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Have your say about stroke care
STROKE
survivors and their carers are being given the chance to influence
the future of stroke services in England and their local area. The
Department of Health has issued its draft Stroke Strategy
consultation document, and all those interested in improving stroke
services are urged to express their views and opinions on the future
of stroke care.
The Stroke Strategy could be the most important document on stroke
care in England for a generation, and would help to make stroke a
top priority. It is due to be finalised by the end of this year and
a consultation period is currently underway, providing the
opportunity for everyone with an interest in stroke to have their
say. If stroke survivors or carers are unhappy with any
measures that are being proposed or do not feel that the emphasis
has been made in the right areas, this is the opportunity to express
concerns to the Department of Health. Additionally, people are being
encouraged to recount their experiences of stroke and the care they
received during all stages of their stroke, including admittance to
hospital, rehabilitation and after care.
Angela Walkden, North West Regional Manager for The Stroke
Association said:- ‘Your views and opinions really do count,
so we urge everyone to get involved. The Stroke Association
broadly welcomes the national stroke strategy consultation document
and its recommendations. However, to ensure that these good
intentions are translated into urgently needed action, we want the
strategy to be explicit about how the NHS should improve stroke
services at local level, and about the provision of adequate
resources to support these services,’.
The specific issues are:-
• Government has supported the call for the NHS to treat stroke as a
medical emergency. However, this must be backed up with significant
funding for national public awareness campaigns around how to
identify the symptoms
• Strokes can be prevented. Therefore, the Government must provide
the necessary financial resources to ensure members of the public
know how to take measures to reduce their chances of stroke.
Furthermore, stroke survivors and carers should be better informed
on how to prevent further strokes from happening.
• Long term support and rehabilitation including physiotherapy,
speech and language therapy and emotional/psychological support, are
currently inadequate for many stroke survivors. The draft strategy
does little to address this issue. If you have experience of
unsatisfactory long term support and/or rehabilitation please ensure
that you mention this in your response.
• The draft strategy fails to highlight the important work of the
voluntary sector in giving support to stroke survivors. This work is
vital to thousands of people with communication and emotional
difficulties as a result of stroke. If you have benefited from
services run by charities then please ensure you mention this in
your response.
Copies of the easy access document or the full document are
available through The Stroke Association
website or on 01604
623 938.
The consultation period ends on 12 October 2007.
Completed comments
can be returned direct to the Department of Health or to:-
- The Stroke Association
- 240 City Road
- London
- EC1V 2PR
Please return by 5
October 2007.
IT’S that time
of year again, "oh yes it is!"
Southport Theatre in conjunction with New Pantomime Productions will
be presenting "Aladdin" from Saturday 8 December 2007
until Sunday 6 January 2008. Following the huge success of last
year’s "SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS", New Pantomime
Productions return with a sparkling cast and breathtaking stage sets
and costumes guaranteed to wow the whole family!
Starring Lisa Riley from Emmerdale and Syd Little plus a full
supporting cast with what promises to be a fabulous family pantomime
for all ages. The magical Aladdin will have you booing at the evil
Abanazar, laughing at Wishee Washee, cheering for Aladdin and the
Princess and being dazzled by Aladdin’s magic carpet and mystical
cave!
BOOK NOW!
Tickets:- £15 & £14
Children/Senior Citizens:- £10
Family Ticket:- £42 Front Stalls, £40 rear stalls Early Booking
offer £36 if booked & paid before 30/9/07
Monday 10 December 2007 All seats 2 for 1
Generous Groups & Schools Discounts available
To book call Ticketmaster on 0870 607 7560 (subject to booking fee)
Groups 10+ Freephone 0800 5875007
Visit the Southport Theatre Box Office Open Monday to Saturday 10am
to 6pm.
You can book online new
be logging onto:-
www.SouthportTheatre.org.uk.
See our advert by
clicking
here. |
VISIT TO FORMBY TIDE
POLES
Report and photograph by Dr.
Reg Yorke.
THE event was
organised by the Formby Civic Society and the Sefton Coast
Partnership History and Archaeology Task group as a contribution to
National Archaeology Week, an unusual walk was enjoyed by 30 people
in fine weather on Sunday morning 22 July 2007.
Led by Dr Reg Yorke (FCS) and Professor Philip Woodworth of the
Proudman Oceanographic Observatory, Livepool University, the group
walked over the sand dunes and into the inter-tidal zone seaward of
Formby’s Lifeboat Station to examine and consider the history and
function of the two surviving tide poles.
The group were reminded about William Hutchison, Liverpool’s
Dockmaster in 1759 who was a pioneer in the recognition of the
importance of accurate prediction of the height and strength of the
tide, in the port. His records not only being the first known for
Liverpool but in fact the first truly systematic measurements in the
UK. Measurements started in 1764 ). This was the beginning of the
famous series of annual Tide Tables for Liverpool Bay, which have
continued to the present day.
These tidal observations were later
extended to include outlying positions on the river and estuary by
Captain Denham Liverpool’s first Marine Surveyor who had a very
clear understanding of the importance of the scientific study of the
hydrography of the river and its estuary.
We do not know when tide-poles were first installed at Formby but
visual readings continued over a long period using a set of three
Tide Poles set in a line between Formby Lifeboat Station and low
water line. Each of them was marked in feet and inches up to 32 feet
and carefully maintained free from barnacles and being repainted as
necessary. From their position it was obviously possible to gather
data at all states of the tide. In 1889 the Keeper of the Tide
Gauge, who was also the Lifeboat Coxswain, was paid an allowance of
3/6d per day “to keep the tide gauge when ever it is required”.
In the 1970s the MDHB continued to require the resident of Lifeboat
Cottage to keep a continuous telescopic sighting record every 15
minutes from 9am to 4pm and send these observations to the Mersey
Docks and Harbour Board.
Even after Lifeboat Cottage was abandoned 15 minute readings
continued to be taken during day-light hours and forwarded to the
MDHB The last Formby ‘Tideman’, David Simpson, interviewed by the
Formby Times in 1972 described how he read off the depths using high
powered binoculars. In poor visibility he had to walk to the edge of
the water and stay there taking readings every quarter hour.
Professor Woodworth confirms that The Proudman Oceanographic
Observatory still has a long series of Formby records.
The two surviving poles are in the inter-tidal zone in front of the
former Life-boat House. Their measuring scales are no longer
visible, the poles themselves being encrusted with barnaclesand are
unique in Liverpool Bay.
According to recent information from Michael W. Bankes a Formby
resident and formerly hydrographic draughtsman for the MDHB, the
meticulously kept readings were telephoned daily (as soon after 4 pm
as possible), from Formby to the Marine Surveyor and Water Bailiffs
Dept. The written sheets of measurements being sent in at the end of
each week. Their purpose was to provide continuous ‘real time’
measurements of sea-level in the Bay which was not always the exact
level predicted and which was then correlated with the ongoing and
concurrent echo-sounding depth measurements carried out from the
MDHB Survey vessel, particularly important in the Channels, the beds
of which could ‘shoal up’ within a month with potential hazard to
shipping despite being within the navigation buoys, training bank
and revetment.
These Tide-Poles are a physical reminder of the tradition of
meticulous tidal recording started in the Mersey by Hutchinson and
its importance of detailed knowledge of tidal flow in the estuary
and at low and mid-water levels re-established by Denham in the
mid-19th century; Accurate tidal measurement in Liverpool Bay is
today as important as ever and it is noteworthy that tidal data is
still being recorded at Formby, by the Proudman Oceanographic
Observatory, Liverpool, using an array of specialised radar antennae
situated on the Ravenmeols Dunes.
Other events being organised for National Archaeology Week:-
Little Crosby Village
Museum Visit and Walk.
Wednesday 8 August 2007 from 7.00pm to
9.00pm…
A guided walk led by Bob Wright and visit to the village museum.
Suitable for age 10 upwards but reasonable fitness to walk for a
couple of hours. Sturdy footwear and appropriate weatherproof
clothing. £3.00 per person to support the Museum. Advance booking
essential.
Meet up at the Little
Crosby Museum. Walk will be lead by Bob Wright of the Crosby
Civic Trust and Little Crosby Museum Trust. Phone:- 0151 924
7622 or mobile:- 078852 72609
Guilded Walk,
Seaforth Village
Mark Sargant takes you on a guided walk
tracing the history of Seaforth and looking at buildings of interest
in the village centre. Suitable for age 12 upwards but youngsters
must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable footwear and appropriate
weatherproof clothing. Free but advance booking essential.
Tuesday 14 August 2007 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Meet at Star of the Sea Church on the corner of Church Road and
Crescent Road. The walk will be lead by Mark Sargant of
Sefton Libraries (Local History Service). Phone:- 0151 257
640. See
www.FormbyCivicSociety.org.uk
for more information. |
