Issue 100  |  14 June 2024

Welcome to this week's Stakeholder Bulletin.

Our stakeholder bulletin aims to bring you key updates from the health and care system.

This week you can find out more on carers week, upcoming events, useful toolkits and information.

This week is carers week. There are 118,000 unpaid carers in Derby and Derbyshire and they provide crucial care to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

You can find a range of support and resources for carers on our website.

Thornbrook Surgery in Chapel-en-le-Frith, recently held an event for support organisations to share the help they can offer with people who are registered as carers at the practice. You can read more about the event on our website.

Whooping cough rates have risen sharply in recent months. Babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.

Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough. The whooping cough vaccine is given as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the UK at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age with a booster offered preschool. This programme provides good protection against severe disease but protection after vaccination and disease will wane over time.

You can read more about the signs, symptoms and what to do if you suspect a child may have whooping cough on the NHS website.

Community Interest Company DHU Healthcare welcomed Maria Hanson MBE and the team from the me&dee Charity to their headquarters in Derby on Monday, April 29th, for a special event marking the launch of their charity partnership.

Last year, DHU Healthcare pledged its support to the Charity by sponsoring one ‘Hope’ elephant a month for two years – soft toys containing a mini voice recorder and memory notes – creating lasting memories for those who will lose a family member to a life-shortening or life-limiting condition.

You can read more about this on the DHU website.

The Derbyshire perinatal mental health service who are part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, are holding a summer open day for families. 

The event is free to attend and takes place on Sunday 18 August, 10:00am - 2:00pm at Electric Daisy, Derby.

Join them for a family day out including activities, stalls, performances, and support.

The mental health and suicide prevention team at Derbyshire County Council have organised a suicide prevention and neurodiversity training session. The session is aimed at professionals and those in public facing roles and will take place on Wednesday 24 July.

You can find further information and book through Eventbrite.

You can now access a toolkit for the Counter Terrorism Policing Summer Vigilance Campaign. In it you will find free of charge, communication materials to download which can help inform colleagues and members of the public to be more vigilant.  This has been tested among the public, who have found the messaging to be helpful and memorable for encouraging them to report suspicious activity.

People who are immunosuppressed, aged 75 or over and older adults care home residents are now eligible for their covid-19 spring vaccine. People in these groups will be invited to book in for their vaccine starting from April. It is really important to book in and get your vaccine if this is offered to you. The vaccine reduces your risk of becoming seriously unwell with covid.

Book yours now if eligible.

Did you know that you don't always need to see a GP or consultant to access some referral services? Self-referral is an option that can make it easier and faster for you to get help, rather than seeing your doctor.

You can register for most of them online. Find out more.