January News

This month's newsletter is full of news and updates, including special events from our partners:

• We're recruiting! - Advisory Board 
• Maternity & Neonatal Care
• New Year, Better Health
• Long Term Conditions
• Dry January 

As always, you can get in touch by email or phone if you would like to share your views on health and social care in Barnet.

Are you a Barnet resident, with experience of using local health or social care services? Please consider applying to join our Advisory Board.

Healthwatch Barnet is your local health and social care champion. Our Advisory Board supports our staff to deliver our work in the borough, and makes decisions about how we use our powers. It plays a key role in ensuring the involvement of local people in our work and decision-making, upholding our independence, and supporting us to work with other local organisations.   

We particularly welcome applications from groups that are less represented in senior NHS decision-making roles, including global majority candidates, disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, including mental health issues. 

The majority of board meetings will be online video calls, with some face to face meetings. This role is unpaid and voluntary, although travel expenses can be reimbursed. 

See our website for more information, and to apply, fill in this form.  

Maternity & Neonatal Care

Have your say on changes to maternity, neonatal, and children’s surgical services in north central London. The NHS are consulting on this until 17 March 2024. 

The NHS's key proposal is to close the maternity and neonatal unit at the Royal Free Hospital, invest around £40 million in maternity and neonatal facilities, and provide upgraded services at Barnet, North Middlesex, University College London and Whittington Hospitals.

In December, a BBC article set out arguments for and against the changes, with some interviewees sharing their concerns about the reduction in local care in the Camden area. Speaking in favour of the proposals, Dr Jo Sauvage, chief medical officer at the NHS NCL Integrated Care Board, told the BBC that half of the cots in the Royal Free neonatal unit were not in use on any given day. The NHS consultation states that one of the overall aims is to reduce the number of babies that are transferred to different hospitals, because specialist care is not available in the hospital where they are born. 

The NHS is considering a second option, of closing maternity and neonatal services at Whittington Hospital. However, they say that hospitals in north east London would struggle to meet the resulting demand. The NHS consultation says that the number of births in north west London is falling, and that hospitals in the area have confirmed they have capacity to absorb the closure of the Royal Free neonatal unit. 

Important issues are at stake, and a raft of other changes are being proposed, so do share your views, particularly if you have used these services in the past. As well as the online consultation, there is the option to respond over the phone on 0800 324 7005, ask for a printed questionnaire which you can post in, or request information in a different format or language. In the meantime, while the consultation is going on, all services will continue to run as usual.

New Year, Better Health

As we're now into 2024, here's some information about healthy activities that are available in Barnet.  

There are five lower cost Leisure Centres across Barnet. Ask your GP about referral to their Healthwise scheme. They offer classes and courses for anyone who wants to get more fit and healthy, as well as people with specific conditions such as high blood pressure, risk of falls, COPD and cancer. 

If you are 55 or over, Age UK Barnet offer a wide range of activities throughout the week. Walking groups are free, with donations welcome. They also run yoga, seated yoga and movement to music, at £5 per class. Some of their social drop-ins cost as little as £1 per session. 

Better Health offer a free online wellbeing resource - check out their simple ways to lift your mood.

Long Term Conditions

Do you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease or COPD? 

GPs in north central London have started supporting people with certain long-term conditions in a different way.

If you are eligible, you should be contacted over the next few months by your GP surgery, to invite you to a Yearly Health Check. This will consist of three appointments - a Check and Test Appointment, a Discussion Appointment and Follow-Up Appointment. The aim will be for health professionals to listen to your views so you can work with them to plan your care. You may also be offered information, for example on issues such as difficulties sleeping and ways to stay well in winter.

Watch this short video to find out more about how the new service will work.

Dry January

Last year, 175,000 people took part in Dry January, cutting down or giving up alcohol for the month, and this year promises to be even bigger. If you're already taking part, please find some info below. If you're thinking of joining now, its not too late to start! 

There are lots of tools available, including apps, a variety of different support groups and even deals on low alcohol drinks. 

Alcohol Change's free Dry January app enables you to track your sleep, units, calories and money saved when you cut down or cut out alcohol. It also has trackers for ​​​​​energy levels, mood and craving intensity, and a 'notes' section to record your thoughts, feelings, events or learning. 

The NHS Better Health app includes a tracking diary, tips and reminders when you need them most, and celebratory milestones.