In an exciting initiative led by the NHS Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board’s recently established Patient Engagement Forum (PEF -created to ensure that the ICB hears the patient voice), we’re launching a closed Facebook group to facilitate discussion, support, fact finding and create a two-way flow of information to ensure the patient really is at the heart of everything the local NHS does.

 The PEF’s commitment to you is:

• To listen to what is important to you
• To follow up on anything that is critical; and
• To report back on the outcomes from this work.

As a closed group, it is only open to people who live or work in Hertfordshire and west Essex, you can be sure of a safe and secure environment in which everyone respects each other and seeks to share experiences.

 The ‘welcome’ page asks a series of questions about what is important to you; share your thoughts and see what others are saying.

 Please join this new initiative and have your say – not just once, but whenever you wish to share your views.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hwepef

Measles is more than just a rash. It can make children and adults seriously unwell and one in five children end up in hospital because of complications.

You may have heard on the news about measles cases in some parts of the country. Measles spreads very easily between people who aren’t vaccinated. You can catch it just by spending time in the same room as someone. This is why it’s so important to make sure your children have had their MMR vaccinations.

As well as being very contagious, measles can also make children seriously unwell. Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth. Measles can be serious for adults too. Catching measles while you are pregnant could harm your baby.

As there is no medical treatment for measles, vaccination is the best protection. The MMR vaccine is safe, effective and provides long-lasting protection against three serious illnesses - measles, mumps and rubella.

The vaccine is available free on the NHS. It is given in two doses, with the first offered to children at the age of one, and the second before they start school.

You can have the MMR vaccination at any age, so if you or your child have missed out on a dose, it’s not too late to get that protection. Evidence shows that the vaccine is safe and gives complete protection.

You can check if your child has had all their vaccinations by looking in their red book. If your child has missed their first or second dose of MMR vaccine, then get in touch with us at the practice as soon as possible to book an appointment.

If you think your child might have measles, check symptoms on the NHS website. Keep your child at home and call us at the practice for advice.

Find more information on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk

2 January 2024

Local health services

If you need help from your GP or another member of the practice team over the festive period, we are open every weekday from 8am until 6.30pm, except for bank holidays when we are closed. Please contact us if you have a health condition that needs checking or an illness that won't go away.

Junior doctors will be on strike from 7am on Wednesday 3 January to 7am on Tuesday 9 January. This means that all NHS services, particularly hospitals, will be under severe strain. But please don’t put off seeking medical help if you need it. Here is a reminder of what local services are available:

• The NHS website – nhs.uk has lots of advice to help you to look after yourself when you have minor symptoms. There is also information about what is a serious medical emergency.
  
• If your child is feeling unwell, the Healthier Together website has advice about some common symptoms, how to look after your child at home and when to get further help.
  
• Drop in to a pharmacy for health advice or information about your medicines. A pharmacist can help you to deal with a cough, cold and lots of other winter illnesses.

• If you need help urgently, use NHS 111 online (www.111.nhs.uk) or call 111. Your symptoms will be assessed, and you will be given advice or an appointment to see a doctor or nurse if this is needed. NHS 111 can also send an ambulance and can book an appointment for you in some services like urgent treatment centres. Using 111 online means you won’t have to wait on the phone.  
  
• If you are in a mental health crisis, call NHS 111 and get straight through to mental health help by selecting option 2.
  
• You should call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. Life-threatening emergencies are different for adults and children.
  
• Do not visit anyone in a hospital or care home if you have recently had diarrhoea or vomiting. Stomach bugs are easily spread, make already ill people very seriously unwell, and can lead to whole hospital wards being closed. Please wait 48 hours after your last bout of sickness or diarrhoea before visiting anyone who is vulnerable.  

More information on these services and self-help advice can be found at: https://hertsandwestessexics.org.uk/help-us-help