Protect yourself and others.  

Please contact the surgery to book

This week is Diabetes week.

Morning blood sugar, pre-meal blood sugar, counting carbs. HbA1c, blood pressure, how many carbs were in that sandwich again? Diabetes can feel like a never-ending stream of numbers. And some days, they just don’t add up. 

Diabetes doesn't stop, but neither do you. You juggle the ups and downs, you face diabetes head on every morning (whatever your blood sugar!) and you don’t let it hold you back. 

So, this Diabetes Week, we want to celebrate everything that makes you, you. Because you’re so much more than your numbers.

More help and information

The 23rd Mental Health Awareness Week will run from 15 to 21 May and is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. 

This year, the theme is ‘anxiety’. People are encouraged to get involved by sharing their experience of anxiety and ways of coping with it by using the hashtag #ToHelpMyAnxiety. As part of the campaign, the Mental Health Foundation will be publishing guidance on how we can manage and improve feelings of anxiety and prevent them from developing into a more serious mental health problem.

You can read more about MHAW and find various resources by clicking here

From Monday 17 April to Friday 30 June, a Spring COVID vaccination booster will be available to:

• People who are aged 75 and over
• Patients who are immunosuppressed

Residents of older adult care homes began receiving vaccines on Monday 3 April.

An appointment can be booked via the National Booking Service website via the NHS App or by calling 119.
 
Going forward, patients who have not had their first or second dose of a COVID vaccine will only be able to receive this within an ongoing COVID vaccination programme - 'evergreen' doses will not be available until autumn after 30 June.

MyType1Diabetes is a free, online resource with tailored support to help adults in England live well with their type 1 diabetes.

It can help patients understand more about type 1 diabetes and increase their confidence in managing their condition through e-learning, signposting to local services and a wide-range of content available in 10 different languages including Polish, Spanish and Urdu.

The programme is for people over the age of 18, with type 1 diabetes. Families, carers, and healthcare professionals can also sign up at www.mytype1diabetes.nhs.uk

This April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and Bowel Cancer Uk have developed a new #KnowTheHigh5 campaign to raise awareness of the five red flag symptoms of disease that should prompt people to see their GP straight away. 
 
Someone dies of bowel cancer every 30 minutes in the UK. It’s the second biggest cancer killer but it shouldn’t be, because it’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early. That’s why knowing the symptoms is so important – it really could save your life.

With Easter fast approaching, it's time to remind you to order your prescriptions for any repeat medicines you will need over the bank holiday weekend (7 - 10 April).

Help and Support for Dementia Patients

For eliglible patients on Saturday 04 February 2023 between 10.00am and 12.00pm

The NHS is calling on those who are eligible, to book their cervical screening appointments, as many patients are not up to date.

The call comes as cervical cancer charity, Jo’s Trust, launches its annual Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (23-29 Jan 2023) to raise awareness of cervical cancer and to drive uptake in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.

Around 2,700 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and approximately 690 die from the disease - around two deaths every day.  The NHS Cervical Screening Programme helps save thousands of lives per year and those who are invited are being encouraged to ensure they attend their screening.

In the last year (21/22) the NHS sent out more screening invitations than ever before – more than 5 million – and 3.5 million people came forward for testing.

Screening helps prevent cervical cancer by using a highly effective test to check for high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is found in over 99% of all cervical cancers and which may cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix. These cells can, over time, turn into cancer if left untreated.

Having HPV does not mean someone has or will develop cervical cancer. It is a common virus that most people have at some point in their life without knowing it, which usually goes away on its own. If cell changes are identified early cervical cancer can be prevented from developing.

The NHS also offers the HPV vaccination to all children aged 12 and 13 at school in Year 8, up until school leaving age, with numerous catch-up opportunities provided by the School Aged Vaccination Teams. GP practices also offer vaccination for those who may have missed it in school, from age 14 up until 25.

HPV vaccination protects against the most common types of HPV, but it is still important to attend a cervical screening appointment when invited because the HPV vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV.

Cervical screening is available by appointment at local GP practices and at some local sexual health services.

Damp conditions in a property can be particularly dangerous for people with allergies and respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. Babies, young children and older people can be particularly vulnerable.

Please report your concerns to Solihull Community Housing or call on 0121 717 1515.