Update No 44 12th January 2022
Healthwatch in Sussex (Healthwatch East Sussex, West Sussex & B&H) have recently launched a survey into finding out the experiences of children and young people aged 16 and 17 who are getting vaccinated, including:
- Attitudes and awareness
- Access to vaccines, information and support & signposting
- Experience of the vaccination procedure
- Wider impacts on mental and physical health (e.g alleviation of pandemic anxiety)
I would really appreciate if you could share the survey among your communities. I have attached the details, let me know if you have any questions.
In addition, following requests from the last catch ups, please see below updated social media assets
Sussex ICS Campaign Resource Centre - Sussex Health & Care Partnership
Winter vaccinations
- Winter vaccinations - boosters
- December boosters updates
- Winter vaccinations - pregnant women
- National boost your immunity campaign
- National boost your immunity healthcare workers campaign
- 12-15 year olds vaccine assets
Experiences of Vaccinations across Sussex
Aged 16-17 and vaccinated against COVID-19?
Complete our COVID-19 Vaccination Experiences survey so that we can let local health care providers know what worked well for you and what needed to be improved.
Your Local Healthwatch wants to hear about:
- Your motivation for getting vaccinated
- The information you received and found about getting the vaccines
- Your appointment, including how easy it was to access, how friendly staff were and how you felt while getting vaccinated
- The wider impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on your education, mental health, and physical health
Survey Deadline: 31st January 2022
You can complete the survey via this link, or a paper copy can be downloaded via our website.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/COVID19Vax1618
Contact us:
Healthwatch East Sussex: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
Healthwatch West Sussex:helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
Healthwatch Brighton & Hove: office@healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk
Survey created by volunteers from Young Healthwatch East Sussex
'Week of Walk-ins' launches tomorrow
From tomorrow, Friday 14 January, a 'Week of Walk-ins' goes live across our communities.
More than 40 walk in clinics are taking place over the next three days, and more are set for next week. There are clinics in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Lancing, Littlehampton, and Worthing amongst others.
No appointment is needed, and people can attend for a first, second, third if they are immunosuppressed, or booster vaccine.
All are open for people aged 16 and above, and some also are offering vaccines to people aged 12 to 15 as well.
In total, more than 100,000 vaccinations are available over the course of the week. It comes as latest data shows that more than 3.7 million vaccines have been delivered across Sussex, and for West Sussex 86.9% of people aged 12
and above have had a first dose and 81.2% have had a second dose. Of those eligible for a booster, 85.5% have had this vital protection.
The NHS wants to make it as easy as possible for anyone yet to have their vaccine to receive it.
For a full list of the clinics, see the Sussex Health and Care Partnership website.
More than 3,000 appointments available for 12- to 15-year olds
As school visits resume this week to provide first and second vaccinations to 12 to 15 year olds, there are also more than 3,000 appointments available to book for next week.
These specific appointments for 12 to 15 year olds are after school and at weekends, making it as easy as possible for young people to receive their vaccination.
They can be booked through the National Booking Service website and by calling 119, and are at vaccination centres and services across our communities.
These appointments are in addition to the school offer, and compliment the school visits to offer a range of ways for people aged 12 to 15 to have their vaccination.
Free transport schemes support's more than 1,500 people get their vaccination
Latest figures show that the free transport scheme put in place by the Sussex COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has supported 1,579 people to date.
Each person has been supported to get to and from their vaccination appointment, in order to receive their vital protection.
Our thanks go to Sussex Community Transport and Rother Voluntary Action for coordinating the transport scheme since 25 March 2021, and to the variety of community transport providers, local taxi firms and volunteer drivers who make
the Sussex COVID Vaccine Transport Scheme a reality.
The offer is still in place - to book free travel please book your vaccination appointment or have confirmed plans to attend a walk-in session first, and then call 01444 275 008 to speak to a travel coordinator.
NHS urges local people to 'help us to help you'
The importance of having your vaccination is being highlighted as part of a new NHS campaign encouraging local people to support health and care services.
People across Sussex are being urged to play their part in helping the NHS to give the best possible care as the Omicron variant continues to have an impact on services across Sussex.
The NHS across the country is currently experiencing significant pressures due to the increasing rates of Omicron within our local communities, resulting in a growing number of people requiring hospital admission and increased and
unpredictable sickness rates across the health and care workforce. With the addition of the increase in demand on services that is usually experienced at this time of year, it means all services across the local health and care system are extremely busy and addition actions are now needing to take place.
The rates of Omicron are expected to rise further in the coming weeks and the NHS is preparing for more people needing hospital care and more staff absences due to sickness.
Some routine and non-urgent appointments and operations have needed to be rescheduled in the safest possible way to allow the NHS to focus on caring for the sickest patients. And a 'surge plan' is now in place that aims to ensure
patients are cared for and staff are supported in the best possible way. This includes:
- Supporting patients with Covid to safely remain at home to prevent them needing to be admitted to hospital.
- Increasing the number of people who are discharged from hospital safely.
- Using all available space and beds within hospitals.
- Stepping up Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead as a cancer hub to continue to provide vital support and operations for cancer patients across the area.
- Providing support for mental health patients so they can be cared for in the most appropriate environment.
People are being urged to also play their part in helping the NHS provide the best possible services during this extremely busy time. The NHS is asking people to Help Us Help You and take the following actions:
- Use the right services for your needs at the right time
- Save emergency services for saving lives
- Be patient with our staff, they are trying to keep people safe
- To get your vaccines to protect yourself against COVID and flu
- Follow public health advice to protect you and others from COVID-19
People should not delay in coming forward with health concerns, and anyone with an urgent, persistent or worrying health concern should contact their GP practice in the normal way. People should also phone 111 for 24/7 medical help
and advice, use pharmacies, and urgent treatment centres in the communities for urgent issues.
If you have any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions please contact
Patrick Brady - Email plb11@btinternet.com Mobile 07977 50643
