Summer 2025
In this edition:-
Maternity consultation
Use antibiotics wisely
Have your say on wheelchair services
New UHNM sickle cell monitoring service
County hospital opens day-case surgery unit
New mental health crisis care facility at St. George’s Hospital
Have your say on local pharmacy services
Perinatal Pelvic Health Services
Three new strategies launched
Wild Wellbeing
Cannock Chase Can
Support for Carers
#Together against abuse campaign
Senior Smiles - Cheslyn Hay
Where Will It End?’ campaign raising awareness of how emotions and feelings can affect behaviour choices
Good Boost sessions to help with joint pain / long-term health conditions
Maternity consultation
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent health leaders are urging people to share their views and ideas on the future of birthing services in Stafford and Lichfield before a consultation closes.
The consultation proposal would see postnatal and antenatal services continue to be offered at County Hospital, Stafford, and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, Lichfield, but birthing services - temporarily paused in 2020 during the COVID pandemic - would close permanently.
Over 1000 responses have been received so far. Follow this link if you would like to find out more and share your views. The survey closes on Sunday 3 August.
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Use antibiotics wisely
Bacteria are becoming resistant to medicines at an increasing rate, turning once-treatable infections into potentially life-threatening conditions. While bacteria naturally develop resistance over time, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics is speeding up this process, putting our most vulnerable communities at risk.
- Remember: Antibiotics are ineffective against colds and flu. Your body can fight these infections on their own.
- Only use antibiotics when prescribed by a healthcare professional
- Always complete the full course as directed by your healthcare professional
- Never save antibiotics for later or share them with anyone else.
Read more.
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Share your feedback on wheelchair services
The NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SSoT) Wheelchair Service is for children, young people and adults of all ages, who have a physical and/or degenerative long-term condition expected to last six months or more, or are at the end of life or with a terminal illness, and includes the assessment, provision and maintenance of wheelchairs and associated equipment.
SSoT Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking feedback from wheelchair service users, families, carers and stakeholders about the service, and has launched a survey which can be completed here .
New University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) sickle cell monitoring service
A new ultrasound screening service at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke is set to bring potentially life-saving sickle cell monitoring and diagnostic care closer to home, benefiting dozens of patients and their families each year. The transcranial doppler (TCD) service will help to identify the risk of stroke in children as young as two-years-old diagnosed with the disease by detecting early narrowing of blood vessel walls in the brain.
Sickle cell disease is known to be associated with a high risk of children developing a stroke in early years. Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells, and is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background. Read more.
County Hospital opens day-case surgery unit
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) have officially opened a state-of-the-art £9.8 million Day Case Unit to help tackle waiting list backlogs and offer thousands more patients quicker access to day-case surgery.
The unit, at County Hospital, Stafford is a dedicated space for patients requiring colorectal, upper gastroenterology, orthopaedic or ear nose and throat surgery, freeing more space at main theatres at County Hospital and at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
The purpose-built unit has almost doubled capacity from the existing 15 beds on Ward 8 to 28 and has been funded from NHS England’s Targeted Investment Fund. Read more.
New mental health crisis care facility opened in Stafford
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) has opened a new mental health crisis care facility on the Trust’s St. George’s Hospital site in Stafford.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the specialised facility will offer urgent assessment and support to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis who have come into contact with emergency services. It serves as an alternative to emergency departments for people facing urgent but non-life-threatening mental health needs. Read more.
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Have your say on local pharmacy services
The Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board has drafted a new Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) to ensure all residents can access pharmacy services when needed. The PNA is a report that helps local health authorities understand what pharmacy services are needed in their area, identify gaps, and plan improvements to meet community needs. The consultation will run until 1 September 2025. Your feedback will help shape decisions on where pharmacies are located and what services are offered in your area. To read the draft PNA and complete the consultation, visit the website or email your comments and questions to pharmacyconsultation@staffordshire.gov.uk.
Perinatal Pelvic Health Services
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) Perinatal Pelvic Health Services (PPHS) is leading the delivery of the national ambition to improve the prevention, identification, and NICE-recommended treatment, for pelvic health problems during pregnancy and up to a year following birth. The impact on women’s lives can be devastating, affecting the ability to work, sexual and social relationships and mental health. The aim of this new service is to reduce the number of women living with pelvic health problems postnatally and in later life.
All women using maternity services at UHNM will receive information at every antenatal and post-natal contact about pelvic health problems that can arise, and how to prevent them. Women can currently be referred to PPHS through the Care Flow ‘Pelvic health and perineal care’ pathway, with a self-referral option planned. All referrals are triaged by the PPHS team and, depending on the level of need, women will be signposted to self-help information on the UHNM website, workshops, or a one-to-one assessment and tailored treatment. Read more.
Three new strategies to improve palliative and end of life, respiratory, and healthy ageing and frailty care for communities across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have been launched by Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board.
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS) All Age Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy, 2025-2028, All Age Respiratory Strategy, 2025-2030, and Healthy Ageing and Frailty Strategy, 2025-2030, represent a significant milestone in the ICS’s collective commitment to further improving care in these areas across the diverse population of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The strategies are available here.
Wild wellbeing
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is helping to promote positive mental health in Staffordshire through nature based activity. Where possible their delivery is linked to the NHS’s five steps to mental wellbeing to help improve mental health and wellbeing for families and participants of all ages. The activities will give participants the opportunity to feel more positive and reinforce the positive way nature can improve a person’s mental wellbeing. Read more.
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Cannock Chase Can
Cannock residents are being encouraged to find their way to wellbeing by downloading an app and signing up to Cannock Chase Can. The app is available to download for free by visiting Google Play and the App Store.
The app enables residents to create personal goals and individual wellness journeys. It also provides information about healthy eating, physical activity and advice about how to make healthier lifestyle choices. It hosts a variety of wellness challenges and provides the community with the tools to help people improve their own health and wellbeing, by making it fun, focussed and easily accessible. Read more.
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Support for Carers
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a friend, family member, or neighbour who cannot manage without help due to illness, disability, mental health issues, addiction, long-term conditions, or the effects of ageing and frailty.
Caring can involve many different tasks. You might help someone with shopping or transport, offer emotional support, assist with medication or injections, help them get dressed, manage housework or gardening, or communicate and advocate on their behalf.
If you're a carer, you're not alone—and support is available. This might include fully funded breaks (short-term, long-term, or emergency), access to a dedicated support worker, individual or peer support, and practical help, information, and advice tailored to your needs.
If you live in Staffordshire and think you might be a carer, take two minutes to fill in the carers’ assessment. Details to contact Staffordshire Together for carers can be found here.
North Staffs Carers provide free services for unpaid Carers in North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. You can find further information on their website.
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Following an increase in assaults against emergency workers, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA) has launched its #TogetherAgainstAbuse campaign.
Developed in partnership with Staffordshire Police, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board and West Midlands Ambulance Service, the campaign raises awareness of the person behind the role and the importance of keeping them safe. To find out more visit: #TogetherAgainstAbuse - Violence Reduction Alliance
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Senior Smiles - Cheslyn Hay Village Hall
Senior Smiles is a centre for people experiencing memory loss, isolation and other social needs. The staff have over twenty years experience in the care and voluntary sector and aim to deliver the highest quality care while recognising the impact of care giving on family members.
Further information can be found here.
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Where will it end? campaign
Does your child struggle to understand and manage their emotions?
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA) has co-produced a new campaign with young people, including those who have been affected by violence.
The ‘Where Will It End?’ campaign raises awareness of how emotions and feelings can affect behaviour choices and how low-level violence can escalate to more serious violence.
To help children and young people to understand and manage their emotions and feelings, the VRA in partnership with Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has developed a guide on Understanding Emotions and Feelings. To find out more and to download the guide visit: www.wherewillitend.co.uk.
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Good boost - joint health and wellbeing programme
Are you living with joint pain or a long-term health condition? Brand new Good Boost sessions at Dimensions Leisure Centre in Stoke-on-Trent can help to manage pain and improve movement using the latest technology.
Good Boost is an app-based therapeutic exercise programme designed to help you manage a range of conditions, including: joint pain, arthritis, joint replacement, back pain and more. The Aqua sessions are delivered in the pool at Dimensions Leisure centre and each 45-minute session is available for £2.50. Read more.
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To stay tuned with our campaigns, make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook via @StaffStokeICS for the ICS accounts and @StaffsStokeICB for ICB accounts.
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