Southport Reporter (R) Online Nespaper for Merseyside

Read our Tracking & Cookie Usage Policy

 

Terms and Conditions

Southport and  Mersey Reporter -  Your free online newspaper service covering the Merseyside region - (Greater Liverpool).
Covering the news in and around Merseyside

MERSEY REPORTER

Click on here to email our news room today!

Email

 

 
Your free online newspaper for Merseyside
   
This website is licence to carry news from Vamphire.com and UK Press Photography.

  RSS

 

Latest Edition

Archive

Shop

Order Photos  Help Client Admin Advert Options

Updated news stories weekly.  Published online only, every Thursday

Your online newspaper.   Your words.

Issue:- 04 April 2013

A New Dawn for Patient Transport

A modernised and patient cantered service is now available to patients requiring non-emergency transport in 4 counties across
the North West as part of a new contract provided by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS).

The Trust submitted a tender for the contract to provide patient transport in all North West counties last year and was successful in its bid to run the service in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria. Since then, NWAS has taken the opportunity to re-examine the service and introduced new measures not only to ensure full compliance with the contract, but also to listen to the views of patients and other stakeholders, resulting in a new and improved experience for patients.

The improvements are underpinned by a new Patient Charter which outlines the Trust's commitment to the care and safe transportation of patients; providing the right care, at the right time and in the right place. The Charter explains what patients can expect of the Trust, how to access services and how to feedback their experiences as well as what the service requires from them.

Kelly Jackson, newly appointed Head of Patient Transport Services (PTS) explains:- "This is a major time of change for NWAS' patient transport service with work being d1 to improve almost every area of the service from streamlining our online booking service and consistent use of eligibility criteria, to using the latest technology on our vehicles and providing opportunities for regular engagement with patients.

We are also delighted to be able to provide an enhanced service to regular service users with specialist needs; our cancer and haemodialysis patients. Increased service operating hours, a more flexible service, dedicated Freephone telephone numbers and an enhanced escalation process if things go wrong; are some of the services we will offer our regular patients.

Working in partnership with Staff Side we have completed a restructure of managerial and support staff, improved training and more flexible operational rosters, a number of initiatives have been introduced to ensure a more responsive and accessible service which benefits all our patients. 

These benefits include:-

► A new operating model which involves us working with other transport providers.

► New Freephone telephone numbers.

► A signposting service for patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria.

► A dedicated, new PTS website which contains a wealth of information and useful contacts.

An advance patient reminder together with a 'next patient collection' service for those who would like to receive information via text or email.


With the new contract come fresh expectations of us as a service provider and it was clear that in order to meet those, we had to instigate change throughout the Trust. As with our emergency colleagues, there are now clear targets that we must meet and we have taken this opportunity to redesign the service. We have also heavily invested in technology and telecommunications to provide information on all aspect of the patient journey and ensure effective dialogue between mobile staff and Control."

The 3 year contract to provide patient transport services begins on 1 April 2013 and NWAS' performance will be closely monitored by Commissi1rs, NWAS managers and the Trust hopes, by the people who use the service; the patients themselves.

Says Kelly:- "Feedback from our patients is very important to us and to make this easier, we have developed the user friendly website and will be providing on board leaflets which will clearly explain how patients can relay their experience of the service to us, whether that be a positive or negative. 

This is a very exciting time for the Trust.

We were disappointed to not win the contract in Greater Manchester, but we have worked closely with the new provider, Arriva Transport Solutions Limited, to ensure a smooth transition for both staff and patients.

In addition a Memorandum of Understanding between the 2 organizations will ensure that support is still available in the event of a major incident. 

As we start the new financial year and begin to deliver this new contract, we are very excited about the future and are looking forward to embracing the challenges ahead of us."

The new PTS website can be found at:- patienttransport.nwas.nhs.uk. General patients with any enquiries regarding their bookings or transport should contact:- 0800 0323240 (Freephone).  Cancer and haemodialysis patients should contact:- 0800 0289224 (Freephone).

Did you go to the Liverpool British Science Association Sci-Bar Meeting?

THE Liverpool British Science Association Sci-Bar met in The Ship and Mitre, 133 Dale St. Liverpool, on Tuesday, 2 April 2013, for another of their regular meetings. The guest speaker for the evening was Prof. David Healey, an internationally renowned psychiatrist and psycho-pharmacologist. He is a professor of Psychiatry, and Director of the N. Wales Dept. of Psychological Medicine, both at Cardiff University. His talk was entitled:- ‘Time to abandon evidence based medicine?’ It was a very thought provoking, if unsettling evening, as he spelt out his concerns about the current practice of prescribing medicines according to so called evidence of suitability and effectiveness, based on short term controlled trials ‘scientific evidence’, as opposed to evidence derived from the experiences of large numbers of patients, and their doctors and pharmacists whose contributions are dismissed as ‘anecdotal’ Dr Healey put forward a very strong case for such evidence to be collated and considered when assessing drugs and their usage in best practice. He cited several examples of ways statistics can be manipulated but asserted that the main problem is in the limited nature of the tests themselves. If this intrigues you or you would like further information should go online.  Most of us are all aware that all drugs have side effect, and many can even kill, so it is imperative that their choice and recommendations to doctors regarding their uses are based on the best possible information, and that drug companies consider all the evidence they can about people’s experiences with their products. David Healey informed us that forms are available through the website for patients or their relatives and friends to return, notifying their experiences. This information will be collated and passed to the relevant authorities without risk of getting lost en route. If anyone, having visited the site wishes to comment on, to substantiate or refute matters, please let us know by emailing us via are newsroom:- news24@southportreporter.com

For information about the British Science Association, Liverpool , find them on Facebook; search for 'Liverpool Sci-Bar' or follow on Twitter @merseysci or visit the website:- scibar.org.uk.

Hospital starts collection for charity food bank

A hospital trust is starting collections to support a local food bank for people in need.

Chief Executive Jonathan Parry was inspired by the generosity of staff who gave to a small charity food collection started in the kitchen of the Trust's head office.

"Michelle Bradley, 1 of our clinical audit staff, asked if she could start a collection and we were overwhelmed by the response from colleagues. So, we began to look into how we could scale it up and tap into the goodwill of staff, patients and visitors."
said Mr Parry.

The Trust has now teamed up with national housing charity Green Pastures and its partner Shoreline Church in Southport to trial a food bank collection point that every1 can contribute to at the hospital's main entrance. The church runs the food bank in the town which originally received food collected by staff.

Mr Parry added:- "Food banks have sprung up out of nowhere over the past couple of years and I'm delighted we can support the spontaneous generosity of ordinary people who want to help those in need. Our job is to make poorly people better whether it's in hospital, in the community or at home. Where we can, we also want to prevent ill health and this scheme helps by keeping needy people fed."

Food donations will be collected regularly by church volunteers and should include dried and packet goods, such as pasta, tinned produce and boxes of cereal as well as toiletries and nappies. Fresh or frozen products should not be given.

Julie Woods, manager of the Shoreline Foodbank, said the foodbank was established in 2011 and has seen a 500% increase in demand in just 18 months.

Julie added:- "We believe we are going to be inundated with families needing food in the next months, so we need as much food and volunteer help as we can get."

Pastor Pete Cunningham, co-founder of Green Pastures Housing, added:- "We have only just scratched the surface of need at the moment. The latest cutbacks will have an adverse affect on thousands of families across this region and we have to be prepared. We want to thank Jonathan Parry for his forward thinking. We look forward to other ways in which we can work together in the future for the benefit of local communities."

Click on here to go back to this week's home page!

Our radio station phone in message line...   Call us now!

Click on this section to see last weeks edition of Southport and Mersey Reporter!

Sign up today for our daily email news service!

Sign up to our Daily Email News Service by clicking here now...

Southport and Mersey Reporter - leading the way for local news.
We where the UK's first online only newspaper!

All email addresses and information is held under the UK's Data Protection Act.

 
Highlighted events that are taking place this month:-

If you have an event and want to get it noticed, let us know by emailing us to:- news24@merseyreporter.com

Click on the event title displayed above to find out about lots more events, as well as dates & times!

Our websites in our online series.   Group navigation, information and useful none group links...
Southport TV - Our online video archive. Liverpool Reporter - Our online music station. Mersey Reporter - OUR HUB WEBSITE.
Southport TV Liverpool Reporter Mersey Reporter Formby Reporter

Add to Google

This is what the moon is doing tonight.  Click on to find out why.

See the view live webcamera images of the road outside our studio/newsroom in the hart of Southport.

Our live Southport Webcam.  To see click live, click on image.

SOUTHPORT CHAT

Show us your location
Please sign our map and let us know where you are  from....

.

News Room Phone Number

(+44)  08443 244 195
Calls will cost 7p per minute, plus your telephone company's access charge. 

Calls to this number may be recorded for security, broadcast, training and record keeping.

This online newspaper and information service is regulated by IMPRESS, the independent monitor for the UK's press.

How to make a complaint

Complaints Policy  -  Complaints Procedure  -  Whistle Blowing Policy

© PCBT Photography & PBT Media Relations Ltd. - Southport Reporter® is the Registered Trade Mark of Patrick Trollope