Useful Links

For patients requiring help when paying for prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests or other services, please visit the NHS England Health Costs page below

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/help-with-health-costs.aspx

The Care Act Guidance has been published by the Department of Health on 23rd October 2014. It Useful factsheets explaining what it is and how it might affect you.

For more information on the Care Act please visit the link below

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents/enacted

ICA provides support to people wishing to complain about the treatment or care they receive under the NHS. Trained advocates (also known as case workers) with the knowledge of the NHS complaints procedure help people to understand whether they wish to pursue a complaint, and where required advocates provide support to people in making and progressing a complaint.

The contact details for ICA are:

ICAS Helpline: 0808 802 3000

Local office: North East NHS ICA, (Unit 312) Aiden House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE8 3HU

Office email: ica@carersfederation.co.uk

Website: www.carersfederation.co.uk

The NHS Structure explained

The NHS is undergoing major changes in its core structure. Most of the changes took effect on April 1 2013, though some were in place before then. It will be some time before all the changes are fully implemented.

Click here to find out more about the changes to the NHS structure.

Health and Social Care Act 2012: fact sheets

These fact sheets explain particular topics associated with the act, including key themes. They include case studies of the policy in action and answers to frequently asked questions about the topic.

The Mental Health Advocacy Human Rights Guide below was written by the British Institute of Human Rights, as part of its Human Rights in Healthcare project. The guide is designed to assist advocates working with service users with mental health problems. Much of the information will also be directly relevant to service users.

What’s happening nationally…

The Government's NHS reforms mean that CCGs are responsible for commissioning most of your health services. They will decide in consultation with you what your health needs are and will try and get you the treatment that best meets your needs from a GP, clinic or other community setting or a hospital. This means that a clear and credible commissioning plan to ensure better health for everyone needs to be developed. Patients and the public will be able to help shape the CCG plans in partnership with Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees and through its statutory seat on the local Health and Wellbeing Board.

And locally...

The CCG for Hartlepool and Stockton is made up of doctors’ practices of all types and sizes serving more than 200,000 patients.

NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG will work closely with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust which is responsible for services from North Tees and Hartlepool general hospitals, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust who provide mental health services and support and South Tees NHS Foundation Trust who provide many of our specialist services as well as general hospital care.

NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG’s focus is on safety and quality of outcomes with simpler, quicker care closer to your home. They aim to reduce the need for hospital care by providing better care in the home and local community. The CCG aim to work more closely with community teams and hospitals to ensure that patients can be discharged quickly and safely with the right care at or close to home where this is needed.

To find out more, visit www.hartlepoolandstocktonccg.nhs.uk

What to expect from your Doctor: A guide for patients, explains how you can help create a partnership with your doctor. It is based on the standards the General Medical Council sets for doctors in the core guidance Good Medical Practice.

The job of CQC is to check whether Hospitals, Care homes, GPs, Dentists and Services in your home are meeting national standards. By clicking on the following link you can view the latest collected information about how North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Services are operating

We encourage patient and public participation in the NHS, treat them respectfully and put their interests first. This allows us to develop the insight to help us improve outcomes and guarantee no community is left behind or disadvantaged.

For more information on NHS England please visit their website by clicking here.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care.

NICE was originally set up in 1999 as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, a special health authority, to reduce variation in the availability and quality of NHS treatments and care.

In 2005, after merging with the Health Development Agency, we began developing public health guidance to help prevent ill health and promote healthier lifestyles. Our name changed to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

In April 2013 we were established in primary legislation, becoming a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and placing us on a solid statutory footing as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. At this time we took on responsibility for developing guidance and quality standards in social care, and our name changed once more to reflect these new responsibilities.

For more information on NICE please visit their website by clicking here.

NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) is the UK’s biggest health website. It provides a comprehensive health information service to help put you in control of your healthcare.

The website helps you make choices about your health, from decisions about your lifestyle, such as smoking, drinking and exercise, to finding and using NHS services in England.

NHS Choices includes more than 20,000 regularly updated articles. There are also hundreds of thousands of entries in more than 50 directories that you can use to find, choose and compare health services in England.

Gov.uk details all the appropriate legislation, benefits and acts that ensure people who have various disabilities are treated equally and with respect. Further information can be found by visiting the Gov.uk disability section

CAB have created a detailed description of the rights of NHS Patients for England. You can view this information by clicking here.

The constitution sets out rights for patients, public and staff. It outlines NHS commitments to patients and staff, and the responsibilities that the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. All NHS bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by law to take account of this constitution in their decisions and actions.

Click here to view and download the documentation

Quit Smoking Community is a virtual community that offers support and information for those trying to kick the deadliest habit in the world.

The vision for Quit Smoking Community is to provide a hub where visitors can access information regarding quitting smoking, as well as download resources and tools to help them begin and complete their quit journey. Their website currently receives over 40,000 visitors per day from around the world, and they hope to bring people of different races and nationalities together in the fight against tobacco.

To find out more about the Quit Smoking Community visit www.quitsmokingcommunity.org