Agenda item

Information is being gathered from which a health strategy for Rowley Fields can be developed. 

Organisations and groups with an interest in health matters have been invited to the meeting to make an input in to this.

Initially, Mr John Allen, Secretary of the Friends of Woodville Unit, addressed the meeting, explaining that this was a secure Unit for people with various conditions, including dementia.  This condition affected not only those with it, but those around them as well, as its progress could be slowed down, but not stopped.  However, it was important to let people visit residents in units such as this, to enable family and other ties to be maintained.

John Allen thanked the Community Meeting for a grant of £300 that had given to the Friends of Woodville Unit.  This enabled an entertainment to be put on for residents and their relatives, to break the monotony of life in the unit.  It had been very successful, helping residents, carers and relatives.

Philip Parkinson, the Acting Chair of Healthwatch, explained that Healthwatch had replaced the Leicester Local Involvement Network as the organisation that ensured that service users’ views were recognised.  As such, its success depended on the extent to which it could get information on people’s experiences of services, both good and bad.  Leaflets were available giving the contact details for Healthwatch.

The Ward Members then gave a presentation on “Improving Health for Braunstone”, which showed the type of approach that could be taken in developing a health strategy for Rowley Fields.  A copy of this presentation is attached at the end of these minutes for information.

During the presentation, particular attention was drawn to the following points:-

·           The Braunstone Health Strategy had been developed through co-ordinating as many different health-related organisations as possible.  During this process, contact had been made with 31 such organisations in Braunstone;

·           Deprivation, poverty and lifestyle factors affected health and these were all significant in Braunstone;

·           The aim of the health strategy was to help improve the quality of life and life expectancy for people in the Ward;

·           Strategies for health improvement had led to things such as the provision of fitness equipment in the Ward;

·           There currently were two Surestart centres in the Ward, but they operated differently.  The one in Braunstone tended to have children go to it, but the one in Rowley Fields did more outreach work, visiting people’s homes and other premises.  Information on the health priorities of the Braunstone Children’s Centre was tabled at the meeting and is attached at the end of these minutes for information;

·           Isolation and loneliness also affected health, but these could be overcome through things such as befriending services;

·           Some people did not know how to cook simple, nutritious meals.  Work could be done to rectify this, such as providing cookery classes;

·           Setting benchmarks would help indicate where there had been improvements.  Some changes had already happened, such as the installation of a telephone landline and better access to appointments at the medical centre in Braunstone;

·           Consideration could be given to using the Ward Community Budget to help finance work being done in support of a health strategy for Rowley Fields.  This could include funding groups such as allotment societies or hobby clubs.

The Ward Councillors would welcome feedback on people’s experiences of health care in the area.  This could include things such as experiences of the Merridale  Medical Centre, or lifestyle factors such as poor bus links to the city centre or health care and little access to food, (for example, as there were no supermarkets in the Ward).

Arthur Manger, from the Manor House Neighbourhood Centre, advised the meeting that a food bank was run from the Centre.  Approximately 26 people currently were helped by this, but if anyone was aware of other people in need they were welcome to pass on the details to the Centre.  The food bank was run by the Mosaic Church.  It was open once a fortnight, but food could be available in between in an emergency.

In addition, a Tuesday Lunch Club met at the Manor House.  A charge of £3.50 was made for a high quality meal.  It was closed over the summer, but re-opened on Tuesday 3 September.  Other activities also were held there, such as painting classes for pensioners, which the Centre was trying to promote, so it was hoped that as many residents as possible would use its facilities.

On behalf of residents, the Chair congratulated Arthur Manger and his colleagues for keeping the Manor House Neighbourhood Centre open and for sustaining it.

Residents welcomed the information on activities available at the Centre, but suggested that use of these could be improved if there was a transport system, such as a minibus, to help people get there and to other facilities in the Ward.

Representatives of Christ Church explained that the Church was trying to raise its profile.  Work already was done with the Near Neighbours scheme, but it wanted to offer its premises and volunteers to help more in the community.  The Church would be staging a barbecue on Saturday 7 September, to start this process.

The meeting also noted that it was hoped to use land by the Braunstone Skills Centre to create a link with the young people using that Centre.  Vegetables were being grown there and there would be a Taster Session from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday 7 September.  As well as growing the vegetables, it was hoped that work also could be done to show how they could be used.

Residents commented that the Merridale Medical Centre now had a landline telephone instead of the previous number, which had been expensive to call.  The Centre also was developing its appointments system and there was a survey available inside the surgery, which patients were encouraged to fill in.  However, some people were not happy with the appointments system.  For example, people could only telephone on the day that they wanted an appointment, or go to the Centre for one, but this needed to be before 8.00 am to be successful, which was not always possible.

In contrast to this, residents generally found that access to Hockley Farm Medical Practice was very good.  In addition, the practice nurses were very good, although it was recognised that some people would rather see a doctor than a nurse.

Philip Parkinson noted these concerns and suggested that residents could see if the Centre had a Patients’ Practice Group, as many medical centres were establishing these.

It was noted that the Leicester Mercury often reported that Accident and Emergency provision was not very good.  However, “misuse” of the services often reflected the poor access available to other medical professionals at certain times, such as weekends.  It was recognised that there had been incremental changes to the Accident and Emergency services, but people waiting for elective surgery often had their operations delayed due to emergency cases. 

It was noted that a new system had been introduced in the Accident and Emergency service at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, under which an assessment would be made of patients walking in to the department to see what their most appropriate treatment should be.  For example, they could be told to see their GP, or could have things such as a bad cut treated straight away.  Feedback on how this service was operating would be welcomed by Healthwatch.

Concern was expressed that there was only one stoma nurse in the Ward, so they could be difficult to reach if people did not drive.

Some residents advised the meeting of the good care they had received through the National Health Service, (for example, from paramedics through to the systems operated at certain hospitals).

Philip Parkinson invited residents in the Ward to attend an event at the Brite Centre on Thursday 26 September 2013 to share experiences of health services.  The event would run from 10.00 am until lunch time.