News From Merton and Beyond
Brand new water workout classes
Age UK Merton have launched a brand new Water Workout class for over 55's. The classes will be held at the new Morden Pool (London Road, SM4 5HE) on...
Local charity launch new app to tackle anxiety in teens
stem4 , the award winning teenage mental health charity has launched their new app Clear Fear aimed to help children and young people manage anxiety...
Volunteer mentors with lived experience of mental health conditions urgently needed
Due to many of their volunteers securing full time employment, Imagine Independence are seeking people with lived experience of mental health to...
Public consultation events on items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care
NHS England and NHS Clinical Commissioners (NHSCC) are working together to support clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in ensuring that they can use their prescribing resources effectively and deliver best patient outcomes from the medicines that their local population uses. A national public...
Mental health support volunteering opportunity
The Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health (APCMH) Merton and Sutton is currently looking for new volunteers to befriend people with mental health problems in these local boroughs. A training course for interested volunteers will be run in early March. APCMH Merton and Sutton is branch of...
Registering with your GP: a new advice article from Healthwatch England
People have told the Healthwatch Network that they can have problems registering with a GP. This article explains more about your rights and what do to if you are refused the right to register. Registering with your GP: understanding your rights.
Chair-based gymnastics programme for older people
Home Instead, in partnership with the British Gymnastics Foundation, are launching a chair-based gymnastics programme specially designed to get older people moving and functioning better. Almost every part of this exercise programme works on the bi-lateral asymmetric movement patterns. This...
Help develop the NICE guideline on babies, children and young people's experience of healthcare
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces guidance on the most effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and ill health, and provide social care support. Their guidance is based on research evidence and takes into account the views of people working in or...
Free training on mental health for staff from community organisations
Merton's Public Health team have a number of spaces available to Merton Partner organisations and community groups. These informative, bespoke sessions will each review the Public Health issues of Mental Health or Suicide, incorporating local knowledge before delving further into these important...
Free afternoon tea well-being group in Wimbledon
Everyday Church Wimbledon are promoting their free afternoon tea club. Aimed at Merton's over 65's, but open to those '50 to 150' to be inclusive of partners and friends, the meetings are once a month on Sunday between 2.30 and 4.30pm. Gluten free and diabetic diets are catered for, and the venue...
Dermatology patients needed for new Patient Panel
The Dermatology Patient Panel at St George's Hospital is a new group that has been set up by patients and clinicians at St George's Hospital for Dermatology patients at the Hospital. The aims of the group are: To facilitate good relations between the Dermatology Department at St George’s Hospital...
Community groups can apply for a grant to run mental health promotion events
South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust are launching a strategic partner fund to commission one community/voluntary organisation in each borough to run mental health promotional events throughout 2019-2020 as part of their new cultural change programme Making Life Better Together (...
Carers needed to help develop new bereavement service
The South West London & St George Mental Health Trust is keen to expand the involvement of all service users and carers in developing their services. They are offering 4 carers the opportunity to attend a one-off meeting to help develop information provided to families after the death of their...
Access free online therapy
A new free online therapy service by Big White Wall has been commissioned by the NHS in Merton to enhance the existing mental health support in the borough. Residents aged over 18 with a Merton post code can access the service without waiting for an appointment, or visiting the doctor. All they...
Merton Public Health supports new Change4Life campaign on sugar
Change4Life have launched their new 2019 campaign, to help children and families cut back on sugar. Children in England are having 2800 more sugar cubes than they should each year, and this is taking its toll on the health of our younger population. As a result, more and more children are becoming...
People with lived experience of mental health struggles related to birth and new parenthood needed
Did you struggle with difficult emotions through pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent? Did you feel low and tearful? Poor mental wellbeing? Were you diagnosed with any sort of mental health condition around the pregnancy and birth period? London Expert By Experience Perinatal (LEEP) Network have...
Improving Healthcare Together (IHT) 2020-2030 - Discussion Events
In 2018 Healthwatch Merton, Healthwatch Sutton and Healthwatch Surrey were approached by Improving Healthcare Together to conduct discussion events with specific targeted groups around potential changes to Epsom, St Helier and Sutton Hospitals. We ran separate discussion events in Merton with...
Discussion events from 'Improving Healthcare Together 2020-2030'
Improving Healthcare Together 2020-2030 have put together an Issues Paper which sets out their emerging ideas to date and is the starting point for engagement and discussion with local communities. As part of this early engagement phase, they want to talk to patients and local communities allowing...
St George's Hospital CQC report released
St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Requires Improvement overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The improved rating means the Trust is no longer rated Inadequate, and follows an unannounced inspection of services by the CQC between March and April this...
Work and wellbeing at the heart of South London’s Skills Strategy
The South London Partnership is launching its skills strategy Skills for South Londoners at a conference with employers and skills providers today. High levels of skills, employment and entrepreneurship are characteristic of this part of London – comprising the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston upon...
Fuel Poverty Awareness Day
Merton Council has backed Fuel Poverty Awareness Day by offering advice to vulnerable residents on how to keep warm for less by carrying out free home visits. Fuel Poverty Awareness Day is a national campaign to highlight the problem of fuel poverty, which currently sees over four million...
Problem-solving Family Drug and Alcohol Courts for Merton
Merton are one of nine London boroughs that can now access Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC), improving the lives of London children who face removal from their families because of the risk posed by a parent’s substance misuse and other complex needs. The new pan-London service was launched...
A call for volunteers
Cancer – Macmillan Primary Care follow up Steering Group We know from the National Cancer Patient Experience survey that a patient’s experience of cancer care outside of the Hospital is not always as good as they rate their hospital care. General Practice Nurses and Community Nurses have developed...
Merton supports European campaign to eat healthily and cut food waste
Merton Council was chosen by Resource London as one of nine London councils to be part of their EU-funded pilot initiative, encouraging people to eat more healthily, reduce the amount of food they throw away and recycle the inedible parts to the food using the council’s free, weekly food waste...
State of health and care in England
The annual assessment of health and social care by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides a treasure trove of information about the state of services in England. Based on inspections of 21,256 adult social care services, 152 NHS acute trusts, 197 independent acute hospitals, 18 NHS community...
NHS leaders unveil action to boost flu vaccination and manage winter pressures
NHS England, Public Health England, the Department of Health and NHS Improvement have unveiled measures to boost the uptake of flu vaccinations along with a package of new contingency actions to respond to pressures on frontline services this winter. These include free vaccinations for care home...
Merton Autism Strategy Public Engagement
Autism touches the lives of many people in Merton. It is a life-long condition affecting about 1 in every 100 people. It affects how people see, hear and feel the world. Everyone with autism will experience it differently. Merton Council wants Merton to be an autism-friendly borough in which people...
Campaign to make pharmacies a first port of call
NHS England’s Stay Well Pharmacy campaign, which encourages the public to ask community pharmacy teams for advice on minor health concerns, has launched this month. Community pharmacies should receive a briefing pack and resources including posters from NHS England this week. The campaign uses...
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MVSC
MVSC is delighted to have been awarded this contract and we are pleased we will continue our work with health and social care services within the borough. We work successfully in partnership across all sectors and are looking forward to delivering the best possible service we can for local people.
