Health and care organisations across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent want people to be able to enjoy the food and drinks they love, instead of having supplements that often might not be as nice and give very little benefit in most cases. To do this, we are promoting the ‘Food First’ approach, to empower people and their carers/loved ones to make small, easy swaps to their everyday meals and drinks to make them more nutritious.  

To support this, local clinicians are being asked to stop prescribing certain supplements to local people aged 18 and over unless they meet certain criteria. This includes only prescribing these supplements if they have spoken to a dietitian, who agrees that the person really needs them. 

Instead, dietitians from local healthcare organisations have worked to create some simple recipe sheets, which give hints and tips about how people can easily add calories and protein to the meals and drinks they already have at home. Find out more about how you can take control of your nutrition here where you’ll also find helpful recipe sheets and FAQs.  

Have you been admitted to hospital? Healthwatch would like you to tell them about your experience of leaving hospital to go home (hospital discharge).  Please share how you, or a loved one, found the discharge process to help to improve services. The survey will close on Sunday 9 February. You can access the survey and find out more here.

Do you or anyone you know struggle to access your healthcare online?

Library staff across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have been specially trained to serve as ambassadors for the NHS app. Their role is to promote the app’s benefits and provide guidance on how to use its features effectively. These ambassadors are available to offer support, with face-to-face sessions bookable for those who need assistance. This service is particularly valuable for residents who may lack digital skills or access to devices or the internet, especially in disadvantaged communities. For more information, visit the ICS website.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS are looking for adults with Down’s syndrome (also referred to as Down syndrome) to come together to talk about Health, Social Care, Education, Housing and Employment in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. We want to hear what works and what changes they would like to see. 

This group will meet every few months and will be led by Ed Daly, a young man from Staffordshire, with Down’s syndrome, and Karen Webb, Deputy Senior Responsible Officer, for Learning Disabilities and Autism at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB. Read more.

INTO (Inspiring New Travel Options) is an Active Travel scheme run by Staffordshire County Council, based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A dedicated team of coaches host a variety of free and fun activities to improve health and wellbeing for adults across the district.

Activities include coach-led walks, bike rides, training and one-to-one sessions all tailored to different levels of physical ability to suit each participant. Read more.

This user-friendly online service gives residents, their families and carers 24/7 access to care services in Stoke-on-Trent and immediate opportunities to help themselves. Bettercare Support is an online questionnaire which identifies a range of day-to-day support needs. The information will be used to direct users to specific community services to help maintain independence and improve quality of life, or through to adult social care as a direct referral. The new service replaces the need to make phone calls, or wait in queues or for face-to-face meetings, and will streamline the whole referral process. Read more.

Entitled To is an online benefits checker, that is easy to use, to find out what benefits someone may be entitled to.  Entitled To is available on Staffordshire County Council’s website.

The calculator is free to use, and it should only take 10 minutes to complete - all details input into the system are anonymous. You’ll just need information about any savings, income, pensions and existing benefits for the individual and if applicable their partner.  There is a short YouTube video which shows how simple it is to use. 

'Just add veg’ is a Staffordshire County Council campaign providing simple ideas and tips on how to add a portion of vegetables when preparing your favourite meals. Vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and an important part of a balanced diet. 

Follow this link to find some healthy recipes and eat well guides.

Food redistribution charity, The Bread and Butter Thing (Bread and Butter) is bringing it’s fresh, affordable food offering to East Staffordshire in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council. With a focus on healthy, surplus food, the first two hubs opened in November and December with two new hubs scheduled to open this month in Burton-Upon-Trent. Read more.

‘We’re People Too’ will see messages from staff who have experienced some form of physical or verbal abuse while at work shared across both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness and reinforcing a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse towards UHNM staff, including physical, verbal, racial, and disruptive behaviour. Anyone can pledge their support to the campaign by using hashtag #WerePeopleToo on social media. Read more.

December saw the anniversary of two vital teams run by Fire and Health Partnership Technicians which have relieved pressure on the NHS and supported over 3,500 vulnerable people .

The falls response team attend non-injury falls to relieve pressure on the ambulance service whilst the home from hospital team transport patients back home after a hospital stay and ensure they are settled back into their properties. Both teams have dedicated personnel that are not on duty firefighters. Read more.

The High Risk of Delayed transfer of care (HRD) tool, is being used at Royal Stoke University Hospital and uses data from patient’s health and care record to help identify those most at-risk of delayed discharge, enabling staff to better plan timely and appropriate care. The tool is on a six-month trial in areas including the Emergency Department (ED), and Older Adults wards. Read more.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is recruiting for a new band of volunteer lifesavers as Community First Responders (CFRs).

Volunteer CFRs are members of the general public who have received medical training from WMAS and respond, when available, in their own time and without pay, to emergency 999 calls in both urban and rural areas. They are not a substitute for ambulance staff; however, they provide life-saving skills and are trained in basic lifesaving techniques. Their availability, close proximity and knowledge of their area are among their many valuable assets. Read more.

Women and birthing people at Royal Derby and Queen's Hospital Burton will now benefit from an innovative piece of equipment that can monitor a baby's heart rate wirelessly during labour, meaning pregnant people can be more mobile and use a birthing pool, creating a more personalised birth experience. Telemetry is a wireless monitoring device that is used during labour to continuously monitor a baby's heart rate for people who have risk factors identified during pregnancy. Read more.