Wellbeing

Quit with E-cigarettes

9 October 2017 0 Comments

E-cigarettes are a great way to help combat nicotine cravings and carry a fraction of the risk of cigarettes.

An e-cigarette is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine through vapour rather than smoke. E-cigarettes come in a variety of models and work by heating a solution that typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine, and flavourings. E-cigarette vapour doesn’t contain tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke. Using an e-cigarette isn’t completely risk-free, but it carries a small fraction of the risk of smoking and can help you quit.

E-cigarettes are particularly effective when combined with support from local stop smoking services – people who choose this route have some of the highest quitting success rates. E-cigarettes aren’t currently available on NHS prescription, but they can be bought in vape shops, pharmacies and other retail outlets.

Is it right for you?

Speak to your GP, pharmacist, find out more on the Smokefree website, or

Contact Local stop smoking services for free advice and support
By telephone on 0300 123 1220,
fill in an online form,
text ‘quit’ to 87023,
or call at the One You Shop in Park Mall Ashford

Finance, Health, News, Wellbeing

Stopping adult abuse

9 October 2017 0 Comments

Stop Adult AbuseAdult abuse is everyone’s business and this Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week (9-13 October), residents of Kent and Medway are urged to ‘See It, Report It, Stop It’.

Following our multi-agency reviews of cases, which help organisations to learn lessons and improve practice, we have particularly highlighted issues relating to neglect and self-neglect and so have agreed that our theme for this year’s campaign is “Respect not Neglect”.

Abuse comes in many forms and may include physical, psychological, financial or material, such as consumer scams, sexual abuse, neglect, modern slavery, self-neglect, hate crimes and discrimination, and domestic violence. (more…)

Crime, News, Wellbeing

All the support you need to quit

7 October 2017 0 Comments

From the free app and daily emails, to face-to-face expert support and much more – PHE One You have got loads of support to help you quit, so choose the combination that’s right for you.

Read more at https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober/home

Health, News, Wellbeing

Alternative Place of Safety Workshops

26 September 2017 0 Comments

East Kent Mental Health: Alternative Place of Safety Workshops

The East Kent Mental Health team are starting a new project looking at an adult, out of hours, therapeutic alternative place of safety (APoS) for east Kent residents experiencing mental health distress. We are inviting you to attend a workshop to get your views and ideas on what an Alternate Place of Safety in east Kent would look like, how it would operate and by whom.

Information, views and ideas gathered at these workshops will be used to develop an options paper on APoS for the East Kent Care Crisis Concordat steering group.

Ashford; date to be confirmed (to be mid October) 5 – 7pm Venue: Tesco Extra community room, Crooksfoot, Hythe Road, Wilesborough, Ashford, TN24 0YE

If you are interested in attending the workshop click the link here! https://goo.gl/forms/lRSJpYl60nBV3EIa2 (this will open up a google form)

These workshops will be run by Louise Piper and Sarah Parker from the East Kent Mental Health Team. If you can not access the booking form and would like a paper copy sent through or have other questions, please email: EKmentalhealth.commissioning@nhs.net

Consultation, Health, News, Security, Wellbeing

Free Parenting After Separation Workshops

21 September 2017 0 Comments

Kent Family Mediation Service are offering Parenting After Separation Workshops.  These workshops are free for separated parents living in Kent. The workshops will help separated parents learn to communicate with each other better, will help them to deal with the impact of their separation on their children and improve the situation for their children. Parents attend separate workshops and if one parent doesn’t  attend their workshop, the other parent can still attend theirs. To book a place on the workshop, please email Karen at contact@kentfms.co.uk

Children, News, Wellbeing

Your health services in east Kent

10 August 2017 0 Comments

Local people have been having their say on plans to improve health services in east Kent at listening events in Canterbury, Ashford, Deal, Broadstairs and Romney Marsh in the last few weeks.

In east Kent we are looking at how we could better organise hospital services. An emerging plan for how we could do this across our three main hospital sites in Canterbury, Margate and Ashford has been developed by senior hospital doctors, local GPs and health and social care leaders.

The listening events are part of our ongoing conversation with local people about improving patient care, both in and out of hospital, and build on similar events in February.

Around 750 people attended the February/March and Summer events and raised important questions and shared valuable feedback, which will help shape the evolving proposals as part of the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

At the events people heard from local GPs about plans to bring more care closer to home – with  teams of health and social care professionals based around groups of GP surgeries – which will provide more joined-up services locally, helping people to stay well for longer and only come to hospital when it’s really needed. Watch here and view the presentation.

Dr David Hargroves, Consultant Stroke Lead for East Kent Hospitals, outlined how hospital services could be provided differently in future to improve care and outcomes for patients, which included providing specialist care from a single expert team, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (which doesn’t always happen now), instead of stretching services across all sites. Watch here.

(more…)

Health, News, STP, Wellbeing

What’s the model?

6 August 2017 0 Comments

We all want health and social care services that can meet our needs now and in the future.  However, health, social and public health services face new challenges that mean they need to change the way hey work to improve care and get better value for the money that is available.

Find out more about the Case for Change and the emerging Sustainability and Transformation plan that will set out the strategy for dealing with the challenges that face health, social and public health services visit:

Transforming health and social care in Kent and Medway website
http://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/ and

Better health and care in east Kent website
http://eastkent.nhs.uk/

#KMlistens

Health, News, STP, STP, Wellbeing

The case for change: recruitment

5 August 2017 0 Comments

There are real challenges
recruiting enough GPs and practice nurses

We all want health and social care services that can meet our needs now and in the future. However, health, social and public health services face new challenges that mean they need to change the way they work to improve care and get better value for the money that is available.

To find out more about the Case for Change and the emerging Sustainability and Transformation plan that will set out the strategy for dealing with the challenges that face health, social and public health services visit:

Transforming health and social care in Kent and Medway website
http://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/ and

Better health and care in east Kent website
http://eastkent.nhs.uk/

#KMlistens

Health, News, STP, STP, Wellbeing

The case for change: ‘bed blocking’

4 August 2017 0 Comments

Evidence shows that every day
around 1,000 people in Kent and Medway
are in a hospital bed when they no longer need to be

We all want health and social care services that can meet our needs now and in the future.  However, health, social and public health services face new challenges that mean they need to change the way they work to improve care and get better value for the money that is available.

To find out more about the Case for Change and the emerging Sustainability and Transformation plan that will set out the strategy for dealing with the challenges that face health, social and public health services visit:

Transforming health and social care in Kent and Medway website
http://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/ and

Better health and care in east Kent website
http://eastkent.nhs.uk/

#KMlistens

Health, News, STP, STP, Wellbeing