Immunisation figures are in need of a boost

PARENTS in North East Lincolnshire are being urged to check their children's vaccinations are up to date before school starts next week.

Last year, only 85 per cent of children in the borough had their pre-school boosters – 10 per cent below the World Health Organisation's recommendation.

GET YOUR JABS: Raj Medical Centre GP partner Dr Marcia Pathak wants to encourage parents to bring their children in for vaccinations, as uptake in the area is alarmingly low. Picture: Abby Ruston

Now health experts within the NHS are calling on parents to help reduce the risk of childhood diseases such as mumps and measles spreading.

Group reminds local ladies of importance of cervical screening

AS EASTENDERS character Tanya Branning comes to terms with being diagnosed with cervical cancer, local ladies are being reminded of the importance of cervical screening.

The North East Lincolnshire Cancer Collaborative is hosting a series of events to raise awareness of the importance of smear tests in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Hospital offers free parking to cancer patients

CANCER patients have been given a lift thanks to a decision by hospital chiefs to scrap parking charges for the seriously ill.

From next Thursday, there will be free parking for certain categories of patients, particularly cancer patients and those having to attend Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital regularly.

GCSEs: Pressure of exams leaves teens suffering from mental illness

The pressure of the GCSE results will lead to an increase in the number of young people suffering from mental health problems, a leading charity has warned.

Pressure of exams leaves teens suffering from mental illness 

Record numbers of students, aged 16-18, have already sought professional advice ahead of their exam results.

Lucie Russell from YoungMinds, a charity which helps young people with mental health issues, said: "Every year we get calls from parents asking for advice on how to help their children cope with exam stress.

Phone-users choose app-y way to right health care

CHOOSING the correct way of receiving health care is now as easy as picking up your phone – as more than 2,000 patients in Yorkshire and Humber have already discovered for themselves.

They have downloaded a Smartphone application, which gives users the names and addresses of their nearest A&E department, GP, NHS walk-in centre, dentist, 8 to 8 clinic, sexual health service or pharmacy as well as first aid and emergency advice and reminders about health appointments and medication.

Suicide is painful for depressed to raise with family

ONE in three people would not talk to anyone if they were feeling suicidal, new research has suggested.

The survey, carried out for the Samaritans by YouGov, found that 37 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women would not confide in someone if they felt driven to kill themselves.

COMMUNICATION: One in three people would not talk to anyone if they were feeling suicidal, new research has suggested.

Poor diets and cigarettes are county's killers

THIS year's English Public Health Observatories health profile shows the borough's health is "generally worse than the national average" across key areas of public health.

Overall, it shows there are 9,230 children living in poverty, life expectancy for men and women is lower then average, 21.5 per cent of Year-6 schoolchildren are obese and levels of teenage pregnancy and tooth decay in children are worse than the national average.

Fundraising bear finds a home

Your LINk has been working hard to raise funds for their Older People's DVD, an idea spearheaded by Governing Body member Sylvia Leary to raise awareness of the many Older People's services available in North East Lincolnshire. 

Following on from their success with their young people's DVD 'Speak Up!', the DVD will have chapters focusing on the different types of services that are currently being provided for Older People.

Monthly meeting

Our August meeting is  2-4pm today, at Corpus Christi Community Centre and will feature two guest speakers.  

Mark Green from East Midlands Ambulance Service will give his talk on 'A Day in the Life of a Paramedic' and Gill Franklin will explain her new role as Older People's Floating Support Worker.

Shoreline's Big Day Out

On Friday 12th August, the LINk attended Shoreline's Big Day Out. 

It was a fantastic day hosted by Shoreline Housing Partnership with painting sessions, a Climbing Wall, firemen and a wide and varied range of stalls bringing their services and information to everyone who attended.

HealthWatch Pathfinder Press Release

Press Release re: Pathfinder HealthWatch

The Local Involvement Network (LINk) Volunteers and staff believe this is an exciting opportunity to work in partnership with our Local Authority.  LINk is a statutory organisation that enables individuals, organisations and the community to have their say about health and social care. LINk is hosted by Voluntary Action North East Lincolnshire (VANEL)

HealthWatch Pathfinder

North East Lincolnshire Local Involvement Network has officially been awarded Pathfinder Status for HealthWatch!

Watch this space for more news as it breaks.

Health experts moved by plight of hospital

FROM Grimsby to Macedonia ... our health experts may soon be helping people living in south eastern Europe.

Two managers from the NAViGO health and social care community interest company – the organisation which manages mental health services in North East Lincolnshire – have recently returned from a fact-finding trip to the Balkan peninsula.

HOSPITAL VISIT: Mike Reeve, second left, and John Ogden, centre, with the staff at the Demir Kapija hospital, the largest mental health institution in Macedonia.