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Each Winter NHS front line services experience increased strain as a result of additional pressures the season can bring.
Much of that pressure is caused by unnecessary trips to A&E. It can often be confusing for people to know which service to access for which problem. Many people who go to accident and emergency could simply be treated by a GP, a pharmacist or even at home with simple self-care remedies.
There is lots of useful information on the North Lincolnshire CCG website.
For more information about the Choose Well campaign please visit the Facebook page or search on Twitter for #rightcarefirsttime.
To find the best service for your problem you can visit nhs.uk and search by symptom or condition.
Do you feel like you have over indulged over the festive period? Why not take up the challenge of Dry January?
Lots of information and facts about the benefits of reducing your alcohol intake are available on the NHS Choices website. Why not download the One You drinks tracker and take the NHS Health Check?
The NHS Health Check is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40-74. It's designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions. An NHS Health Check helps find ways to lower this risk.
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Recycling is one of the easiest ways for you to have a positive impact on the world in which we live. Recycling is important for both the natural environment and for us.
The amount of rubbish we create is constantly increasing because:
- Increasing wealth means that people are buying more products and therefore creating more waste.
- The increasing population means that there are more people on the planet to create waste.
- New packaging and technological products are being developed, and many of these products contain materials that are not biodegradable.
- New lifestyle changes, such as eating fast food, mean that we create additional waste that isn’t biodegradable.
If we all recycle just one card this Christmas it would be the same as taking 500 cars off the road for a year!
Some other interesting facts:
- Recycling 6 mince pie foil dishes will save enough energy to watch Eastenders on tv.
- 1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.
- 1 recycled glass bottle will save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.
- 1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a light bulb for 3 hours.
If you are not sure what you can recycle visit the A-Z of recycling on the council website. For the opening times of the recycling centres across North Lincolnshire visit the council website.
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Forget the fad dieting or over exercising - discover real life techniques for whole-life weight loss. Sign up to Livingwise now and you could win two passes to Forest Pines Health Club, near Brigg.
The LivingWise service is available to all residents of North Lincolnshire aged over 16 who are above a healthy weight (a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 or over 23.5 if you are of South Asian, Chinese, Black African or Caribbean origin).
The service gives you free access to Momenta, a weight management programme designed by experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and psychology. Momenta is delivered across various locations in North Lincolnshire. It includes a one hour weekly group session over a period of 12 weeks. Momenta uses effective behaviour change techniques to help people set realistic goals. It breaks the cycle of 'yo-yo' dieting and other unreliable methods of weight loss.
For more information visit the LivingWise website or call 01724 749560. You can also keep up to date with the service by liking LivingWise on Facebook or following @LivingWiseUK on Twitter.
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Talking about your health can be very difficult, but men across North Lincolnshire are being urged to think about their health and wellbeing.
Do you ever feel stressed and don’t know how to deal with it? Are you worried about sexual health? Do you drink over 14 units of alcohol a week? Have you noticed changes to your body or persistent symptoms?
These are all health issues that should be considered – not ignored:
- Stress – Too much stress can have a massive effect on your immune system and mental health.
- Sexual health – Anyone can get a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is important to be aware of the symptoms and get regular check-ups.
- Alcohol – It is recommended that men should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. This should be spread across a few days; not consumed in one day and you should have at least two drink-free days a week.
- Cancer – More people are getting cancer but more are surviving. If you have symptoms you are worried about, see your GP sooner rather than later:
If you think you might suffer from any of these, or have symptoms that worry you, contact your GP to get checked out.
For details on coping with any of these health issues, visit the mens' health page on the council website.
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The Smear for Smear campaign runs from 22-28 January 2017 during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
Cervical screening isn't a test for cancer; it's a test to check the health of the cells of the cervix (the entrance to the womb). Most women's test results show that everything is normal, but for around 1 in 20 women the test shows some abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix.
The symptoms of cervical cancer aren't always obvious, and it may not cause any symptoms at all until it's reached an advanced stage. This is why it's very important that women attend all of their cervical screening appointments. In most cases, vaginal bleeding is the first noticeable symptom of cervical cancer. It usually occurs after having sex. Bleeding at any other time, other than your expected monthly period, is also considered unusual. Other symptoms of cervical cancer may include pain and discomfort during sex and an unpleasant smelling vaginal discharge.
About cervical cancer and screening
- Around 3 women in the UK die each day from cervical cancer, with someone diagnosed every 3 hours.
- Over 220,000 women a year are told they may have a cervical abnormality that could require treatment.
- The majority (99.7%) of cervical cancers are caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection which causes changes to the cervical cells. Anyone who is sexually active can be infected with HPV at some time.
- In the UK women aged 25-49 are invited for cervical screening every 3 years and from 50-64 every 5 years.
To find out more about Cervical Cancer Prevention Week visit the Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust site. Further information about cervical cancer and the NHS Cervical Screening Programme visit the NHS Choices website.
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Children and young people across North Lincolnshire can now find emotional health and wellbeing support through a new website. The initiative was launched following World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Life-central.org and the accompanying app provide children and young people with a range of information and support on issues such as eating well, bullying, exam stress, sexual health and internet safety.
The website is not only for children and young people. it also provides targeted information and support for parents, carers and professionals.
Life Central aims to:
- Empower young people with the provision of information in a young person-friendly format to help them help themselves.
- Promote self-esteem, good mental wellbeing and resilience, and identify positive actions to support good mental health and wellbeing.
- Offer advice and support to prevent mental health problems from becoming deep-rooted or arising by taking early action with children and young people and empowering parents, carers and professionals.
- Help with early identification so children and young people are supported as soon as problems happen, to prevent more serious problems developing.
- Increase the awareness of mental health issues to address myths and stigma.
- Signpost children and young people, and their families to the right services.
- Provide a go-to resource for parents and carers to support their understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of their children, offering reassurance about what to expect as their children grow.
Life Central is a joint initiative between North Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and is part of a wider children’s mental health transformation programme.
Research shows that nationally 50 per cent of mental health problems are established by age 14, and 75 per cent by age 24, with 20 per cent of adolescents likely to experience a mental health problem in any given year.
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Do you look after someone who could not manage without your help?
Would you like to meet with others in the same situation as you to relax, chat and make friends?
Then why not go along to one of the Carer Support Groups. They meet regularly throughout North Lincolnshire.
Programmes are varied and include tea and chat, lunches, activities and guest speakers. Take a look at Crosby Group and Bottesford Group programmes for examples of the type of activities that take place.
The Groups are a great way to meet other carers, socialise, develop friendships and share information.
If you feel you cannot attend a group because of the demands of your caring role, contact the centre and they may be able to help with transport and/or alternative care depending on your circumstances.
If you’d like a programme for the Group near you just ring 01652 650585.
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People with disabilities will now be able to use several council facilities and attractions with confidence that the toilets will be suitable for their needs.
The council has installed five Changing Places toilets, at Normanby Hall Country Park; The Ironstone Centre; Scunthorpe Community Wellbeing Hub, Alvingham Road; Sir John Mason House, De Lacy Way, Winterton, and at Riddings Pool.
The toilets are bigger than normal loos and provide more space and the right equipment (including a height-adjustable changing bench and a hoist) to enable more people to get out and about and enjoy the activities many of us take for granted.
The national consortium My Changing Place was launched in 2006 to campaign for larger facilities on behalf of over a quarter of a million people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and older people.
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Dance through the decades is a weekly accessible dance and movement session for older people with dementia.
Held at Scunthorpe Community Wellbeing Hub each Thursday from 11am to 12pm. The sessions combine rhythm, music, touch and movement, enabling participants to connect with and relate to others. They are aimed at people with dementia, their partners, carers, friends and family.
Barbara Speechley, 89, a retired nurse from Scunthorpe was diagnosed with dementia at 79. She attends the Dance through the Decades sessions supported by her son Julian.
In the first few sessions Barbara began to recognise the music, tap her feet, smile and feel more relaxed in the sessions. Barbara also found a friend in volunteer John, dancing and singing together every week. With fairly advanced dementia, Barbara doesn’t remember John, but Julian notes that Thursdays are definitely a highlight of their week and his mum is happy and content after the sessions and sleeps really well. Her favourite song to sing along to is ‘Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)’ and they are now committed participants, attending every week with a very positive effect on Barbara as an individual and on their relationship.
To find out more about the sessions call Scunthorpe Community Wellbeing Hub on 01724 277906 or the council on 01724 297255.
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Chair based exercise helps strengthen your muscles, improve your posture, help your circulation and increase your daily activity levels.
Why not combine getting fit with meeting friends old and
new whilst doing gentle exercise sitting on a chair? It's excellent
for those who haven’t exercised for a while or are rehabilitating.
Sessions are taking place in Community Wellbeing Hubs around North Lincolnshire:
Barton Community Wellbeing Hub
- Monday 10.20-11.30
- Tuesday 5.30-6.30
- Thursday 10.00-11.00
De
Lacy Community Wellbeing Hub
- Wednesday 11.00-12.00
- Friday 11.00-12.00
Brigg
Community Wellbeing Hub
Broughton
Community Wellbeing Hub
- Wednesday 10.00-11.00
- Thursday 10.00-12.00
Scunthorpe
Community Wellbeing Hub
- Monday 10.45-11.45
- Tuesday 9.30-10.30
- Tuesday 10.45-11.45
Here's what some of our members have said about the sessions:
“After my knee replacement the exercises have enabled me to live life to the full again.”
“I have made new friends.”
“We share so many joys and concerns over a cuppa after class.”
“The staff give clear and pleasant instructions that I follow as I do not see clearly – they encourage and praise individual effort.”
"The Hub is such a big part of my life, it is so much fun and the instructors adapt the exercises to suit the people attending.”
The Adult Information Service (AIS) offers information and advice to residents of North Lincolnshire on services and activities available in your area, Adult Social Care, organisations that may be useful to you and other council services.
Contact Us
You can contact the team Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm and on Friday, 9am to 4.30pm by telephoning 01724 296607 or email ais@northlincs.gov.uk. Your enquiry will be handled in a professional, friendly and sensitive manner.
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