Letter to Service Users and Carers - February 2025
North London NHS Foundation Trust sent this bulletin at 27-02-2025 09:33 AM GMT
Letter to service users and carers
February 2025
Dear All,
I hope you are keeping well. The wind remains chilly, but there has been four minutes more daylight each day, and signs that things are getting brighter and will be warmer in the not-too-distant future.
At North London Foundation Trust, we are proudly diverse. This is reflected in the communities we serve across our boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington. The Muslim members of our communities are about to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed as a month of prayer, reflection, fasting and abstaining from things considered to be impure for the mind and body. Ramadan Mubarak to all staff, service users, carers, and their loved ones who will be observing.
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote to you and you can find out the highlights in the below letter. We begin with an exciting opportunity for you all to nominate those who deliver your care for an award at our upcoming staff awards. None of our staff deliver your care in hope or expectation of additional recognition, but if you feel they've gone over and above, this is your chance to put them forward.
Please get in touch with your Trust contact if you require any additional support.
Has your Trust contact gone the extra mile delivering your care? Nominate them for our GEM award at our annual OSCARS
At North London NHS Foundation Trust, we believe in recognising the incredible dedication of our staff who go above and beyond to support those in their care. Every year, we celebrate their contributions through our annual staff awards ceremony, and we invite you to take part by nominating a staff member for our GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Award.
This special award is your opportunity to say thank you to a staff member who has made a real difference to your care, or the care of a loved one. This can be related to care within one of our hospitals or in a community setting.
The nominations close on Wednesday 5 March
Last year's winner was Kim Ehntholt, who you can see in the photograph to the right receiving her award from myself and our guest host on the evening, Gail Porter.
Now, I'm sure you're wondering who you are able to nominate. We have a short, simple, and easy list for you below:
Who can you nominate:
The GEM Award recognises staff members who:
Goes above and beyond their usual role to provide excellent care and support
Makes a positive impact to service users and carers
Encourages and motivates others to do their best
Promotes fairness, dignity, respect and shared decision-making
Creates opportunities for collaboration between service users, carers and staff.
Demonstrates our Trust values in their behaviour
How to nominate:
If a staff member has supported you, or a loved one, in a way that stands out, we would love for you to nominate them for this award using our simple nomination form. You can access the form here.
If you have any questions, please email nlft.staffawards@nhs.net
Announcing our new Governors
We are delighted to announce the results of our recent Governors Elections and welcome our newly elected staff governors. Thank you to everyone who voted and supported the election process.
Our Council of Governors act as the voice of our members and helping to shape the future of our Trust, so make sure to take the time to get to know them and let them know what matters to you.
Governors are instrumental in holding Non-Executive Directors and the board of directors are accountable for the Trust's performance. They also need to approve key appointments and transactions, amongst other things, to ensure that the Trust continues to act effectively, efficiently, and with the best interests of the public in mind.
If you’d like to contact your staff governors or share your views, please get in touch nlft.governors@nhs.net.
Children and Young People’s Youth Board Podcast - episode 2 out now!
We’re pleased to introduce the second episode of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Podcast!
This podcast is a platform created by the passionate and driven young leaders of the Children and Young People’s Youth Board, dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health and empowering young people to thrive.
In this second episode, the inspiring individuals behind the Youth Board talk through their lived experience of Anxiety and also share some tips and coping strategies.
If you feel you are able to without being triggered, I would recommend this podcast to not just young people, but to people of all ages. We can all learn something from the people in the communities we live in, regardless of their age, background, or experience.
NHS launches campaign to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse
The NHS has launched a campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) - specialist services that offer free care and support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused at any time in their life.
SARCs are available 24/7 across England, however, many sexual assault and abuse survivors do not know where to go or who to turn to for help. We also know that some people are put off seeking help due to thinking they need to speak to the police.
Help is available from a SARC without having to talk to the police or report what happened. The SARC team will make sure that anyone visiting their service understands their options and gets the support they choose in a place where they are safe.
If you have been raped, sexually assaulted or abused and don't know where to turn, search ‘sexual assault referral centres’ for more information or visit www.nhs.uk/SARCs to find your nearest centre.
Our specialist perinatal service is now accepting self-referrals
Our Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS), is a community based mental health service providing specialist assessment and treatment for women, birthing people, their partners and babies with mental health difficulties and who:
Free flu vaccinations are still available to certain eligible people over the age of 18 until the end of March.
Use this service to find a pharmacy that offers free flu vaccination. You do not need to make an appointment.
Who can have a free flu vaccination
The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu. Find who can get the flu vaccine for free.
If you are not able to get a free flu vaccination, you may be able to pay for it at some pharmacies.
Health and social care workers
If you're a care worker eligible for a flu vaccine on the NHS, you do not need to show your ID at a pharmacy. But if your employer can give you a letter identifying you as a care worker, it may help.
Employees with flu vouchers
Some employers offer vouchers you can use to get a free flu vaccine at some pharmacies. If you have a voucher, check with the pharmacy to see if they'll accept it.
Please get in touch with your service contact if you ever feel in need of greater support. We are here to care for you. Please look after yourself and support those around you when possible.
