East Midlands Ambulance Service to detail closures

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is set to announce which ambulance stations it plans to close as part of a reorganisation of its services.

The organisation wants to replace about 70 current stations in the region with 12 larger "hub stations".

It says the plan will help to improve response times after a series of disappointing figures.

But critics have argued reducing the number of stations could have a detrimental effect on patient care.

COULD YOU HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES?

 

The Care Plus Group Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) collaborative has been actively working in North East Lincolnshire to raise awareness of risk factors relating to coronary heart disease.

The collaborative particularly focus on trying to encourage people who have not already had blood pressure checks to have them by offering them in community settings.  Hypertension (high blood pressure) puts a strain on the heart and can lead to coronary heart disease.

So far this year, the team have tested almost 300 people and 30% of these have had a high blood pressure reading.  Heart disease often does not display any symptoms, but with early detection, individuals have been successfully and easily treated.

Martin Wakefield, Collaborative Project Manager at Care Plus Group, said:

“Coronary heart disease is the UK's biggest killer, with one in every four men and one in every six women dying from the disease. In the UK, approximately 300,000 people have a heart attack each year.

“By offering people free blood pressure checks we can identify if they may be potentially at risk from coronary heart disease and recommend a follow up appointment with their GP.”

The team will also be offering diabetes risk assessments, starting in the next few months.

Anyone wishing to join the team to help promote Coronary heart disease /diabetes or for further information about the collaborative please contact Julie Grimmer or Martin Wakefield on (01472) 232261/7 or email julie.grimmer@nhs.net / martin.wakefield@nhs.net

COAST GIVING AWAY UNION JACK PANTS IN RUN UP TO THE OLYMPICS

 

COAST, the local chlamydia screening programme for under 25’s, is joining the wave of patriotism sweeping the UK in the run up to the Olympics by giving away “Olympic” themed pants.

In a bid to get young people talking about sexual health and getting tested for chlamydia, specially commissioned union jack pants with the theme “Get your game on” are being given to young people who request and return a Freepost test kit via the COAST website.  The pants are the latest in a series of designer underwear aimed at getting young people to take a proactive approach to their sexual health.

Why South London Healthcare struggled

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News 

 When an NHS trust runs into financial difficulty it is normally because of one of three reasons - historic debt, not enough patients or costs it cannot control. 

All three in effect apply to South London Healthcare and can explain why it has become the first trust to be put on a formal warning that it could be declared bust.

The trust was only created in 2009 after the merger of three hospitals - the Princess Royal in Orpington, Queen Mary's in Sidcup and the Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich.

By this point each was already posting end-of-year deficits. The combined annual debt was £21m.

Money was spent on building a new hospital in Woolwich

Do you have a blue badge?

If you have a blue badge for disabled parking, be aware of the expiry date.   

In the past, reminders have been sent out when the badges are due to expire but this is no longer the case.  To avoid fines or being stuck without your badge, check the expiry date and make sure to renew it well in advance!

Wirral Hospital raises awareness of dementia and unveils its reminiscence pod.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital organised a Dementia Awareness event as part of its continued commitment to improve the care that patients with dementia receive. A new 'reminiscence pod' was on display during the event. The 1950s pop-up living room is designed to make elderly people with cognitive deficiencies like dementia feel more at ease in an unfamiliar location, such as the hospital. 

You can see more here.

West Marsh fun day hailed a huge success despite early funding setback

ORGANISERS of the annual Duke of York Gardens Community Day hailed this year's event a great success – just two months after saving it from oblivion.

As reported, West Marsh Forward announced in April that it could no longer afford to run the annual fun day.

Manning a stall: Jez O'Kane, Kerry Stores, Vicky Hardy and Liz Dugard, from LINk

But volunteers from community group Friends Of The Freshney stepped into the breach to ensure the event would go ahead.

And local residents turned out in numbers to enjoy the wide array of attractions, which included pony rides, a bouncy castle, a climbing wall, parkour and caged football.

Roy Laughton, from Friends Of The Freshney, said: "It's a pure community day for everybody to get together. We've had a few difficulties along the way but it's come together very well. We've had a great response from the public and I think everyone has enjoyed themselves."

"We know the organisers of the Festival Of Flight down the road have done a sterling job so we are very grateful to all those that have turned out to support us."

Fellow organiser Keith Watkin said: "It has come together in a really short time – six to eight weeks – and to get the response that we've had has been fantastic.

"The article in the Grimsby Telegraph was a great help and Asda has been really supportive. The great thing is that people are already asking us when the next one is going to be."

Sam Weston, a community life colleague for Asda, said the supermarket was planning to organise a similar event at the same venue in August.

She said: "Asda launched its Community Life Scheme in March and it is all about showing our support for the community.

"I was getting out and about and I spoke to Friends Of The Freshney who told me about what they were planning to do.

"I said I would support them in any way I could and I think the event has done really well considering the weather we've had in the week leading up to it.

"This year we've only got a little stand but in future years we are hoping to make the event bigger and better."

Neil Hutson, from Team Reality, which set up a parkour course for youngsters, said: "There's been a great response and all the kids have been having fun. The main reason we are here is to promote the fact that we have secured some funding for a parkour park on the other side of the football pitches.

"Most of the people we speak to think it's a great idea so hopefully we will have it ready by the end of the summer."

Sophie Brown, chief instructor at Cottagers Plot Equestrian Centre, which offered pony rides for youngsters, said: "We were here last year and it was so successful we came back for another year. "The ponies have been going all day, and there has been a continuous queue. It's been really popular.

"The children have enjoyed the ponies and all those who have paid for a ride today will get a free 20-minute taster session at the stables."

George Nicholson, of Hanover Gardens, said: "I have lived here for a year and a half so this is the second time I've been to the community day. It's a great event and I think it's really important we keep it.

"Everybody gets together."