News
Dementia Action Week
Previously known as Dementia Awareness Week, Dementia Action Week takes place between the 21st and the 27th of May. The goal of Dementia Action Week...
Path to Excellence - Phase two
The Path to Excellence has started early work on Phase Two of the programme for three areas of hospital care. The areas of care are: Acute medicine...
We're on the move
On Wednesday 23rd May 2018, the Healthwatch Sunderland team will be moving to our new home. Our new address will be: Room 608 Hope Street Xchange...
'online consultations’ – an alternative way to have a consultation from your GP
NHS England is supporting local NHS GP practices to offer their patients alternative ways to have a consultation with a GP or other practice-based health professional online via the internet, rather than waiting for the next available appointment to attend in person – they are referring to this as...
Have you used Emergency Care services in Sunderland or South Tyneside recently?
Have your say! The Path to Excellence are reviewing how health services across South Tyneside and Sunderland can be improved and would like to understand what is important to you. This is a survey about your experiences of emergency care services at either South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust or...
Public consultation for urgent care
The public consultation for urgent care will be taking place between Wednesday 9 May to Sunday 12 August 2018. The launch event was streamed live to social media and can be viewed on the Sunderland CCG website. To download a copy of the consultation document and find out more visit the Sunderland...
Northern Cancer Voices survey
Northern Cancer Voices is a NHS led project that is funded by Macmillan. This project involves patients, carers and professionals working together to improve cancer outcomes in the Northern Region. The purpose of this project is to develop a plan that will provide patients, carers and families with...
This Month's £25 Gift Voucher Winner!
Thank you to Mary Common from Roker who gave positive feedback about her GP practice when our volunteers met her at Monkwearmouth Health Centre. Mary has been selected as this month's shopping voucher winner! Thank you again for your feedback Mary and we hope you enjoy spending your voucher! If you...
New ‘one stop shops’ for cancer to speed up diagnosis and save lives
New 'one stop shops' designed to speed-up cancer diagnosis and help save lives are being rolled out across the country. Rapid diagnostic and assessment centres are being piloted in ten areas as part of NHS England's drive to catch cancer early and speed up diagnosis for people with cancer. Each of...
NHS England frees up millions of pounds which could be used for frontline services
NHS England has published guidance to free up to almost £100 million for frontline care each year by curbing prescriptions for 'over the counter' medicines such as those for constipation and athletes foot. Curbing routine prescribing for minor, short-term conditions, many of which will cure...
Better treatment for patients as advanced paramedics prescribe medicines
New laws will allow hundreds of advanced paramedics to prescribe drugs , improving care for patients, speeding up access to treatment and preventing unnecessary visits to hospitals and GP practices. Patients already rely on paramedics to administer live-saving treatment when they become critically...
Local health economy and regional stakeholders of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
Closing 30 April 2018 5 million people in England are at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, with that number rising every year. Estimates suggest that the number of people with diabetes will rise to 4.2 million by 2030, affecting almost 9% of the population. Type 2 Diabetes is largely...
This Easter THINK GP or pharmacy before A&E
NHS England is urging people in North Cumbria and the North East to see a pharmacist or make an appointment to see a GP for non-emergency health issues over Easter. Although some GP practices are closed over the Easter bank holidays, the NHS has been working to ensure people can access a GP...
Councillors ask Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to call in plans for maternity, stroke and emergency paediatric care services
Councillors are to ask Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to review plans which would see some maternity, gynaecology, stroke and paediatric emergency services transferred from South Tyneside to Sunderland. Members of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for South Tyneside and Sunderland...
First phase of Path to Excellence public consultation concludes
NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Sunderland CCG, the two bodies responsible for the commissioning of local health services, have decided the future of three areas of acute hospital care in South Tyneside and Sunderland as part of the Path to Excellence consultation...
Local authorities should offer NHS Health Check to all eligible
Public Health England’s chief executive Duncan Selbie has asked all local authorities to offer the NHS health check to all eligible people. Read more...
Update on the Path to Excellence and decision-making meeting in common – February 2018
Clinical commissioning groups hold extra ordinary meeting in common to decide the future of hospital services from the Path to Excellence consultation NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Sunderland CCG, the two bodies responsible for the commissioning of local health...
Parents urged to think pharmacist first for minor illness in their children
A major new public health campaign urges parents to consult a pharmacist first for minor illness, instead of GP or A&E 18 million GP appointments and 2.1 million visits to A&E for self-treatable conditions cost the NHS £850 million per year Using a pharmacy for minor health concerns eases...
South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group outlines next steps for strategic alliance
Almost two years on since coming together with an ambitious vision to transform local healthcare services, the South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group has outlined the next steps for the strategic alliance. The Boards of both South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and City Hospitals Sunderland...
CCG Health Forums - Focusing on Mental Health
Wednesday 7th February 2018 at Hope ST Xchange, Sunderland, SR1 3QD (6 - 8pm) Thursday 8th February 2018 at Hope ST Xchange, Sunderland, SR1 3QD (12 -2pm) Register for your place here! The Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have taken on board feedback from the previous forums, and have...
Sunderland Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Statutory Consultation 2017
Sunderland Health and Wellbeing Board have commenced the required 60 day statutory consultation period, the consultation opened on Monday 18th December 2017 and will run to Friday 16th February 2018. A downloadable copy of the consultation draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for Sunderland...
Your missed appointments - read the Echo article!
Last year GP Practice Managers told Healthwatch Sunderland how many missed appointments their surgeries had in the month of July! This work has prompted this Sunderland Echo article which appeared in this morning's paper.
NHS England consults on freeing-up £136M to boost frontline NHS care by curbing prescription costs
Closing Date: 14 March 2018 NHS England has today launched a public consultation on proposals to rein in prescriptions for some ‘over the counter’ products such as dandruff shampoo and drops for tired eyes, freeing-up up to £136 million to expand other treatments for major conditions such as cancer...
Trust reassures public following temporary suspension of births.
Leaders at South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust have today confirmed that all of the women affected by the temporary suspension of births at South Tyneside District Hospital have now been contacted by maternity staff to discuss their individual care plans. In total, 163 women have been contacted who...
Consultation: ‘opt-out’ consent for organ and tissue donation in England
Consultation closes: 6 March 2018 The government have launched a consultation about organ and tissue donation. The Department of Health want to know what people think about proposed changes in which people are considered willing to be an organ donor after their death, unless they have ‘opted out’...
Over 2.7 million people in the North East to benefit from improved access to GP appointments
People in the North East will now be able to see a GP in the evening, over the weekend and over bank holidays. The scheme, which is funded by NHS England’s GP Forward View, will benefit and offer flexibility to more than 2.7 million people. And regardless of which GP people see, they will have...
NHS England outlines future of congenital heart disease services
NHS England has today set out plans to implement exacting new standards that will ensure patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) receive the best possible care. Patients and their families provided feedback that it was important to have the standards, but that only mattered if they were being...
Prescription curbs to free up hundreds of millions of pounds for frontline care
NHS England has today agreed plans to save hundreds of millions of pounds each year by recommending low value treatments, including fish oil, herbal remedies and homeopathy no longer be provided on the NHS, and launching a consultation on curbs to prescriptions for some 'over the counter' products...
