Health (Adults)

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Health

Accessing health services and finding your way around the system can feel complicated. This page includes information and advice to help you get the help you need.  

 

Healthy Peterborough

Useful information

You can find lots of useful information about healthy living on the Healthy Peterborough website.

Healthy You

Lifstyle changes

Healthy You are a free service for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents who are looking to make changes to their lifestyle.

Whether you want help to quit smoking, lead a more active lifestyle, lose some weight, or simply take advantage of the NHS Health Checks they offer, Everyone Health – alongside Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council – can help you.

Services include:

  • Adult weight management
  • Health trainer
  • Health checks
  • Stop Smoking
  • Alcohol reduction
  • National child measurement programme
  • Alive and kicking
  • Falls prevention

Contact & Support

Tel: 0333 005 0093

email:  eh.healthyyou@nhs.net

Mental Health

Mental wellbeing

Mental health difficulties are very common, one in four of us will have problems with our mental wellbeing at some time in our lives. More information can be found on the Mental Health page.

 

Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan's purpose is to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer.

What do they do?

Services

They provide services for people living with cancer at every stage of their cancer experience. They are there to provide emotional, practical, physical, and financial support.

You can find general information on the Macmillan Cancer Support website.

You can find more detailed information about services in Peterborough on their Information and Support website section

Cancer Wellbeing Service, Peterborough

View information on the Macmillan Cancer Wellbeing Service, Peterborough webpage

Dementia

Your concerns

If you are concerned that a family member has dementia, the first step is to arrange for them to see a GP.  There is a wide range of support available in Peterborough for people with dementia, including advocacy, dementia advisers, dementia cafés, activities, information and peer support.  More information can be found on the Dementia page.

 

Sensory Impairment

What is sensory impairment?

The term sensory impairment includes visual impairment, deafness and dual sensory loss.

The council's Sensory Support Team is dedicated to supporting adults who have a sensory impairment whether it be their hearing, their vision, or both.  A medical diagnosis is not needed to access support, information and advice.  

You can find out more information on our Sensory Impairment page.

You can also watch a BSL video on what happens when your doctor asks you to see a specialist.

NHS Health Check

What is an NHS Health Check?

The NHS Health Check is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40-74. It's designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions. An NHS Health Check helps find ways to lower this risk.

How do I get an NHS Health Check?

If you're in the 40-74 age group without a pre-existing condition, you can expect to receive a letter from your GP or local authority inviting you for a free NHS Health Check every five years. In the meantime, you may want to try this online Heart Age test.

You can also find more details about how you get an NHS Health Check on the NHS website

Learning Disability Annual Health Checks

What is an Annual Health Check?

The Annual Health Check scheme is a free, yearly appointment with your doctor (GP) or Practice Nurse, usually near to where you live. In this appointment your doctor or nurse will ask you questions about how you keep yourself well and whether you need any extra help with this. With your consent they will also check your physical health such as your weight, heart rate and blood pressure. They may ask for a urine sample or a blood test and will also look at any medication that you take to make sure that this is still right for you.

The Annual Health Check is a really good time to ask your GP or nurse any questions or worries that you may have about your health.

Who can have one?

Anyone aged 14 and over who has a learning disability is entitled to have an Annual Health Check. You must be on your GP’s ‘Learning Disability Register’ to get an invite through the post. You can check with your GP if your name is on the register and ask to be added if your name is not on there already.

Why do I need an Annual Health Check?

It is important to stay well and look after yourself and be healthy.

Sometimes adults who have a learning disability have poorer physical and mental health than other people, but this shouldn’t always be the case.

Most health problems are simple to treat once you know about them. Your GP can help stop you getting a serious health condition. This is better than waiting until you're ill. Most people have their health check when they are feeling well.

The doctor or nurse can help you to plan how to keep being healthy and can give you information and advice about different things such as diet and exercise.

Do I have to have an Annual Health Check?

No, the Annual Health Check is voluntary so you can choose whether or not to have one.

More information about Annual Health Checks can be found on the NHS website.

Hospital stays and hospital discharge

Hospitals

The local hospital in Peterborough is Peterborough City Hospital, which is part of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.

There are other hospitals, some offering universal services and other with specialist services and known as being leaders in certain medical fields, like heart surgery or children’s plastic surgery. 

When you are referred to services that are in a hospital you will be sent to right clinic in the right hospital for your child’s needs.  This may be your nearest hospital, but it can sometimes mean you need to travel further to the hospital offering what is needed.  

Other hospitals in the area are:

Stamford and Rutland Hospital in Stamford

Addenbrookes in Cambridge

Hinchingbrooke in Huntingdon 

Your child may be referred to a hospital with a specialist hospital or unit such as Great Ormond Street  which is one of 30+ children’s hospitals in the UK. 

If you need help and advice about your treatment in hospital, contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for the individual hospital.

Further help

If you are recovering from an illness or a stay in hospital you may need some help when you get home.  This could be received from the Reablement Service.  This could be practical help like getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing and making a meal, or helping you to get back on your feet again.

The hospital might arrange for you to have ‘intermediate care’, which is a health funded service and is to provide you with some short term support. 

The Transfer of Care team, based in the hospital, would complete your assessment and referral for Reablement and any Technology Enabled Care that would support your discharge.

You can find out more about what happens if you need care and support when you leave hospital in our 'What happens if you need care and support when you leave hospital?' information leaflet

You may receive health funded intermediate care.  You can find out more about paying for your own care and support when you leave hospital on our 'Paying for your own care and support when you leave hospital' leaflet.

You can find out more on the Reablement page and the Assistive Technology pages.

Protecting property of adults being cared for away from home

Local authorities must take all reasonable steps to protect the moveable property of an adult with care and support needs who is being cared for away from home, in a hospital or in accommodation such as a care home, and who cannot arrange to protect their property themselves; this could include their pets as well as their personal property (for example, private possessions and furniture). Local authorities must act where it believes that if it does not take action there is a risk of moveable property being lost or damaged.

For example, protecting property may include arranging for pets to be looked after when securing premises for someone who is having their care and support needs provided away from home in a care home or hospital, and who has not been able to make other arrangements for the care of their home or pets.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

Help and support

As part of your social care assessment, it may be identified that you may also need help and support with your health needs for which we can arrange a healthcare assessment. The healthcare assessment will find out if you are entitled to free NHS continuing healthcare.

To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a multidisciplinary team). The team will look at all your care needs and relate them to:

  • what help you need
  • how complex your needs are
  • how intense your needs can be
  • how unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care isn't provided at the right time

Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.

Greater Peterborough Network

What is the Greater Peterborough Network?

  • The Greater Peterborough Network is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by GP Practices across Greater Peterborough, established in 2015 to provide evening and weekend access to healthcare services.
  • Governed by a board of elected GP Directors, with a Chief Executive Officer and Non-Executive Director, the network is dedicated to integration and innovation in primary care.
  • Core services include enhanced evening and weekend access to General Practice, delivering services at scale to improve population health, and connecting General Practice with the wider health and care system.
  • Guided by principles of high-quality healthcare delivery, attracting innovation and investment, seeking new opportunities, and engaging the clinical community, the network aims to be the primary care provider at scale, offering comprehensive care pathways.

You can find more details on the Greater Peterborough Network website

NHS App

About the NHS app

Owned and run by the NHS, the NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.

The NHS App is available now on iOS and Android. To use it you must be aged 13 and over and registered with a GP surgery in England.

What the NHS App does

Use the NHS App to:

  • get advice about coronavirus – get information about coronavirus and find out what to do if you think you have it
  • order repeat prescriptions - see your available medicines, request a new repeat prescription and choose a pharmacy for your prescriptions to be sent to
  • book appointments - search for, book and cancel appointments at your GP surgery, and see details of your upcoming and past appointments
  • check your symptoms - search trusted NHS information and advice on hundreds of conditions and treatments, and get instant advice or medical help near you
  • view your medical record - securely access your GP medical record, to see information like your allergies and your current and past medicines
  • register your organ donation decision - choose to donate some or all of your organs and check your registered decision
  • find out how the NHS uses your data - choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning

Find out more here.

NHS Acronym Buster

Acronyms

Do you ever feel lost at the volume of acronyms in the NHS? The NHS confederation has a useful acronym buster for NHS terms here.

Keep colds and flu at bay

Colds and flu

The flu vaccine can prevent you from catching flu - so if you are over 65, are pregnant, or have a long term condition that means you’re entitled to a free NHS flu vaccine, then it’s worth making sure you take this up through your GP surgery or some local pharmacies.

Colds and flu share some of the same symptoms (cough, sore throat), but are caused by different viruses. Flu can be much more serious than a cold.

If you're generally fit and healthy, you can usually manage the symptoms of a cold or flu yourself without seeing a doctor. Look after yourself by resting, drinking non-alcoholic fluids to avoid dehydration and avoiding strenuous activity. Painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can relieve aches and pains.  

There are around 200 viruses that cause colds and just three that cause flu. There are many strains of these flu viruses, and the vaccine changes every year to protect against the most common ones.

Colds cause more nasal problems, such as blocked nose, than flu. Fever, fatigue and muscle aches are more likely and more severe with flu.

You can find more information by visiting

Help for veterans and service leavers

All veterans, service leavers, non-mobilised reservists and their family members and carers can access a range of specialist healthcare and support created to provide treatment and care for many different problems.

You can find out more on NHS.UK and on this information leaflet.

Hospital Learning Disability Nurses / Advisors

What is a learning disability nurse/advisor?

Learning disability nurses provide extra support within the hospital for people with learning disabilities and their families or their supporters.

Some of the nurses work with children, others will work with adults. However often the paediatric wards are so well suited to reasonable adjustments and additional support that they are rarely called upon for children, even those accessing outpatient appointments as they are so well supported by the play therapist

Learning Disability Nurses understand the needs of people who have a learning disability and/or autism and also understand how hospitals work.

If you phone the switch board at any of the hospitals they should be able to put you through to the Learning Disability Nurse. The number for the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals is 01733 678000.

The Learning Disability Nurse Advisor for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals is Sue Bates. Her direct line number is 01733 673832

The Learning Disability Nurse Easy read document includes more information and contact details. 

The video Learning disability nurses and how they can help us has lots of information too.

Videos

Health is everybody's business - Learning Disabilities Annual Health Checks

Providers, Organisations and Services

  1. Addiction
  2. Autism
  3. Dementia
  4. Diet and Healthy Living
  5. Health Commissioning
  6. Health Services in the Community
  7. Health Services in Hospital
  8. Mental Health
  9. Palliative Care
  10. Sensory Support
  11. Sexual Health
  12. Support Groups

Related Pages

  1. Autism (Adults)
  2. Dementia (Adults)
  3. End of life care (Adults)
  4. Equipment, Adaptations and Occupational Therapy (Adults)
  5. Mental Health (Adults)
  6. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space Scheme (adults)
  7. Reablement (Adults)
  8. Sensory Impairment (Adults)
  9. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) for Adults

External Links

  1. Disabled Access - Peterborough City Hospital
  2. Learning Disabilities Annual Health Checks
  3. NHS Health Checks for people aged 40-74
  4. Health information in Easy Read from Easy Health
  5. Looking after your eyes - information in Easy Read
  6. Healthy Peterborough
  7. NHS.uk information on NHS Continuing Healthcare

Downloads

  1. Learning Disability Nurses Easy Read

Related Services

  1. Healthy Peterborough
  2. Speech and Language Therapy
  3. My Care Selection
  4. NHS Wheelchair Service
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