Healthwatch Wirral – March 2023 BRIDGE Forum Snapshot

BRIDGE Forum News Newsletter - 28 March 2023

BRIDGE Virtual Forum (Third Sector and PPGs)
Wednesday 22nd & Thursday 23rd March 2023

(Bridging Resources Information Direction Guidance for Everyone)

The purpose of this meeting is to share regular information across all sectors, identify issues encountered and discuss how we can work collaboratively in a connected and integrated way to help improve the pathways into services for Wirral residents.

Sarah Boyd-Short – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside – PATCHS

Laura Maley – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside – Living Well Bus

Sam Lee and Ciara Bokye – Talking Together Wirral – BAME consultation

Gill Vicary – Trading Standards – Scams update

All – Info sharing

Full minutes: March 2023 notes

Sarah Boyd-Short – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside – PATCHS

  • Online consultations provider is moving from eConsult to PATCHS – all practices should be live with PATCHS by the end of April
  • Initial patient feedback is that PATCHS is more user-friendly – fewer questions to answer and free-text fields rather than multiple choice
  • Digital inclusion/exclusion group will be set up to focus on this issue

Presentation: PATCHS Presentation

Laura Maley – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside – Living Well Bus

  • Living Well bus will be doing weekly visits to Wirral for health checks and first/second doses of COVID vaccination
  • Mon 2rd April – morning at Victoria Park in Rock Ferry, afternoon at Woodhead Street Car Park in New Ferry
  • Sat 15th April – Birkenhead Town Centre (between Primark and Asda) all day, 10.30am-4pm

Sam Lee and Ciara Bokye – Talking Together Wirral – BAME consultation

  • People from BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities are underrepresented in therapy referrals – Talking Together Wirral has done community consultation to understand why and help to improve this
  • Barriers to therapy for BAME community include not knowing where to get help, language/translation issues, stigma and distrust of public services
  • Recommendations from the consultation include drop-in sessions at multicultural hubs, exploring delivering therapy in different venues e.g. GP practices, offering translated materials and having face-to-face translators available, and setting up an ongoing user group to monitor progress

Presentation: BAME recommendations Everyturn Powerpoint

Gill Vicary – Trading Standards – Scams update

  • Anyone can be targeted by a scam – we are all vulnerable at times
  • Scams can have a huge health impact – loss of self-esteem, increased social isolation etc – as well as financial loss
  • Trading Standards have a scheme with national partner agency to try to return money to those who have been victims of scams
  • Please do online training to learn more about scams and how to support scam victims – https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/training/friends-elearning

Presentation: Scams Presentation

Info-sharing

  • Insight IAPT is now Every Turn – parent company of Talking Together Wirral; new co-produced campaign for older people’s mental health is now ready and Sam can provide materials for organisations
  • Healthwatch Wirral – working with PCNs on GP Enhanced Access – more appointments being offered evenings and Saturdays; we have a survey for patient feedback: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SX8K2LZ
  • Energy Projects Plus – sign up for monthly bulletin: https://www.epplus.org.uk/subscribe