Please note that the Mid and South Essex STP meeting in Maldon tonight has be been cancelled.
Due to the adverse weather the Plume Academy is closed and we are unable to hold the event. We will seek to reschedule so please keep an eye on our website and social media.
Sincere apologies to anyone planning to attend.
My Weight Matters is a 1:1 weight management programme which takes place weekly in convenient community locations across mid Essex. The programme is avaliable free to people registered with a local NHS GP Practice and suitable for people who prefer an approach tailored to the individual. Longer term support is also avaliable, giving you the option to attend for weigh-in and motivational support.
The programme lasts for 12 weeks after this you can continue to drop in and share your progress towards a healthier lifestyle until you reach your target weight loss.
C.H.I.M.P.S (Child Health Improvement Sessions) is a free, informative and supporting programme for children at primary school and their families. C.H.I.M.P.S caters for children above a healthy BMI for their age.
For older children there is D.E.A.L (Diet Exercise and Lifestyle). This is a free, informative and supportive programme for children at secondary school and their families.
Both programmes cater for children who are above the healthy BMI for their age.
Please note: All Tier 2 weight management services are funded by Essex County Council.
A sepsis campaign has been launched to help parents spot the symptoms to protect young children and save lives. Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of any infection.
Parents of children aged 0-4 are encouraged to take immediate action by going to A&E immediately or calling 999 if they spot any of the following symptoms:
Acting quickly can save a child’s life!
For more information visit nhs.uk/sepsis or sepsistrust.org.
The service offers Stop Smoking support, guidance on diet and exercise and help to improve your self-esteem. The service also offers classes to support people suffering with Long Term Conditions. In addition to the services provided, they can signpost people to appropriate support provided by partner organisations. See below for more information on each of the core services Essex Lifestyle Service offer.
Many smokers who want to quit aren’t sure where to turn, but getting advice and support from our friendly expert team will mean you are up to 4 times more likely to quit for good.
The service provides a free programme offering a maximum prescription of either 12 weeks Champix medication or 8 weeks nicotine replacement therapy, as appropriate. Your stop smoking adviser will support your attempt to quit for up to 6 sessions, on either a one-to-one community based programme, via telephone support or through our stop smoking app. Your advisor will offer behavioural and motivational support throughout the process and will assist you to reduce your reliance on the medication using a “weaning off” process.
The service support people on an individual basis, establishing what works for them and supporting them to reach their goals. The team give advice on food groups, portion sizes, food package labelling and physical activity. Eating healthily can help to reduce high blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
Physical activity is a crucial part of health & wellbeing. In infants, it encourages use of muscles & helps to develop motor skills. It also helps to build social & emotional bonds. It improves cognitive development & enhances bone & muscular development. It also contributes to a healthy weight. For adults, being physically active can help with self-esteem, mood and contribute towards a healthy weight. It also helps reduce the risk of dementia.
The team will work with you to develop physical activity targets considering your health and any restrictions to your movement.
Many people suffer with Long Term Conditions (a health problem that cannot be cured but can usually be controlled by medication and other therapies). Long Term Conditions can affect many parts of a person’s life, from their ability to work and have relationships, to housing and education opportunities.
Examples of Long Term Conditions include – high blood pressure, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis. Provide offer Managing Health Courses for people living with Long Term Conditions. The course aims to help them take control of their health by learning new skills to help manage their condition better on a daily basis. The course covers many issues and topics faced daily including – Dealing with pain and extreme tiredness, coping with feelings of depression, relaxation techniques and exercise, communication with family, friends and health professionals and planning for the future.
This free programme delivers health promotion advice and support services to small, medium and large workplaces in the private, public and voluntary sectors across Essex. We will work with your organisation to promote and foster an environment of health and wellbeing. We will train your staff to become Workplace Health Champions who will deliver a range of healthy lifestyle programmes and activities.
We work in partnership with a wide range of local employers and business support agencies including: local Councils, Hospital Trusts, Community Health Providers, Walking for Health, the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes groups and MacMillan Cancer Care, Active Essex and Living Safe and Well Board.
Social prescribing is helping people to make a positive change to their lives by linking them to voluntary and community groups and services that will help them to increase their confidence, meet new people and improve their general health and wellbeing. With Essex Lifestyle Service working with initiatives such as Essex Connects and Live Well in social prescribing, we can ensure that our clients will receive the services that will support them to make good lifestyle choices and maximise their emotional, practical and social wellbeing.
People can self-refer to the service by contacting the team on the details below. Clinics are held at various locations across the county, the team are also able to offer telephone appointments for those unable to attend a clinic.
For more infomation view the Essex Lifestyle Service website.
If you need over the counter medicines, to fill a prescription or seek advice on mental or physical health conditions, there are a number of NHS services available to you over the Easter Holidays.
Pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals who can offer advice on a range of minor ailments and signpost you to the right care in the case of more serious health conditions. Community pharmacists are often open outside GP practice hours and a number in the area are open on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
If you are a parent and have a smartphone or tablet computer, you don’t even need to leave the house to get advice from healthcare professionals – the local NHS is offering a free childhood illness app for both Android and Apple devices that guides you through looking after many common ailments for children at home, with advice on what to do if there are signs of a more serious condition.
You can find more information about the app and downloads links at https://midessexccg.nhs.uk/livewell/startwell/childhood-illnesses. And adults can access similar advice through the NHS website at www.nhs.net.
These services include GP appointments every day of the holiday, including the bank holidays. This is part of the CCG’s Extended Access Scheme, which offers extra GP and nurse appointments 365 days a year.
You can find out more about the scheme by visiting bit.ly/ExtendedAccess. You can book Extended Access appointments in advance at one of four hubs in mid Essex through your own GP surgery or, when they are already closed, by calling 111. (Please note, there is no walk-in service at the hubs.)
There can be more than just physical health needs during Easter, though. The holidays are a stressful time for many people and our new online mental health service at midessexccg.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth can give you a range of tools to help you cope. If you need immediate support away, you can also call the local mental health crisis line on 0330 726 0130 or the Samaritans, free, on 116 123.
And if you have a family member who is showing signs of dementia, you can get advice and support at any stage, before or after they have been diagnosed, by calling our Dementia Intensive Support Service (or DISS) on 01245 515 313.
Anyone, whether a member of the public, care home worker or healthcare professional, can call the number to access one-stop dementia services.
Called “Your Medicines, Your NHS”, the year-long campaign is designed to raise awareness of the estimated £2 million worth of medicines wasted in Braintree District, Chelmsford City and Maldon District each year.
That funding, if not spent on medication that goes to waste, could pay for:
The easiest way we can do this is to make sure we ‘Open the Bag’ when a pharmacist gives us our prescribed medicines. That allows us to hand back anything we don't need – and medicines that have not yet left a pharmacy can be reused.
We should also make sure we order only the medicines we will use, as anything we return to a pharmacy after taking it home must be destroyed – even un-opened packs.
Data shows that around half the medication returned to pharmacies has not been opened, which means patients are ordering it but don’t even start to use it.
When patients keep stocks of medicines at home, there is also a safety risk. The medicines may be taken by somebody else, or by the patient without realising they are out of date or been stopped by the doctor.
Paula Wilkinson, Chief Pharmacist for Mid Essex CCG, said: “We are encouraging everyone to reduce medicines wastage. Things can change between putting in your request for repeat medicines and when you collect them. So play your part – ‘Open the Bag’ and hand back any medicines that you don’t need.
“Get involved by making a pledge to support the campaign or joining the conversation on social media using the hashtags #OpenTheBag and #MedicinesWaste.”
To pledge your support for the campaign simply download a pledge and share across Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram tagging @MidEssexCCG and using the hashtags #OpenTheBag and #MedicinesWaste.
