NHS services for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire

Published on: Thursday 28 March 2019

NHS services for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire

Followings publication of Professor Anna Stec’s paper on potential soil contaminants in the area around Grenfell Tower, local NHS services have restated their commitment to put in place the right services to support local residents now and in the long term.

Dr Andrew Steeden, local GP and Chair of West London CCG, said: “The NHS is here to support the community and we do understand your concerns. When someone talks about potential serious health concerns, it is bound to be alarming. Like you we are relying on advice from the Multi Agency Partnership, chaired by Minister Hurd, that brings together scientific expertise and all government departments to inform the design of future services and we are in contact with them.

“If you are worried about your health or somebody else’s health, we really encourage you to speak to your GP and get an enhanced health check to assess your current health and, if needed, your GP may refer you for more specialist help. Enhanced health checks are available for children and adults.”

For adults, enhanced health checks include:

  • Addressing concerns around breathing difficulties.
  • Monitoring for, and effective management of, long term conditions, such as diabetes.
  • Physical health checks (looking at weight gain, blood pressure and cholesterol).
  • On-going mental health screening that will include screening for anxiety, depression, trauma responses and other emotional health difficulties.

For further information about enhanced health checks, speak to your GP, or contact our community service, Healthy Hearts at 020 3434 2500.

For children, enhanced health checks include:

  • Checking concerns around breathing.
  • Emotional health screening.
  • Weight monitoring and links to local weight management services.
  • Focus on physical activity and exercise programmes within the community.

For further information about enhanced health checks for children, speak with your GP.

Dr Steeden added: “Situations like this can make people feel worse - increasing their anxiety or bringing on panic attacks, which can be experienced like physical pain. Again we would encourage you to talk to your GP or the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service if you are troubled by difficult feelings.

“If you were affected by the fire, and are living in another borough, you can also access these services. Please speak to your GP in the first instance.”

Coping with everyday life

Your GP

People affected by the fire can book longer GP appointments to give you more time to talk about everything. Tell your doctor if you have a cough or breathing problems or if you have other health problems like heart disease. They can send you to a specialist clinic at St Mary’s Hospital for people with breathing problems.

You can also see a GP or nurse in the evening or at weekends if you live in Kensington and Chelsea, Queen’s Park or Paddington or have a GP there. Your GP’s receptionist can book the appointment for you at:

  • Violet Melchett Integrated Care Centre
  • St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing Integrated Care Centre.

NHS 111

You can telephone 111 for advice if you need medical help quickly but it is not a 999 emergency.

Emotional wellbeing

The NHS can help if you, or someone you know, is feeling sad or cannot cope. Speak to your GP or the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service.

Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service

This is a free and confidential service for children, adults and families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. We know that people are experiencing a broad range of difficulties following the fire.

For some, it has triggered distressing thoughts, memories and nightmares. You may be struggling to sleep, feeling anxious, angry or low in mood. Some people are also finding it difficult to cope with persistent and traumatic feelings of grief, or adjusting to life and changes following the fire.

We offer tailored support to give you the help you want, at the pace you need it. You can telephone us on: 020 8637 6279.

The children’s arm of the service works closely with schools and families to support children and young people who are anxious or upset. We will find out what support your child needs and which service can help them.

If you or someone you know need out of hours support because you’re feeling anxious, upset or suicidal you can contact us 24 hours a day.

Telephone: 0800 0234 650 Email: cnw-tr.SPA@nhs.net

The service is confidential and you do not have to give us your personal information. The person who answers the phone will make sure you get the right support from the right service.

You can also call the Samaritans on 116 123. This is a free, confidential 24 hour service.

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