Planning ahead for your care – conversations that matter

Dr Rob Mayson, a local GP explains the importance of talking to family or close friends about your future care needs: “We want to make sure that all patients in the NHS get the care that is right for them. This is especially true for all of us as we get older or whenever we become unwell. Too often, we see that people’s wishes are not met towards the end of their life, which can be upsetting for them and their families.

“It can help to think ahead about what kind of care you would want if you got very sick. For example, would you always want healthcare professionals to try everything to keep you alive, even if it might not work? Or would you prefer care that focuses on keeping you comfortable?

“There are no right or wrong answers – it’s about what feels best for you. But it’s important that the health and care teams looking after you know your wishes to ensure the right decisions are made. Take some time to talk to your family or those you ae close to about how you might want to be looked after as you get older.

“It’s also a good time to think about the medicines you take. Do they still help you? Do you feel like you need them all? Sometimes, as we get older, some medicines may not be as helpful anymore. You can review them together with your GP, a pharmacist or another healthcare professional if you have any questions.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now. But it’s good to talk about these things with your family. If you’d like to chat more about it, your GP practice is here to help. You can bring it up at your next appointment or let your practice know if you’d like to talk sooner.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable having these conversations, and we believe it should be normal to start thinking about it at a younger age way before ill-health is even a consideration.”

Find out more on the Age UK website:
www.hertsandwestessex.ics.nhs.uk/age-well

The NHS needs your voice

NHS staff are working harder than ever to get services back on track, to get waiting lists down and consistently deliver the best care. We know change is needed. But we also know that many of the solutions we need are already here, working somewhere in the NHS today. Whether you have a little to say or a lot, your views, experiences and ideas will shape immediate steps and long-term changes: a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS. This is a once in a generation opportunity to make the NHS fit for the future. Together we can fix it. We need your voice.

Go to change.nhs.uk to find out how you can take part.

New Patient Engagement Forum setup to listen to residents and patients

In an exciting initiative led by the NHS Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board’s recently established Patient Engagement Forum (PEF -created to ensure that the ICB hears the patient voice), we’re launching a closed Facebook group to facilitate discussion, support, fact finding and create a two-way flow of information to ensure the patient really is at the heart of everything the local NHS does.

 The PEF’s commitment to you is:

  • To listen to what is important to you
  • To follow up on anything that is critical; and
  • To report back on the outcomes from this work.

As a closed group, it is only open to people who live or work in Hertfordshire and west Essex, you can be sure of a safe and secure environment in which everyone respects each other and seeks to share experiences.

The ‘welcome’ page asks a series of questions about what is important to you; share your thoughts and see what others are saying.

Please join this new initiative and have your say – not just once, but whenever you wish to share your views.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hwepef