such as pneumonia. The flu jab is completely safe and cannot give you flu. If you haven’t got round to having your flu jab yet, now is the best time to get it done, before flu starts to spread. This year we are encouraging everyone with diabetes to get a jab and get flu safe.”

Flu is a highly contagious infection that anyone can catch and it can be a really serious illness for some. Those at greater risk from flu include people aged 65 or over, pregnant women, and those with long term health conditions such as diabetes, severe asthma, chest or heart complaints, liver or kidney disease and neurological conditions.

The NHS in England is running a campaign called Flu Safe to remind people to get a flu jab. Flu Safe aims to highlight the importance of having a flu jab and carries facts about flu to dispel common misconceptions.

Cathy Moulton, Diabetes UK Clinical Advisor, said: ‘People with diabetes are a high-risk group when it comes to getting flu, so it is crucial that they are vaccinated as soon as possible this winter.

“Having flu can really upset diabetes control and cause blood glucose levels to fluctuate. This can leave people with diabetes open to many health problems, including complications of flu such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

“If you haven’t already been invited for a free flu jab, contact your GP surgery to find out when they are holding clinics and make sure you look after yourself during the cold weather”.

The flu vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even people who had a jab last winter will need another one this year to stay flu safe.

Good hand hygiene is the best way to stop the spread of germs. The NHS is encouraging people to use the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique – catch coughs and sneezes with a tissues, dispose of the tissues after one use and clean your hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.

For more information on the flu jab, speak to your GP or local pharmacist, or visit www.nhs.uk/flu

ENDS

1. *In South Central, on average, 33 per cent of those with diabetes under 65 years have had their flu jab between 1 September and 4 November 2012 according to provisional figures of those registered with GP practices in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight compiled by NHS South of England (Central).

2. **In South Central 70.34 per cent of those with diabetes under 65 years old took the opportunity to have a flu jab in 2011/12. These statistics have been compiled from the results of 459 GP practices across the South Central region. This excludes practices on the Isle of Wight who last year piloted a scheme to offer the flu vaccine within pharmacies.

Those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are urged to get the jab because they are more at risk of developing serious complications from flu. COPD is the name for a group of conditions that include severe asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema which prematurely age the lungs. It is a progressive and irreversible lung disease which kills around 30,000 people a year in the UK.

Every year the flu jab is offered to people with long term conditions to protect them from the most prevalent strains of flu circulating during the winter. Last year just 53 per cent of those living with a respiratory disease in the region* had a flu jab.**

Katy Beckford, Community Respiratory Team Leader at BHFT (pictured) said: “If you have a long term condition, catching flu is the last thing you need. It can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia. The jab is free at your local GP surgery and I would urge you to make an appointment today and protect yourself.”

Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive, British Lung Foundation said: “Getting vaccinated is particularly important for people living with lung conditions such as COPD, as they are at greater risk of severe illness and hospitalisation if they do catch the flu.

“I would urge anyone who is living with a lung condition to make sure they are prepared for the winter months by booking an appointment early and getting a jab. For more advice you can call the British Lung Foundation helpline on 03000 030 555.”

Those most at risk from flu this winter include pregnant women; people with long term conditions such as COPD; carers and people over 65 years old.

Good hand hygiene is the best way to stop the spread of germs. Use the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique – catch coughs and sneezes with a tissues, dispose of the tissues after one use and clean your hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.

For more information on the flu jab, speak to your GP or local pharmacist, or visit www.nhs.uk/flu

*the region includes Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

**In South Central, on average 53.11 per cent of those with respiratory disease under 65 years old took the opportunity to have a flu jab in 2011/12. These statistics have been compiled from the results of 459 GP practices across the South Central region. This excludes practices on the Isle of Wight who last year piloted a scheme to offer the flu vaccine within pharmacies.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s community respiratory team is offering free lung age tests at Asda in Lower Earley on 14th November.

The team is marking World COPD Day with a stand at the superstore, in order to raise awareness of the importance of picking up the respiratory condition early. The team will be joined by Solutions4health, an NHS-commissioned Stop Smoking Service who will be able to provide advice on how to quit smoking.

The theme this year is “It’s not too late” and the campaign aims to emphasise the actions people can take to improve their respiratory health, at any stage before or after a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diagnosis.

For example, if you’re short of breath, it’s not too late to take a simple test for COPD. IF you’ve been diagnosed with COPD, it’s not too late to live an active life.

Katy Beckford, Community Respiratory Team Leader said: “The earlier we pick up the signs of respiratory disease, the easier it is to manage it. This simple test can help us identify if we need to refer you to your GP for more advice on what your symptoms may mean and how to control them.

“Through careful management of COPD and lifestyle changes such as taking gentle exercise and quitting smoking, patients can prevent COPD from developing or getting worse.”

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that blocks the airways, making breathing difficult. Symptoms include coughing, bringing up phlegm or mucus and getting short of breath.

NHS Choices estimates that 2m people in the UK have the condition without being aware of it.

The test involves taking in as deep a breath as possible to fill your lungs with air and breathing out as hard and fast as you can for at least six seconds into a machine. It’s painless and the whole consultation usually takes less than ten minutes, including a chat about what the test is showing.


If you smoke, cough a lot, and/or are prone to chest infections, why not join the team in Asda, Chalfont Way, Earley, Reading for more information and to take the test?

The Community Respiratory Team provides specialist respiratory care, to the people of Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire, including assessment, treatment, and education programmes. Find out more about the service here or call 01189 605391. More information on World COPD Day here.

The Trust's Executive Directors set an example to all by getting their flu jabs last week.

Pictured above, clockwise from left: Occupational Health Nurse Trish Tseng; Dr Justin Wilson, Medical Director; Bev Searle, Interim Director of Corporate Affairs; Grant Macdonald, Chief Operating Officer; Lesely McCallister, Occupational Health Nurse; Director of Nursing, Helen Mackenzie and Chief Exective, Julian Emms.

Flu is a highly contagious infection that anyone can catch, and it can be a really serious illness for some. Those at greater risk from flu include people aged 65 or over, pregnant women, and those with long term health conditions such as severe asthma, chest or heart complaints, liver or kidney disease and neurological conditions and diabetes.

From October 2012, those people at most risk will be encouraged to get a free flu jab from their GP.

Helen Mackenzie, Director of Nursing at the Trust said: “Flu is not just a cold – it can be a really serious illness for some people and it doesn’t just affect older people. If you’re pregnant, have lowered immunity or a long term health condition such as severe asthma, a chest or heart complaint, or diabetes then you should also get a free flu jab from your GP and get flu safe. The flu jab is completely safe, and it cannot give you flu.”

She added: “Flu can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and can make existing conditions much worse. Flu can knock you off your feet and make it hard to look after children or go to work. In the most serious cases, seasonal flu might land you in hospital - it can even be a killer.

“The flu vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had a jab last winter you need another one this year to stay flu safe. The jab doesn’t contain the ‘live’ virus so it cannot give you the flu.

“The Trust is encouraging all its staff to have a flu jab because anyone can carry and pass the virus on to others without having any symptoms. As health professionals it is important we protect ourselves, our patients, our colleagues and families – and we hope the public will do the same.”

The best time to be vaccinated is at the start of the flu season from October to early November, so it’s good to get in early and get flu safe in time for the winter. Members of the public can contact their GP to arrange a convenient appointment and get their jab. It’s quick, safe and free for those most at risk from the virus.

For more information, speak to your GP or local pharmacist, or visit www.nhs.uk/flu

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Hearing and Balance Services are defying a national trend that is seeing a reduction in services as a result of budget cuts over the past 18 months.

Earlier this week, Action on Hearing Loss reported that over 40% of hearing services have had to increase their waiting times, reduce the number of follow up appointments, only offer one hearing aid even though two may be clinically suitable or reduce the number of specialist staff they employ to assess and treat complex cases*.

“Although the report from Action on Hearing Loss is concerning, local people should not be worried,” said Dr Jagjit Sethi, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Head of Hearing and Balance Services in Berkshire. “We are at the forefront of driving quality forward nationally and locally. We have an excellent service and are very proud that our patients do not need to wait more than two weeks for an appointment. They also benefit from a comprehensive package of hearing and balance care that includes timely follow –up appointments when they need them.”

She added: “Our staff are highly-qualified with years of experience treating people of all ages from new born babies through to the older adults. This enables us to provide a full range of specialist services to not only support those with hearing problems but also with more complex conditions such as tinnitus and balance disorders.”

*‘Cut Off’, Action on Hearing Loss. Author: Rachel Calton. Published 23 October 2012.

Bracknell teachers and teaching assistants joined Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) school nurses for training in the use of Epipens at the Pines Primary Professional Centre in October.

The 90-minute training, delivered for the first time at the centre, was attended by 50 staff from schools all over Bracknell. It included sessions on the use of auto injectors for allergies, as well as basic epilepsy and basic asthma awareness training. Previously the training was provided during lunch times in school staff rooms.

Caroline Farrell, Community Staff Nurse said: “The School Nursing Service aims to deliver quality medical needs training for school staff across Bracknell Forest. Having staff attend The Primary Professional Centre for their medical needs training means that staff have uninterrupted, protected learning time in a more conducive learning environment. Feedback from our first session at The Primary Professional Centre has been extremely positive.”

BHTF is now offering six training courses in the academic year to schools in Bracknell and more information can be found by contacting the school nursing team on 01344 354290

Pic shows Caroline Farrell (Community Staff Nurse) (left) and Jenny Gordon School Nurse Specialist Practitioner with Whitegrove Primary School staff: (front row seated) Gill Dorrington and Alexandra Yates, back row Stuart Woods and Becky Höke

The news comes as an outbreak continues across the country. The total number of cases so far this year is 4,791 - four times higher than the annual total number of cases reported in 2011 (1,118) and in 2008 (908), according to figures published today

Newborn babies are not usually vaccinated until between two and four months. Offering pregnant women the vaccination boosts the short term immunity passed on by women to their babies while they are still in the womb.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the Health Protection Agency (HPA), said: "We have been very concerned about the continuing increase in whooping cough cases and related deaths. We welcome the urgent measure from the Department of Health to minimise the harm from whooping cough, particularly in young infants, and we encourage all pregnant women to ensure they receive the vaccination to give their baby the best protection against whooping cough.

"It’s also important we continue to remind all parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough to continue their protection through childhood. Parents should also be alert to the signs and symptoms – which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic "whoop" sound in young children but as a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from older siblings or adults who have the infection."

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, affects all ages. Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough as babies do not complete vaccination until they are around four months old. In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness but it does not usually lead to serious complications. Whooping cough is a highly infectious bacterial disease which spreads when a person with the infection coughs and sheds the bacteria which is then inhaled by another person.

A new team of family nurses has been formed to deliver the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) Programme across the West of Berkshire to help both teenage first time parents and their children in the crucial early years of family life.

The Family Nurse Partnership is based on a successful US model which has been proven to result in better health and social outcomes for the mother and child. It has been developed over a period of 30 years, has been tested in almost 50 sites in England over the last three years and is backed by the Department of Health

The service, which is delivered by a team of five nurses and a supervisor, will be offered to young mums under 19 years from the 16th week of pregnancy, until the child’s second birthday.

Jill Tudgay, family nurse partnership supervisor, said: “The programme has been shown to make a significant difference to the lives of young children and their families. It is recognised as the most effective home visiting programme. The outcomes and impact are not only seen in the early years of a child’s life but also evident through to the child’s teenage years and beyond.”

The model, which is a licensed programme developed by in the US by Professor David Olds, has led to improvements in women’s antenatal health, in child development and school readiness and increased paternal involvement.

It is one of only two programmes proven to reduce child maltreatment, according to a report in the medical journal the Lancet.

The family nurses are trained to develop a therapeutic relationship with the mother and child in the family home and to help them to identify their strengths in order to make better life choices.

An evaluation of ten English pilot sites in 2010 found there were early signs that clients now have aspirations for the future, they are reducing smoking during pregnancy, breast feeding initiation was higher than national rate for the same age and mothers had improved self-esteem.

Referrals to the service should be through the patient’s midwife.

Picture shows (left to right top row): Steph Hardy, Fiona Joy, Eillie Young (bottom row): Carrie Grainger, Jill Tudgay and Anna Hurst

The COPD service, which operates in east Berkshire, has undertaken a year-long telehealth study as part of a new admission avoidance initiative, which was offered in addition to an existing early supported discharge service.

The results of the study show that on average, 25 admissions to hospital are avoided every month, saving approximately 1800 bed days a year and equating to a financial saving of £900,000 in 12 months¹. The study also reported improved self-management among COPD patients who use the telehealth system.

“Telehealth is helping to reduce the number of hospital admissions for our patients as it enables early reporting of symptoms which show a deterioration in their condition,” explained Joanne King, COPD advanced nurse practitioner. “We are also finding that our patients are becoming better educated about their condition because they have a regular reminder of the warning symptoms. As a result, they are more confident at self-managing their condition and are providing us with the right information much more quickly when we do call them.”

Sixty five patients enrolled on the study. The telehealth system calls the patients twice a week and asks them five questions set by the service about their respiratory symptoms. The patients then use the telephone keypad to answer questions and the information is sent back to the team at their base in King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor. On average five of the 65 calls result in an alert, of which only one or two require a home visit by a member of the team.

The study records how many alerts are triggered, the number of contacts per patient following the alerts, the treatment that was initiated and the consequence of the episode i.e. admission avoided or admission to hospital. Prior to the introduction of the telehealth initiative in September 2011, 14 admissions were avoided on average each month. In the past 12 months the service has prevented about 300 admissions to hospital, nearly double the total number of admissions avoided between October 2010 and September 2011.

Added Pam Marriner, respiratory physiotherapist: “The telehealth system compliments the admission avoidance service. It has been well-received by patients and has led to increased reporting and more effective use of specialist resources. The cost savings are significant when you consider the annual cost for the team is approximately £130,000.”

The COPD is currently seeking funding to continue and expand the use of telehealth.

Ends

Notes to editor

1. ¹ based on the mean average hospital length of stay of six days and the mean average cost of an admission for a COPD patient not requiring NIV or intubation of £3000.


2. Figures are based on analysis by the COPD service. An independent review will be conducted by University of Buckingham, with result expected later this year.


3. The Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) pilot has been funded by NHS South of England Strategic Health Authority.

Mo Farah’s brilliant gold success in the Olympics 10,000 metres is partly due to the meticulous planning of his training regime, which has helped keep him injury free, says Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust physiotherapist Phil Coleman.

Phil, himself a club runner for 30 years, says any training regime needs to be carefully designed over a period of time so the body is able adjust gradually.

According to Phil a starting programme for running should include two or three 20-30 minute walking and easy running sessions a week for a period of 4-6 weeks. This could mean alternating one minute of running with one minute of walking.

This should be followed by a week of relative rest of about a week before building up again, to allow the body to recover. This technique, known as periodisation, means training is done in progressive phases or periods.

He says: “To get running fit takes time for the body to adapt. The body gets stronger by being stressed, but then allowing time for recovery to take place. I call this the ‘lag effect’ – there is a delay in the body getting stronger. If this is not allowed to happen, the body will break down and injury will be the result. “

Other factors that may reduce the risk of injury are running-specific warm-ups and drills and a reduction in body weight – all good distance runners have low body masses. Any budding marathon runners should build up gradually – starting with a 5k, a 10k and then a half marathon.

Phil also recommends new runners should go through a programme of tests to identify any weak areas – contact your local running shop, club or specialised magazine or website for details.

But he warns against expecting your shoes to take the strain. The running shoe as we know it, well cushioned and supportive, has been around for about 35 years but there has not been a decline in injuries. Phil says: “Shoes should be comfortable but appropriate training is probably more important than your footwear.”

More tips and advice on injury-free running are available on our blog pages.

Patients and staff enjoyed an Olympic-style games launch in the garden at Donnington Ward in West Berkshire Community Hospital on Thursday 26 July.

Torch bearer, 18-year-old Connor Stockwell launched the ceremony when he entered the arena to the tune of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man bearing a gold torch of silk flowers. Hospital chef Francis de la Cruz baked a cake of marathon proportions for the event and 15-year-old soloist Lauren Goodrick-Meech provided the entertainment.

The games were organised by Activities Therapist Christine Stockwell and will take place over the next two weeks. They will include an equestrian event with nurses on hobby horses, archery using a children’s board, boules and table tennis. There will be a triathlon with shooting from foam guns, and a pentathlon involving ducks in a paddling pool.

A closing ceremony at the end of the event will be accompanied by a strawberries and cream tea provided by the hospital’s League of Friends.

Christine said: “Our patients and staff thoroughly enjoyed today’s event. Activities such as these make a huge difference to our patients and we try to mark all the big occasions with some kind of event. Most recently, we celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee which was fantastic.”

Christine supports patients at the hospital with a variety of group and one to one activities such as gardening, arts, crafts and quizzes.

Mayor of Wokingham Borough, Councillor Bob Wyatt and Woodley Deputy Mayor, Councillor Kay Gilder joined BHFT's chairman John Hedger, health visitors, parents and Children's Centre staff at Ambleside Centre when they celebrated the opening of Berkshire Healthcare’s drop-in health visiting clinic. The event took place on 2 August at 10.30am.

The drop-in facility moved to a modern, spacious facility at the central Woodley premises so that health visiting staff can work more closely with local authority family teams based at the centre. The move will mean more support and improved outcomes for local families.

Parents, carers and 75 babies attended the inaugural session of the facility and many were delighted with the new facilities, which include a dedicated play area for visitors and their children to stop and chat.

Tina Sanger, Health Lead for Children and Families, said: “We wanted to honour our long association with Coronation Hall where we have offered advice and help to Woodley families for many years, but also to mark the opportunities that closer working with family workers will mean to local parents and children. The new clinic means we will be able to offer all manner of provision to local parents and children.”

The service has been delivered by health visitors, staff nurses and nursery nurses from Coronation Hall by the Wokingham North Health Visiting team for nearly 50 years. They have joined the Children’s Centre team at the Ambleside Centre, who have supported families in need with children from 0-5 through the Sure Start programme since 2006.

Mums, dads and carers of 0-5 year-olds can come to the clinic without an appointment for advice on health and behaviour, infant feeding, nutrition and sleeping, as well as growth and developmental assessments. It takes place once a week on Thursdays from 9.00 am till 11.45 am.

Archana Kakar, Children’s Centre Leader at the Ambleside Centre said: “We are very fortunate and proud that at the Ambleside Centre, we already work and support the families together with our local health visitors. We are very pleased to support the plan to move the 'Well baby clinic' to the centre as this will reinforce the importance of the relationship between our children’s centre staff and health visitors.”

Hot weather may impact on people’s diabetes, explained Cathy Beresford, diabetes specialist nurse: “The main issue with hot weather and diabetes is the potential for unstable blood glucose levels, which could cause hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels) or hypoglycaemia (when the blood sugar level is too low). Either of these two conditions have the potential to be serious, even leading to hospital admission. It is important that people keep hydrated, take their medication as prescribed, attend their diabetes check-ups and discuss any concerns with their healthcare team."

The focus group discussed the importance of drinking plenty of fluids in hot weather, checking blood glucose levels regularly if taking insulin and getting rest when you need it.

When travelling abroad, Molly Krag from Maidenhead highlighted the need for people on insulin to be prepared. “Take sufficient test strips, a full list of your prescriptions, plenty of medication and a letter from your nurse or GP to say why you are carrying syringes and needles,” she said.

Although the summer has been a washout to-date, weather forecasters predict that the jet stream will move in the coming weeks, bringing warm summer weather conditions to the UK. People with diabetes need to be more careful, advised Roy Webb from Bracknell: “I’m more likely to get a hypo when I’m working in the garden and then I have to have something to eat and sit down."

However, the warmer weather can also benefit people with diabetes, as Jaimal Johal, from Maidenhead, pointed out: “In summer time when days are longer, one can spend more time outdoors being active which can help to keep the blood sugar levels normal."

Added Cathy: “Physical activity can really help people with diabetes to lower their blood glucose levels, keep their blood pressure and cholesterol down and lose weight. It doesn’t have to mean going to the gym or running marathons; just getting out for a walk or doing the gardening can help people to reduce their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of long-term complications.”

For more information on diabetes and hot weather, talk to your GP or practice nurse.

The Diabetes Patients’ Focus group meet up quarterly to discuss relevant topics and participate in diabetes services. Member Jaime Hayward from Bracknell is also setting up a local support group for people with type 1 diabetes. For more information contact Cathy Beresford, Diabetes Specialist Nurse on 01753 636168 or catherine.beresford[at]berkshire.nhs.uk.

Gail Stringer, Stop Smoking Service Co-ordinator said: “What better time is there for those considering stopping smoking with the Olympics coming to London? Many people watching the Games may be encouraged to take up a sport themselves and if you’re a smoker, quitting is easier if you have a goal to aim for such as learning to play a sport. Doing physical activity will also take your mind off the desire for a cigarette – and doing intense exercise releases a chemical in the body similar to those from nicotine, satisfying cravings.

“Stopping smoking has some immediate positive effects on a person’s health: within 72 hours breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase, and after two weeks your circulation improves helping oxygen to get around the body. In the long-term, your risk of heart attack falls by half after five years.”

Up until a year ago, Chris Beaumont, 37, from Thatcham, smoked 30 cigarettes a day and had not played any sport since school. After 20 years of being a smoker, he became smokefree with the help of BHFT’s Stop Smoking service.

“I decided to stop smoking because I wanted to improve my health and be able to run around and play football with my children,” explained Chris. “I’m no athlete but since giving up my fitness levels have improved significantly. I now play squash three times a week and football once a week and I get frustrated if I don’t exercise that week. I enjoy being able to take part in activities with my children.

“The stop smoking service at West Berkshire Community Hospital was fantastic, so much so that my older brother went there three months after me and is still smokefree too!”

There are many ways to access the Stop Smoking Service, including a drop-in clinic at the POD’s in Broad St Mall, Reading and clinics in the West Berkshire Community Hospital. Many GP surgeries and pharmacies also have trained advisors across the district providing support and advice and Nicotine Replacement Therapy through a voucher scheme becoming smokefree has never been easier.

For more information on quitting please contact on 0118 952 5400.

A financial donation from a Newbury man will enable Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s cardiac rehabilitation service to invest in new exercise equipment to improve outcomes for patients who have suffered from heart disease.

Nigel Rowe presented the team with a cheque for £2117 on Wednesday 27 June which he raised when he took part in the Bayer 10k run this May.
The team plans to spend the money on an exercise bike, a pulse oximeter which measures oxygen saturation, resistance bands for stretching, hand weights and a pedal exerciser which allows someone to exercise from a chair.

Following a heart attack last August while jogging, Nigel, aged 49, was given the confidence to take part in his favourite sport again after taking part in rehabilitation sessions offered by the service. He completed the run in 70 minutes – 2 minutes faster than his time last May.

Nigel said: “I’m really grateful for the support from the team. It was a great feeling when I crossed the line.”

David Nicholls Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Team Leader said: “The team really appreciates Nigel’s efforts in fundraising and we will put the money raised into new equipment. We wish Nigel all the best for the future.”

BHFT’s community cardiac rehabilitation team, which consists of six specialist nurses and two exercise instructors, supports people who are discharged from an acute hospital when they return home by offering a home visiting service.

This is followed by a six-week programme of aerobic exercises, education and relaxation. The service provides a choice of many different venues to exercise in the community.

Nigel took part in a programme at Northcroft Leisure centre in Newbury but there are also sessions at the Youth and community centre in Tilehurst, Loddon Valley leisure centre in Lower Earley and the team can facilitate classes at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

If you would like to know more information about community cardiac rehabilitation, please call 0118 9605393 or email cardiac.rehab1@nhs.net. If you would like to make a donation for cardiac rehabilitation equipment, please make cheques payable to Berkshire Healthcare Charitable Funds and write KX095 on the reverse of the cheque.

A course for lung disease patients in the West has been highly praised by participants.

The six-week course, which is run by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s COPD team, has helped Brian Burrows and Bruce Kirkaldy with exercises to help them cope with breathlessness, together with advice and help on how to manage their condition.

The course, which is run by Respiratory Team Lead Katy Beckford, and physiotherapists Cath Darby and Jenny Hunt, is designed for people with a diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – an umbrella term for emphysema, bronchitis or other respiratory condition.

Cath Darby, Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist, said: “The course is based on two two-hourly sessions a week. The first hour of each session is dedicated to exercises to help cope with breathlessness, while the second is devoted to understanding how to live with the condition.”

Bruce Kirkaldy lost a lung following cancer some years ago. Now 55 years old, and the youngest on the course, he said it was good to see how all the participants benefitted from the moral support they were all able to offer each other.

He added: “We were encouraged to push ourselves. It’s easy to jump in a car rather than walking up the hill but even if you find yourself getting out of breath, the more you do it, the more you get out of it. It was very worthwhile – it had a definite impact on my quality of life.”

Brian Burrows, 76 years old, of Wokingham, has suffered from emphysema for 18 years which has progressively got worse. He joined the course in January when he started getting breathless on his morning walk for the paper.

Brian said: “I felt privileged to be able to take part. There were lots of useful pieces of advice and information, such as how to use the inhaler properly and how to conserve energy if you have a bad attack of breathlessness.

“The exercises were beneficial and it was up to the individual to adopt a mixture of gentle and energetic activities under the watchful eyes of Cath and her colleagues."

"We were given sheets to record the extent of each activity in terms of time taken and/or actions completed in each session. As a result we, and the course leaders, were able to monitor improvement in fitness levels during the course - in itself motivation to do better.”

The course took place at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in winter and further courses are planned in Reading and Wokingham for later this year and early next year. Anyone interested in taking part should contact their GP in the first instance.

June 27 is World Spirometry Day, which aims to raise awareness of lung health and disease, to encourage people to get their lungs tested and to motivate medical professionals to test as many people as possible worldwide.

More people with diabetes are admitted to hospital with foot ulcers than with any other complication according to Diabetes UK, and a recent report by the National Audit Office found that if people were referred to specialist foot teams earlier, the NHS could save at least £34 million a year by decreasing the number of major amputations.

“People with diabetes can experience loss of sensation and poor blood supply to their feet as a result of inadequately controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” explained Angela Walker, Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist at BHFT. “If a person with diabetes has poor sensation, they may not feel any damage to the skin of their feet and wounds can get infected or an ulcer can develop. These wounds take much longer to heal than usual and if left untreated can lead to amputation.

“It is very important people with diabetes have an annual diabetic foot check with their GP or nurse, who can refer them to a diabetes specialist podiatrist if they have complications. A simple daily routine can help reduce the risk of damage to the feet. If you have diabetes, wash and dry your feet thoroughly, file any hard skin with a fine foot file and moisturise the feet but avoid getting cream between the toes. Inspect all areas of your feet daily and wear good fitting shoes. New foot wounds should be reported urgently to your GP or podiatrist.”

In addition to its diabetes service, BHFT is taking part in a diabetic foot clinic pilot with Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which gives people access to a range of specialists at a joint clinic.

Said Dr Hema Heffernan, Consultant diabetic foot specialist: “The diabetic foot clinic provides people with a ‘one-stop shop’ for treating their foot problems. It allows people to see a specialist diabetes podiatrist, consultant diabetologist, vascular surgeon and orthotist - who makes specialised insoles and footwear - at one clinic. They pool their expertise to create a care plan with the patient, and have close links with a microbiologist who specialises in diabetic foot wounds, a radiologist who can perform angioplasty to open up blood vessels and the orthopaedic team, who deal with bone abnormalities. All patients at the clinic also have access to the diabetes specialist nurses who can help them to self-manage their blood sugar levels.

“This ‘one-stop shop’ approach makes treatment very effective and easier and quicker to access. We have seen some excellent outcomes for patients. For example, one person who came to the clinic had a foot ulcer on and off for two years. We managed to treat and heal the ulcer within two months and it has stayed healed for seven months. We now hope to secure funding to run the clinic on a permanent basis. ”

The diabetic foot clinic pilot is held at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Outpatients department in Bracknell, Wexham Park Hospital in Slough and at BHFT's Diabetes Centre at King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor.

For more information about the diabetes service and education courses to help people self-manage their diabetes visit the diabetes pages.

More information about the signs and symptoms of diabetic foot problems and foot care advice can be found at http://www.diabetes.org.uk/ and http://www.nhs.uk/.

For more information on diabetes education courses in Berkshire visit the diabetes pages or call 0118 918 5874 if you live in Wokingham, Reading and Newbury, or 01753 636370 if you live in Bracknell, Ascot, Windsor, Maidenhead or Slough.

For more information about Diabetes Wellbeing Groups in the West of Berkshire visit http://www.talkingtherapies.berkshire.nhs.uk/, email talkingtherapies[at]berkshire.nhs.uk or call 0118 976 9121.

A Newbury man has beat his previous time in the Bayer 10K run this Sunday 13 May, raising over £2,000 for Berkshire Healthcare’s (BHFT) community cardiac rehabilitation service after it helped him get back to normal following a heart attack.

Nigel Rowe, 49, who suffered a heart attack last August Bank Holiday while jogging, was given the confidence to take part in the race after taking part in rehabilitation sessions offered by the community cardiac team.

Nigel completed the course in 70 minutes – 2 minutes faster than his time last May.

He took part in the race with his sons, Adam and Stephen and said: “It was a fantastic feeling when I crossed the finishing line. I really enjoyed the event, it was a real personal milestone for me, and made very special by all of the excellent support I have received from everyone who generously sponsored me.

"With this together with the £500 donation from my employer, Arqiva, I will have raised just over £2,000 for new equipment for the Berkshire Cardiac Rehab team which I hope will really make a difference for them.”

BHFT’s community cardiac rehabilitation team, which consists of six specialist nurses and two exercise instructors, supports people who are discharged from an acute hospital when they return home by offering a home visiting service.

This is followed by a six-week programme of aerobic exercises, education and relaxation. The service provides a choice of many different venues to exercise in the community.

Nigel took part in a programme at Northcroft Leisure centre in Newbury but there are also sessions at the Youth and community centre in Tilehurst, Loddon Valley leisure centre in Lower Earley and the team can facilitate classes at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

David Nicholls Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Team Leader said: "We were all very impressed with Nigel's time for his run and have been very pleased by his recovery from his heart attack. We really appreciate Nigel's efforts to raise funds for the community cardiac service and look forward to using the money to benefit patients with heart disease in the local community.”

Nigel works for Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, which is matching the first £500 he raises for the team. Anyone wishing to sponsor Nigel can visit his website: http://www.nigelrowe.me.uk/.

If you would like to know more information about community cardiac rehabilitation, please call 0118 9605393 or email cardiac.rehab1@nhs.net.

Nigel is picture centre with Adam in the blue T shirt and Stephen in the green T shirt.

A Newbury man is taking part in the Bayer 10K run on 13 May to raise money for Berkshire Healthcare’s (BHFT) community cardiac rehabilitation service after it helped him get back to normal following a heart attack.

Nigel Rowe, 49, who suffered a heart attack last August Bank Holiday while jogging, is determined to give back to the team which helped him regain the strength and confidence to resume his favourite sport.

BHFT’s community cardiac rehabilitation team, which consists of six specialist nurses and two exercise instructors, supports people who are discharged from an acute hospital when they return home by offering a home visiting service followed by a six-week programme of aerobic exercises, education and relaxation.

Nigel said: “The team has helped me get back to normal after a very traumatic time in my life and I wanted to contribute to their hard work by raising money for equipment which will help them enhance the service they can offer to others.”

The service provides a choice of many different venues to exercise in the community. Nigel took part in a programme at Northcroft Leisure centre in Newbury but there are also sessions at the Youth and community centre in Tilehurst, Loddon Valley leisure centre in Lower Earley and the team can facilitate classes at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

David Nicholls Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Team Leader said: "We really appreciate Nigel's help in raising money for our service. We will be using any funds raised to purchase exercise equipment for our patients to use in the cardiac exercise classes."

Nigel works for Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, which has offered to match the first £500 he raises for the team. Anyone wishing to sponsor Nigel can visit his website: http://www.nigelrowe.me.uk/

If you would like to know more information about community cardiac rehabilitation, please call 0118 9605393 or email cardiac.rehab1@nhs.net.

West Berkshire Community Hospital celebrated Climate Week on on 14 March with low carbon meals, the launch of a recycling scheme and a move to save energy by switching of non-essential items when not in use.

Chef Francis de la Cruz served up tasty free-range pork, chicken and beef, as well as locally sourced vegetables. He also provided some spectacular fruit and vegetable arrangements. The hospital restaurant has used only British meats for the last three years.

Amanda Hart, WBCH matron said: “The NHS takes world sustainability very seriously and we wanted to show our support for this at the hospital. In the long run, there are very close links between a healthy planet and individual health. Climate Week was a great opportunity to kick off some of the work we’ve been planning around recycling and energy saving.” More information on Climate Week at the hospital.

(Pictured top - Francis de la Cruz with Matron Amanda Hart and the restaurant team at SGP Property and Facilities Managment. Middle Amanda Hart and bottom - Amanda with visitors Tobias and Lucy Reader)

• Feeling fitter and having loads of energy to start that healthy lifestyle and not feeling so out of breath
• Saving loads of money – giving up 20-a-day you can save over £500 by June or even more by the summer holidays

Anyone who wants to quit can access expert support and advice from the friendly team by calling Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service on 01753 635173 or texting QUIT to 88020 or emailing stop.smoking@berkshire.nhs.uk.

West Berkshire Community Hospital (WBCH) is celebrating Climate Week with low carbon meals in its restaurant on March 14, as well as launching a new waste recycling scheme which will halve the waste it sends to landfill by the end of the year.

Chef Francis de la Cruz will be working his magic with free-range pork, chicken and beef, as well as locally sourced vegetables. The day’s menu will include slow roast loin of pork, lemon pepper corn fed chicken breast, steak and mushroom casserole and a vegetarian option of three cheese and Florentine mille feuille. Francis will add to the ‘fine dining’ experience by displaying some of his amazing fruit and vegetable creations. The restaurant has used only British meats for the last three years.

Amanda Hart, WBCH matron said: “The NHS takes world sustainability very seriously and we wanted to show our support for this at the hospital. In the long run, there are very close links between a healthy planet and individual health. Climate Week was a great opportunity to kick off some of the work we’ve been planning around recycling and energy saving.”

The NHS has targets in place to reduce carbon emissions by ten per cent by 2015, and 80 per cent by 2050. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, has a number of actions in place around procurement, transport, water use, waste production and buildings, as well as a responsibility to do this within the constraints of the current financial climate.

The hospital’s recycling initiative will see it replacing some of its waste bins beside desks and in public areas with ten initial recycling points throughout the hospital. The aim is to encourage staff and visitors to think about how they dispose of waste rather than thoughtlessly popping it in the bin. Additional waste stations will be installed in June.

Based on an analysis of existing waste and advice from its waste service supplier, WBCH has calculated it can cut its landfill waste by 50 per cent – resulting in cost benefits due to the escalating cost of rubbish disposal as well as benefits to the environment.

Ifor Sheldon, Contract Manager SGP Property and Facilities Management which manages catering and housekeeping facilities at the hospital said: “There’s an awareness and acceptance now that people do expect to recycle. A number of people have said they would like us to recycle more. You have to do it at home, so why not at the workplace?”

The move follows a number of initiatives the organisation has introduced since January which include improvements to the way it disposes of fluorescent tubes and electrical waste, as well as the introduction of a roll-on roll-off skip for recycling. The contents of the roll-on/roll-off skips, which were previously sent to landfill, are now recycled by the hospital’s new waste contractor. The hospital also recycles food waste from the restaurant and that goes to a plant that extracts methane gas and converts the solids into organic fertiliser.

The hospital is also launching a campaign to encourage staff to turn off lights, computer monitors, laptop chargers and taps when they are not needed.

Health visitors in the West celebrated passing stage two of Unicef’s Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation in February.

Stage two of the award is based around ensuring all staff in the team are trained in knowledge and practical skills for supporting breastfeeding women. This stage was assessed by Unicef staff who interviewed one third of the 120-strong team to ensure their knowledge and skills meet Unicef standards.

Lynn Aubrey-Jones, infant feeding co-ordinator said: “The award means mothers can be satisfied that the staff looking after them have the knowledge and skills to support them with breastfeeding. Mothers will be given information so that they can be confident when feeding is going well and given help if it's not"

“I’m thrilled with the team, it’s a huge achievement for everybody. I’d also like to thank the project team who are working with me to help deliver this initiative.”

Last year, the team successfully passed stage one which deals with putting training and processes in place to support the scheme and next year, it hopes to gain full accreditation by showing that it is translating its knowledge into good practice with mothers and babies.

Unicef quotes evidence showing babies in Baby Friendly accredited hospitals are 10 per cent more likely to initiate breastfeeding than other hospitals but that work needs to be done in the community to sustain this increase. Breastfed babies have 15% fewer GP consultations during their first 6 months of life than babies fed on artificial formula

Lynn said: “This award matters because we know health outcomes for babies and mothers who breast feed are better than for those who don’t.”

The Garden Clinic in numbers

• 20,000 patients visited the clinic in the last year
• The Garden Clinic helps 550 people manage their HIV infection
• 1,356 IUDs (intrauterine devices) and implants have been fitted in the past year
• In the past 12 months, 2,180 condoms have been given out to patients to promote safer sex
• 2,000 young people receive sexual health advice from the clinic each year
• There are 13 doctors, 15 nurses and four health advisors at The Garden Clinic
• HIV patients life expectancy increasing all the time due to better treatments
• New tests for common sexually transmitted infections work by using a urine sample, so no swabs need to be taken.

Above: Pupils Trishna Jabble and Kulveer Pawandeep, pictured with headteacher Andy Downing, public health dietitian Pip Collings and the Mayor of Slough

The improvement is a result of Mission Healthy Eating – a healthy eating project run by NHS dietitians teaching children about food groups and a balanced diet. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Public Health Dietitians spent the Spring and Summer terms last year working with pupils, staff and parents.

Pip Collings, Public Health Dietitian for Slough said, “We run a yearly School Food Survey with Slough Borough Council across all schools in Slough as a way of monitoring nutritional levels in both school meals and packed lunches and the 2010 survey showed that less than a fifth of pupils at Khalsa Primary School had a balanced packed lunch.

“More specifically, there was a lack of protein in the pupils’ diets. Khalsa is a vegetarian school and it can be very challenging to consume enough protein in a vegetarian diet. This is especially so for those children who are not vegetarians at home and parents were telling us they were struggling to provide a packed lunch with enough protein in. We are delighted with the amazing changes the pupils and parents at Khalsa have made, and it is their work we are acknowledging with this award.”

Jasminder Grewal, Consultant Head Teacher, said: “The school is extremely interested in promoting healthy eating at home and at school so that it becomes a way of life. We had achieved Healthy Schools status in 2010 and did not want to lose the momentum, so we took the public health dietetics service up on its offer to help improve nutritional levels in our pupils’ diets.”

Between January to July 2011, the service visited pupils every week, delivering a series of healthy eating lessons that included the importance of eating a balanced diet, examples of healthy and less healthy packed lunches and importantly for the pupils of Khalsa, sources of protein.

At the end of the project, the 2011 School Food Survey identified that Khlasa has the most improved packed lunches among all the schools, while Holy Family Catholic School had the best packed lunches overall.

Holy Family Catholic School pupils Toni Famakin and Matthew Taylor with the Mayor of Slough

Added Pip: “Nutritionally balanced lunches are not only good for the children’s health, but research shows they can also improve academic performance. The survey demonstrated clear improvements in the food choices at Khalsa. The children are now more aware of which foods contain protein and as a result, the number of school children choosing protein-rich food has more than doubled, from 33 per cent to 76 per cent.”

People who quit with help are up to four times more likely to stay smoke-free than those going it alone. With appointments in the daytime, evenings and weekends it is easier than ever to fit in quitting around work and other commitments.

What’s more, a 20-a-day smoker will save more than £2,100 by Christmas 2012 if they quit at New Year and stay smokefree.

Stop smoking advisors can provide up to six weeks of nicotine replacement therapy at prescription prices as well as support to help you through the difficult times.

If you would like support and advice call the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Team on 01753 635173, the Berkshire West NHS Stop Smoking Team on 0118 952 5400, or email stop.smoking@berkshire.nhs.uk to find out more about the service and to make an appointment with an advisor near where you live or work.

More information can also be found on our Stop Smoking web page.

The service is raising awareness of the campaign this November and the importance of early detection.

Dawn Estabrook, Berkshire East Stop Smoking Service Manager said: “Smoking is the number one cause of mouth cancer and we are here to support people who want to quit by providing advice, support and access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy. New Year is a common time to quit and people can contact us now to prepare.”

The team of Stop Smoking Advisors are not just appealing to ‘smokers’ but also those who chew tobacco, paan, areca nut and gutkha (see facts and figures below).

“Although some people believe that chewing tobacco is safer than smoking, the reality is that it is even more dangerous,” explained Dawn. “Chewing tobacco is popular among many ethnic communities and is a particular problem because few people know that it can cause mouth cancer and other serious diseases.”

Mouth Cancer kills more people than cervical and testicular cancer combined: one person every five hours in the UK. Despite this, a study by the British Dental Health Foundation* showed that around one in four people had never heard of the condition and that around 60,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed over the next decade.

People who smoke and drink are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer as alcohol helps tobacco to be absorbed into the mouth.

Stop Smoking Advisors are also highlighting how important it is to have regular dental check-ups as your dentist may spot something you haven’t during a screening – and early detection transforms survival chances to more than 90%.

To book an appointment or to find out more about stopping smoking, contact the Stop Smoking Service on 0845 602 4218 on 01753 635173, or text QUIT to 88020.

Notes to Editors

1. More information on mouth cancer can be found on http://www.mouthcancer.org.uk/
2. Mouth Cancer Awareness Week is supported by the British Dental Health Foundation
3. *British Dental Health Foundation study 2007
4. Facts & Figures:
   • Smoking and drinking are thought to contribute to 80 per cent of mouth cancer cases. It is recommended that men drink no more than three to four units per day and women drink no more than two to three. (One unit is equivalent to ½ pint of lager, a single measure of spirits or a small glass of wine).
   • Smoking is the number one cause for mouth cancer. Cigarette smoke converts saliva into a deadly cell-damaging cocktail.
   • Switching to low-tar cigarettes will not help, as smokers on ‘lights’ tend to inhale more smoke than smokers of ‘regular’ cigarettes.
   • Chewing tobacco, paan, areca nut and gutkha are habits favoured by some ethnic groups.
   • Poor diet is linked to a third of all cancer cases. Evidence shows an increase in fruit and vegetables lowers the risk, as can fish and eggs.
   • It is recommended that people enjoy a healthy, balanced diet, including food from each of the major food groups and including fruit and vegetables of all different colours - each colour contains different vitamins.
     

Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a number of conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is a progressive, irreversible lung disease which kills around 30,000 people in the UK each year - more than breast, bowel or prostrate cancer. In the Reading, Newbury and Wokingham region, 4.000 people suffer from the disease, according to NHS Berkshire West.

Get tested

The Stop Smoking Service is engaging with the British Lung Foundation’s campaign to raise awareness of this debilitating disease by offering lung age and carbon monoxide testing at the following venues:

TESCO PHARMACY, NEWBURY
Pinchington Lane, Newbury Tuesday 15 November 10-2pm

STOP SMOKING POD, BROAD STREET MALL
Broad Street, Reading Wednesday 16 November 10-2pm

TESCO PHARMACY, WOKINGHAM
Finchampstead Road, Wokingham Thursday 17 November 10-2pm

As well as the lung age and carbon monoxide testing, Stop Smoking Advisors will be on hand to offer advice on stopping smoking and signpost any one who wishes to become smokefree to their nearest clinic.

To find out more about the events or to book an appointment at a Stop Smoking Clinic, please call 0118 952 5400

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust speech and language therapists (SLTs) met their colleague from Gloucestershire, Jennie Marshall, in Thatcham and Slough last weekend, as she cycled 144 miles from Stroud to London to highlight the vital work of SLTs with children and adults of all ages.

Jennie completed the epic journey to mark the Giving Voice Year of Communication campaign, which raises the profile of people with communication difficulties and publicises the essential role the therapy plays in promoting an individual's independence and helping them to participate in daily life.

She was welcomed at West Berkshire Community Hospital and Upton Park Hospital, Slough, by BHFT SLTs on Friday 14th October and Sunday 16th October.

Jennie communicated throughout her journey using an electronic speaking aid called a lightwriter. Users type in what they want to say and the device ”gives voice” to their messages. She said: “It gave me a real sense of what is was like to be unable to use my voice to communicate. A runner stopped and asked if I was lost, but he immediately began doing larger than life hand signs when I showed I couldn’t speak!”

BHFT’s SLT Alison Rigg said: “We were delighted to meet with Jennie and compare notes on how our Speech and Language Teams have been taking part in the Year of Communication and Giving Voice campaigns. It’s important that people recognise the contribution that Speech and Language Therapists make in improving the quality of life for both children and adults who, for one reason or another, have difficulties in communicating.”.

BHFT’s own paediatric and adult SLTs have also been active in supporting this year’s Year of Communication, holding awareness raising stalls in many of our localities, in which they have asked members of the public to write their own speech bubbles saying what communication means to them. Some of these comments can be found on our website at Berkshirecommunityhealthservices.co.uk

Jennie arrived in Westminster on 18th October to join with SLTs from all over the country who met to raise the profile of Speech and Language Therapy and show how it transforms lives.

Pictured: (Top) SLTs and their families at Upton Park and (left) Jennie Marshall with Lisa Goldsworth at West Berkshire Community Hospital

The Giving Voice Year of Communication Campaign 2011 is run by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). The campaign is designed to ‘give voice’ to people with speech, language and communication needs – to ensure their needs, and those of their carers and families, are met.

According to the RCSLT, stroke is the most common cause of disability in adults in England and one third of stroke survivors have communication problems. A report by Matrix Evidence in December 2010 says: “The annual benefits generated by an extra hour of SLT per week for 12 weeks for post acute stroke aphasia (communication problems) patients exceed the annual cost of the therapy by £15.4 million. “. The report adds that: “Every £1 invested in SLT generates £1.30 –the equivalent in monetary terms to the benefit generated in terms of quality adjusted life years. “

Tackling communication and swallowing problems reduces avoidable costs and waste in the NHS and local authorities.

Sylvia said: “It is very important that people know about the work of SLTs. I feel very strongly about it. I’ve seen at first hand what they do. “Communication connects you with the outside world – communication is life.”

People with long term medical conditions are more at risk from flu and should be vaccinated against it. This includes people with chronic liver or kidney disease, neurological conditions such as stroke, muscular sclerosis or cerebral palsy, a weakened immune system due to disease or treatment, respiratory disease like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart disease and diabetes.

Pregnant women should also have the flu vaccination as they are at increased risk of severe disease and admission to hospital if they catch flu. The vaccine is safe for both mother and child anytime during pregnancy, and can help protect babies after birth for 4-6 months.

People over the age of 65 should also be vaccinated.

GP practices in Berkshire will be offering seasonal flu vaccination from 1st October onwards - contact your GP practice for details of its seasonal flu vaccination programme.

Important information about the seasonal flu vaccine.

Download the 'Are you at risk of flu?' leaflet.

Lisa Goldsworth said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jennie as part of the national campaign. Communication is such a large part of daily life, and without it we cannot participate in meaningful activities, socially and within our everyday life. Speech and Language therapists help to empower people again who have lost or have reduced communication skills, and support them to engage again in meaningful activities.”

A study published in March by Matrix Evidence found that Speech and Language Therapy delivers an estimated net benefit to the UK economy of £765 million. The study also found that nearly 20 per cent of the population may experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives.

Other highlights of the year of communication include the launch of the Oscar-winning film The Kings Speech. Lionel Logue, the therapist who helped King George VI control his stammer in 1926 and inspired the film was honoured in May this year when Westminster Council installed one of its green plaques at 146 Harley Street, where he practised from 1926 till 1952.

Jennie arrives in Westminster on 18th October to join with SLTs from all over the country as they meet to raise the profile of Speech and Language Therapy and show how it transforms lives.

Our Stop Smoking advisors offer advice and support on:

• Your reasons for quitting
• Setting a quit date
• How to handle the first few days
• Coping with withdrawal symptoms and temptations
• Breaking old habits and making new ones
• A voucher scheme and advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy
• Avoiding weight gain
• How to quit for good
• A voucher scheme and advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy and other pharmacotherapy available to support quit attempts based on medical history.

To find out more or book an appointment, call 0118 952 5400 (Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire), 01753 635173 or 0845 602 4218 (East Berkshire)

Simple lifestyle changes such as good diet and skin moisturising can help prevent pressure ulcers – avoiding distress for patients and saving the health service huge sums of money.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust nurses in the west of Berkshire are joining their colleagues throughout the south of England in marking the second Protect your Birthday Suit campaign from 26th-30th September.

The South Central Strategic Health Authority campaign highlights the importance of preventing needless skin breakdown, such as pressure ulcers, leg ulcers and foot complications due to diabetes.

The estimated cost to the NHS of pressure ulcers is £1.4 - £2.1 billion - 4% of total NHS expenditure. Simple actions such as good diet and skin care (including regular moisturising) can help prevent them and when a person’s mobility is impaired, help with changing position in bed or when sitting, is vital.

421,000 people in the UK are likely to develop a new pressure ulcer annually in the UK and the condition can be life threatening - Superman actor Christopher Reeve died at 52 from a heart attack, brought on by an infection that originated from a pressure sore.

Debbie Ansell, Tissue Viability Nurse for Newbury, said: “Pressure ulcers are devastating, can be life-threatening and are mostly avoidable. They can be frightening and painful to patients and their families or carers. Due to the additional nursing time needed to dress and take care of pressure ulcers, this impacts on the service financially”

Pressure ulcers, also sometimes known as bedsores or pressure sores, are a type of injury that affects areas of the skin and underlying tissue. They are caused when the affected area of skin is placed under too much pressure.

BHFT’s Tissue Viability nurses help and advise other health professionals, including those in hospitals, GP surgeries and care agencies on care, treatment and prevention of all complex wounds, including surgical wounds, burns and skin grafts. They also liaise closely with Anita Rush our local Equipment Specialist Nurse to advise on specialised mattresses and cushions.

More information can be found at Pressure Ulcers on the NHS Choices website, or your GP can refer you to one of our specialist Tissue Viability nurses.

Picture shows our tissue viability nurses Jane Parker, Debbie Ansell and Claire Corbyn (left to right)

Above L-R: Carole Gibbs, HR manager at Sara Lee; Pip Collings, BHFT's public health dietitian for Slough; the Mayor of Slough, Cllr Sukhjit Dhaliwal; Alliyah Gumbs; and Jo Ricketts from Catering for Health at Slough Borough Council.

Slough teenagers who have successfully completed a summer cookery school delivered by a top chef were presented with a Craft Guild of Chefs certificate by the Mayor of Slough, Councillor Sukhjit Dhaliwal, on Friday night (19th August 2011).

The youngsters cooked a healthy dinner for family and friends on the night after taking part in the Cook Project run by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT) and Steve Scuffell, Head Chef at the Crown Moran Hotel in London.

Above: Hannah Marston and Gemma Pyne prepare the starter; and Joshua Jose adds the finishing touches to dessert.

Above: The students also learnt how to professionally present the food.

A former healthcare assistant who used to work on Henry Tudor Ward at St Mark’s Hospital, is scaling the world’s tallest free standing mountain this month to raise money towards the enhancing the ward environment.

On August 27th, Georgina Harrison will fly to Africa and walk for six days to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,340 ft above sea level.

Georgina, from Cookham Dean, worked on the community rehabilitation ward last year. She said: “As a local I know how much Henry Tudor Ward is valued by the community. My grandparents also live in the area and they have friends who have used the service. It’s different from other hospitals; the staff are very personable and take time to get to know the people staying on the ward. Enhancing the ward will make it a great place for people to rehabilitate.”

Last year, the ward was given £50,000 towards improving the environment to better meet the needs of patients, including those with dementia, by The King’s Fund, a charity that seeks understand how the health system in England can be improved. Since then, staff have raised an extra £110,000 through fundraising, a bequeath and the generosity of local charities and organisations.

“When Henry Tudor Ward was built in the 1990s, the health needs of the local population were different. Today, a number of the patients we see on the ward have memory problems, so it is important to ensure the ward meets the needs of everyone. For example, if somebody has dementia they may think a shiny floor is wet. We’ve looked at everything from the layout and maximising the use of space, through to getting things like the flooring and lighting right. The changes are going to make a huge difference and improve both the experience and outcomes for all of our patients,” said Soline Jerram, consultant nurse for older people at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

To sponsor Georgina, please contact Soline Jerram, consultant nurse for older people at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, by email soline.jerram@berkshire.nhs.uk or telephone: 01753 638408.

Our free weight management courses in Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire have beaten target weight loss figures, enabling 60 people to lose five per cent of their body weight and maintain this after a four-week review.

Dietitians in the area have been running ‘Weight No Longer’ weight management groups in venues across the region for the past two years.

During this time, 174 patients have attended a course. Of those, 35 per cent achieved the target of losing 5 per cent or more of their original body weight and maintaining it after a four-week review. The target, based on current evidence and national guidelines, is 30 per cent. 83 per cent of patients reported that they had found the course of significant value and 87 per cent said the course would make it easier for them to manage their weight in the future.

Noelle Cooper, Specialist Dietitian with a keen interest in weight management said “It has been professionally rewarding to see individuals develop from our group courses, giving and receiving support from each other with a definite increase in self efficacy and confidence. Our fantastic results speak for themselves with not just improved weight outcomes, but also other measures - for example improved mobility, blood pressure and better blood sugar control in those with diabetes”.

Bob Pinkerton (63) from Hermitage lost 21 kilos on the course, having tried other weight programmes unsuccessfully in the past. He said: “Their approach blew all the myths away. It’s all about the number of calories you eat but you’ve got to raise your workouts as well. At first you’ve got to do the numbers but then it becomes more intuitive.

“The dietitian knew her stuff but you’ve got to want to do it – you’ve got to come with the attitude that: ‘I’m going to crack this thing.’”

Bob has taken over the cooking at home and has tailored his own recipes to suit his new lifestyle – including his own pasta sauce and pizza from scratch.

Ian Simpson, 68, from Reading lost 10.5 kilos on the course before having a spine operation. He said: “The course was comprehensive in its cover. You get lots of information and tips – such as what to look for when shopping, use smaller plates to help you cut down on portions and if you don’t have it in the house, you won’t eat it.

Terry Morris, 72, from Wokingham dropped from 97 to 85 kilos. He was motivated to join the course in order to avoid the need for injections when he was diagnosed as diabetic at the end of last year.

He said: “The course helped to motivate me. I got down to my target weight two months early and I feel a lot fitter. I’m enjoying running around with my grandchildren and I look forward to doing the hedges in the garden.”

Terry’s blood sugar levels dropped from 7.4 to 5.4 after attending seven out of eight of the sessions which took place from December to April this year.

“It was very professionally presented, you were given the ground rules at the beginning, you were given a diary to fill in and asked to write down what you ate as soon as you had it. Also, it was less rushed than other programmes I’ve tried – less queueing to be weighed, for example.’

The BHFT courses are run by professional dietitians, who combine their unique skills in the practical application of nutrition science and the use of behaviour change strategies to advise on safe weight loss to patients with complex medical conditions.

The main aim of the course is to enable and support patients to make positive and permanent lifestyle changes which will help them manage their own health for the future.

Local residents can be referred onto a Weight no Longer course through their GPs.

“In the group, the laughing stayed with me for a long time. This is, like, how I was before the stroke.”

“Makes me realise how lucky I am to be able to talk”

“Speech therapy helped me understand what issues I have with communication by highlighting them and helping me to resolve them.”

[Communication] is: “Sharing the world around me”

These are just a few of the comments made by people as part of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s celebration of the Year of Communication.

BHFT’s Adult and Paediatric Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) have been asking people of all ages to draw or write a speech bubble explaining ‘what communication means to them.’

Their work culminated in roadshows at Broad Street Mall in Reading on Saturday 23 July, and Tesco Extra in Newbury on Tuesday 9 August, when they asked members of the public to draw or write a speech bubble to add to their display.

The year of communication is a national campaign to highlight the importance of giving voice to both adults and children, whether they have speech and language difficulties as a result of illness or injury, need help in developing communication skills as a youngster, or struggle to communicate in adulthood.

Louise Dix, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist said: “We gave out lots of information resources linked to the hello.org.uk campaign. Some people were surprised but very interested at our focus on communication development in babies and young toddlers - this is the foundation point from which communication skills grow and develop!”

Katie Burgess, Speech and Language Therapist, Adult Learning Disability Service said: “The days were an invaluable opportunity for sharing with the general public the role of the SLT for both adult and paediatric clients. We both promoted our service and did some myth busting…. yes, the speech and language therapy service is free of charge to all those who need us!”

SLTs help children with persistent communication difficulties, and adults who have suffered from a stroke, have a progressive disorder such as Parkinson’s, a learning disability or a voice problem.

Approximately 10 per cent of all children have long term and persistent speech, language and communication difficulties. These difficulties can impact on a child’s ability to make friends, develop their literacy skills and to achieve success later on in life. The Government’s Bercow Review (2008) highlighted the importance of early intervention and supporting parents to develop their knowledge of speech, language and communication skills.

A study published in March by Matrix Evidence found that Speech and Language Therapy delivers an estimated net benefit to the UK economy of £765 million. The study also found that nearly 20 per cent of the population may experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives.

For more information about the year of communications go to Giving Voice (adults and children) or Hello (children). For more information about Speech and Language Therapy in the Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire areas, visit ‘Our services for adults and children’. More roadshows are planned in August and September for Newbury and Wokingham.

More about the Newbury event at Hello - your story

Approximately 10% of all children have long term and persistent speech, language and communication difficulties. These difficulties can impact on a child’s ability to make friends, develop their literacy skills and to achieve success later on in life. The Government’s Bercow Review (2008) highlighted the importance of early intervention and supporting parents to develop their knowledge of speech, language and communication skills.

A study published in March by Matrix Evidence found that Speech and Language Therapy delivers an estimated net benefit to the UK economy of £765 million. The study also found that nearly 20 per cent of the population may experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives.

For more information about the year of communications go to Giving Voice (adults and children) orHello (children). For more information about Speech and Language Therapy in the Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire areas, visit ‘our services for adults and children’ on this site.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust professionals were joined by Reading’s new mayor, Councillor Deborah Edwards, at a diabetes roadshow in Broad Street Mall this week.

The theme of the event, on 14 June, was “Let’s Talk Diabetes” and staff were on hand to advise on diet and podiatry, as well as discuss all other aspects of the condition, such as the effect it can have on mental wellbeing and the importance of getting eyes screened.

Diane Birkinshaw, Team Leader for Diabetes Education, said: “If left untreated, diabetes can result in serious complications. But if it’s detected early and kept under control, the risk of associated problems is much less. There’s lots of help available for people who are worried about the condition.”

Councillor Edwards said: “I would encourage anyone who may be suffering from diabetes to be screened as soon as possible. It is nothing to be ashamed about and 90% of people with the condition can be treated by diet alone. Women and children especially fear to come forward for screening as they think they might be bullied or harassed. By holding events like this and talking about diabetes openly, we can dispel prejudice and fear. My grandmother suffered from diabetes towards the end of her life and it was controlled successfully by diet so people need to be aware that although it is a disease, it can be straight forward to treat in many cases.

More than half a million people in the UK are unaware that they suffer from diabetes and Berkshire itself has 28,000 people with the condition – including 15,000 in the Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire areas – this number is expected to grow to 20,000 by 2015. Currently more than 2 million people suffer from the condition nationally.

Most of the risks linked to diabetes can be managed effectively with lifestyle advice about diet, weight management, exercise and in some cases medication. While many people are aware of the physical health risks associated with diabetes such as retina, kidney and nerve damage, the effect on emotional wellbeing is less well known. People diagnosed with diabetes have 2-3 times the rate of depression than the general population and those struggling with depression demonstrate lower levels of self care.


More information about diabetes is available here. Or visit NHS Choices, where there is a self-assessment test for type 2 diabetes (which affects 90% of diagnosed adults in the UK) and information about the symptoms of the disease.

You’re Welcome is a set of standards for health services to assess themselves against how well they meet the needs of young people. To achieve the status the service needed to meet quality criteria set by the Department of Health. The criteria includes ensuring services are accessible to young people, that they friendly and confidential, and that young people are involved in developing the service through regular opportunities to provide feedback.

The FNP service is an early intervention preventative programme working with first time mothers under 19 years old, weekly and fortnightly, from early pregnancy until their child is aged two. It is delivered by specialist, highly-trained nurses, whose background comprise of health visiting and midwifery and has been running in Slough since April 2007, and across East Berkshire from 2009.

Talking Therapies are running a free course in your area on overcoming some of challenges mothers experience after the birth of their baby. Topics covered include overcoming anxiety or low mood, healthy eating, sleep hygiene and exercises to help you relax. Each session deals with a separate aspect of maintaining positive emotional wellbeing and are linked together, so it's important to attend all six sessions.

Any mother who needs support and want s to learn effective techniques to manage their mood and stress levels following the birth of their baby can book on the course - you don't need to be referred by your GP or healthcare professional.

To find out more or to book, please call the Talking Therapies service on 01344 823250 or email talking-therapies@berkshire.nhs.uk

(Pictured - Stop Smoking Adviser Nicola Gandy with client Richard Kemp)

A pan-Berkshire team from Community Health services has won £50,000 to set up a befriending service for learning disabled people.

The team of four health professionals from Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, three voluntary sector professionals and one service user, made the case for the service in a challenge against seven other regional finalists held in February and then went forward to represent the South East Strategic Health Authority before Health Minister Anne Milton in London.

The event, known as the TCS Challenge, was designed to encourage local healthcare teams to develop innovative ideas about how their local services can be improved.

The team had to present their ideas in a Dragon’s Den style competition based on quality improvement, patient involvement, marketing and finance roadshows, as well as role plays involving the press and local MPs.

The service will be based on a secure, staff managed database which matches up users with friends of similar interests and suitable events they can attend, as well as provide information about accessing clubs and other activities, quiet times at pools and cheap cinema tickets. It aims to improve mental health and confidence for service users.

Katie Burgess, Speech and Language Therapist and team member said: “Having friendships is a human right that so many of us take for granted but many learning disabled people don’t have the chance to do so. This service is about creating new opportunities for them and improving their quality of their life.”

In 105 replies to a simple questionnaire sent out to local people with learning disabilities, the team found that 90 per cent of people wanted to make new friends and many said they struggled to form new relationships due to a lack of necessary social skills, confidence and opportunities.

Department of Health research shows that the lack of opportunities that people with learning disabilities have to form new relationships often results in feelings of isolation and reduced self-worth.

Funding will go towards providing transport, training resources, chaperones, promotion, events and an education course which includes how to be safe when making friends. A pilot project is due to start in June during Learning Disability Awareness week.

Philippa Slinger, Chief Executive of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “It’s really exciting that our team beat all the other teams in the whole of the South Central region with this innovative scheme. It’s not always recognised that people with learning disabilities have the same need for socialisation as all members of the community, and this project will help improve their quality of life as well as their mental wellbeing.”

Click here for dates and locations of the roadshow.

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Notes to editors

• Patients must be registered with an east Berkshire GP in order to be referred to the service.
• The service is available to all referred patients living in Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, Ascot and Bracknell.
• The Rapid Assessment Community Clinic is run by Berkshire East Community Health Services.
• Berkshire East Community Health Services provides community NHS healthcare services to residents in east Berkshire. It has over 1000 staff with a budget of £45 million in 2010/11 and works in partnership with GPs and other NHS and non-health professionals in their neighbourhood; with acute hospitals; and with voluntary organisations. Berkshire East Community Health Services is hosted by NHS Berkshire East.
  

• Feeling fitter and having lots of energy to start that healthy lifestyle and not feeling so out of breath
• Saving lots of money – giving up 20-a-day you can save over £500 by June

Dawn Estabrook, Manager of Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking said:

“No Smoking Day provides excellent motivation for smokers to set a quit date, and the team at Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service can provide support and advice.

“We know some people may have struggled with their New Year resolution and would like to have another go and we would encourage them to try again – you’re four times more likely to successfully quit with the help of an NHS Stop Smoking advisor. We’ve recently set up a new drop in session to add to our weekend and evening sessions, to make it easier for people to access support.”

Access to six weeks Nicotine Replacement Therapy at prescription prices - or free if people are exempt – is also avaliable

If you would like to know more contact the Berkshire East Stop Smoking Service on 01753 635173 or text QUIT to 88020

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Notes to editors

• For more information on No Smoking Day go to http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/
• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service has established a Sofa Club drop in session at Langley Library, which runs every Tuesday, 4 – 6pm. The service also runs an existing Sofa Club drop in at Slough Central Library every Saturday, 10am – 3pm, where Polish and Asian speaking advisors are also available. For further clinic days and sessions, click here.
• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service provides free information, advice and support to residents from Ascot, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor and surrounding areas.
• Six weeks NRT can be provided at prescription prices or free if a patient is exempt.

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Further information:
Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer, Berkshire East Community Health Services, Tel: 01753 635 153/ 07909 888346


Notes to editors

• The patient satisfaction survey was conducted by the Diabetes service in October 2010 with a total of 100 respondents.
• The Diabetes Centre at King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, is run by Berkshire East Community Health Services. It is staffed with consultants and specialist nurses who help support patients living in east Berkshire with diabetes to manage their condition. Diabetes Specialist Nurses also provide diabetes education so that people can self-manage their condition.

The children at Penn Wood have the healthiest packed lunches in Slough and have shown the greatest improvement since last year in the annual School Food Survey.

Nick Stevenson, Healthy Schools Co-ordinator at Penn Wood Primary School said: “We are delighted to receive this award. The school has worked very hard to help both children and parents understand what is needed for a balanced packed lunch and we are grateful to the parents for all their fantastic support. The children seem to be gaining a better understanding of healthy eating, which can only have a positive effect on their health.”

The annual survey showed that overall, school meals are still the best choice for healthy eating. Of those children eating a school meal:

• An average 93% were provided with a balanced meal
• An average 93% had vegetables with their meal
• An average 41% chose fruit as part of their lunchtime meal.

This compared very favourably with children consuming packed lunches: only 39% of these children had a balanced meal and alarmingly, only one in five had a vegetable as part of their lunch.

The survey was conducted by Slough Borough Council and Berkshire East Community Health Services in October 2010. A total of 9,121 school meals and homemade packed lunches were recorded, specifically noting balanced meals, fruit, vegetables and fatty/sugary foods.

The aim of the survey was to see how Slough school meals measure up against government standards. In many schools a new contractor has been appointed by the Council and initial feedback is very favourable. The surveyors found catering staff to be very friendly and hard working and the dining rooms well managed to reduce queuing.
Jo Ricketts, Children’s Services Food Advisor for Slough Borough Council, said: “The school meal results are very positive for the town, with 94% of schools meeting the nutritional standards. The outcome of the survey shows how committed Slough schools are to ensuring children are eating healthier foods. Many schools have received the Catering for Health Award which is a Slough-wide initiative for all food retailers and community groups to encourage healthy options.”

Pip Collings, Public Health Dietitian at Berkshire East Community Health Services added: ‘‘I have seen a tremendous improvement in school meals since we first started to survey them way back in 2004. Turkey Twizzlers and chips every day are a thing of the past, and now nearly all schools provide a healthy, balanced and delicious lunch. We are also starting to see improvements in lunch boxes, with over half the schools showing an improvement compared with last year.

“This award has been introduced to encourage schools and parents to take a good look at packed lunches and work together to provide a healthy, balanced choice for their children every day. We are delighted to present Penn Wood with the award for the fantastic work they have done to promote healthy eating within the school.’’

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Dawn Estabrook, Manager of Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service said: “New Year can be the best time for people to stop smoking. Research shows that when followed up, more people who quit in January were still not smoking, compared to those who quit at other times of the year. Setting a date to quit is often the first step and January 1st is a natural date to choose. We are there to give advice, to help you identify the challenges and how to overcome them.”

“We know from experience that people like to come to drop ins because they don’t have to commit to a time and can pop along and see one of our friendly advisors. So, we have organised several drop-in sessions throughout January,” added Dawn.

The drop in clinics will be held as follows:

Royal Borough

St Mark’s Hospital Outpatients Department, Maidenhead
Thursdays
13th January, 20th January and 27th January
6pm – 7.30pm

Bracknell Forest

Bracknell Leisure Centre
Mondays
10th January, 17th January, 24th January, 31st January
6pm – 7pm

Slough

Slough Central Library
Every Saturday
10am – 3pm

Langley Library
Every Tuesday
4pm – 6pm
Langley Library is a new, permanent clinic starting in January

People who quit with help are up to four times more likely to stay smokefree than those going it alone. With these new drop ins, together with evening appointments, it is easier than ever to fit in quitting around work and other commitments.

Stop smoking advisors can provide up to six weeks of nicotine replacement therapy at prescription prices as well as support to help you through the difficult times.

Dawn said: “We have helped over 1,300 people quit smoking since January last year and in a recent survey of our patients over 97% said they would recommend us. Even if you have tried before and didn’t succeed, we are still available to help you try again.”

To find out more about the drop ins or where you can see an advisor working near where you live or work, click here; or call the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Team on 01753 635173; or text QUIT to 88020; or email stop.smoking@berkshire.nhs.uk.

Studies have shown that a shorter booking period reduces the likelihood of people not attending for their appointment. As a result of success at Upton Hospital, the service will be expanding Choice Booking to its other three sites (St Mark’s Hospital in Maidenhead, King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor and Great Hollands Health Centre in Bracknell) in the New Year.

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For further information contact:
Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer, Berkshire East Community Health Services. Tel: 01753 635153/ 07909 888346

An initiative is underway to increase HIV screening in Slough in the hope that the virus can be detected earlier in more people.

“Slough has a high level of HIV compared to other areas of east Berkshire and it is not detected early enough in the majority of people who have it. Picking up HIV early means that steps can be taken to avoid someone from becoming ill from HIV later on. HIV treatments are very effective and stop complications from HIV occurring, which means you can live a normal life for many years to come,” explains Dr Stephen Dawson, Consultant in GU/HIV Medicine, The Garden Clinic, Upton Hospital.

Anyone aged 18 - 60 years old who is visiting a new GP for the first time, or going into hospital for non-surgical reasons and is under 60, or anyone who has symptoms which could suggest they have the HIV virus will be offered a routine, confidential test by their doctor.

“A test for HIV should be approached as a routine blood test by your doctor and you shouldn’t be asked any personal questions about yourself when invited to have a test. People are not being targeted for testing based on personal lifestyle choices,” adds Malorie Bader, HIV Screening Coordinator, Sexual Health - Berkshire East Community Health Services.

Dr Asif Ali at Langley Health Centre states: “I am extremely excited about this new initiative and feel it will raise the profile of testing for HIV in primary care. Like most GPs, I am keen to offer an HIV test to patients who may be at risk or have symptoms that may suggest infection with HIV and this project will help in that. Detecting HIV infection early will benefit patients as we can then refer them on to specialists who can offer them treatment."

HIV tests are free and will not be carried out without consent. The test is always confidential and your family, friends or colleagues cannot be told by a doctor or any other member of NHS staff that you have had a test, or the result.

The public should be aware that insurance and mortgage companies are not allowed by law to ask if you have been tested for HIV: only a positive test result might affect an application.

A campaign to improve the oral and nutritional health of children under five-years-old is underway this month, thanks to an exciting partnership between Berkshire East Community Health Services and Slough Children’s Centres.

As part of the Smiling for Life 2010 campaign, Public Health Dietitians and oral health advisers at Berkshire East Community Health Services will be visiting Slough Children’s Centres and nurseries to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health and nutrition, and will be handing out free information packs. The ‘Smiling for Life’ packs include ideas and activities to help staff working in Children’s Centres and nurseries educate young children.

Children’s Centres and nurseries will also be encouraged to produce their own healthy eating policy as a commitment to making sure the snacks and drinks children receive in the centres and nurseries are as healthy as possible.

Pip Collings, Public Health Dietitian for Slough at Berkshire East Community Health Services, explains: ‘Dental disease is painful and unpleasant for little ones, and costs the NHS vast sums in avoidable treatment. The advice is simple: avoid sugary foods between meals and stick to milk or water only between meals. Sugary drinks cause damage to teeth and have also been linked to childhood obesity, another major health problem in east Berkshire.

“The Smiling for Life pack offers great ideas for fun activities for the children as well as advice and guidance for nurseries. We hope that all Slough children’s centres and nurseries will join us in this campaign to promote healthy eating and good oral care to reduce unnecessary suffering,” she adds.

Jacqui Shadrache, Development Worker - Healthy Eating, Slough Borough Council says: “Slough Children’s Centre’s are very happy to fund this excellent resource which will be used by all the Centres in Slough. Dental health is a big problem in the town and something we take very seriously; we work to ensure all our children have lovely white, healthy teeth so they will continue Smiling for Life.”

If you are a group leader or childminder in east Berkshire and would like a free Smiling for Life pack, please contact Donna Evans at Berkshire East Community Health Services on 01753 638673 or email donna.evans@berkshire.nhs.uk

- Ends -

For further information contact:

Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer. Tel: 01753 635153/ 07909 888346


Notes to Editors

1. Berkshire East Community Health Services’ Public Health Dietitians work with a range of partners to promote healthy eating across east Berkshire. They are involved in many projects to raise awareness of the benefits of eating healthily, including: Schools Nutrition Network, Slough School Meals Survey and School Meals Grant, Fitness for Life, Food Awareness Week and the Cook Project.

Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service is inviting the public to have a free lung-age test and find out about how to keep their lungs healthy on World COPD Day (Wednesday 17th November).

Along with colleagues who specialise in lung health the stop smoking team will be at St Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead (Outpatients Department); King Edward VII Hospital (next to the canteen); Princess Square, Bracknell; and the Queensmere Shopping Centre, Slough, from 10am – 4pm on 17th November.

Dawn Estabrook, Manager of the Stop Smoking Service, said: “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a general name used to describe certain conditions where people have difficulty breathing because of long-term damage to the lungs. It’s estimated that three million people in the UK are living with this disease.

“We want to help people learn about their lungs and how to look after them, whether it is by stopping smoking or just encouraging early detection of problems.”

Dr Richard Russell, Consultant Chest Physician at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says: "It is not normal to cough and bring up sputum if you are a smoker. If you do this then these symptoms may be a sign of early COPD. This can be detected and treated. I urge you to have your lung health checked"

Testing is simple, painless and just involves breathing into a machine called a spirometer.

Cath Darby, a Respiratory Physiotherapist at Berkshire East Community Health Services adds: “Lung disease can have a huge impact on a person’s life but support is out there to help people manage their condition and prevent further deterioration. If you are diagnosed with COPD, pulmonary rehabilitation courses offer gentle physical exercise and advice on lung health and coping with breathlessness to help you live independently.”

Smoking irritates the airways causing coughing, shortness of breath and a range of lung diseases such as asthma and COPD.

For more information on World COPD Day or quitting smoking call the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0845 602 4218 or 01753 635173 or text QUIT to 88020.

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For further information contact:

Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer, Berkshire East Community Health Services, Tel: 01753 635 153/ 07909 888346

Notes for Editors:

• This event is run by Berkshire East Community Health Services’ Stop Smoking service, Community Matrons, Early Discharge Support Team, Pulmonary Rehabilation Team and Respiratory Nurses.
• Lung age testing will be available together with advice and information and carbon monoxide testing.
• In 2000 one in three respiratory deaths in men (34%) and one in four women (26%) were attributable to smoking
• For more information on COPD see the British Lung Foundation website.
• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service provides free information, advice and support to residents from Ascot, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor and surrounding areas.
• Six weeks NRT can be provided at prescription prices or free if a patient is exempt.
  

• Clean your hands with soap and water after using the toilet, before meals or when handling food. Even if your hands look clean there may still be germs on them. To make sure they are as clean as possible, use the eight step guide our staff follow for effective hand washing (see notes to editors).
• Use the alcohol hand gel provided when entering and leaving community hospital wards and other clinical settings.
• Please do not visit if you are feeling unwell or have flu-like symptoms, a heavy cold or diarrhoea and vomiting. Please ensure you have been free from symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting for 48 hours before visiting.
• If you are eligible for a flu jab, make sure you have it.
• Put rubbish in the bins provided.
• Do not touch wounds, dressings and medical equipment.
• Let staff know about any unclean areas or spillages so that they can take appropriate action.
• Don’t be afraid to ask doctors, nurses and therapists if they have cleaned their hands.

Information on infection prevention and control will also be available in the reception areas at Upton, St Mark’s and King Edward VII Hospitals throughout Infection Control Week. A book will be available at each stand and patients and visitors are encouraged to write suggestions of what type of information about infection control they would like to know in future. Berkshire East Community Health Services’ website also provides information on infection prevention and control within the organisation, including leaflets available to download.

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Further information:

Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer, Tel: 01753 636058 / 07909 888346

Nine members of staff, who smoked an average of 180 cigarettes a day between them, were presented with their certificates of achievement following six weeks of 30 minute support sessions with a Stop Smoking Adviser who helped identify the best approach for each individual.

“The group sessions have been great,” said Chiltern employee Lynda Cottenham, who smoked for 25 years before successfully quitting. “The best bit about it is that we went through the quitting process together. I have tried to give up before and failed because I would come into work and be surrounded by people who smoke. Giving up as a group makes it much easier and personally it has meant the difference between failing again and successfully quitting.”

“I’ve tried to give up smoking in the past, too,” added Jane Allum, who used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day. “I never thought I would manage to quit but having a Stop Smoking Adviser come in on a weekly basis and support me, combined with the nicotine replacement therapy, has helped me succeed this time.”

The staff are also noticing improvements in their health and their pockets: “I’m £6 a day better off!” added Ian Synac, with others saying they can now climb the office stairs without getting out of breath!

“We have noticed our staff are much happier, enthusiastic about work and definitely healthier!” commented Richard Marmoy, Fleet and Facilities Manager at Chiltern, who sought assistance from Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service to help staff quit. “We chose Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service to help our employees kick the habit because we knew they needed expert help and who better than the NHS to trust. The Stop Smoking team are so eager and always know the best way to work with each quitter.”

Dawn Estabrook, Stop Smoking Service Manager said: “We are pleased that businesses like Chiltern are choosing to work with us and help look after the health and wellbeing of their staff. Giving up smoking not only improves employee health but last year, the London School of Economics found that smokers were costing businesses £2.1billion each year through sickness and cigarette breaks – so by supporting your employees to quit you can improve your business’ productivity too”.

For more information on quitting smoking call the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0845 602 4218 or 01753 635173 or text QUIT to 88020.

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For further information contact:
Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer. Tel: 01753 635153

Notes to Editor

• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service provides free information, advice and support to residents from Ascot, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor and surrounding areas.
• Six weeks NRT can be provided at prescription prices or free if a patient is exempt.
• Berkshire East Community Health Services provides community NHS healthcare services to residents in east Berkshire. It has over 1000 staff with a budget of £46 million in 2010/11 and works in partnership with GPs and other NHS and non-health professionals in their neighbourhood; with acute hospitals; and with voluntary organisations. Berkshire East Community Health Services is hosted by NHS Berkshire East.

About Chiltern

• Established in 1982, Chiltern is a leading global Contract Research Organization with extensive experience conducting and staffing international Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas for a wide variety of clients. Chiltern has conducted trials in more than 40 countries, has 24 offices and legal entities within 21 countries, resources in 37 countries and employs nearly 1,400 people globally. Chiltern provides Early Phase, Global Clinical Development, Late Phase, Biometrics, Medical and Regulatory Affairs and Resourcing Solutions services. Further information please visit: www.chiltern.com.
  

The result of a major project to promote healthy eating in primary school children in Slough has seen more pupils choose fruit and eat a balanced diet.

Of those children who normally eat a school meal, 80 per cent chose a piece of fruit compared to less than half before the project started; and nearly three quarters were eating a balanced diet (compared to 52 per cent prior to the project). The project also improved the diets of children who take a packed lunch to school.

“We were finding it hard to convince many of our children and parents at James Elliman School that eating a balanced diet including fruit and vegetables was important to their wellbeing. This project helped us tremendously to improve parents understanding and children’s reluctance to try something different or new,” commented Paul Dieppe, Head Teacher at James Elliman School.

The Mission Healthy Eating project was run over the spring and summer terms at both James Elliman and Montem Primary Schools by NHS Berkshire East Community Health Services (BECHS) and Slough Borough Council.

Public Health Dietitians at BECHS worked with the Council as part of its Catering for Health programme to survey pupil’s lunches before and after the project, which included healthy eating lessons – both theory and practical, recipe cards for children to take home, and their own personal goal to reach.

Pip Collings, a Public Health Dietitian for Slough who works at BECHS, said: “We are delighted with the results of Mission Healthy Eating. Both schools worked really hard to promote healthy eating and the catering staff were fantastic.”

Jo Ricketts, Food Advisor for Slough Borough Council, said: “This project gave us a chance to take Catering for Health into the community. We were able to give children and their families the opportunity to try healthier meals and to see how a healthier diet can be easily implemented in any home”.

“The health of our young people is paramount to the future of our town and a project like this is and excellent way of teaching youngsters about the benefits of healthy eating and how to take that back to their families with tasty recipes for all to try,” added Councillor Chrissy Small, commissioner for health and wellbeing in Slough.

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For further information contact:
Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer. Tel: 01753 635153
Kate Pratt, Acting Communication and Marketing Manager, Slough Borough Council. Tel: 01753 875088.

Notes to Editors

• Survey Results. Approximately 1,000 pupils were surveyed as part of the Mission Healthy Eating Project. Three key indicators were used:

1. Per cent of pupils eating a packed lunch who chose fruit before project: 51%; and after: 61%
   Per cent of pupils eating a school meal who chose fruit before project: 48%; and after: 80%
   
2. Per cent of pupils eating a packed lunch who chose food containing protein before project: 44%; and after: 52%
   Per cent of pupils eating a school meal who chose food containing protein before project: 59%; and after: 79%
   
3. Per cent of pupils eating a packed lunch and having a balanced diet before project: 24%; and after: 33%
   Per cent of pupils eating a school meal and having a balanced diet before project: 52%; and after: 74%

• you are over 40 or a current or former smoker
• you cough a lot or are coughing blood or mucus
• you become short of breath when walking quickly
• you experience pain when breathing in or out

Dawn Estabrook, Manager of Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service said: “It’s like an MOT check for the lungs. Most people will get the all clear but a spirometry test can be invaluable in raising early warning signs for potentially fatal problems before any obvious signs appear.

“Smoking irritates the airways causing coughing, shortness of breath and a range of lung diseases such as asthma and COPD and we encourage people to come forward to learn more about quitting smoking and preventing conditions happening or getting worse,” added Dawn. “As soon as a few weeks after quitting, your airways become less inflamed and you cough less: plus, the long-term damage to your lungs stops the moment you give up.”

The Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service will be out at key sites across east Berkshire on World COPD Day (17th November) providing more information on the effects of smoking and lung health, and an opportunity for people to find out the age of their lungs.

For more information on having a spirometry test ask your Practice Nurse or GP. For more information on quitting smoking call the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0845 602 4218 or 01753 635173 or text QUIT to 88020.

- ENDS -

For further information contact:
Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer. Tel: 01753 635153/ 07909 888346

Notes to Editors

• The European Respiratory Society and the European Lung Foundation are coordinating this day as part of the 2010 Year of the Lung campaign.
• * Year of the Lung **British Lung Foundation
• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service provides free information, advice and support to residents from Ascot, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor and surrounding areas.
• Six weeks NRT can be provided at prescription prices or free if a patient is exempt.
• Berkshire East Community Health Services provides community NHS healthcare services to residents in east Berkshire. It has over 1000 staff with a budget of £46 million in 2010/11 and works in partnership with GPs and other NHS and non-health professionals in their neighbourhood; with acute hospitals; and with voluntary organisations. Berkshire East Community Health Services is hosted by NHS Berkshire East. Visit http://www.berkshire-eastchs.nhs.uk/

Facts about the lungs

• Each of your lungs is about the size of a football
• The surface area of the lungs is roughly the size of a tennis court
• The average person breathes about 25,000 times a day
• The lungs are the only human organ that floats on water
• In 2000, one in three respiratory deaths in men (34%) and one in four women (26%) were attributable to smoking
• Smoking not only damages your lungs but also many other vital parts of your body. It causes bad breath, accelerates skin aging, reduces fertility and causes impotence.
  

- Ends -

For further information contact:

Natalie McEwan, Communications Officer. Tel: 01753 635153/ 07909 888346

The report includes an overview of the financial year, with key highlights and achievements; infection control and patient safety update; a summary of how taxpayer's money was spent in community health services; and looking to the future.

"The first full year of operating as an arm's length organisation from NHS Berkshire East has been one of great success for Berkshire East Community Health Services," says Nancy Barber, Managing Director of BECHS. "I hope this report gives you an insight into the ambition and aspiration we have."

The youngsters cooked a healthy dinner for family and friends on Friday evening after taking part in cookery courses run by Steve Scuffell, Head Chef at the Crown Moran Hotel in London, and Berkshire East Community Health Services as part of Thames Valley University’s Summer School.

“Thank you for a lovely meal. I am sure everyone here agrees that the quality and presentation is excellent. Healthy cooking and eating is so important and I am a very keen supporter of both. Projects such as this one help our younger generation to appreciate the benefits of good food both now and in later life and also highlight hidden culinary talents which may not have been discovered had it not been for this opportunity,” said the Mayor.

The 13 – 19 year olds have spent the summer learning how to prepare healthy, tasty meals as well as basic chef techniques such as knife skills, butchery and fishmongery from Steve Scuffell. Berkshire East Community Health Services’ Public Health Dietitian for Slough, Pip Collings, was also on hand to complement the practical lessons by educating the youngsters on healthly eating.

Steve Scuffell explained: “The students have learnt how to prepare and present food in a professional way, just like we do in the hotel. We’re also offering those with a natural talent the opportunity to come and work with myself and the other professional chefs for a day at Crown Moran Hotel, where they can experience life in the catering industry first hand and prepare dinners for our diners. The hotel will donate a proportion of the proceeds to the British Heart Foundation.”

Pip Collings added: “Steve and I have been developing and delivering cooking courses for over ten years now. This year, 23 students enrolled on the course and it’s a great way for them to both get a taste of what a career as a chef could look like and learn about cooking nutritious food. We have raised a generation who lack basic cooking skills and this has serious consequences for the future health of our youngsters and is having an impact on the catering trade. It makes sense for dietitians and chefs to work together to introduce young people to the pleasures and practical advantages of cooking.”

In addition to the Cook Project, Pip Collings and Steve Scuffell also run a What’s Cooking Project at Slough & Eton School in the Autumn term, where they work with Year 10 Food Technology pupils over six weeks to develop their cooking skills. At the end of the project, the pupils cook and serve a buffet for 75 senior citizens.

Erika Hyett from Berkshire East Community Health Services’ Children’s Centre team, which runs the centre, said it continues to be popular with local families: “Many families have benefitted from the support, advice and activities we offer at the Children’s Centre. Not only is it a chance for young children under five years old to learn through play, but it also gives parents the opportunity to meet other parents and to speak to healthcare professionals about a wide range of topics such as breastfeeding, dealing with demanding behaviour, or their child’s speech and language development. We also help those families with children with additional needs.

“It can be difficult occupying children during the summer holidays so we have designed these fun activities and events to help make it a little easier."

Activities will run throughout the month at Little Acorn Children’s Centre at St Mark’s Hospital and Pinkneys Green Youth and Community Centre, Blenheim Road. A timetable of activities can be found here.

The local Stop Smoking service, part of Berkshire East Community Health Services runs clinics in Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead and Windsor, offers friendly advice and support in Asian languages and is available to anyone living or working in the area.

Adult muslims fast between dawn and sunset, and one of the ways their fast may be considered broken or void is by smoking. Dawn Estabrook, Manager of the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service, said: “The underlying message behind Ramadan is one of self-discipline and self-control and many patients come forward wanting to quit smoking during this time. Smoking is also a serious health issue for Asian communities who have a higher risk of heart disease than other communities. The month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to start some healthy new habits and the benefits of stopping smoking are both immediate and long term.

“We know that most smokers want to quit but may be worried about what is involved. Those who are considering giving up but still unsure can ring the service for information and an informal chat to learn more about how we can help.”

People who access support from an NHS Stop Smoking Service are four times more likely to quit successfully. NHS Berkshire East Stop Smoking Service can provide access to six weeks Nicotine Replacement Therapy at prescription prices or free (if exempt) to help with cravings and withdrawal.

If you are thinking of quitting smoking, or have tried to quit before, contact the Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0845 602 4218 or 01753 635173, text QUIT to 88020. Details of clinics can be found here.

It highlights the achievements, the work undertaken and the progress made in 2009-10.

Infection Control Annual Report 2009 - 2010

A lot of people talk about quality of life, but all too often quality of death goes unspoken. The end of a person’s life can be very traumatic for those involved but with the right support it can be eased.

Many people approaching the end of their life don’t want to be treated in hospital but instead want to die at home. However, with more and more of the elderly population living alone, or with complex medical needs, dying within one’s own home isn’t always an option. Community hospitals play an important role in enabling these people to die closer to home.

The UK has a fantastic network of hospices, NHS provision of palliative care and access to drugs. Our community ward nurses have been working closely with Thames Hospicecare to be able to offer more end of life patients the ability to be looked after in one of our community hospitals: reducing the length of their stay in acute (large) hospitals, or even avoiding being admitted altogether. In doing so, it means those people approaching the end of their life can receive quality, safe care close to home; improving the comfort and the quality of their last few months or days.

The new government started its term with a promise not to inflict major reforms on the NHS. Within months the Health Secretary is publishing a White Paper promising more power to GPs and the dissolving of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) alongside the already scheduled abolition of Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).

Some would say, from a business and efficiency viewpoint, that the replacing of SHAs and PCTs with another body makes a lot of sense. Who though, would have thought that power for commissioning of services would be handed to GP consortia?

A lot has been mentioned about whether GPs have the time and knowledge to enable them to commission services locally. The answer is they have the knowledge and can certainly purchase the time; after all there will be lots of SHA and PCT employees looking for jobs.

The real question is will they have the ability to manage each other? Within consortia there will be strong, lead GPs who will no doubt have a specialist interest in an area of medicine close to their own hearts and their patient’s needs. If a funding decision is to be made about buying a service then will they be objective enough to put the greater need above their interest? But, more than that, should we be putting them in the position of choosing treatments and packages of care based on cost rather than clinical need: something which PCTs have come under fire from in the past by GPs about decisions around high cost drugs for cancer and HIV based on cost rather than patient benefit.

Given access to support from experienced professionals who share a GP’s passion for better healthcare services locally, then this can work; let us not forget GPs are already businessmen and used to balancing the books in their practice.

However there will be challenges in meeting the push from the Department of Health around allowing more competition and collaboration into the health sector, breaking the deadlock of NHS provision. How will GPs be supported in managing lengthy tender processes for local services? How will the current NHS estates and premises that are owned by PCTs be spilt or sold and what effect will this have?

There are many questions to answer: they will be answered, and in some cases the answers will be wrong, but let us not hide behind the fear of making wrong decisions. Let us try this new vision for the future, and work closely with all our healthcare colleagues and see where we end up.

After all if it is not the right answer and all goes wrong we can always change direction and reform again. If there is one thing we are good at in the NHS, it is responding to change and ensuring patient care is always the centre of all we do and of the best quality we are able to deliver.

For more information on the Patient Experience Team and how to join, see our Contact Us pages.

High temperatures can be dangerous, especially for the elderly, children and people with chronic or long-term medical conditions.

Keep safe and well in the sun this weeked:

• Keep out of the heat by planning your day to avoid going out during the hottest part of the day (11am – 3pm)
• Remember to use sun cream if you do go outside.Stay cool by staying inside, in the coolest room drawing the curtains in very sunny rooms
• Keep the windows closed while the room is cooler than it is outside and, if it's safe, open windows at night when the air is cooler
• Drink water or fruit juice regularly to keep hydrated
• Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol, and if you do drink alcohol make sure you have lots of water or other non-alcoholic drinks as well
• Help others: check up on neighbours, relatives and friends who may be less able to look after themselve
• People with heart problems, breathing difficulties or serious illnesses may find their symptoms become worse in hot weather, so make sure you have enough medicines in stock and take extra care to keep cool
• Seek advice, from your doctor, a pharmacist or NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 if you are worried about your health especially if you are taking medication, or having any unusual symptoms.

Up for grabs were three award categories: Behind the Scenes, Caring at its Best and Productivity and Improvement. Over 30 nominations were received for individuals and teams working in Community Health Services.

“There were some very good entries, making it a very hard decision for the judging panel! Entries ranged from staff investing in new skills to better meet patient needs and introducing new technologies or processes to be more efficient, to exemplary standards of team work,” said Nancy Barber, Managing Director of BE CHS, who sat on the panel along with Alyson Dunbar, Director of Operational HR, Sam Loftus, Director of Clinical Quality and Governance, and Siobhan Melia, Director of Business and Strategy.

Dr Lise Llewellyn, Chief Executive of NHS Berkshire East and Mark Lejman, Chair of BE CHS Executive Team were there to present the award winners with their certificates and trophies.

Productivity and Improvement Award

Shortlisted for the award were:

• Productive Series team: Saundra Hunt, Ruth Warburton, Anne Manuel and Elaine Cunningham
• Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Team
• Bracknell South Community Nursing Team

Berkshire East NHS Stop Smoking Team fought off some tough competition to take home the winning trophy for the Productivity and Improvement Award. The team has introduced a range of methods to improve accessibility to the service – including voluntarily working on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to reach potential quitters!

Caring at its Best

Shortlisted for the award were:

• Hazel Miall and Tracy Beckham, St Mark’s Day Hospital
• Nicky Wilson, Head of Long Term Conditions
• Jo Hampton, Community Nursery Nurse

The winner of the Caring at its Best award was Jo Hampton, who works in the Health Visiting team in Slough. Jo has helped many mothers in a community that has traditionally been hard to engage with and her support has been well received from the mothers. Her winning nomination contained many testimonials from mothers who felt they would be lost if it weren’t for Jo’s care. “When patients have taken the time to praise the service, it makes me very proud,” said Dr Lise Llewellyn.

Behind the Scenes

Shortlisted for the award were:

• Eileen Inns, Podiatry
• Teresa Halliburton, Looked After Children
• Caroline Neale, Training
• Jo Conti, Dietetics

Mark Lejman presented the Behind the Scenes Award to Eileen Inns for her work in supporting the podiatry team, continually making new suggestions on ways to improve the service, including a new produce that has seen appointment no shows fall dramatically.

Celebrating Long Service

Certificates were also presented to staff who have served 20 and 30 years in the NHS.

“The NHS has a history of long serving staff, many of whom spend their entire working life within it,” said Nancy Barber, who presented staff with their certificates. “ On behalf of Berkshire East Community Health Services, I’d like to thank those who have dedicated their careers to providing the best care and treatment to patients.”