Welcome to your new look Joined Up Care Derbyshire Newsletter.

Following our survey of readers in August, we're introducing a number of changes:

• It's now in email format, rather than PDF. This makes it easier to read on a mobile phone and it improves accessibility for people who use special software to read content because of disabilities.

• It is now monthly, rather than every other month. The survey showed readers wanted more frequent newsletters. This also means it is more up to date.

• We've organised the content into four sections: Better health, tackling health inequalities, efficiency and community. These are the four "missions" of our integrated care system.

We hope you enjoy reading about what is happening in our health and care system in Derby and Derbyshire. If you would like to contribute an article or share your great work in our system, please email ddicb.communications@nhs.net.

For more frequent updates, follow our social media channels.

People who are experiencing a mental health crisis are being urged to use services that are in place to support them.

On World Mental Health Day, Thursday 10 October, organisations that support people to recover from a mental health crisis in Derbyshire are showcasing services in local communities.

Marc, who has used the Safe Have service twice after experiencing a mental health crisis, said: "I would recommend the Safe Haven."

Marc is sharing his story as part of a video that features Derby centre manager Lucy Jantschenko and support worker Robert Houldsworth.

Read more

Fewer people are coming to harm, including avoidable deaths, and more people are managing their pain better, thanks to teamwork across the health and care system. 

The success comes from a programme to reduce the use of high dose opiates in non-cancer pain and to support people to "live well with pain".

After just over three years:

• the number of people prescribed opioids has fallen from 21,662 in January 2021 to 20,730 in May 2024 – that's 932 fewer people
• the number of people on "high dose" opioids has dropped from 1,660 to 1,497 in May 2024 –  that's 163 fewer people

Read more

By Lorna, who lives with pain and has successfully reduced her use of opioids

“I was given a prescription for a cocktail of pain medication and was told this was it for the rest of my life.

“After a time they weren't really making a difference, so other than going on even stronger opioids, I looked into other ways to help with the pain, finding some were actually more effective.

"I decided to try and reduce my dosage. I tapered off slowly.

“Once my dose was reduced, I began to see how much joy they had sucked out of my life and how depressed I was.

"So where do the sneezing pandas and psychotic cats come in?

"I have numerous techniques I use to manage my pain."

Read more

Vulnerable and older people across Derby and Derbyshire, including people with some existing conditions, who are most at risk of getting ill this winter will start to receive an invitation to come forward for a flu and Covid-19 vaccine.

You may receive a letter from your local GP practice inviting you to book in and vaccinations are also available at some local pharmacies.  

Dr Chris Weiner, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, said: “Every winter, the NHS urges people to protect themselves from falling seriously unwell by getting vaccinated against viruses such as covid, flu, and now, RSV.

“It’s crucial for those most at risk to consider getting vaccinated early. The vaccines offer the best protection from becoming seriously unwell this winter.

“These vaccination programmes will save lives and help ease the strain on the NHS during the difficult winter period ahead, please come forward for your vaccine if you are eligible”

Read more

A new service that helps adults to continue to live independently at home has been launched.

The Derbyshire Low Level Support Service provides:

• General advice and guidance, including on housing issues, financial advice and debt

• Support to maintain community networks

• Signposting to additional services that will help prevent person's support needs from becoming more serious

• One to one support to increase confidence and resilience

The service is commissioned by Derbyshire County Council and it covers the whole county, except the city of Derby, and it is delivered in partnership by Citizens Advice Mid Mercia, South Derbyshire Council for Voluntary Services and Revival.

Referrals come from adult social care teams, social prescribers, GPs, friends and family and self-referral.

For more information about the service please see the Derbyshire Low Level Support website.

The service is not personal care, but it can include tasks such as setting up emails, online banking and helping with setting up online shopping.

Other issues will be signposted and referred to the relevant services.

The Derbyshire Perinatal Mental Health Service now offers a text service for women and birthing people who are deaf or hard of hearing to self-refer, book or re-arrange appointments. The service provides treatment and care for moderate to severe and complex mental health difficulties associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period.

South Perinatal Team text number 0791 833 5413

North Perinatal Team text number 0799 043 8191

This service is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Please be aware this is not a crisis service. For urgent help in a crisis, please call 999.

Read more

By Angela Pownall, Chair of Mentell, tells the story of her son Adrian

"Seven years ago, I lost my son Adrian to suicide.

"I was devastated, full of disbelief and anger.

"In the months that followed I simply could not dismiss the fact that Adrian’s death was preventable.

"I felt that I had to use my professional knowledge and skills positively and help other people in my community.  I believed that together, we could save lives. 

"I believe that had my son had something like Mentell, maybe things could have turned out differently and he may still be with us today."

Read Angela's full column in the Buxton Advertiser.

Community leaders from local government and the NHS joined with a wide range of charities and support organisations recently to share "a moment in our shoes".

The Mayor of Chesterfield Councillor Jenny Flood (pictured with support worker Peter North from the Royal National Institution for Blind People) visited the event on 24 September.

"A moment in our shoes" was organised by Chesterfield based social prescriber Karen Lawson (pictured), together with Chesterfield Equality and Diversity Forum.

Held in Chesterfield Market Square and in Grace's Chapel, it was aimed at encouraging the community to spend "a moment in our shoes" – understanding and feeling what it is like to have a disability.

See a gallery of pictures and get involved on the "A moment in our shoes" Facebook page, and read what happened when NHS Integrated Care Board managers Kirsty Ball and David Lilley-Brown tried to get around while wearing simulation sight loss goggles and using a motorised wheelchair.

GP surgery staff across the Derbyshire County Council area are receiving new training to help them support patients who have identified themselves as unpaid carers in their communities.

The training programme is being led by Lisa Barker, who recently took on a newly-created role as GP Liaison Worker with the Derbyshire All Age Carers Support Service.

Lisa organises regular training for GPs and their support teams. Sessions are delivered online or in-person as part of GP teams' regular training programme.

Lisa said: "The training provides basic principles in how to support carers, the challenges they face and how they can be supported. 

"The outcomes are that GP teams are more confident and empowered in the work they do to support carers.”

Read more

People with a learning disability are having their say over the way NHS short breaks services are provided in Derbyshire.

A series of workshops, events and meetings is taking place, continuing until 29 November.

Families, carers and people who speak on behalf of service users are also being invited to take part.

Currently around 60 people a year are using the service, all of whom live in the north of Derbyshire. There are no equivalent NHS services in the south of Derbyshire, meaning those people who are eligible for respite typically use a local council or privately provided service.

Read more

People of all ages living in Derby and Derbyshire now have an extra way to get in touch with the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service – by calling NHS 111.

The 24-hour helpline, which offers emotional support and signposting to children and adults who are in urgent need of help, can now be reached by dialling 111 and selecting the ‘mental health’ option, option 2. This is in addition to calling the helpline direct, on 0800 028 0077. 

The helpline is managed by Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the charity P3. Specially trained mental health staff are available to speak to callers, discuss their urgent needs and assess the best way to support them, depending on their symptoms. They may direct people to one of the range of face-to-face support services now available, such as the safe havens or crisis drop-in centres. If people have physically harmed themselves, or if their life is at immediate risk, then they should call 999 or go to A&E. 

This development is part of a national project to make it easier for people to contact the mental health support team in their local area, without having to remember or search for a helpline number. People who are Deaf or have hearing loss can use the NHS 111 – SignVideo service to communicate with the helpline team.  

GPs and primary care professionals will continue to refer all non-crisis mental health referrals through the usual routes. For adults, that might be a local Talking Therapies provider or the local Living Well/Derby Wellbeing team or community mental health team. For children and young people, it might be the local CAMHS team. If a GP assesses a patient and feels they are in crisis and needs immediate on-going support, they would refer them to the local Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team, as before, as the helpline team cannot offer ongoing face-to-face support. The helpline team can, however, advise health professionals and there is a separate number that professionals can call to contact the team.

More information about the helpline and other support services can be found on the Derby and Derbyshire emotional health and wellbeing website.

A new register that brings together a list of personal assistants has been launched.

A personal assistant is someone who provides a service for those who are in need of support for everyday living (e.g. personal care, meal preparation, medication and social support).

In most cases, they are employed by an individual who may have a direct payment or personal health budget, but having a personal assistant can also be self-funded.

Blue Sky Brokers is the new provider of the Derbyshire direct payment support service and it has supported the co-design of a new bespoke personal assistant register for Derbyshire.

The register will help direct payment users recruit employees easily, with support from Blue Sky Brokers.

The team there can provide as much support as you require throughout this process, so you can find an individual that is the right fit for you and your needs.

The team will support with the initial onboarding, and ongoing employment support.

Looking for work within the care sector will also be made easier in Derbyshire with the personal assistant register. You can register as a personal assistant (PAQ), self-employed PA, micro-provider or live-in carer. Apply for job adverts, search your job preferences and access local services and helpful resources.

For more information see the Blue Sky Brokers website, or email info@blueskybrokers.org.uk or phone 0333 034 1101

Health and care professionals are being invited to consider offering swimming or other water-based activity to support good mental and physical health.

Swim England and the Institute of Swimming work with healthcare providers and voluntary organisations to promote its water wellbeing programme as a referral option.

The programme aims to be accessible, to provide welcoming facilities and to offer specific sessions for people with health conditions to do in water.

Find out more :

1. Aquatic Activity and Swimming for Health – A clear learning path for healthcare professionals, social prescribers and students about when to signpost, use and engage people in aquatic activity.

2. Swim England: Health and Wellbeing Hub – Free downloadable health fact sheets for swimming, are available to download at the bottom of the page.

3. Swim England: Value of Swimming – Research into the benefits of swimming.

4. Dementia Friendly Resources 

Nursing and pharmacy students have been helping patients and supporting GP practices, thanks to the support of The Hub Plus Derbyshire.

Students on Tour 2024 is a new placement programme that is also an enriched learning opportunity, making a real difference in the local communities, and shaping the future NHS workforce.

The Hub Plus provides training and support for primary care in Derbyshire.

Over just three days in August and September, they conducted 68 NHS health checks across Derbyshire, providing crucial care to patients.

The Hub Plus asked students to express an interest in taking part in the programme and received 20 applicants for the 10 places available.

Read more

Derbyshire Dialogue is an opportunity for our local residents to discuss what matters most to them about health and care services, what's working well, and what we can improve.

Recent

Improving Pain Management – This session on 11 September showcased how we are delivering improvements in how we support people in our communities to live well with chronic or persistent pain.

Upcoming

13 November | Urgent Emergency Care System – This presentation will give an overview of the Urgent and Emergency Care Services that are available, and we will showcase how we are working to deliver improvements in how we support people in our communities in accessing urgent care services more effectively, and in the right place and right time.

Book your place and find details on upcoming sessions on the Derbyshire Dialogue page.

The Insight Library is our local source of patient and public insight gathered across Derbyshire health, care, statutory and voluntary organisations. You can search reports by theme, service type, district, and several other categories.

It is open to a wide variety of professionals to help share reports and learning across the system and inform decision-making. Recent reports include:

Derby City GP Access Survey 2024 – this report from Healthwatch Derby is a snapshot of people’s experiences of accessing GP services in Derby city, and calls for assurances that the NHS primary care recovery plan will be fully implemented.

Musculoskeletal Health Inequalities and Deprivation – this report from the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance shows us that people with Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions living in areas of deprivation experience health inequalities, developing MSK conditions earlier than those in less deprived areas, and they are more likely to have multiple conditions and therefore to be clinically complex.

Healthwatch Derbyshire Annual Report 2023-24 – this report summarises all the projects carried out by Healthwatch Derbyshire, highlighting the state of services across Derbyshire, and how they have made a difference.

All reports entered in the library are tagged so that they can be sorted by theme, service type, district, and several other categories. It is also now easier than ever to submit reports to be added to the library via our online form.

Submit reports via our online form or ddicb.engagement@nhs.net. Please ensure you provide permission for us to share the report, as well as details such as the publish date and author name(s).

If you have any feedback, or questions, please email us at: ddicb.communications@nhs.net.

Disclaimer:
While every effort has been made to ensure the contents of this bulletin are accurate and up-to-date NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board do not accept any responsibility of any omission or inaccuracy as it is not deliberate. Nevertheless, we will appreciate provision of accurate information to improve our work. Where links are provided to external content, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board holds no responsibility for such content or accuracy.