Carers Information Pack - Health Services

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CHIROPODY/PODIATRY Contact your own GP practice to see if you are eligible for NHS chiropody treatment, but there may be a waiting list for non urgent treatment.  ICIS (0800 859929) have details of chiropodists who will carry out home visits.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE Part of Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, provides general psychological and counselling services for working age adults, older people, young people with early onset psychosis and people with learning difficulties.  Also provides specialist psychologists for neuropsychology, health and pain.  Referral is by your GP, other health service staff or West Sussex County Council. 

COMMUNITY REHABILITATION AND SUPPORT SERVICE The Community Rehabilitation and Support Service is a community rehabilitation team consisting of Team Leader/ Occupational Therapist, physiotherapist and rehabilitation assistants, a small amount of speech and language therapy is also provided.  It is a service that provides longer term rehabilitative support for people with complex physical needs in order to help them maintain or reach full functional capacity.  Area covered: Chanctonbury.

COMMUNITY NEUROLOGICAL TEAM (previously known as the Community Stroke Team) The members of the team work together to provide neuro rehabilitation to people at home and in the community who have a diagnosis of Stroke, Transient Ischaemic Attack or Subarachnoid Haemorrhage, confirmed by CT scan within the last 2 years or have a diagnosis of a neurological condition with complex needs such as Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis or Motor Neurone Disease.  Area(s) covered: Adur, Arun and Worthing only.

 COMPLAINTS, COMMENTS AND QUERIES

·         NHS West Sussex Customer Services Unit aims to resolve people’s concerns quickly and informally, provide information about health services, voluntary organisations and support groups, and handles complaints about the services that NHS West Sussex purchase, eg from hospitals and GPs.  You can ring them on 0300 100 1821, write to them at The Causeway, Goring by Sea, Worthing. BN12 6BT or email pals@westsussexpct.nhs.uk

·         Sussex Partnership NHS Trust – phone 01903 843185.  They deal with matters relating to services provided by the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust such as mental health and learning disability services.  Email pals@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk

·         Western Sussex Hospital Trust  – phone 01903 285032. They deal with services provided by Worthing and Southlands Hospitals.

CONTINENCE The Dandelion Walk-in Clinic is held on the 2nd Monday of every month between 1.30pm and 4pm at for continence advice and treatment at the Lyndhurst Clinic, Unit L, Downlands Business Park, Lyons Way, Worthing.  www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org

 DENTISTS If you are registered with a dentist providing NHS treatment, you may be entitled to free treatment, because of your age or income.  For more information obtain the Department of Health HC11 leaflet ‘Help with health costs’. 

DISTRICT NURSING SERVICE The District Nursing Service is a team of trained nurses and health care assistants led by a trained nurse with a specialist community nursing qualification.  These teams are attached to a GP surgery and work closely with all other staff who are employed within the practice.  The service provides skilled nursing care which includes complex assessments of health needs, wound assessment and care, acute and chronic disease management, palliative and terminal care and administration of treatments using specialised nursing equipment and medication.  Care is carried out in the patient’s home.  You can contact a District Nurse at your health centre or clinic, or through your GP.  

EXPERT PATIENT PROGRAMME - LIVING WELL The Expert Patient Programme "Living Well" courses are self-management courses for people who live with a chronic illness such as heart disease, asthma, back pain, arthritis and diabetes for example.  The courses are free , are run by volunteer lay people who themselves live with chronic illness, and run for two and a half hours once a week for 6 consecutive weeks. 

 HOSPITAL PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM Provides care and support for people with terminal illness and their families.  Two full time nurses work Monday to Friday caring for patients with palliative care needs and their family, from diagnosis to end of life.  They network closely with the Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialist and the Community Primary Care Teams, and especially with St Barnabas House.

 HOSPITAL DISCHARGE TEAM There are agreed procedures between hospitals and West Sussex County Council to ensure that anyone who may require support services or equipment on leaving hospital is entitled to have their needs assessed and an appropriate care package arranged prior to discharge.  Carers should be involved in this process.   Social workers based at hospitals can offer assistance with non-medical problems or queries, and can advise the patient and carer on how to obtain more help in the home.  If you are unsure about any aspect of how you will cope when the person being cared for comes home, ask to see someone from the Hospital Discharge Team.

 INTERMEDIATE CARE TEAM The Intermediate Care Team is a multi-disciplinary team of Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Social Workers and Community Support Workers.  The aim is provide rehabilitative support in a person's own home, for up to 6 weeks, to help them be as independent as possible. They are unable to provide intensive support or 24-hour-care after leaving hospital, as this is the remit of the Hospital Discharge Scheme. 

MACMILLAN NURSE The Support Nurse has specialist expertise in symptom control and emotional support and can offer advice, information, guidance and support to people with cancer and other progressive illnesses, their family and professionals.

 MARIE CURIE NURSING SERVICE The service (subject to availability) is primarily for cancer patients over 16 years old and their families, but can also be accessed by patients with other life limiting conditions needing end of life care.  Patients need to be registered with a local GP and resident in the Adur, East Arun and Worthing area.  The service is provided free in the patient’s home.  Care is given by Registered Nurses and Health Care Assistants, who offer support, advice and physical care. 

 NHS DIRECT NHS Direct is a 24 hour nurse led helpline providing confidential healthcare advice and information and is particularly aimed at enquirers who are unsure whether to go to their GP or the accident and emergency service. www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

 NHS WEST SUSSEX NHS West Sussex is the working name of West Sussex Primary Care Trust.  Its headquarters is at The Causeway, Goring by Sea, Worthing BN12 6BT. The role of the Trust is to improve the health of the local community, reduce inequalities in health and make sure people have access to safe, high quality health services. www.westsussex.nhs.uk

 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICE (OT CONNECT) West Sussex County Council Occupational Therapy Service work primarily with children and adults who are facing long term permanent and substantial difficulties with everyday tasks within their own home e.g. accessing the bath, toilet etc.  OT Connect is the first point of contact for the County Occupational Therapy Service and accepts referrals from anyone; health and social care professionals, customers themselves or carers and relatives.

 OPTICIANS/OPTOMETRISTS You may be entitled to a free NHS sight test because of your age or income.  For more information obtain the Department of Health HC11 leaflet  ‘Help with health costs’.  

 PULBOROUGH AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION - Toe Nail Cutting Service For those with healthy feet who cannot cut their own toe nails, but who have no health problems such as diabetes or circulatory ailments.   Also provide social activities and community services for the residents of Pulborough, including lunch club, social club, transport, volunteer visiting scheme and meals-on-wheels. Area covered: Chanctonbury only

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICE This is a comprehensive service for children and adults who may be experiencing communication and/or swallowing problems.  Therapists work in a wide range of locations and offer diagnosis, assessment, treatment and advice.  Referrals can be made via your GP practice or you can contact the service direct. 

 ST BARNABAS HOUSE Offers palliative care for patients with advanced cancer and other advanced life limiting disease.    Referral is via GP, Hospital Consultant or Specialist Nurse with the agreement of your GP. www.stbh.org.uk 

SUSSEX PARTNERSHIP NHS TRUST Sussex Partnership NHS Trust provides mental health, specialist learning disability and substance misuse services in and across Sussex and is based at Swandean, Arundel Road, Worthing. www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk

 SUSSEX REHABILITATION CENTRE Outpatient facility providing artificial limbs and support services to people living in Sussex, counselling service for Centre's patients; artificial eye clinic; information service for outpatients, and environmental control assessment.  

WHEELCHAIR SERVICE Provides and maintains manual and powered wheelchairs issued on loan, on prescription only.  Initial referral is via hospital, GP, OT or consultant.

WESTERN SUSSEX HOSPITALS NHS TRUST Worthing and Southlands Hospitals provide a range of acute hospital services to people living in Adur, East Arun, Worthing and Chanctonbury and specialist services in a wider catchment area running from Chichester in the west to Brighton in the east.

·         Worthing Hospital, Lyndhurst Road, Worthing BN11 2DH

·         Southlands Hospital , Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6TQ

www.westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk

This page was last updated 20/04/2012