Shropshire Health and Wellbeing Newsletter

Welcome to the October edition of Shropshire Health & Wellbeing E-News. This E-Newsletter is for everyone interested in health and wellbeing.

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Read on for updates:

• Stay Well This Winter
• Shropshire's draft Health & Wellbeing strategy - consultation
• Updates from Healthwatch Shropshire
• Time to Talk
• An update on E-cigarettes
• Alzheimer's UK - Carer Information and Support
• Drug and Alcohol Action Team newsletter
• Children's Trust Area Forums - November 2015

Take a look at our Events Calendar to find details of events across Shropshire

Stay Well This Winter

This week all those in ‘at risk’ groups are being reminded to get their free flu jab.

Flu is a highly contagious illness that spreads rapidly through the population. It can cause serious complications for at risk groups, such as the elderly, expectant mothers and people with long-term health conditions.

Click here to find out more information about who is eligible to have the free flu vaccination and why it is important to have it.

Find out more about staying well at: www.nhsstaywell.org

Shropshire’s draft Health & Wellbeing Strategy out for consultation

Have your say on Shropshire’s draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The draft document is out for public consultation until the 29th November.

Click here to complete the survey now. If you want to find out more information about the draft strategy and consultation, click here to read the Shropshire Newsroom story.

Updates from our partners at Healthwatch Shropshire

Healthwatch Shropshire celebrates their contract extension

Healthwatch Shropshire is celebrating after being awarded a two-year extension of its contract by Shropshire Council, to run from April 2016.

Healthwatch Shropshire gathers experiences and opinions from patients, carers, service users and the wider public about health and social care services across Shropshire, then makes sure those views are used to improve services for all. The organisation also provides information and signposting services to support the people of Shropshire in making choices about health and social care services and how to access them.

Click here to read the full story on Shropshire Newsroom. Click here to find out more about Healthwatch Shropshire.

Hold the date! Healthwatch Shropshire’s Annual Event – 10th November 2015

Healthwatch Shropshire will be holding their annual event on the 10th November 2015 at The Beaten Track, Shrewsbury, SY3 7ET.

More information will be available shortly.

Hot Topics – October 2015

This October, Healthwatch Shropshire has had a focus on collecting information and experiences of diabetes care in Shropshire. You can contact the team on 01743 237884. Find out more at: www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk

Time To Talk – a social support group run by young people for young people

Time To Talk is a group that aims to help young people aged 14-21 to cope with everyday stresses and challenges. The group is run by young people, for young people with the help of a specialist adult.

The group meets at: Shropshire Mind, Suites 3 & 4, Observer House, Holywell Street, Shrewsbury, SY2 6BL

The group will next be meeting on:

• Wednesday 4th November
• Wednesday 18th November
• Wednesday 2nd December
• Wednesday 16th December

Please call Lorraine Warrender on 079900 87001 or email: Lorraine.Warrender@shropshire.gov.uk for more information.

An update on E-cigarettes

News from our partners at Help2Change

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigs or vapourisers, are often made to look or feel like real cigarettes. Most (although not all) electronic cigarettes contain nicotine (but don’t contain tobacco) and as nothing is burning they don’t produce smoke.

Whilst e-cigarettes do not produce smoke, users exhale a smoke-like vapour consisting largely of propylene glycol and glycerine. There is little evidence of harmful effects in the short to medium term from repeated exposure to these chemicals, and an absence of evidence of significant harm to bystanders caused by e-cigarettes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that quitting all forms of nicotine use is the best option for smokers.  However, e-cigs are proving more attractive to some smokers than Nicotine Replacement Therapy, and can be effective in helping smokers quit.  Emerging evidence suggests some of the highest successful quit rates are now seen among smokers who use an e-cigarette and also receive additional support from their local stop smoking services.

An evidence review published by Publish Health England in August 2015 concluded that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to help smokers quit smoking.

Key findings of the review included:

• the current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking
• nearly half the population (44.8%) don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking
• there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers

The comprehensive review of the evidence finds that almost all of the 2.6 million adults using e-cigarettes in Great Britain are current or ex-smokers, most of whom are using the devices to help them quit smoking or to prevent them going back to cigarettes. It also provides reassurance that very few adults and young people who have never smoked are becoming regular e-cigarette users (less than 1% in each group).

All current evidence finds that e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoking although there are some concerns that electronic cigarettes will re-normalise smoking and threaten the established practice of smokefree public places.  

Do you need help to quit smoking? Contact the Help2Change team by calling 0345 678 9025. Take a look at their website for more information.

Alzheimer’s UK – The Carer Information and Support Programme 2

News from our partners at Alzheimer's UK.

The Carer Information and Support Programme 2 (CrISP2) is being run in Craven Arms on Friday mornings 13, 20 and 27 November.  This programme is for carers or family members who have been supporting someone with a diagnosis of dementia for more than 2 years.

This is a great opportunity for carers to learn more about the complexities of dementia, get together and meet others in a similar situation and learn about local services that can provide further help and support as well as activities to occupy a person with dementia.

This is a free course run by the Alzheimer’s Society, facilitated by myself and a volunteer for a group of up to 12 carers. We do have respite funds available if a carer needs a sitting service/day care for the person they care for.

To book a place or for further information, please contact Emma Wilde T: 01743 341800 or E: emma.wilde@alzheimers.org.uk

Drug and Alcohol Action Team’s Autumn Newsletter

Click here to read Shropshire Public Health's Drug and Alcohol Action Team’s (DAAT) latest newsletter.

Find out about: Recovery Month, mutual aid, experiences of recovery and much more!

Reminder: Children's Trust Autumn Area Forums – Book Your Place now!

Please email Shropshire Together at ShropshireTogether@shropshire.gov.uk to book your place on the Autumn Area Forums.

The forums will discuss:-

• Strengthening Families through Early Help – From Strategy to Reality
• The Role of Compass
• Information Sharing
• Processes
• Working together and role of front line workers

Monday 2nd November 2015 - Central

Council Chamber, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND

9:30am – 12:30pm

Tuesday 3rd November 2015 - North

Ellesmere Town Hall, 1-3 Willow Street, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 0AL

9:30am – 12:30pm

Thursday 5th November 2015 - South

Shropshire Room, CASCA, Newington Way, Craven Arms, SY7 9PS

9:30am – 12:30pm

An agenda will be emailed to attendees closer to the date

Got some news to share?

If you have a topic or article that you would like to feature in this newsletter, please contact us by email: shropshiretogether@shropshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01743 253937.

Health and Wellbeing Board - Next Meeting:

The next public Health and Wellbeing Board meeting will be held on Friday 4th December 2015, starting at 9.30am at Shirehall in Shrewsbury.

The agenda and relevant papers will become available on the Health and Wellbeing webpage prior to the meeting. Please see the attached link below to access previous meeting agendas:

Health and Wellbeing Board