April News

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

• Healthy Heart
• Blood pressure - outreach report
• Stress awareness month 
• Care home reports 
• Pharmacy First 

As always, you can contact us if you would like to share your views on health and social care in Barnet.

Healthy Heart

The African Caribbean Culture Society of Barnet presented our Healthy Heart team with a certificate of appreciation for services to the community. We're thrilled that the project has received this formal recognition. 

Since May 2022 the team - Judi Dumont-Barter, Salna Abdallah and Riffat Ahmed - have supported over 1,600 residents. The project is run in partnership with Barnet Council, who wrote a news article about the award, which was  covered in the Barnet Post. Judi Dumont-Barter, our Peer Co-ordinator, said:  

“It's a privilege to work with our peers in Barnet's African, Caribbean and South Asian communities to tackle cardiovascular disease. Global majority people are more likely to face health inequalities, and we're passionate about empowering our communities to access improved health.”

Contact us for details of our courses and workshops: 0203 475 1316, texts: 0771 910 5534 (Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm), healthyheart@healthwatchbarnet.co.uk

Blood Pressure - Core20

During 2023, our Core20 Connectors carried out over 960 blood pressure checks, at events across Barnet. We've published a report about the project. 

At our events, 428 people received high blood pressure readings, and planned do one or more of the following: 

• 28% - take more exercise 
• 24% - see their GP or another health professional
• 19% - change their diet

We were keen to reach people who are more likely to face health inequalities, and we therefore ran events at food banks, in selected community centres and with Eastern European groups. 39% of people who took part told us English was not their first language, and 29% had a long term health condition. See our report: Blood Pressure - Outreach Report | Healthwatch Barnet

April is Stress Awareness Month - a great reminder that even the smallest steps taken each day can make big improvements to our wellbeing over time.

This year's theme, #LittleByLittle, puts the focus on making manageable adjustments to our daily routines. Research has shown that just 10 minutes of exercise a day can improve your mood. Positive steps can be as simple as taking a walk during a lunch break, phoning a friend, or spending time listening to music you love.

To find out more about your current stress levels, take this test from the Stress Management Society. For more tips and tools, see NHS every mind matters.   

Care Homes

We've carried out two Enter & View visits to Barnet care homes for older people, and published the reports on our website.

We're pleased to say that both homes have accepted a number of our recommendations. Athenaeum, in Whetstone, has taken on board our advice on dementia friendly décor, outside trips, and reviewing whether their complaints policy is easily accessible. Hadley Lawns, in Hadley Highstone, also accepted recommendations, including on increasing the accessibility of menus for people in wheelchairs, and using a heated trolley to serve meals. 

On our visits to both homes, we saw a number of examples of good practice. For example, at Athenaeum the residents and relatives we spoke to described staff as friendly and attentive, and residents told us they had plenty of choice around bedtimes and where they ate their meals. At Hadley Lawns, the residents and relatives we spoke with described the home as having a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and we found that there had been a recent boost to the range of activities available for residents. 

Pharmacy First

Did you know that pharmacies can now give you treatment for seven common conditions, without a GP appointment or prescription? 

Through the new Pharmacy First service, pharmacists can supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals where appropriate. Across England, 95 percent of pharmacies have already signed up to the scheme. 

The seven conditions that you can receive treatment for are: 

• Sinusitis
• Sore throat
• Earache
• Infected insect bite
• Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection)
• Shingles
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women 

Read more about the Pharmacy First service.