Bay Health and Care Partners Stakeholder Newsletter Issue 3..png

Bay Health and Care Partners Stakeholder Newsletter Issue 3

1st September 2021

Welcome to the third edition of our Bay Health and Care Partners (BHCP) newsletter where we will update you every month on the collaborative work that is taking place in Morecambe Bay’s Integrated Care Partnership and the outcomes and benefits for communities. We're delighted to share with you that the full refurbishment of the Kentmere Ward based at Westmorland General Hospital is underway. The mental health in-patient unit, which is part of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft), is set to re-open in spring 2022. This is part of LSCft's ongoing commitment to widespread continuous improvement. You can read more about the refurbishment at LSCft’s website here.

In our last edition, we updated you that a business case to enhance stroke services across Lancashire and South Cumbria was approved at the Strategic Commissioning Committee and we are delighted that this work is moving forward. The collaborative partnership approach has seen patients, carers, national experts, commissioners, health and care staff, Stroke Association and community support groups identifying where stroke can be improved. The approach will ensure everyone has access to the same service wherever they live, will build on the existing stroke centres in our hospitals and will reduce variation. You can find out more about the work at the ICS website here.

You may have read that our North West Ambulance Service colleagues have received a rise in 999 calls in July and our emergency departments have seen and admitted more people than they did pre-COVID. Our partners in mental health, primary care and local care homes are also under pressure. To try and tackle this pressure on our services, partners are working together on an Urgent and Emergency Care Improvement Programme. This programme includes an ED specific programme and four other programmes that cover the system – pre-hospital, front door navigation, in-hospital and enhanced discharge. The programme has already seen many improvements including an integrated patient flow centre designed and built, the expansion of A&E departments at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital and a community frailty coordination hub. Through the programme partners are looking at expanding ambulatory care capacity, increasing primary care capacity around triage and the provision of mental health facilities. Whether you work in primary care, our hospitals or in the community, it’s really important that colleagues continue to respect each other’s roles and the pressure faced and that we continue to support each other during these hard times.

You may be aware that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently rated UHMBT as ‘Requires Improvement’ overall - with ‘good’ for care; ‘requires improvement’ for safety, effectiveness and responsiveness; and ‘inadequate’ for well-led. You can read the Trust’s response to the report at the UHMBT website here. The Trust will continue to work with its teams to make further changes and it has joined the National Recovery Support Programme to support it to deliver the safest and best care for its patients and families and better more sustainable services for the future. We look forward to sharing improvements from UHMBT in the coming months.

We would like to close by celebrating the fantastic approach by partners who developed the Morecambe Bay Hood. You can watch an insightful video about how the hood was developed at UHMBT’s YouTube channel here.

Dr Geoff Jolliffe and Prof Mike Thomas, Joint Chairs for BHCP

Partners Transforming Services 

Frailty coordination hub.jpgEvery month we will explore a different area of our programmes of work that are transforming services.

This month we explore the frailty coordination hub that is ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place.

You can read the full story at the BHCP website here.

Listening to our communities 

CancerCare logo.pngWe will listen to the voices of our communities and involve them in the development of services. Here we will highlight the work that is ongoing to engage with people across the Bay.

A research project has started in Morecambe Bay to identify the health needs of Gypsies and Travellers and the best way to improve early detection of cancer in particular, but also other health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes and access to health services. There are approximately 39,000 travellers living in the North West (approximately 1,900 living in Morecambe Bay).

The research has been led by Dr Patrice Van Cleemput, PHD, and CancerCare, who are working closely with a steering group of Gypsies and Travellers, and representatives from education, colleagues from the local Primary Care Networks and the wider health community.

The project has identified that there is a need for a clinical link worker (health visitor or nurse) to work with the Gypsy and Traveller community to build up trust, encourage them to attend their GP surgery earlier, support them at clinical appointments and improve health awareness. The steering group also hopes there will be opportunities to train Gypsies and Travellers as health trainers to deliver programmes in their communities on healthy eating, how to lose weight healthily and the best ways to exercise. A report is due to be published later this year and the steering group is applying for funding options for the posts.

GP focus with Dr Richard Russell

Dr Richard Russell.pngOur GPs are an important part of Bay Health Care Partners and here our GPs and primary care colleagues have the opportunity to talk about issues and specialties that they are working on or interested in.

This month, local GP Dr Richard Russell discusses how a HoloLen 2 headset is transforming care at Kendal Care Home. You can watch the video with Dr Russell at the BHCP YouTube site here. You can read the full story about HoloLens 2 at the BHCP website here.

The Spotlight on...

The Lighthouse.pngEvery month we will feature a different voluntary, community or faith sector organisation across the Bay.

This time the Spotlight is on…The Lighthouse Community Mental Health Hub. The Lighthouse is a mental health peer support charity, based in Kendal and serving the South Lakeland area of Cumbria.

You can read the full case study at the BHCP website under 'Third Sector' case studies here.

Celebrating our teams

Ann Cox.jpgThere are a variety of roles across BHCP and other organisations we work with in the community. Here we shine the spotlight on the people who carry out a range of roles to keep our communities healthy and supported.

Ann Cox is a Care Coordinator for Bay Integrated Care Community and Primary Care Network and has been in her role since April 2021.

Ann's role sees her working closely with health and social care providers and voluntary and Third Sector organisations to ensure people have the very best care and support in place. You can read more about Ann's role at 'Workforce case studies' at the BHCP website here.

Integrated Care Communities (ICCs) update

Lancaster Health Festival..pngOur Integrated Care Communities (ICCs) are integrated teams of health and care workers, voluntary organisations and wider community assets who work together to aim to improve physical and mental health outcomes, promote wellbeing and reduce health inequalities across an entire population. The fifth annual Lancaster Health Festival took place 29 July to 1 Aug 2021.

This year the Lancaster Health Festival returned to our fine city once again, celebrating and rediscovering the art of living via a series of online events and physically distanced activities.

You can read the full story at the BHCP website here. The latest editions of the ICCs newsletters can be read here.

Top stories from our Partners

Thank you for reading our latest edition!

This newsletter is produced by the BHCP Comms and Engagement Team. If you would like to submit a story please contact Michelle Jordan, Ivan Drozdov and Karen Evans at BHCP.Communcations@mbht.nhs.uk 

You can sign up for the newsletter here or send us any feedback on it here.

You can find a PDF version of this edition of the newsletter at the 'Bay Health and Care Partners Newsletters' section of the website by clicking here. 

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