Neath Port Talbot Community Network News Issue 1 January 2012 What are Community Welcome to our newsletter Networks ? Welcome to the first ness but very impor- tion across primary, “A system of em- issue of Neath Port tantly on prevention community and social powered localities Talbot Community and health promo- care services. We which will be devel- Networks newsletter. tion. The want to pro- The Community Net- health vide high oped around natu- works have been service quality ap- ral communities as working towards im- cannot propriate a key platform for proving the health do this integrated local service plan- and well being of the alone and services and ning and delivery” local population. has to to support We know that in work our popula- Setting the Direction - Pri- Neath Port Talbot, as with the tion to de- mary & Community Services in other parts of Local Au- velop confi- Strategic Delivery Programme Wales, we have a thority dence in (Page 22) growing population and other Hilary Dover their ability partners Locality Director to manage of older people and Neath Port Talbot that there is an in- including their own the vol- health Inside this issue: creasing number of individuals who have untary sector. through improved chronic conditions. We must involve the information, knowl- We also know that people we serve in edge and self care. Know your Net- 2 many people do not designing and evalu- Each Community works want to go into hospi- ating services to en- Network has a core tal unless they have to sure that we are pro- team which is led by Focus on Neath 3 and our patients have viding the right ser- a local GP. Network made it clear to us vice at the right time This newsletter is in- that they would like and in the right place. tended to keep you Focus on Upper 4 more services in the This is what we aim informed of progress Valleys Network community and to achieve through in Neath Port Talbot closer to their own our community net- and we hope that you homes. Focus on Afan 5 works by developing will contribute to this Network The modernisation of and implementing work. We are all in the health service in better ways of work- this to- Health and Well- 6 Wales continues and ing, by improving gether! being Networks the emphasis is not partnership working TOAST 6 only on treating ill- and sharing informa- Issue 1 Page 2 Know your Networks Neath Port Talbot has been divided into 3 Networks around the GP registered populations. Each Net- work is led by a local GP with support from other local GPs and staff of the Health Board, the Local Authority, Public Health Wales and NPT Council for Voluntary services. Upper Valleys Neath Afan Briton Ferry Health Centre Pontardawe HC (Lethbridge) Glyncorrwg Health Centre Briton Ferry Health Centre St James Medical Centre (Muir) Cymmer Medical Practice Cwmafan Health Centre Meddygfa Cwm Skewen Medical Centre (Davies) Cwmafan Health Centre Vale Of Neath Practice Tabernacle Medical Centre (Penney) Alfred Street Primary Care Cen- Dulais Valley Practice tre New Mount Surgery Victoria Gardens Surgery Fairfield Medical Centre Castle Surgery Riverside Surgery Dyfed Road Health Centre Kings Surgery Morrison Road Surgery Llysmeddyg Issue 1 Page 3 Focus on Upper Valleys Network The Upper Valleys Community as the Local Authority, Police, each other and plan develop- Network covers a GP registered Fire and the Voluntary Sector, ments for a more manageable population of just under 31,000 as well as carers and service population size. The core team people and has a large geo- users. is enthusiastic to start graphical spread bordering The Network has been a discussion with with neighbouring Health established to provide practices and part- Boards in Carmarthenshire an environment for ners around some of (Hywel Dda) and Powys and the effective leadership the ideas we have Swansea Locality of ABMU for the planning and and to hear what Health Board. delivery of high qual- they have to say. As ity integrated services well as looking at lo- Dr Chiranjib Gosh (Meddygfa cal solutions we will Cwm Practice) is the GP Lead for the population in Chiranjib Ghosh the community. Even- also be able to com- for the Network. The other core Network GP Clinical municate and feed team members are Sara Forster, tually the Network lead aims to reduce unnec- back our needs and Senior Management Team Lead, ideas to the Health Kevin Duff, Planning Lead, Rhys essary hospital admissions, minimize the length of stay in Board, influencing discussions Howells, Medicines Manage- at the executive level’. ment, Bridget Ruggerio, Com- hospital and to provide active munity Nursing, Jacquie rehabilitation of citizens back For further information about Charles (Public Health Wales) into a home or community en- the Upper Valleys Network and and Lorraine Flowers vironment. associated developments please (Pontardawe Health Centre) as Dr Ghosh said, ‘Creation of the contact Kevin Duff at the ABMU Practice Manager Lead. Network gives us all, whether Health Board NPT Locality we are in the Health Board, Pri- Team (01792) 326500 or e- As the Network develops we mail: will draw in representation mary Care, partner agencies or from key partner agencies such service users, a much needed [email protected] opportunity to engage with Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the community Upper Valleys and Afan net- professional team, including back from patients who have works are piloting the delivery Practice Nurses from the par- participated in the programme of Pulmonary Rehabilitation ticipating GP Practices and Spe- indicates a high level of satis- (PR) in GP Practices. PR is cialists from the COPD team. It faction with the service and the aimed at reducing symptoms is tailored to meet the patients’ team. Patients are already re- and improving the functional individual needs and actively porting benefits from the pro- independence of people who involves the patients’ family and gramme including increased have Chronic Obstructive Pul- carers. confidence, better control of breathing, better management monary Disease (COPD). Providing this evidence based of stress and anxiety, and better treatment in GP Practices aims It incorporates a programme of mobility and balance. The to improve the accessibility for physical training, disease edu- COPD team is now looking at patients, increase the number of cation, nutritional, psychologi- delivering more programmes in patients accessing the service cal, and behavioural interven- suitable community venues so and increase the expertise of GP tions and encourages social in- that more people can partici- practice staff in supporting pa- teraction. The programme is pate. run over 8 weeks by a multi- tients with this disease. Feed- Issue 1 Page 4 Focus on Neath Network The Neath Community Network ing of our population and to tween organisations to improve covers over 56,000 patients provide care & support to those communication & understand- and involves the 8 GP practices of us when we need it, as close ing and hopefully have a sound in Neath, Skewen & Briton to our homes and families as base to move forward from. Ferry. It shares its borders with possible and at the highest stan- the two other networks in As Dr. Wilkes says, ‘We are not dard possible. We are all aware doing this in isolation and aim Neath Port Talbot. of the current gloomy eco- to work closely with the people Heather Wilkes is the network nomic climate & the severe fi- of Neath, other networks in NPT GP Lead & works with a core nancial restraints this brings but & ABMU as a whole’. team including Fiona Reynolds I am sure that working today For further information or to be Senior Management Team Lead, with shared goals & resources, involved please contact Andrew AndyrewGriffiths, Planning we can make a difference to the people of Neath’. Griffiths at the ABMU Health Lead, Bethan Rogers, Medi- Board NPT Locality Team cines Management, Shan Tan- The network core team have (01792) 326500 or e-mail: regular meetings with wider ner, Community Nursing, Gill network colleagues from Local [email protected] Day from Public Health Authority, Emergency Services Wales and Steffan Gimblett & the Voluntary Sector to try (Castle Surgery) as Practice and clarify the needs of the local Manager Lead. population & how, in partner- ‘The overarching aims of the ship with each other, those network’ says Dr. Wilkes, ‘are to needs are best met. The network maintain the health and wellbe- has already forged links be- Neath Network continues to drive change Neath network continues to A phlebotomy service for house- comes from their engagement is make progress in identifying bound patients delivered by that students identified that they local priorities which will im- health care support workers has do not often access primary care prove the health and wellbeing also been set up in order to free services when they have certain of patients. up District Nursing time. problems. The Network has been working Concerted effort has gone into The network is also fostering on a number of clinical priori- improving the uptake of flu better engagement with the 3rd ties including improving early vaccines in the network and this sector so as to gain an under- diagnosis and treatment of pa- will be evaluated shortly. standing of areas of mutual in- tients with heart failure, im- In addition to this, the network terest and to explore opportuni- proved management of patients is building links with Neath Port ties for joint working. A further with diabetes within a commu- Talbot College which has car- workshop has been arranged nity setting and piloting a diag- ried out some research on the for February with voluntary nostic template for Deep Vein Emotional Health and Wellbeing sector organisations providing Thrombosis (DVT).