The 1 July 2022 is an important milestone for the NHS as this is when the way health and care is arranged in England is changing. How health and care works across Sussex is also changing, to help give local people what they need to live longer healthier lives.

We know that individuals and communities are not always getting the support, treatment and care they need at the time they need it in the most appropriate place. To address this, we need all organisations responsible for health and care to work closer together.

We are creating a new ‘Sussex Health and Care System’ that will help:

• Support people to live for longer in good health.
• Make sure our disadvantaged communities get the care they need.
• Improve people’s experience of using services.
• Better support health and care staff.
• Make best use of resources available.

Learn more about our new ways of working.

Did you know that there are 99 community pharmacies in East Sussex? These pharmacies provide the essential services required by the NHS across the county and many of them also provide other services like flu jabs and replacement medicines. 

East Sussex Public Health has been reviewing these pharmacy services and those provided by GP dispensaries to find out if they are meeting the needs of the people of East Sussex. The findings from this work are set out in a report called a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA).

By law PNAs must be produced every three years. The NHS will use the PNA to decide if any changes are needed to pharmacy services in the area and whether new pharmacies are allowed to open.

Stakeholders and residents are being invited to comment on Public Health’s draft PNA for 2022-25. The consultation is open until 30 July 2022. 

• Share your views on the East Sussex draft PNA

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

If you have an interest in the future of health and care, you are invited to join Healthwatch East Sussex at their 2022 Annual Event. There will be a chance to hear from speakers and get involved in helping to co-design what the ‘new normal’ for services across our county might look like.

The event is being held on 14 July at the Uckfield Civic Centre between 9.30 and 2pm. Lunch is provided, and a British Sign Language interpreter will be available.

Read more and book a place.

Every year people across East Sussex make an immense difference to the lives of those around them through volunteering. This Volunteers Week (1-7 June) health and care organisations across East Sussex said a huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers, and the many and varied roles they take part in.

If you volunteer, a big thank you for all that you do, particularly during such a challenging year.

It’s never too late to start volunteering and you can find out more here about local opportunities. 

Image by Kristin Baldeschwiler from Pixabay

Carers Week is an annual awareness campaign to bring caring out into the open. This year it ran from 6 to 12 June. Lots of events took place in East Sussex including information sessions, walks, meals, and the opening of a new centre by Care for the Carers at the Victoria Pavilion in Uckfield.

The week was a chance to celebrate and recognise the vital contribution made by the 69,000 East Sussex carers and highlight the challenges they face. This year’s focus was ‘Making Caring Visible, Valued and Supported’. This is important as unless people identify as carers they could miss out on information and support.

Even though carers week is over now, you can find about the support available to carers. And if you aren’t a carer, but you know someone who might be why not tell them about the help that is available.  Find out more about what carers do here.

Image from a graffiti workshop held for young carers