Category: MP
Hospital Complaints and North Manchester
posted: 21/04/2011
Channel 4 TV’s Dispatches programme last week reported long waits and poor care of some people using North Manchester General Hospital’s Accident & Emergency and the associated Medical Assessment wards.
The TV undercover investigation did not look into HIV treatment and care at the hospital, which is a regional centre of HIV care excellence.
The Care Quality Commission has now been asked to investigate the problems in Accident and Emergency and Medical Assessment Unit care. The local NHS watchdog, Manchester LINks say “We would encourage the public to contact their local LINks at any time if they have a concern or to report such instances as seen on the Channel 4 programme last night without delay. Your local LINks will be able to investigate with the help of the Care Quality Commission and local Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees. Your identity will always be protected and all information you provide treated confidentially when going through LINks.”
If you have any experiences you would like to tell Manchester LINks about regarding North Manchester General Hospital or any other Manchester Hospital, please contact Danny on 0161 874 2189 or email him.
Making complaints about the NHS, other hospitals and local social care
Each district has its own NHS LINk watchdog – Find your local LINk here
Manchester LINk
BHA, Democracy House
609/609A Stretford Road
Old Trafford, Manchester
M16 0QA
Contact the Manchester LINk team
Anthony Doggett - LINk Administrator 0161 874 2187
Naheed Akhtar - LINk Manager 0161 874 2188; Mobile:07855 233 462
Danny Gough - Community Engagement Officer 0161 874 2189
Valeska Matziol - Community Engagement Officer 0161 874 2190
Lydia Hurford Cato - Community Engagement Officer 0161 874 2191
email: manchesterlink@theBHA.org.uk
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Make An Equality Stand
posted: 14/04/2011
People who want to protect the rights of people living with HIV and stand up for Equality should post a comment on the government’s website called the RedTapeChallenge. We have no idea why, but the Cameron government seems to think Equality law and Human Rights are just bureaucratic red tape regulations that should be swept away. They ask people to
"Tell us what you think should happen to this Act and why, being specific where possible:
• Should they be scrapped altogether?
• Can they be merged with existing regulations?
• Can we simplify them – or reduce the bureaucracy associated with them?
• Have you got any ideas to make these regulations better?
• Do you think they should be left as they are?"
We encourage people to stand up for HIV, Human Rights and Equality for all. This law provides vital protection for people with HIV among many other groups.
Some excellent responses on the RedTapeChallenge website make the point that the Equality Act is a very recent law (2010) passed by Parliament and not regulations at all.
There are also many uninformed and hostile calls for the whole law to be scrapped.
People concerned about equality and HIV need to make their voices heard.
Please – now
Go to the website and write a short note with your views on the Equality Act.
Some points to make
- the Equality Act is primary legislation, not regulations;
- say how wrong it is to pretend this is about regulations when the entire Equality Act 2010 appears to have been put up for grabs;
- ask people to say positive things about the Equality Act – it’s for everyone, whether women or men, whatever people’s race, beliefs or faith, sexuality, age, marriage or civil partnership, disability (which includes HIV and cancer), pregnancy and maternity, or gender reassignment. The Equality Act helps make the country more civilised, people respect our differences and organisations to provide services without discriminating.
Message the link / use Facebook / Twitter and other networks to people to add their voices
Making a quick comment only takes a moment
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Benefit Problems?
posted: 08/04/2011
People living with HIV in NW England on incapacity benefit who are told they will be reassessed, should call the support team at George House Trust for help and advice. Everyone on Incapacity Benefit will be reasssessed and moved onto another benefit - usually Employment Support Allowance, sometimes Job Seekers Allowance. This change of benefits can often be a bumpy journey.
George House Trust advisers will be able to give initial advice and further support as needed.
Alternatively people may call THTDirect 0845 12 21 200 between 10am to 10pm weekdays and from 12pm until 6pm at weekends.
Easing the stress of change
Many people are finding these assessments very stressful and complicated. Unfortunately the evidence shows that many people with HIV are wrongly refused or put in the wrong ‘stream’ of benefits and told they are fit for work. With the right advice and help this can often be prevented, and if not support and help offered with reviews and appeals. The success rate is high when people get expert advice and assistance. Many people with HIV win these appeals.
NAT and THT have produced a useful benefits advice factsheet for people with HIV
THT have more useful advice for people with HIV who are on benefits, applying for benefits or considering taking paid work which could reduce their entitlements to benefits.
It helps people find out their benefit rights and how best to apply, and deal with reviews and appeals.
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Be A HIV Activist
posted: 08/04/2011
A crowd has far more affect than a single voice shouting for change. HIV Activists is a way to join with others to make your voice for better HIV support heard.
With so many cuts and changes affecting so many people with HIV now and over the next few years we need to work with others to make a difference.
HIV Activists Network is run by NAT and it works together with Positively UK, the Stigma Index and of course the Activists themselves.
They use a handy set of online tools to make things simple and easy to join in and help.
What’s next?
They have a list of things they are campaigning about now and you can join in as many or as few as you wish
Here's some of them
- email your MP about the Welfare Reform Bill
- write to your local NHS about HIV prevention and testing
- Sign NAT’s Agenda for Action
- Talk to your local faith leaders
- Talk to your local gay businesses
- Contacting local schools
- emailing your local councillor about cuts to HIV Social Care
- Contact to your Trade Union
If you are interesting in joining the 'HIV Activists Network' or simply want to find out more, you can
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Football, HIV and Saving Lives
posted: 16/03/2011
When Birmingham City play Arsenal in the Carling Cup Final this weekend, they are launching a HIV awareness campaign for soccer fans.
Birmingham City and England goalie Ben Foster with midfielders Alexander Hleb and Craig Gardner are supporting Football Saving Lives, a national health promotion project.
Get Tested, then Stay Negative or Get Treated
“Saving lives is, of course, a lot harder than saving goals,” says Ben Foster, “but I’m a proud to be an ambassador for this campaign, precisely because it makes things so simple: get tested, get treated.
It’s as easy as that. It is definitely in your best interest to get HIV tested if you get the opportunity: if you’re negative, then you can stay that way, and if you turn out positive there are now life saving treatments available ”.
22,000 people do not know they have HIV
Football Saving Lives is part of a Birmingham NHS HIV campaign. Dr Steve Taylor says “One in four of those who have HIV are unaware they’re infected. That means that they cannot access the life-saving treatment we can now offer, and in addition they may well be unknowingly infecting others. We need to tackle this problem and diagnose the 22,000 people in the UK who have HIV but are totally unaware.”
Football Saving Lives raises public HIV awareness and corrects the wrong ideas people may have about HIV and HIV testing. Being rhis reluctance to take HIV tests, or thinking you are not at risk, remain key reasons why so many are untested and often end up in hospital because of the damage HIV infection causes over time.
People still die of HIV even though excellent treatment gives people reasonable health and life propects as long as people are tested and diagnosed early.
Soccer fans may not give much thought to HIV so the players and campaigns hopes to make fans think and act.
HIV hasn’t gone away
“I grew up in Birmingham,” says Blues midfielder Gardner, “and I remember the HIV prevention campaigns at school. But I haven’t heard anybody talk about HIV for years – I thought it had just gone away. But to think that there are some 22,000 people out there who have no idea they are infected is a really scary statistic. I’m supporting this campaign because I believe that education and raising awareness are the best ways of helping young people look after their sexual health and start to reduce the spread of HIV.”
Testing and timely HIV treatment allows people to live a near normal life. Treatment also helps cut the spread of HIV because people on successful HIV treatment with undetectable viral loads are far less likely to pass on HIV.
Almost all pregant women get tested - why not soccer fans?
Ninety-five per cent of pregnant women already receive an HIV test as standard, and if the mother has HIV treatment of the mother and baby means babies now rarely get HIV.
“Football Saving Lives is about getting these really important public health messages regarding sexual health and HIV testing out to the public,” summarises Alexander Hleb, on loan to Birmingham City from Barcelona.
Football Saving Lives, includes player profiles
Source
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