It details our work over the past year, including our reports on home care services, access to dentistry, access to mental health services for older people and a South Shields care home.
Highlights include:
We met 30 dental patients, heard from 215 people in an online survey and spoke to four practice managers as part of a collaborative project with the regional Healthwatch network and
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
The Lodge care home pledged a number of improvements for residents after recommendations following an Enter and View visit and report.
We made a series of recommendations to South Tyneside Council in our Help to Live at Home report, after hearing from 200 users of home care services and managers and staff of the four providers.
Healthwatch South Tyneside was chosen by Healthwatch England to take part in nationwide survey work into issues faced by trans people when accessing non-transition related healthcare.
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board wanted to know if older people experienced ageist attitudes and assumptions about their mental health by GPs and asked Healthwatch South Tyneside to gather insights.
Looking ahead to 2025/26, our priority areas will include reviews of mental health services for both adults and young people and Pharmacy First
One of our favourite quotes in the report is from Vicki Pattinson, Director of Adult Social Services and Commissioning at South Tyneside Council, about our Help to Live at Home work.
She said: “The work Healthwatch have undertaken with people who draw upon care and support and the adult social care workforce employed within Help to Live at Home has provided valuable insights into the experiences of people using our services, helping us to build upon the positive aspects of the service but also identify areas for ongoing improvement.”
The latest SEND Feedback Event ‘You Said We Did’ is being held on Thursday July 3 from 9.30am to 1pm at Jarrow Focus.
The purpose of the feedback events is to offer an opportunity to parents and carers of children and young people with SEND in the borough to have their voices heard.
It is an opportunity to improve services across our local area by bringing together key stakeholders across education, health and care and provide a listening platform to ensure that we are continually making progress to secure the best outcomes for children and young people.
The event is being held within the Theatre Space of Jarrow Focus, Cambrian Street, Jarrow, NE32 3QN. There is free parking available in the Morrisons car park opposite the centre. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Organisers said that the previous feedback event indicated that parents and carers would like to be given more information regarding services that they can go to for support.
In response, next week’s event will include a SEND Local Offer showcase attended by support services from the local area. There will also be top table discussions with senior leaders on the following themes: EHCPs and SEN Support; Mental Health; Therapies and Post-16 Adult Social Care.
There will be an opportunity for a Q&A and if parents and carers would like to submit questions before the event this can be done on the booking form on the link below.
Women across the region are being warned that weight loss drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus and Mounjaro should not be used during pregnancy, when trying to get pregnant or while breastfeeding as there is not enough information available as to whether using the injections could cause harm to the baby.
Health experts are also advising women using the ‘skinny jabs’ to use effective contraception whilst taking the injections, as the medication may reduce the effectiveness of the pill. They recommend continuing contraception for at least two months after stopping the treatment before trying to get pregnant.
The advice follows an announcement from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which oversees the safety of medicines in the UK.
Dr Alex Kent, medical director, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “If a woman becomes pregnant while using weight loss medication, she should consult her healthcare professional for advice – as there is currently not enough evidence to know if this medication could be harmful to the baby.
“We are also advising women using the injections to take particular care with contraception, as some weight loss drugs can reduce the effectiveness of the pill by slowing digestion and causing vomiting and diarrhoea.
“In these cases, we recommend using additional non- oral methods of contraception, such as condoms, for at least the first four weeks of treatment. We also advise waiting at least two months after stopping the injections before trying to get pregnant.
“Weight loss medicines can work well for people who need them, but they should only be used when prescribed by a healthcare professional. Some people may lose weight quickly on them which can make it easier to get pregnant, even if they weren’t planning to, which is why proper contraception is so important.”
Amanda Kennett, ICB director of midwifery, added: “It’s extremely important that women across the North East and North Cumbria understand the risks of using weight loss injections if they’re pregnant, planning a baby, or breastfeeding.
“If you or someone close to you are using this medication and are pregnant, or might be thinking about starting a family, please encourage them to speak to their GP or maternity team as soon as possible. Getting the right advice early on can make all the difference to keeping both mum and baby safe and well.”
The NHS is also reminding people not to buy unregulated weight loss injections online, or from beauty salons, which could be fake, dangerous, or even deadly.
If you are thinking about buying weight loss medication, remember to:
Always tell your GP or pharmacist about any medicine you are taking, including ones bought privately.
Only use online pharmacies that are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Get medical help straight away if you feel unwell or have side effects after taking any medicine.
“Weight loss injections are powerful medicines so it’s important that anyone thinking about using them understands both the benefits and the risks”, added Dr Kent.
“We would strongly encourage everyone to speak with their GP or pharmacist first. There are safe and effective weight loss options available through the NHS, and your healthcare team can help you to find the right one.”
Sunderland’s new eye hospital will open next summer, offering a fit for the future building which will treat patients from across the region and beyond.
As part of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s commitment to the environment, it has a series of features built in to make it greener and more sustainable.
It will be the North East’s only all electric hospital, with no gas to be used on site. The energy centre, which is a separate building close to Silksworth Row, is almost complete. This will help power the hospital, which will become home to services across three floors when they move from the ageing Sunderland Eye Infirmary.
The centre has been given a green roof. This will not only boost the lifespan of the roof, but support biodiversity, improve air quality and reduce the need to heat and cool the structure.
The hospital building itself will be fitted with 100-plus solar panels, which will help cut its CO2 emissions and generate some of its power from sunlight. It has been wrapped in protective sheeting while work continues to install the windows to the building. This will make it watertight and help work progress inside as fitting out continues.
The central location of the new hospital, which is part of the Riverside Sunderland development in the city centre, will help cut travel times and energy for most visitors and be more accessible through public transport.
Other features include:
Paper-free at the point of care, with electronic patient records to be used instead of paper, designed especially with the eye care service in mind
Air Source Heat Pumps will help heat and cool the building when and where needed
Cycle storage next to the site
Access to 100-plus EV charging points at the Riverside Multi-Storey Car Park
Work is also under way to look at recycling old equipment and furniture which will not make the move from the existing site on Queen Alexandra Road.
Protective sheeting has been put around the building as work continues.
Fiona McKinley, the Trust’s Directorate Manager for Ophthalmology, said: “All our departments are excited to be making the move to our new home in the city centre. The building has really come on in recent weeks and months and we can see it taking shape.
“The new building will continue a long legacy of offering eye care in our city, and while Sunderland Eye Infirmary is much-loved, a modern building will make a world of difference.
“A huge part of that will be the green features it has, which will not only mean it is a sustainable site which reduces our emissions and keeps running costs down, but will make it a more comfortable environment to work in, while we’ll have the latest technology on hand to help make the working days and nights more efficient.
“The environmental features also work towards the NHS Green Plan, which is an important part of our efforts to play our part in net zero and reduce waste and resources.”
The building is being built by Kier and the development is a partnership with Sunderland City Council.
Kier has today shared this video which features patients Mary and her guide dog Zoom and Matron Carol Jobling, along with Kier’s Senior Project Manager Jason Hartnell, talking about the building and the difference it will make to the community.
Once open the hospital will offer care and treatment through its Emergency Department, the only dedicated eyesight service in the region.
It will also have a Retina Unit, which looks after patients with Macular conditions, imaging, where photos and scans are taken of the eye, a Treatment and Investigation Unit and a Surgical Day Unit.
The Out-Patient Department, Optometry, Orthoptics, in-patient ward, theatres and Cataract Treatment Centre and RNIB Eye Care Liaison Officer (ECLO) teams will join them in the move.
The hospital will also have its own dedicated Children’s Out-Patient Department, which is an addition to what is offered at the existing hospital.
The STS Charity, the Trust’s dedicated charity, is running the Vision Appeal to raise funds to make visiting and being treated at the hospital an even better experience. It will also support staff and bring in additional equipment which goes above and beyond the standard NHS kit.
A national campaign launched this week by Diabetes UK is highlighting the health checks you need when you have diabetes, why they’re so important and some of the reasons people might not be getting them.
Life with diabetes can feel like number, check and test overload. You might feel fine, or feel like you don’t have the time. Or maybe you’re not sure what checks you should be getting. But these regular diabetes health checks are vital to keep you healthy, so you can continue living life to the full.
Health checks are tests to check your average blood sugar levels and how well your heart and kidneys are working, as well as check-ups on your eyes and feet. They can help spot signs of any changes early on, so you can get all the help and support you need.
The number of people getting all their checks has increased in the last few years, but more than one in three people still aren’t getting all the checks they need (National Diabetes Audit data, 2023-24, England and Wales).
There are lots of reasons people aren’t getting all their health checks, from not being invited, to a lack of appointments or long waiting times. But it’s not that simple, and there are many other factors affecting people getting the care they need.
People with an interest in health and social care services are being invited to attend Healthwatch South Tyneside’s AGM next month.
The annual meeting, open to the public, is being held at The Learning Lounge at Hebburn Central from 10am to 12noon on Monday July 7, followed by a light lunch with the opportunity to network.
There will be an overview of the annual report and accounts, and guest speaker Louise Lydon, Chief Officer and Secretary of Community Pharmacy Gateshead, will give an update on the Pharmacy First Service.
Looking ahead to 2025/26, our priority areas will include reviews of mental health services for both adults and young people and Pharmacy First
Protective sheeting has been put around the building as work continues.
