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Welcome to the November edition. In this issue, the following topics are covered:
- Winter wellbeing support
- Free toothbrush packs
- Food recall
- NHS app in libraries
- Eradication of meningitis C
- Pop-up vaccination clinics
- Are vaccinations safe when you are pregnant?
- Keep medicines working
- Stroke – if in doubt, call 999
- Norovirus
- Pharmacy first
- Male survivors of domestic abuse
- Young people’s experiences of GP services
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Dudley Council has launched a ‘winter wellbeing’ campaign to help residents stay warm, well and safe.
Find tips on:
- Keeping warm
- Money advice
- Safety and security
- Looking after your health
- Staying connected (ways to help you feel less lonely or isolated over winter)
- Top tips and resources
You can also view and download a full winter wellbeing booklet at the bottom of the top tips page.
Find all the information at www.dudley.gov.uk/winterwellbeing
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Free toothbrush packs for families are available across the borough.
Dudley Council’s Community Toothbrush Scheme supports families to take care of their teeth from as soon as a child has their first tooth.
The packs are available from organisations including foodbanks, charities, warm spaces and religious places of worship. They include a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and an information postcard about the importance of oral health, especially for children.
Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable.
In difficult financial times, taking care of your teeth may slip down the list of priorities when compared with food and warmth. Brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste protects children and adult’s teeth.
Find out where to pick up a pack on the Healthy Dudley website.
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The Food Standards Agency is advising people who have a peanut allergy to avoid consuming foods that contain or may contain mustard, mustard powder or mustard flour, because they may have been contaminated with peanuts.
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Did you know that you can use the NHS App online in local libraries?
Use library computers/desktops/laptops to log into your NHS Account, where you can order repeat prescriptions, view your GP record and much more.
You can also use the free Wi-Fi to use the NHS App on your smart phone.
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Good news. The UK Health Security Agency announced this morning (Thursday 28 November) that the UK is close to eradicating meningitis C.
Cases of meningococcal disease, which typically causes meningitis and septicaemia, continue to decline due to the success of the NHS vaccination programmes over the past two decades.
Cases of meningococcal group C (MenC) disease are down 99% since a vaccine was introduced in 1999.
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Pop-up COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinics are still available on selected dates at Dudley marketplace and Asda in Brierley Hill, as well as in other locations across the Black Country.
Anyone aged 18 and over who is eligible for an autumn COVID-19 or flu vaccine can walk into their local clinic with no appointment needed.
Find a clinic near you, get vaccinated and get winter strong.
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Why are vaccines important to pregnant women? Are vaccines safe before and during pregnancy?
There are many questions that you will have when you become pregnant. For answers about the safety of vaccines and which ones are recommended, go to the Black Country Integrated Care System NHS website
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You can make a difference to keep medicines working.
If medicines stop killing bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms, illnesses that have been easy to treat will become far more complicated.
According to the World Health Organisation, this is one of 10 threats to global health.
Find out how you can help stop this from happening on the Healthy Dudley website.
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Even if it doesn’t seem like much, at the first sign of a stroke call 999.
A stroke strikes every five minutes. Every year in the UK, there are around 100,000 strokes, causing 38,000 stroke-related deaths, and it is a leading cause of disability.
The first sign of a stroke might not seem serious. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak.
Stroke symptoms can be less dramatic, painful or obvious than you might expect. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom.
A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. Acting FAST on any sign of a stroke gives stroke patients quicker access to specialist treatment that can be lifesaving and could reduce the long-term effects such as a disability.
Whether it is a friend, loved one or even a passer-by, dialling 999 quickly saves lives.
Face or Arm or Speech, at the first sign, it’s Time to call 999.
Visit www.nhs.uk/ActFAST for more information.
Text relay users can call 18000 to contact 999.
If you are a BSL user, deaf, have hearing loss or communication difficulties you can text 999 by registering your phone in advance. Visit www.emergencysms.co.uk
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Norovirus is spreading at higher levels this year. Here's what you should do if you catch the "winter vomiting bug":
Do
- Wash clothes and bedding at 60 degrees centigrade
- Wash hands with soap
- Clean surfaces with bleach-based disinfectants
Don’t
- Go to work or school, visit care homes or hospitals for 48 hours after your symptoms clear
- Prepare food for others
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Did you know that your pharmacist can now provide treatment and some prescription medicines for seven common conditions, without seeing a GP?
For symptoms of earache, sinusitis, urine infection and more, visit your pharmacy first.
Find out more at nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst
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Are you, or someone you know, serving in the British Armed Forces, a veteran, or a male family member of serving military, and have experienced domestic abuse?
If so, national charity The ManKind Initiative, which provides support for male victims of domestic abuse and violence, is taking referrals for its online ACORN Recovery Programme. This joins you up with other men with similar experiences, helps you learn new skills and supports you to make sense of what happened.
For more information email training@mankind.org.uk.
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The What? Centre, a Dudley-based young person’s advice, information and counselling service, is calling for young people’s opinions.
Staff want to hear from trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people about their experiences of accessing GP services. Good or bad, they want to hear your story. Please visit: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HWDudleyTransGP/ to share your feedback.
Anyone who completes the survey will be entered into a raffle to win a £25 Amazon voucher.
You must be aged 18+ and live in the Black Country.
Closing date Monday 2 December.
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