You Said We Did

Published on: Friday 23 October 2020
Quarterly report - October 2020

Quarterly we produce a round-up of feedback we've had from the community and what action the NHS North Kensington Recovery team has taken to improve health services for local people or address any issues that have arisen. This feedback will come from individuals, service user groups, the local community and voluntary sectory and partner organisations.

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See this month's 'You Said We Did' below:

‘You Said’

‘We Did’
“We are struggling to access an appointment with a GP and aren’t confident using digital tools”
North Kensington GPs

All GP practices in North Kensington are open, but due to Covid-19 most practices are offering a first appointment via the telephone. Many appointments now take place over the phone or through video consultation but face to face appointments are still available.

  • We have raised the issues with the GP practices concerned and they immediately offered an appointment to see the GP in person and swiftly proceeded with their treatment.
  • We have been working with GPs, residents associations and the community and voluntary sector in North Kensington to continue to address these issues.
  • We are working with our Health Partners on a programme to build the knowledge, skills and confidence to allow everyone to access digital health tools.
“Is it possible to speak to a GP in a language other than English?
Interpreting service
  • We developed a communication shared across the community and voluntary sector and with our Health Partners to inform people that every GP practice in North Kensington has a service called Silent Sounds which people can use to speak to their GP over the phone or in person. With this system if someone wishes they can have a member of their family on the call too. The practice reception will organise this when someone calls them.
  • We have also sent a communication to primary care networks and practices also, to ask that they support patients to access this service.

 

“Emotional support is needed to help BAME elderly who are not coping well because of the lockdown. They need to speak with someone who can understand and relate to their culture and faith to improve their mental health and tackle loneliness”.
 
Culturally appropriate support
  • We approached one of our health partners who offer culturally appropriate emotional support in different languages to support the patients. This was an example of partnership working between the NHS and community groups.

 
“There has been an increase in the number of homeless people with the current situation having a detrimental affect on their mental health”
Mental health services
  • Support is being provided to the homeless population at The Curve on a regular basis by the NHS Central North West London (CNWL) Trust mental health services.
 
“We would like access to self-care activities especially designed to support health and well-being”

 
Self-care menu for North Kensington coming soon
  • We have developed a menu of self-care activities specifically for North Kensington which is due to launch in November 2020 starting with complementary therapies. More information coming soon on our website here, to find out more email grenfell.response@nhs.net. 
Over 65s
  • We also continue to fund and provide additional services to over 65s as part of our Integrated Care services. The service offers non-medical activities and you can be referred to a wide range of activities. This can be anything from a coffee and chat group, to a local exercise or IT skills class.
Arts and crafts
Some members of the community with diabetes, particularly from BAME backgrounds, are struggling to manage their blood sugar during lockdown, increasing their risk of obesity and other complications”
Diabetes workshop in Arabic

  • A pilot was delivered in partnership with NWL Diabetes team to deliver culturally appropriate information to understand diabetes prevention and management. The workshop was co-designed with our health partners to ensure that the content was right.

The three week workshop is being offered online in English and Arabic. 
“We’d like to be able to access community-based activities easier”
Social prescribing link workers
  • We have now helped appoint three social prescribing link workers to North Kensington GP practices. They sit within the practices and work with patients to help improve their health and wellbeing. Part of the support they offer includes finding community-based activities for patients.
  • For more information speak to your GP about a referral to a social prescribing link worker.
 
“There is a lot of information out there it can be overloading, we need clear and simple messages”
 
Communications
  • We have added key simple messages to our website on Covid-19 and NHS North Kensington services. For this year’s flu campaign we have published a range of simple resources including our key messages, Q&A and community presentation and we will take the same approach with all future campaigns.
“We as the community and voluntary sector need greater skills to help provide confidence, knowledge and skills to residents on keeping well”
Health Coaching Training
  • We delivered a Health Coaching Training pilot course and following positive feedback will be rolling out a more in depth, full two day training to the community and voluntary sector.

  

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