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NHS workers balloted for strikes this winter

Unison, which has more than 1.3 million members according to its website, said the most pressing issue for new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay was “without doubt finding a solution to the many problems affecting the NHS”…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s biggest trade union said on Thursday it was balloting 350,000 workers in the state-run National Health Service (NHS) on strike action over pay this winter.

Unison, which has more than 1.3 million members according to its website, said the most pressing issue for new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay was “without doubt finding a solution to the many problems affecting the NHS”.

“The NHS is losing experienced staff at alarming rates. Health workers are leaving for work that pays better and doesn’t take such a toll on them and their families,” Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said in a statement.

“If this continues, the health service will never conquer the backlog and treat the millions desperately awaiting care.”

Unison, along with 13 other health unions, had asked for an above-inflation rise for all staff. The unions use the Retail Price Index measure of inflation, which stands at over 12% currently.

Unison is not the only health union taking action. The other major ones, including the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, GMB and Unite, have all started to, or are planning to, ballot members.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Striking is the last thing dedicated health workers want to do. But with services in such a dire state and staff struggling to deliver for patients with fewer colleagues than ever, many feel like the end of the road has been reached.

“The NHS is losing experienced staff at alarming rates. Health workers are leaving for work that pays better and doesn’t take such a toll on them and their families.

“If this continues, the health service will never conquer the backlog and treat the millions desperately awaiting care.”

Helga Pile, deputy head of health at Unison, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the pay award for health staff – including paramedics, porters and nurses – outside Scotland was “nowhere near enough”.

“Outside Scotland, all they [health staff] have got is a 72 pence per hour award, and that’s just nowhere near enough when they can’t afford to pay their bills.

“They can’t afford to feed themselves, they’re going to work hungry, they’re going home to cold houses at the end of their long shifts.”

One of those who will be voting in favour of strike is Emily Jones, who works in admin at an NHS trust in the south-west of England, and is a local Unison rep.

She said she was struggling financially as her mortgage payments had doubled, and she is worried about her fuel bills this winter.

“Things can’t go on as they are. If pay isn’t attractive, no-one will want to join the service,” she said.

A Department of Health and Social Care in England spokeswoman said that, as well as being in line with the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations, this year’s rise followed a 3% pay increase last year, in recognition of work during the pandemic, despite a public sector pay freeze.

She added that the government valued the hard work of staff, but urged them to “carefully consider” the impact on patients.

The balloting of Unison members comes ahead of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) ballot closing next week.

It is the first time it has balloted its members on a UK-wide strike.

Emergency care will be protected during any industrial action taken by any of the unions.

The Unison ballot closes on 25 November in England and Wales and on 18 November in Northern Ireland.

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Kerala to extend lifeline to crisis hit NHS

Kerala signs MoU with the NHS recruitment forum during the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit

The aim of the MoU is to enable smooth migration of health professionals such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff through safe, transparent and legal means. In the first phase, the deal will help to fill 3000 vacancies at various NHS hospitals

Britain’s NHS Trusts are getting a lifeline to sort out their staff shortage issue as Kerala, the south Indian state signs an MoU to streamline the process of recruitment of medical professionals.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and top officials attended the signing-in ceremony during the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London

The chief minister said the state will organise a job fest to help various NHS trusts to recruit Kerala medical professionals. The MoU was signed in the presence of Norka Roots Resident Vice Chairman P Sreeramakrishnan, CEO Harikrishnan Namboodiri, Dr Jogy Kuriakose, Dr Civin Sam, General Manager Ajith Kollassery.

The aim of the MoU is to enable the smooth migration of health professionals such as doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff through safe, transparent and legal means. In the first phase, the deal will help to fill 3000 vacancies at various NHS hospitals.

The Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London

Loka Kerala Sabha Regional Summit

Chief Minister Mr Pinarayi Vijayan earlier addressed the regional summit of the state’s Loka Kerala Sabha.

Mr Vijayan urged the centre to implement a comprehensive migration policy to support Indian professionals seeking employment abroad.

Over 10 per cent of the Kerala population is living abroad. They constitute a substantial number of doctors and nurses in British medical services. The chief minister later attended a public reception organised by the Kerala community.  

Kerala has become the most sought after recruitment hub for National Health Service for its medical professionals. Unofficial figures indicate the presence of over 100,000 Non-resident Keralites working in the NHS as doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. The Kerala community is growing on a fast pace with the new influx of students seeking graduation and post-graduation qualifications at British universities.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is leading a high-level delegation to Europe and UK to meet officials from government and private sectors.   The delegation comprises Industries Minister P Rajeev, Education Minister Mr Sivan Kutty, Health Minister Veena George, Planning Board Vice Chairman Prof. V.K. Ramachandran, Norka Roots Vice Chairman P. Sreeramakrishnan, State Planning Board Member Dr. K. Ravi Raman, Norka Roots Director Dr. M. Anirudhan, NORKA Principal Secretary Suman Billa, Government OSD Delhi Venu Rajamani, NORKA Roots Vice Chairman M.A Yusuff Ali, Directors Ravi Pillai, Azad Moopen, O. V Mustafa, CV Rappai, JK Menon, CEO K. Harikrishnan Namboothiri, General Manager Ajith Kolassery etc.

The Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
The Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with students and community leaders
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other leaders paying tribute to Karl Marx at High Gate Cemetery
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with students and community leaders
The Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Lulu Chairman & MD Mr Yusuff Ali MA at the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Kerala signs MoU with the NHS recruitment forum during the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit
Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev at an event in London
Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Mr S Sreekumar, CEO of the Anand TV and the Chief Co-ordinator of the event, welcomg the audience
Former Kerala Speaker and Norka Roots Resident Vice Chairman Mr P Sreeramakrishnan at the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
Kerala Health Minister Veena George addressing the Loka Kerala Sabha regional summit in London
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CARE AT YOUR DOORSTEP

NHS Checks and Treatment on Patients’ Doorsteps Part of New Changes to Health and Care in England. From today, 42 statutory integrated care systems will bring together GP teams, hospitals, local authorities, and other partners to plan and deliver health and care services in their area…reports Asian Lite News

Dedicated mental health staff to help children and young people in GP practices and blood pressure checks in betting shops are among initiatives devised and delivered by new integrated care systems that come fully into force today.

Boosting health checks in the community to find people with health problems before they become seriously unwell is a key goal of the shift to integrated care systems, where local organisations work together to better meet the needs of local people.

From today, 42 statutory integrated care systems will bring together GP teams, hospitals, local authorities, and other partners to plan and deliver health and care services in their area.

With mental health services for children experiencing record demand, new roles, including wellbeing practitioners, will be in place for local practices to support young people and help with access to local mental health teams. As well as expanding capacity through new roles, GP teams can develop special interests and access training in specific areas such as eating disorders.

A GP practice in Stockport is already going into betting shops to deliver blood pressure checks, identifying and preventing hypertension issues before people end up in hospital.

In Coventry and North Warwickshire, a local sports club offers diabetes and weight management support, taking referrals from GP teams but also reaching out to people in the local area they think might be most at-risk. People can receive tailored one to one diet and lifestyle support, and access to the club’s gym facilities.

And thanks to these local authority partnerships in Bedfordshire, patients who frequently call 999 but do not need emergency help are given alternative “lifesaving” support in their community, ensuring peoples’ needs are met as well as freeing up staff time to deal with emergency calls.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said the changes had the “power to completely transform health and care for people in their local communities” as well as cutting red tape within the NHS and saving taxpayers’ money.

The changes are set to save an estimated £14 million each year by reducing the number of chief executives working in the NHS by almost 170.

New systems are already proving to be an effective tool in tackling the covid backlogs, with eight systems reducing two-year waiters to single figures ahead of the end of July target. Nationally, there are 70% fewer two-year waiters than in January.

 “Integrated care systems have the power to truly transform the way that we care for people up and down the country – not only will the NHS provide care when someone is unwell or has an accident but alongside our local government partners, we must also now play an increasing key role in managing peoples’ health so that we can catch more killer conditions earlier and save lives,” said Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive.

 “Local areas are already doing this by going out into communities to spot signs and symptoms earlier in places such as sports clubs and betting shops as well as ensuring people can access community support rather than using 999 or going to A&E.

 “Through these schemes, we are already making a massive difference to peoples’ lives. The NHS will now build on this success and innovation and deliver care for patients that is fit for the future as well as saving taxpayers’ millions of pounds each year.”

Lincolnshire ICS brought together acute, community and mental health teams to reform local stroke services, helping patients with rehabilitation in their own home earlier and using digital solutions. As a result, they have seen the average length of stay for stroke patients in hospital fall from 13 days to just four and a half.

The linking up of systems is also playing a key role in bringing down elective backlogs, with the Croydon Elective Centre seeing around 300 patients every week from across South West London ICS – a 10% increase on pre-pandemic levels.

The site has seen around 2,000 patients from neighbouring trusts with its own entrance, operating theatres and inpatient wards which were ‘Covid-protected’ during the pandemic to enable it to continue powering though backlogs. 

Today also marks another significant change, as NHS England & NHS Improvement becomes NHS England. The two organisations initially merged in April 2019.

While as part of the vital work to better integrate health and social care, the Health and Care Act also extends hospital discharge rights for patients and carers – including young carers for the first time. The act will ensure hospital trusts involve patients and carers in hospital discharge decisions when further care and support is needed and where appropriate.

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BRITAIN FACES STRIKE CHAOS

The National Education Union (NEU), which is the biggest teaching union, has warned that it plans to ballot 450,000 of its members unless it receives a pay increase in line with inflation…reports Asian Lite News

Britain could face further strike chaos after unions representing teachers and NHS workers warned of potential action over pay.

The National Education Union (NEU), which is the biggest teaching union, has warned that it plans to ballot 450,000 of its members unless it receives a pay increase in line with inflation.

Strike action could take place in schools in England in autumn, the union told the Observer.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said the union will ballot its members unless the Government offers around the three per cent rise it touted earlier this year.

He said: “If there is no significant improvement on 3 per cent – which will leave an 8 per cent gap with inflation this year alone – we cannot avoid a ballot. The mood among teachers has changed. Last year the issue was mainly workload. This year it is workload and pay.

“Teachers are doing calculations to see what their hourly pay works out at. Pay is already down 20 per cent on 2010. The strains are showing. One in eight of new graduate teachers are leaving in their first year.”

Millions of NHS workers are set to receive their annual pay offer soon and there are fears that it will fall short of inflation, which is running at 9.2 per cent.

Unison, the biggest union representing NHS staff, has warned that the pay offer could lead to a mass exodus of staff combined with industrial action in hospitals.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea added: “The government has a simple choice. Either it makes a sensible pay award, investing in staff and services and reducing delays for patients.”

“Or it risks a potential dispute, growing workforce shortages and increased suffering for the sick.”

It comes as more than 40,000 members of RMT will stage 24-hour walkouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in a dispute over proposed job losses and their demand for pay hikes that will keep pace with inflation.

Only one in five trains will run on the three strike days, but services will also be hugely disrupted during the rest of the week.

The Transport Secretary has accused the biggest rail workers’ union of “punishing millions of innocent people” by pressing ahead with next week’s train strikes.

Grant Shapps said the Rail, Maritime and Transport union had repeatedly been urged not to go ahead with the “damaging” strikes and instead concentrate on negotiating a deal.

He said the strikes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week risk disrupting a range of sectors across the country, causing “misery” to the general public.

He said: “Sadly they have ignored these requests time and again, and we are now on the cusp of major disruption which will cause misery for people right across the country.

“Many people who do not get paid if they can’t get to work face losing money at a time they simply can’t afford to.

“Children sitting exams will face the extra distraction of changing their travel plans.

“And vulnerable people trying to attend long-awaited hospital appointments may have no choice but to cancel.

“By carrying out this action the RMT is punishing millions of innocent people, instead of calmly discussing the sensible and necessary reforms we need to make in order to protect our rail network.”

High inflation

Food price inflation in Britain is likely to peak at up to 15% this summer and will remain at high levels into 2023, a prominent grocery industry researcher warned, dealing another blow to the country’s cash-strapped consumers.

In its latest report, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) said the most vulnerable households in Britain would be hit hardest by the spike in food and drink prices.

Surging prices are already causing the biggest squeeze on household incomes since at least the 1950s in Britain, where grocery price inflation hit 7% over the four weeks to May 15, its highest level in 13 years, according to industry data.

Britain’s official rate of inflation hit a 40-year high of 9% in April and is forecast to surpass 10% later in 2022, when regulated energy tariffs are due to jump by a further 40%.

To tackle inflation, the Bank of England looks set to raise interest rates on Thursday for the fifth time since December.

However, that will mean higher mortgage costs for many households.

The IGD predicted the average monthly spend on groceries for a typical family of four would reach 439 pounds ($529) in January 2023, up from 396 pounds in January 2022.

It expects inflation to be most evident in prices for meat, cereal products, dairy, fruit and vegetables, with products that rely on wheat for feed, such as white meats, likely to see prices soar in the short term.

The researcher forecast high levels of food inflation would likely last until mid-2023, highlighting several factors including the impact of the conflict in Ukraine, pre-existing supply chain challenges, the limited effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy and impacts still being felt from Brexit.

“From our research, we’re unlikely to see the cost of living pressures easing anytime soon,” said IGD chief economist James Walton. “We are already seeing households skipping meals – a clear indictor of food stress.”

Britain’s four biggest grocers, market leader Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons all declined to comment on the 15% figure.

In response to the crisis, Britons are trading down in both stores and products, switching from mainstream supermarkets to discounters and from branded to lower priced private label products.

They are also cutting back on fuel purchases as they reduce the number of car journeys they make, cancelling streaming services and cancelling repair warranties on domestic appliances. 

Poundland owner Pepco said last week Britons were even reining in spending on essential items.

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NHS clinical trial being launched in India for new Covid drugs

The envoy also said success or failure of Glasgow conference will depend on three countries including India…reports Asian Lite News

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis on Monday said a big National Health Service (NHS) clinical trial is being launched in India for new drugs related to Covid.

“One thing we learned in the last three years is that healthcare does not stop at your border. I think healthcare will continue to be one of the areas in which you will see a need for greater, more mutual resilience. It is great that we are launching a big clinical trial in India which is an NHS clinical trial looking at new drugs in relation to Covid because what happens in India will have a big impact on the UK. We saw that, frankly, during the worst stages of Covid,” Ellis said at an event.

The envoy remarked that India is valuable for the UK and there are wider benefits as well. Commenting further, Ellis said post-Covid situations are changing and the health consequences of it are quite different from what they were a year ago.

Interestingly, the envoy also mentioned Chinese President Xi Jinping and said, “I think Chinese behaviour or behaviour of Xi Jinping, administration or government in China is forcing all of us to think quite hard that it is not only about the economics but also the geopolitical side, which we cannot ignore. And I think every country is now thinking about that in a different way. Of course, the situation of India is different because of the border it has.” The High Commissioner made these remarks at the Centre for Policy Research program.

He said that the next round of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement is going to take place next week and both Prime Ministers have asked the negotiators that it will be done by Diwali. “UK is now no longer in the European Union and this actually offers the opportunity to strengthen the UK-India relationship. I think in particular about trade where we are negotiating a free trade agreement. We will have the next round of that next week and the two Prime Ministers have told negotiators that it will be done by Diwali,” Ellis said.

The British High Commissioner also mentioned that India’s internationalization is one of the most significant long-term events which will happen to the world and it is irreversible.

He also highlighted that India’s internationalization is present in every aspect, not just economics, and said, “You have just had a book written in Hindi, which has won the International Booker Prize. You can see it in lots of different areas. You can even see it, if I put it very crudely, in the British cabinet. The cabinet has several people of south Asian heritage sitting there. The Minister of Finance in the United Kingdom is Rishi Sunak. The same would not have been the case 15 or 20 years ago.”

The envoy also said success or failure of Glasgow conference will depend on three countries including India.

Nearly 200 countries in Glasgow, Scotland, adopted an outcome document, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact. It calls on 197 countries to report their progress towards more climate ambition next year, at COP27, set to take place in Egypt. The outcome also firms up the global agreement to accelerate action on climate this decade.

“India’s scale and size will have big global impacts. One of the interesting things about the Glasgow conference was that in the end, the success or failure of the world in dealing with climate change will depend on three countries including India,” he added.

India and the UK concluded the third round of talks for the proposed free trade agreement in New Delhi covering ground on key areas. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his India visit expressed his support for more skilled visas for Indians stating that the UK is currently facing a shortage of experts in IT and programming sectors.

India and UK launched Free Trade Agreement negotiations in January this year. The two countries are also exploring the possibility of an interim agreement to provide quick gains for benefiting businesses on both sides.

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Indian nurse number strength boosts workforce

The UK’s Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also called for radical action to boost the nursing workforce in a sustainable way…reports Asian Lite News

Indians are driving a rise in foreign nurses coming in to boost the workforce of the UK’s National Health Service, according to official figures released in London on Wednesday.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) data for 2021-22 show 37,815 Indian nurses on the council’s register of those qualified to work in the UK, up from 28,192 the previous year and a jump from 17,730 four years ago. The Philippines remains the top-most source country with 41,090 nurses and Nigeria is third with 7,256 nurses on the register.

“Our register is at the highest level ever. This is good news considering all the pressures of the last two years. But a closer look at our data reveal some warning signs,” said Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar at the NMC.

“The total number of people leaving the register has risen, after a steady and welcome fall over the previous four years. Those who left shared troubling stories about the pressure they’ve had to bear during the pandemic. A focus on retention as well as attracting new recruits need to be part of a sustainable workforce plan to meet rising demands for health and care services,” she said.

In total, there were 48,436 joiners, up from 34,517 the previous year and 38,317 in 2019-2020, which was seen as a welcome sign for the health service coping with nursing staff shortages.

The NMC found that of all the joiners almost half (48 per cent) had trained overseas and of those, 66 per cent had trained in India or the Philippines. This means growth of the UK nursing and midwifery workforce has become more reliant than ever on internationally trained professionals joining the register, the NMC notes.

“Another note of caution is that growth of the workforce has become more reliant on internationally trained professionals joining our register. These professionals make a welcome and vital contribution to our nation’s health and well-being. But we can’t take them for granted,” warns Sutcliffe.

The UK’s Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also called for radical action to boost the nursing workforce in a sustainable way.

“We again question how sustainable it is to recruit half of all new nurses from around the world. The UK’s health and care workforce is proudly diverse, but it must be done ethically and come at the same time as increased investment in education and domestic workers,” said Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive.

“When we have tens of thousands of vacant nurse jobs, a sharp rise in leavers should not be overlooked while we welcome new recruits. Nursing staff tell us these shortages are biting more than ever,” she said.

The UK government says the NHS follows ethical recruitment practices by not recruiting from a red list of countries, which have declared shortages of healthcare staff. All parts of the UK have set out plans to increase the number of nurses and midwives in the NHS, with a target to boost numbers domestically and be less reliant on foreign staff.

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Health service rolls out arthritis drug Baricitinib to treat Covid

It will be the seventh COVID treatment approved in total for use on the NHS…reports Asian Lite News

The UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) said that from Thursday it is rolling out the use of arthritis drug Baricitinib after it has proven to save lives when given to the most seriously ill COVID patients in hospital.

A trial carried out through the NHS and University of Oxford found that 13 per cent fewer severely ill patients died of COVID-19 when treated with Baricitinib compared to existing treatment options. Typically used to treat arthritis to reduce pain and inflammation, the NHS said Baricitinib can now be given to hospitalised COVID patients in addition to current treatments.

The more effective COVID treatments within the NHS arsenal, the more options doctors have to help patients who become seriously ill with COVID, preventing hospital admissions and saving lives, said NHS Medical Director Professor Steve Powis.

This is the fourth drug that has been fast-tracked for use on the NHS thanks to the world-leading RECOVERY [Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy] trial and is just as important because it gives our hard-working clinicians another life-saving treatment option and strengthens our defence against COVID-19, he said.

Arthritis drugs work by reducing inflammation caused by COVID-19 by blocking signals to the immune system that are causing it to attack the body. Patients given Baricitinib will receive a daily dose for 10 days, or until they are discharged from hospital, whichever comes first.

According to the NHS, the drug bolsters the options at doctors disposal when looking to treat hospitalised patients in the most effective way and can be used to supplement other COVID treatments in patients aged two and over. It will be the seventh COVID treatment approved in total for use on the NHS.

The move is described as the latest in an armoury of COVID treatments that the NHS has at its disposal, which now includes three repurposed arthritis drugs with Baricitinib joining Tocilizumab and Sarilumab that have treated an estimated 32,000 of the most severely ill COVID patients in England’s hospital.

The NHS says it has led the rollout of COVID medicines, from the discovery of Dexamethasone as the world’s first effective treatment to the first vaccination outside of a clinical trial in December 2020.

As well as these arthritis drugs, the NHS says it will continue to use other monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments.

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MENTAL HEALTH AT STAKE

Health Secretary Sajid Javed urged to take immediate action as more than eight million sick days taken in past five years across health services in the UK… reports LDD Newsdesk

Health Secretary Sajid Javed is facing another Herculean task as data reveals mental health crisis at NHS trusts across the United Kingdom.

A Freedom of Information request tabled by the opposition Liberal Democrat Party has revealed that there have been at least 8.3 million mental health sick days since 2017.  The number of mental health sick days has increased every year since 2017, with some NHS Trusts seeing large increases during the pandemic years.

The data exposed the mental health crisis sweeping through staff across health services in the UK. It shows that in 2021 alone more than two million days were taken off sick by staff suffering from mental health issues – the equivalent of 6,041 years.

Liberal Democrat analysis of the data taken from 67 Hospital Trusts shows that Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has been hit, with a staggering 591,254 working days lost to mental illness.

 “Years of the Conservatives taking the NHS for granted has left our health service understaffed and overworked, while the pandemic has worsened the huge pressures facing frontline staff,” said Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson. “These staggering figures show the NHS is facing a tidal wave of mental health-related absences. This must be a wake-up call to this Conservative government that they can’t turn a blind eye to this crisis any longer.

 “Sajid Javid needs to come up with a clear plan to support NHS staff, starting by fixing chronic staffing shortages and reducing unsustainable workloads. Every day that the Conservatives go on ignoring this problem will mean more NHS staff falling ill from work-related stress, and more patients going without the care they need.”

 The data also shows that both the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (Salford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury) and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have sky high figures with 555,798 and 401,417 sick days respectively.

The Liberal Democrats who have revealed the damning statistics are calling for a host of improvements to help tackle the NHS mental health crisis.

They are calling on the Government to fix the workforce crisis in our health services by filling the 100,000 vacancies in the NHS. The health service cannot function properly when it is this understaffed, when staff are stretched so thin and working excessive hours. 

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Empowering mothers, supporting the next generation

Sangha is one of the community organisations which GMEC LMS is working with. It focuses on the integration of the Asian, and in particular, Indian diaspora into England and its maternity services …. A joint article by Nidhi Sinha and Dr Akila Anbazhagan

It’s no secret that the efficiency and care provided by maternity services is crucial to a good pregnancy outcome. However, the importance and support of the community is often undermined. Sadly, many minority communities are marginalised and undergo maternity care with unheard voices. There is great truth, we believe, in the African proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. 

To help enhance the pregnancy journey for individuals and communities, the NHS maternity service reached out to collaborate with different leading community organisations. With this project, Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire (GMEC) Local Maternity System (LMS) aims to be able to understand, collaborate and enhance their pregnancy care. This project has included reaching out to Black and Asian community organisations and encouraging individuals in these groups to raise their concerns, feedback and share their experiences during their NHS pregnancy care. 

With a community-orientated focus, many more people of colour will have access to deliverables made by these organisations. These include a dietary information leaflet, a video of maternity workshop, a leaflet and flowchart of the pregnancy care journey. As well as this, GMEC-LMS aims to create greater awareness for individuals to raise concerns or give feedback. Improving the NHS maternity service through engaging with those who, previously, may have been too apprehensive to voice their opinions is therefore fundamental for better antenatal care. 

Last September Sanga expressed concern for the lack of feedback and involvement given by the Indian diaspora. However, since writing that article, and working with GMEC/LMS maternity to improve their services, it’s been really fulfilling to watch this change and play an active part in raising awareness, not only on ways to improve the antenatal journey but also in the importance of using your voice effectively. It’s been great to see different voices being heard and projected through these events and workshops which ensure individuals and communities don’t suffer in silence and have an opportunity to shape the healthcare. 

Sangha is one of the community organisations which GMEC LMS is working with. It focuses on the integration of the Asian, and in particular, Indian diaspora into England and its maternity services. Collaborating with the GMEC LMS, Sanga hosted a webinar with a panel of professional clinicians. We informed participants on how to navigate the antenatal process, what to expect with NHS pregnancy care, how to raise feedback and other tips for birthing people and their communities.

We discussed the roles of professionals in maternity services and how they communicate within the NHS. Professionals gave their advice on getting an early booking, importance of the Covid-19 vaccine, breastfeeding, and postnatal mental health and support groups in the community. The topics discussed will be useful for new parents, helping them gain insight into the maternity system.

Further, honest feedback from the service users will help shape the maternity services that is fit for purpose for the community that it serves. The service users are encouraged to provide their feedback through Friend and Family card and through the Trust PALS system.

The various deliverables produced by Sangha will help empower the Indian community with the knowledge that they need to navigate through the maternity system.

It takes a village to raise a child, and we all have a part to play. Whether this be the support network, the professional sector of clinicians, community or immediate family.

(Nidhi Sinha is the Co-ordinator of Sangha.  Dr Akila Anbazhagan, Consultant Obstetrician, MFT, is CO-Chair for GMEC Black and Asian Maternity Advisory group.   @SanghaMCR for more information)

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Dial 999: Save Your Heart

New NHS lifesaving campaign aims to raise awareness of lesser-known symptoms and encourage people to dial 999 without delay #HelpUsHelpYou

A new life saving campaign from the NHS is raising awareness of the early signs of a heart attack in at risk communities following new research commissioned by Census wide which finds just 38% South Asians know squeezing across the chest is a symptom, compared to 58% of the wider public. This is despite the fact that South Asians are more likely to experience a heart attack in their lifetime.

Neha Sekhri, Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust

The new survey finds that the public as a whole is widely misinformed on heart attacks, with 75% of respondents wrongly believing a heart attack is the same as a cardiac arrest.

  • A heart attack happens when the supply of blood to the heart gets blocked, starving the heart muscle of oxygen. A person having a heart attack will probably be conscious and breathing.
  • A cardiac arrest is different, it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness. Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment

The survey also revealed that less than half of respondents would dial 999 if they or a loved one experienced lesser-known symptoms of a heart attack. Lesser-known symptoms of heart attacks include tightness or squeezing across the chest, a general sense of unease, sweating and shortness of breath. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should call 999 without delay, as rapid treatment increases the chance of a positive outcome.

Whilst the symptoms of a heart attack may not initially feel severe, the longer it goes untreated the more damage to the heart tissue and can also lead to cardiac arrest which is why the NHS is urging people to dial 999.

Neha Sekhri, Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, says “Heart and circulatory disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK and is the largest cause of premature mortality in deprived areas. This is one of the biggest areas where the NHS can save lives over the next 10 years. It can be easy to dismiss early warning signs as they don’t always feel painful, but if in doubt call 999 and describe your symptoms to the operator – the sooner you act, the better your chance of a full recovery.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death in deprived areas, but many of these deaths could be prevented through greater awareness and fast action.

For more information, visit nhs.uk/heartattack