Primary care latest updates

The national leaders supporting Action for Happiness living in Northamptonshire and supporting our local Northamptonshire Hub work have been developing a resource for young people, ages 12 to 18, to gain an understanding of the Ten Keys to Happier Living and the actions that can be taken to promote happier living individually, with friends and family and within the local community.

They have used a Padlet Board, that acts like a bulletin board, which can be used by young people who have been signposted to it. The Board can be accessed but not edited and they have called it: My Happier Living Action Plan. The format of the plan is ‘columns’ with the first two columns introducing the Plan and the Ten Keys to Happier Living; followed by 10 columns - one for each of the Ten Keys, a column for ‘What to do if you feel very unhappy’ and additional columns with further relevant information.

A key piece of information is that the Ten Keys to Happier Living is a ‘MENU’ not a ‘PRESCRIPTION’ and it is important that this is made clear when using the Happier Living Action Plan.

The team are working towards signposting young people to this resource from a dedicated ‘children and young peoples’ page on the Action for Happiness website. In the meantime, they would like to disseminate the resource locally in Northamptonshire.

Here is the link and QR code for the resource which you can share with any young people and organisations you think would find it useful:

https://padlet.com/actionforhappiness/my-happier-living-action-plan-sw5zsldxbeuos8as

The great news is that the Padlet Board can be accessed on a mobile phone or tablet using the PADLET App.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch by email address at schooltoolkit@actionforhappiness.org. This email address can also be used for any feedback from young people.

We hope you and the young people using it will like the resource and find it helpful.

Read My Happier Living Action Plan for children and young people…

In the past couple of weeks there has been an unusually high number of overdoses (with some deaths) in people who use drugs, primarily heroin, in some parts of the country. There is evidence that the heroin used in some of these cases contains a “nitazene”, one of a group of potent synthetic opioids, most likely isotonitazene or N-pyrrolidino etonitazene (also called etonitazepyne), or perhaps fentanyl (testing is still underway in some cases).

There is good evidence from reports that naloxone, the ‘antidote’ to opioid overdoses, worked in these cases, strengthening the belief that they involve an opioid. The treatment required for an overdose that may be related to a potent synthetic opioid is the same as for other opioid overdoses, but delivering it rapidly and completely is even more critical, as progression to respiratory arrest, and recurrence of respiratory arrest, are more likely.

Those in contact with heroin users should be alert to the increased possibility of overdose arising from ‘heroin’ containing synthetic opioids, be able to recognise possible symptoms of overdose and respond appropriately.

There is no good evidence for absorption of synthetic opioids through the skin but usual precautions, including masks, should be taken when handling unknown substances.

 All organisations where staff may encounter people who use drugs should ensure those staff are:

• Made aware of the risk of severe toxicity resulting from adulteration of heroin with potent synthetic opioids

• Made aware that the potency and toxicity of nitazenes is perhaps similar to, or more than, fentanyl, and much more than heroin

• Alert to the symptoms of opioid overdose in known and suspected opioid/heroin users

• Communicate these risks to people who use opioids/heroin during any contacts but avoid referring to “strong” or “potent” heroin as this may lead them to seek it out

• Ensure people who use opioids/heroin and others who might encounter an opioid overdose have naloxone available

 All organisations that provide emergency care for opioid overdose should ensure staff are supported to:

• Treat suspected cases as for any opioid overdose, using naloxone and appropriate supportive care

• Recognise that appropriate monitoring and further doses of naloxone may be required since the duration of action of naloxone is shorter than that of many opioids

We continue to monitor the situation and seek further confirmation of the substance involved and their likely spread and will update you again if we believe further action is necessary.

In the meantime, please continue to report overdose incidents and test results to your regional OHID team using the appropriate LDIS form and mailbox, and nationally to drug.alerts@dhsc.gov.uk.

Read Local Drug Information System Alert…

We are pleased to introduce the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Five-Year Joint Forward Plan.

As an integrated care system of health and care partners, we have a shared vision to work better together to make Northamptonshire a place where people are active, confident and empowered to take responsibility for good health and wellbeing, with quality integrated support and services available for them when they need help.

As part of this NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is striving to achieve four aims: to improve outcomes in population health and healthcare; to tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access; to enhance productivity and value for money; and to help the NHS support broader social and economic development.

Like many areas across the country, we are seeking to do this within a challenging economic and financial context, while we also face significant continuing demand for all our services. We know that through shared working and community involvement, we have the best opportunity to respond to these challenges.

Our ICB Plan links directly with the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Partnership ‘Live Your Best Life’ Strategy, published earlier in 2023, and also with the Health and Wellbeing Board Strategies for North and West Northamptonshire.

The plan explains how we will help deliver many of the ambitions outlined in the ICP Live Your Best Life Strategy, while rising to the challenges the NHS faces across the country.

It is just the start of a process of working together as health, care and public sector organisations, and with the communities we serve, to achieve our shared vision.

The plan is the first publication of a five-year plan which we will review, engage upon and develop on an annual basis throughout that period.

In doing this it is critical that we listen to our county’s communities and ensure their voices are heard as we continue to develop the activity set out in the ICB Plan.

We will engage with a wide range of communities, audiences and stakeholders to co-produce our activity during the ICB Plan period, guided by the principles set out in our ICN Community Engagement Framework 2022-25 [pdf] 519KB. 

This robust plan of engagement will be ongoing to make sure meaningful conversations take place on what matters most to our communities – engaging with our communities and those with lived experience will support us to better understand services and support them.

Alongside this, we will develop action plans to drive delivery and measure our success through agreed outcomes, metrics and key performance indicators. These will be working plans which continue to evolve and are kept under review.

Download the NHS Northamptonshire ICB Five-Year Joint Forward Plan 2023-28[pdf] 8MB

Read ICB Five-Year Joint Forward Plan now published…

Welcome to the June 2023 edition of ICN Today, Integrated Care Northamptonshire's e-newsletter for health and care colleagues, stakeholders and the wider community.

In another bumper edition of ICN Today we're delighted to unveil the brand new NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Five-Year Joint Forward Plan, and bring you exciting news of the launch of two new Community Diagnostics Centres to bring diagnostic testing closer to people's homes in our county.

We're also getting ready to kick off this year's ICN Virtual Wellbeing Festival on Monday 3 July – a week-long extravaganza of entertaining, informative and inspiring activities, all delivered online and completely free of charge for health and care colleagues.

Also in this edition, find out which of our county's NHS chief executives has been awarded the CBE in the King's Birthday Honours, learn more about an innovative new mental health crisis response service now live in Northamptonshire, celebrate the NHS's 75th birthday with us... and much more.

Read the June 2023 edition of ICN Today.

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Read June edition of ICN Today newsletter now published…

Tuesday 27 June 2023 saw the official launch of the Northamptonshire Anchor Institutions Network, bringing together organisations who have a significant impact in the county to work together to address important social and economic inequalities to make Northamptonshire a great place for people to live, work and visit.  

It is only by working together with shared commitment and priorities, that we can achieve a great impact which has been endorsed by anchor institutions network members at Yesterday’s official launch event and commitment of pledges. The Network will work together to seek best practice, measure impact, hold each other to account and actively commit to the following:

• Empowering the next generation
• Employment opportunities
• Social value gained from local investment
• Enhancing sustainability

This is an exciting step forward for Northamptonshire, bringing together public and private sector organisations in a new way of working towards one shared goal. Together, the Network will work towards improving the wellbeing and create strong, safe, resilient, and inclusive communities for our residents.

Dr Jamie Green (Northamptonshire IBC Anchor Institutions representative) said:

"Being part of the Northamptonshire Anchor Institutions Network, will allow for increased collaboration across our country for the benefit of our population. It builds on existing relationships as well as provides opportunities for new partners and ideas. There is an exciting buzz about what we can achieve together, and the focus on empowering the next generation is already demonstrating collaborative opportunities, such as healthcare apprenticeships for young care leavers"

The Network will meet regularly in person to discuss and set out actions to address their agreed priorities, current members include: West Northamptonshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire Children Trust, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Northampton Hospital Group, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, St Andrews Healthcare, Police, Fire, Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, University of Northampton, Northampton College, Tresham College, Moulton College, Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire, NNBN, Barclays, Northamptonshire Chamber, Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils, Saints Foundation, Northampton Town Football Club Community Foundation.

As this Network progresses, we will share updates with you. For more information or if you are interested in joining please contact sadie.beishon@westnorthants.gov.uk.

Read Northamptonshire ICB joins the Northamptonshire Anchor Institutions Network…