NCVS On the HoofOctober 2016
Welcome to On the Hoof in October 2016
Wellbeing, health, and social care news
for people working in and with the voluntary sector in Newcastle and Gateshead
Newcastle Wellbeing and Health Open Forum
The Wellbeing and Health Open Forum is the way for the voluntary and community sectorto network,get involved and stay informed, with a focus on health, wellbeing, and social care. The Wellbeing and Health Open Forum meetsthree times a year, receives On the Hoof newsletter and tailored mailings, and is open to all Newcastle CVS member and associate member organisations.
The presentations from the September Forum including Newcastle Public HealthAnnual Report are on the Wellbeing and Health Open Forum drop down area, on
NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG
Great North Care Record
The Great North Care Record provides a summary of a person’s GP record, for thepatientthemselves and with their consent forotherNHS staff,but only when there is ongoing NHS care. If the person opts out of sharing their GP record, the NHS health professional cannot see it. Benefitsof the new system mean that NHS staff have quick access to up to date information and peopleshouldn’t have to repeat their story. For instance, NHS staff perhaps at A&E can check currentmedications even when the GP’s is closed.
The Great North Care Record system is called MIGwhich stands for Medical Interoperability Gateway, and is secure and encrypted. MIG has been tested in other areas, and has been operational in parts of Gateshead with limited sharing from January; it will be expanded to all of Gateshead and Newcastle starting from October. All adults aged 16 plus who have not opted out will be involved, and over time it will be regional.
What they say: comments from people already using the system
“After six months of the MIG, our wards are spending less time on administrative tasks and more time with patients. On average, we are spending 71% less time on the phone to GPs. It takes just three minutes to check drug history and allergies, which is a much safer way of giving care.” Craig Tilley, Lead Pharmacist, EPMA, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
“When a patient is unable to clearly communicate their medications to an Emergency Department physician or pharmacist, the MIG can save 20 minutes – for both the ED and the surgery – that would otherwise be spent checking primary care records. But the main thing is a significant safety improvement that cannot be underestimated.” Mark Thomas, Director of Health Informatics, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
An update about the Great North Care Record is going to Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board on 21 October. For the briefing paper and other committee papers visit the calendar of Gateshead Council meetings and then click or tap on the relevant meeting
How well does Newcastle Gateshead CCG engage with you?
Newcastle Gateshead NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (NGCCG) is keen to gather an understanding of how engagement with patients, public, carers, and voluntary and community sector organisations is perceived, how well they are doing and what needs to be improved. To find this out they are asking organisations that they regularly meet and work with, and existing groups in order to inform future approaches.
Please take ten minutes to complete our survey.
Closing date for the survey: 25 October at 3.00pm
Gateshead Local Engagement Board
27 October, 1.50pm to 3.30pm at Gateshead civic Centre
Gateshead Local Engagement Board is an opportunity to share your views with NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG and find out about health care developments in Gateshead. This meeting will include an update from Jane Mulholland, Director for Transformation and Delivery. To register for a place contact Jayne Lofthouse.
Call 0191 217 2807 Email
Shape how NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG engages with you
21 November, 10.00am to 4.00pm at The Lancastrian Suite, Dunston, Gateshead
Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group (NGCCG) invites you to share and develop ideas on how we can more effectively communicate and engage with groups and communities in our area. Over the summer, we’ve been learning about the existing groups we have across Newcastle and Gateshead; how they’re structured, how they operate, who attends them and how they engage with us. These groups include patient and community groups and local engagement and involvement forums. We’d like to share with you and get your feedback on what we’ve observed, listen to your ideas on how we learn from and improve what’s currently in place and how we can communicate and engage more effectively in the future. Please book your place by Wednesday 9 November by emailing
Please also let us know if you have any specific communication support needs and/or dietary requirements.
NHS matters
Health and Wealth – Closing the Gap in the North East
Health and Wealth – Closing the Gap in the North East’ is the report of the joint North East Combined Authority (NECA) and NHS Commission for Health and Social Care Integration which was published on 11 October. The ten recommendations to tackle poor health and poverty cover:
- Radically increasing spend on prevention which would include the establishment of a dedicated, cross-system prevention fund and including action to tackle inequalities in all policy decisions
- Providing a much greater focus on supporting people to get back to work after illness, including developing a training programme for Primary Care Staff, enhancing local services for people with mental health conditions to avoid sickness absence, and encouraging employers to improve to workplace wellbeing
- Health and care leaders looking beyond the interests of their own organisations to ensure that funding is used most effectively to support health and wellbeing
- Bringing together local authorities, NHS organisations and the community and voluntary sector through new governance arrangements to drive forward these recommendations
To find out more about the Commission, its steering group, and for the full report and its Executive Summary visit the NECA website:
Gateshead adult learning disability service
Gateshead adult learning disability service moved on 10 October from Monkton Hospital part of South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust to Bensham Hospital, Gateshead part of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
Services, care and support, and staff have all stayed the same but there is a new phone numberand email address for referrers: call 0191 478 0650 oremail
New in the VCS
VCS reps report: Newcastle Wellbeing for Life Board
Brendan Hill reports on the Board held on 4 October
Papers and presentation on
Discussion items
- Eugene Milne (Director of Public Health) highlighted a proposed future model for the Board’s focus to ensure it is more meaningful; i.e. getting the balance between shaping strategy and ‘business’.
Point made by Nick and VCS reps that whilst the general structure/proposals were good, care must be taken to include VCS viewpoints on key issues such as Health and Social Care integration and should not be left to Accountable Officers in statutory organisations. General support for his proposals.
- Annual reports from the Children’s and Adults Safeguarding Boards. Safeguarding across the life course overview provided. Challenges prioritised are sexual exploitation, the role and functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and the transition of key themes into Adult Safeguarding. Voluntary sector involvement noted.
- ‘Joint review of partnerships and investment in voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the health and care sector’ report presented – Brendan and Sally Young highlighted that the majority of the recommendations proposed supported the principle espoused by the Board on joint working with and valuing the sector. General support across the Board membership for the paper and it’s proposals.
- Sally provided update on the Compact and invited those statutory orgs that have not signed up to do so i.e. Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Trust (NuTH), North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS); NEAS willing to follow up the conversation.
- Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) update from Joe Corrigan (CCG). Questions raised on the lack of involvement of wider partnership/stakeholders outside of CCG/NHS orgs. The NHS prescribed process and timetable has meant that a very broad outline will have to be submitted this month, with wider consultation and public engagement from November onwards.
VCS reps report: Gateshead Children’s TrustBoard
Pam Jobbins reports on the meeting held on 21 September
For the papers visit the calendar of Gateshead Council meetings and then click or tap on the September Children’s Trust Board
The Children’s Trust Board for a review and development session, which was very positive. Board members would like to develop better links with more voluntary and community groups in Gateshead. The Chair is Cllr Angela Douglas; the new Interim Strategic Director is Sheila Lock.
Alice Wiseman Director of Public Health set out public health issues (such as 92% immunisation rate – which is not high enough). The meeting found that key challenges were: early intervention and prevention; not working in silos; increasing collaboration especially to realise savings; involving all partners including the CCG; changes to come such as universal credit and housing allowance for under 35’s; system issues that might be behind a high use of A&E (12,500 attendances by children aged 0 – 4) rather than GP surgeries.
It was agreed to develop governance options for the next meeting in November and to focus on doing, problem solving ‘wicked issues’ looking from the child’s view of the journey, such as going to A&E and waiting for several hours…
Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) use and its consequences event
3 November, 12.45pm to 4.30pm at The Core, Science Central, Newcastle
Novel Psychoactive Substances (also known as 'legal highs' or NPS) are popular across most of the UK. However, the speed of change in this drug market and an increase in reported associated harms means that they are of concern to local, regional and national bodies.
Fuse: The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, linking research, universities, and public health across the north east bring this half day event to present emerging research around the area of NPS and connect with best practice across different service providers. The focus will be on the impact of NPS on the police service, the toxicology of NPS, and the effects on service users and providers. Challenges and future directions will be discussed at this event.
Further information plus details on how to register can be found atNPS Flyer.
A programme for this event can be found atNPS Programme
Consultations and service reviews: Newcastle and Gateshead
Newcastle City Council budget 2017 to 2018
Newcastle City Council launched the consultationon 4 October about its budget for 2017 to 2018 and the£30 million in cuts and savings that need to be made next year. The City Council expects to have to make £20 million in cuts in each of the following years as well. There are 16 papers outlining currentservices to clients, proposed cuts, likely impacts, and setting out what is proposed in mitigation, including
- Crisis response and homeless prevention: £1.05 million cut to VCS providers out of current £3.89 million net budget(gross budget £4.23 million)
- Care and protection of children: assessments: £624,000out of current £9.9 million net budget(gross budget £10.65 million) cut reducing workforce by 4% (11 FTE) through social care remodelling
- Care and protection of children: safe place to live: £1.09 million cut out of £19.38 current million net budget (gross budget £20 million) through work to reduce demand, enhance in-house fostering, and in-house residential care
- Care and support for adults early intervention and prevention: £617,000 cut out of current £13.15 million net budget(gross budget £24.58 million) by more use of My Equipment Newcastle which is digital access for aids and equipment for lower levels of need; closer working with health; review eligibility for ‘social’ equipment and minor adaptations; continuing to implement strict national eligibility thresholds providing services only for people with the highest level of need; a cut of £150,000 by changing the way support is provided to carers
- Continuing care for adults complex or multiple needs: £2.71 million cut out of current £61 million net budget (gross budget £101 million) by significanttransformational change including in-house day opportunities for people with autism; alternatives to day centres for other people; extra care to offer alternatives to residential care; flexible support and care plans based on real life fluctuating need
- Kenton Park and Newburn Leisure Centres: £216,890 cut, 100% of existing one year grant while sustainable business plan developed. Likely impact on current provision of specialist sessions for older people anddisabled people
- Health improvement for ethnic minorities and migrant communities: £136,446 cut out of £247,100 budget by changing direct one to one support and delivery by VCS and NHS to training provision for professionals to provide equitable access in their agencies, and support and advice for professionals on BME health needs
For the full detail visit
Closing date for the consultation: 31 December
Newcastle City Council has produced a budget calculator to help make choices and cuts of £30 million to produce a balanced budget. Visit
Proposed Changes to Charging and Financial Assessment for Adult Care and Support Services in Gateshead
Income from charges for social care and support helps to help pay for Adult Care and Support Services. Gateshead Council aims to be transparent, consistent and fair when setting charges. TheCouncil is consulting on three proposed changes to the Charging Policy: to charge depending on the number of care workers required (with a limit); to remove the maximum cap on the weekly charge of £205 and use the amount calculated in the personal statement care plan; to reduce the Disability Related Expenditure allowance from £20.60 to £15 per week. For more information and to take part visit
Closing date for the consultation:13 December
Proposed Changes to Gateshead's Local Council Tax Support Scheme from 1 April 2017
Gateshead Council annual review of the Council Tax Support Scheme, which helps people on low incomes pay their Council Tax. Residents, local organisations and community groups are invited to give their views on the proposed changes, though a survey. For more information and to take part in the survey visit:
Closing date for the consultation: 10November
Nationalnews and consultations
Transforming our Justice System consultation
In September the Ministry of Justice opened a consultation to change the way courts and tribunal operate. Proposal include changes to the membership of tribunal panels such as removing the medical member and lay member in Mental Health Review Tribunals; reducing face to face access to panels such as the DLA; increasing out of court processes to support victims and others intimidated by courts; more online access such as digital Power of Attorney applications; and processes that will reduce the use of courts by resolving cases. Views are asked about digital facilities, online convictions and fixed fines, and the composition of tribunal panels.
Visit
Direct for the consultation paper
Closing date for comment: 27 October
Wellbeing – compare by local authority and over 5 years
The latest stats from Office of National Statistics (ONS) on personal wellbeing for local authorities across the UK have been released. There are Personal Wellbeing interactive maps for the last five years. Whilst there is some variation the range in both Newcastle and Gateshead remain in the 7 out 10 scale. Gateshead moves up from 7.29 to 7.66; Newcastle moves down from 7.53 to 7.42.
As well as interactive maps which can track wellbeing in your area over the last five years, there is a tool that lets you compare wellbeing in up to five local areas. An easy and fun way to look at the data.
Safeguarding matters
Adult Safeguarding – can you tell us about your work?
Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB) would like to hear from voluntary and community organisations about safeguarding adults – to identify your good practice, where you might want more support, and challenges you might bring in safeguarding adults. It really matters that you help, to inform NSAB priorities for next year. Please complete this survey; your answers are important and will be confidential.
Closing date for the survey: 28 October
If you have any questions or would like any further information please contact James Steward, Interim Service Development Lead (NSAB), Call 0191 278 8156