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NHS Constitution: 10 Year Review
The NHS Constitution sets out the principles, values, rights and pledges underpinning what our health service is about; free care when you need it, accessible to all.
Now, the NHS needs your input to help redefine and strengthen these fundamental principles for the years ahead.
Ready to Make a Difference?
You can share your feedback and suggestions online by completing the survey at: https://tinyurl.com/4myw6yde
The survey is easy and accessible and is open to everyone. The consultation period closes at 11.59pm on Tuesday the 25th of June 2024.
Communication and Engagement Team
NHS Kent and Medway
Maidstone Road Surgery Rainham, including Upchurch Surgery.
Change to Upchurch Surgery Opening Hours
For one day only, there will be a change to the usual Upchurch Surgery opening hours on Wednesday the 15th of May 2024.
The surgery will be open between 9:00am and 1:00pm instead. Therefore, there will be no usual afternoon surgery appointments available on this day.
Spring Covid Booster Vaccinations
The NHS is now inviting patients aged 75 or over to receive their spring Covid booster.
If you are housebound, a nurse will come to your home to vaccinate you. The surgery will likely have already contacted you to discuss this.
Patients are already receiving Emails about the vaccination if they are eligible. The vaccination is available until the 30th of June 2024.
Do you use the Patient Transport Service?
If the answer is yes, NHS Kent & Medway would like to hear from you!
The Non-emergency patient transport service is a planned transport service provided by the NHS to help take patients with a medical need for transport to and from hospitals and medical centres that provide NHS healthcare.
The current service is reaching the end of its contract and NHS Kent & Medway need as many views as possible to help shape and design a new service for the next provider.
Tell them what your experience of the service has been, what your views are of the service and how you feel that patient transport can be improved in Kent & Medway.
The survey closes on the 29th of April 2024.
They would also like you to join their Patients Panel. The panel will help commissioners to understand the service from a user’s point of view and to support the project team in choosing a new provider.
If you are interested in coming on this journey, please leave your details on the survey or alternatively contact Aby at: kmicb.engage@nhs.net
Upchurch Matters
Maidstone Road Surgery Rainham, including Upchurch Surgery.
Flu Vaccinations
964 (over 6yrs) plus 381 from at-risk groups took up the offer and had the Flu vaccination.
Shingles Vaccinations
There is currently a drive within the practice to have those eligible to receive their Shingles vaccination.
Health Checks
The nursing staff will be carrying out diabetes, blood pressure, medical reviews, asthma and COPD checks.
If you are due for one of these checks and have not been contacted, please contact the Surgery.
Maidstone Road Surgery Rainham, including Upchurch Surgery.
Upchurch Surgery will be closed on Christmas Day, Monday the 25th of December 2023, and New Year's Day, Monday the 1st of January 2024. Otherwise, the usual opening hours apply.
Ray Kemsley
Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
To help meet the financial challenge Kent County Council is facing, the Community Warden service has been asked to reduce its annual budget by £1 million by 2024-25.
To achieve this level of savings, the council will need to redesign the service.
• The current Community Warden service, including what it does and how it operates.
• Why KCC is proposing to make changes and how they have developed their proposals.
• The proposed changes to the service and details of other options that have been considered.
The proposals presented in the consultation have been developed with information from service users and input from staff and partners.
Most of the service’s £2.4 million budget provides the salaries of community wardens. To reduce the service budget by the required £1 million, staffing reductions are needed. In summary, KCC is proposing to:
• Redesign the service, ensuring there is a core Community Warden presence across the county, with teams covering 2 districts.
• Reduce the service by 32 warden posts and 2 management posts.
• Retain the remit and community-based way the service currently works but cover fewer communities.
• Use data and information to identify where to place wardens for the most impact.
The service is currently structured with: • 70 wardens, including 6 team leaders.
• 2 area managers.
• 1 volunteer and apprenticeship scheme manager.
• 1 business coordinator.
Have your say!
Before any decisions are made, the council wants to hear your views on:
• How the proposed reductions and approach to allocating wardens could impact you.
• Any additional information that you think they need to consider.
• Any alternative suggestions for how the service could make the savings.
• The assumptions they have made in the draft Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA)
Please read the Consultation document first before completing the online questionnaire below.
The council is keen to hear your views on its proposals and how any changes may affect you and your family.
You can answer all or as many of the questions as you like. If you would rather not provide feedback on a section or question, just move on to the next one.
The consultation closes on Tuesday the 3rd of October 2023.
Ray KemsleyChair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
What actually is an athlete?
NSD Runners believes an athlete is anyone who laces up their trainers, has a desire to move and most importantly has fun whilst doing it!
So to encourage more people to join our local community of athletes, NSD Runners is inviting anyone who wants to start their journey as an athlete to our “Armchair to Athlete” running session on Mondays, 6:15pm at Upchurch Scout HQ, Oak Lane, ME9 7BN.
The aim of the session will be to help anyone who wants to start running for the first time, or to get back to running after a break and/or to help everyone build up their distance and reach whatever running goal they may have.
We are an all inclusive community running group and welcome everyone to come along and start their own athlete’s journey!
NSD Runners
Review of health services in Sittingbourne
NHS Kent and Medway are asking people living in Sittingbourne and surrounding neighbourhoods to give their views about community health services.
This important appraisal is so we better understand how the population feels about access to current local NHS services.
We would like to hear from you about your experience of travelling to and from community health service appointments, outpatient appointments and the Urgent Treatment Centre / Minor Injury Unit appointments.
Please complete the survey at the link below and tell us your thoughts. In addition to gathering patients' views, we plan to speak to community groups across the Sittingbourne area.
The survey closes at 9:00am on Monday 26th June 2023.
Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions.
NHS Kent and Medway
Maidstone Road Surgery Rainham, including Upchurch Surgery.
Extended Surgery Opening Hours
Opening hours for the entire practice have been extended on Tuesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm and will be offered to all patients at the Rainham surgery only.
Physio at Parkwood Health Centre
Physio can be booked through the surgery now without seeing the doctor.
Podiatry at Rainham Healthy Living Centre
Podiatry can be booked through the surgery now without seeing the doctor.
Missed Appointments - Non-attendance
The number of missed appointments at both surgeries between January and March 2023 totalled 138.
52 appointments were missed in March alone, 4 with a GP and 48 with a nurse.
Each appointment with the nurse is 30 minutes. Therefore, 24 hours were wasted, during one month, which is very costly to the practice.
If you cannot attend your appointment, please contact the surgery so staff can book in another patient - Thank you.
Website
Ray Kemsley
Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
More than a million people will be eligible for a spring Covid-19 jab in the south east, as the NHS begins to roll out the next phase of the vaccination programme.
People aged 75 and over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents, will be eligible. This follows advice from the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation.
The first appointments are available from 17th April.
Text messages and letters will be sent to those eligible.
The last spring vaccination appointments will be offered on 30th June.
Timeline:
• 17th April: The NHS will begin to vaccinate eligible members of the public in the spring booster campaign.
• 5th May: Last chance to get a first dose to receive full primary course during spring for not-at-risk adults aged 18 and over.
• 29th June: The last date for the public to book spring boosters.
• 30th June: The last date for the public to get vaccinated outside of seasonal booster campaigns.
Upchurch Matters
Emergency Alerts
A national test of public Emergency Alerts will take place at 3:00pm on Sunday the 23rd of April 2023, bringing the UK in line with other countries such as the US and Canada who already use the system.
Emergency Alerts enable urgent messages to be broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such as fires, severe flooding or extreme weather.
The alerts system will see people receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent and vibration for up to 10 seconds. Your phone may even read out the alert. If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals should let you know you have an emergency alert.
Emergency Alerts will only be sent by the emergency services, government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies. The government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert.
Emergency Alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media. If you do not have a compatible device, you’ll still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services have other ways to warn you when there is a threat to life.
The system will be used very rarely - only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives - so people may not receive an alert for months or years.
The Test
For the test, the public does not need to take any action.
The sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds.
All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen - just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification - and continue to use their phone as normal.
You can find out further information on Emergency Alerts, including what they look and sound like at: www.gov.uk/alerts
Upchurch Matters
Get the right treatment when you need it.
Patients in Kent and Medway can now use an app to view waiting times at NHS urgent treatment centres (UTCs) and minor injury units (MIUs).
The WaitLess app will help patients who have decided to go to a UTC or MIU make an informed choice about which site to visit.
The app displays the number of people waiting and the longest waiting times, along with travel information, so patients can decide to visit a site that is not so busy.
Kate Langford, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Kent and Medway, said:
“I would always advise patients to contact NHS 111 first if they are not sure where to go or what service they need.
"NHS 111 will continue to offer booked appointments at our urgent treatment centres, where needed.
“However, we know some people decide to go straight to our UTCs without contacting NHS 111 first, and this app will help them find UTCs that are not as busy, where the wait is potentially less.
“Kent and Medway has more than a dozen UTCs and MIUs. By checking the waiting times before they travel, patients can choose which one they go to when they have an urgent medical issue.”
Download the NHS app to access a range of services from your phone or tablet.
More information about using the right health service is available at www.stopthinkchoose.co.uk The site also includes a map of all pharmacies in the county. Pharmacists are trained professionals who can help with a wide range of common health issues.
Upchurch Matters
An event for anyone that is affected by dementia or anyone whose work involves caring for or spending time with someone who has dementia.
Kent Dementia Action Alliance
Text Messaging - Online Consultations - Video Consultations
We wish to hear from patients in Kent and Medway as to their future requirements for using digital technology in primary care services.
Over the last couple of years, NHS Kent and Medway have rolled out several digital healthcare solutions to primary care, some in response to the Covid pandemic. These were put in place to allow GP practices to continue to deliver healthcare to you in very difficult circumstances.
We are starting to review these digital healthcare solutions and are seeking your views on the use of text messaging, online consultations and video consultations in primary care. This is to understand how you currently use these to access care from your GP practice and how the features and functions support you and meet your needs over the next 3 years.
There are 4 sections to this survey focusing on each technology and a free text section for your comments.
The patient survey should take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
The survey will close at 9:00am on Wednesday the 1st of March 2023.
Please complete the survey at >> http://bit.ly/3m6oQBT
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey.
Katie Blissett
NHS Kent and Medway
From Monday the 27th of February, Sheppey and Sittingbourne Minor Injury Units will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm every day.
While our hours are changing, the reasons you can come and see us are still the same.
You can see us for urgent care if you have:
■ minor illness (including possible chest, urinary, eye, ear, skin or throat infection)■ fractures, bumps or grazes, strains or sprains
■ abscesses, bites, burns, scalds, cuts or wounds
■ removal of objects from ears or nose
■ emergency contraception
■ minor head injuries (with no loss of consciousness)
■ small eye injuries or objects in the eye (but not in the eyeball).
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
The doors to our Warmer Place at Upchurch Village Hall will be open to everyone again on Friday the 13th of January, between 11:00am and 1:00pm.
The heating will be on 🔥The kettle will be on ☕️
The toaster will be on 🍞
There will be hot drinks, snacks and cuppa soups 🥣 🫖
And everything is free thanks to the generosity of the Village Hall Management Committee, Upchurch's Co-op and a grant from Swale Borough Councillor Richard Palmer.
Bring a friend and stay warm without worrying about the cost!
There will be a warm welcome and some great company waiting for you.
Hosted by St Mary's and Uplift.
Gill Gay
Maidstone Road Surgery Rainham, including Upchurch Surgery.
Changes to Upchurch Surgery Opening Hours over Christmas and New Year
Upchurch Surgery will be closed on Monday the 26th of December 2022, and Monday the 2nd of January 2023. Otherwise, the usual opening hours apply.
Covid and Flu Vaccinations
Covid and Flu vaccinations are going well. Patients should contact the Rainham Surgery if they have not been called in for their vaccinations yet.
Patients that use a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone are requested to use Patient Access to order their repeat prescriptions.
Collecting Medication
If you are collecting medication from Upchurch, please write the word 'Upchurch' in the box at the bottom, and submit your requests at some point over the weekend prior to the week you require your medication. Thank you.
Blood Test Results
Ray Kemsley
Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
Southern Water provides £98m support to cut costs and fight the corner for thousands of customers facing a cost of living crisis.
• Boosting minimum bill discounts for 104,000 households from 20% to 45%
• Bill discounts of up to 90% for those customers in greater need
• Funding warm spaces and fighting hardship for communities
Southern Water is providing a £98m package of support for customers to combat the cost-of-living crisis, which is disproportionately hitting the most vulnerable households hardest, across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Coming to the aid of people facing financial hardship, we will boost the minimum discount on bills offered to 104,000 households, from 20% to 45%, whilst adding another 21,000 households to that number, offering these customers at least an average annual saving of £200 on a dual service bill. The support will also continue to help customers that are in greater need, to access bill discounts of up to 90%.
Katy Taylor, Chief Customer Officer at Southern Water, said:
“While Christmas excitement may be growing for many families in our region, we know that there will be lots who are worried about how they will afford it and also pay for their heating and other bills.
“As water is an essential service that people cannot live without, we believe it is critical that we support thousands of vulnerable households in our region who need a break.
“Our customers live in the same communities as our colleagues and their families, people we speak to and serve every day. We are in an extremely fortunate position where we can help, which is why we have put together a package worth £98m to support customers who need help, until 2025.
“I would urge anyone who needs help to reach out and we will do everything we can to support you.”
To help those facing the challenge around rising food and energy costs, Southern Water is also giving out 20 community centre energy grants of £1,000 each this winter to ensure community hubs and spaces can stay open and stay warm, supporting around 6,000 people each week to continue to attend foodbanks, befriender cafes, support groups, and wellbeing classes.
Meanwhile, Southern Water teams are working closely with many organisations who have direct contact with customers struggling financially, such as the Citizens Advice, Job Centres and Food Banks, running face-to-face support surgeries with customers. The funding is also providing a £30 food voucher to around 3,700 families in West Sussex as part of a Free School Meals initiative.
Michael Barnes, Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:
“This will be a tough winter financially for many households so we’re really pleased to see Southern Water stepping up its efforts to help customers who are currently struggling to pay their water bill.
“With so much focus on energy costs, it’s often overlooked that about 1 in 5 households currently struggle to pay their water bills. There are many ways to get help with your bill and we’d urged anyone with money worries to reach out and ask for support from their water company.”
Southern Water will be making this change as simple as possible, with bill discounts being automatically applied to essentials tariff customers by April 2023. Anyone who is not on an existing discount tariff but thinks they may be entitled to discounts on their bills can complete an online form on the Southern Water website, where they can also find out information about community grants and further support.
If customers do have questions about bills or need help they can contact us for free on: 0800 027 0363 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm).
Southern Water
People struggling to feed their families and pay their bills could be eligible for more support this Winter.
Swale Borough Council has received more than £250,000 from Kent County Council’s (KCC) Household Support Fund to help households access food boxes, get vouchers to pay their electric, gas and water bills, and purchase the items needed to keep warm.
The money has been allocated to organisations within the local community who have been on the ground helping people navigate the cost of living crisis.
Swale Foodbank and Children and Families will be delivering emergency food parcels, West Faversham Community Association will be providing meals to the young people visiting their youth hub and Age UK will be delivering hot meals and shopping to pensioners.
The council’s fuel and water home advisor and Citizens Advice Swale will be providing Fuel Bank Foundation fuel vouchers to people with pre-paid meters, and Children and Families will be providing Mastercard vouchers for people with billed utility accounts.
People can also request help with items that will help keep them warm this Winter such as water bottles, blankets, and draft excluders from the council’s fuel and water housing advisor.
Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“We’ve received more than £250,000 from KCC’s household support fund this time around.
“We received money from the first round this Summer and used it to support almost 8,000 households around Swale.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t received as much money as we did in the first round, but the criteria for who we can help has been relaxed this time, so we hope to be able to reach the households that weren’t eligible last time.”
Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“Alongside helping with energy bills, we can also help residents with the cost of hot water bottles, blankets, and draft excluders.
“The funding is available until March, so anyone struggling to feed their family or keep their home warm this Winter can contact us for support.”
Swale Borough Council
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