Free Healthy Cooking Classes in Brockley

Community interest company Pulse is running more free cookery classes for local residents, funded by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

The classes will run on November 8, 14, 22 and 29 and on December 6 at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Brockley Road.

To find out more or to put your name on the waiting list, please contact Naomi from Pulse CIC on 07714 770 522, or drop in to the Pinnacle PSG office at 111 Endwell St, SE42PE.

The free classes are designed to encourage residents to take enjoyment in making fresh, healthy, good value food.  Meals taught range from jerk chicken, mackerel fish cakes, asparagus and spinach frittata, homemade muesli and wholemeal chapattis.

Participants also learn how to read food labels, identify what makes a healthy meal and find cheap, fresh fruit and vegetables in local markets. And make friends in the process.

So don't eat yourself into a lifetime of dependence on health and social care, cook something good!

NHS considers closing Waldron Walk-in

The Waldron Health Centre, is an NHS centre built in 2008 next to New Cross station and home to the Amersham Vale Training Practice and the New Cross GP Led Walk-in.

As part of a consultation by NHS Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the option to close the Walk-in Centre is being explored. The CCG writes:

We want to improve urgent and non-urgent primary care across the borough and as part of this we are looking at the future of the NHS Walk-in Centre service, at the Waldron Health Centre in New Cross.

We think the way people access primary care services could be improved. People tell us the way it works currently is confusing, and means people are not always seen in the right care setting or at the right time, with some duplication of service elements.  

We are committed to improving access to GP appointments and advice. Our priority is making sure that primary care services are easy to use, joined up and focus on helping people stay well. In order to do this, we need to:

- Remove the overlap and duplication in the services
- Provide clear and straightforward messages to people on how to access urgent and non-urgent primary care
- Get better value for money for all of our population
- Improve the provision and access to GP services for all Lewisham residents

We now wish to consult with patients, the public and other key stakeholders on our proposals, which includes closing the Walk-in Centre in New Cross.

The consultation runs for 12 weeks from Tuesday 8 August 2017 until Monday 30 October 2017, closing at 5pm on that day.

Read our full consultation document here. And complete the survey here.

Healthy eating on a budget - free classes

Naomi from Pulse writes:

We are running a course of Free Cookery classes for Brockley residents on Wednesdays in June, funded by Lewisham NHS Trust. The course aims to teach people about healthy eating on a budget, and they culminate in a shared meal.

We have a few places left on 7, 14 , 21 and 28 June at 11.00 to 1.30pm. The sessions take place at St Andrews Church Hall, (285 Brockley Road). In these sessions we:

· explore ideas as to what makes a healthy diet
· learn to source good value food locally  and prepare a series of simple enjoyable dishes and meals
· compile a folder of peoples favourite recipes from their past
· all sit down together to share a meal.

Booking is essential. For further info please contact Naomi on 07714770522 or call in at the Pinnacle Housing Office at Ground Floor, 111 Endwell Road.

Lewisham GP to stand against Hunt

The Lewisham medic who played a prominent role in the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital from being downgraded will stand for election in South West Surrey in a bid to unseat Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The Independent reports:

"The Green Party has withdrawn their candidate from the race completely, while Liberal Democrat and Labour members agreed not to campaign in order to boost Dr Irvine’s chances, despite their national parties standing candidates in the constituency.

"The decision by left-wing activists to unite behind the GP — which marked a major step in the drive for progressive alliances across the country — was met with a stark response from the national Labour party, which on Monday expelled three executive members in South West Surrey who had been leading the movement.

"But despite the opposition at a national level, local cross-party support for the National Health Action party candidate remains strong, with many Labour and Lib Dem activists in the constituency still said to be planning to vote for Dr Irvine and refusing to campaign for their own party candidates in the lead-up to the election."

Campaigners aim to protect Lewisham's health visitors

A petition has been launched, urging Lewisham Council not to enact cuts to health visitor services. Iain writes:

The council has just started consulting on plans to cut health visiting and school nursing services, and many other community services. The consultation finishes 14 August and you can click here to participate.

Here in Lewisham, we almost lost our hospital. We know how important the NHS is to all of us. And because we saved our hospital, we know that if we had never asked, never resisted, never come together and demanded to save Lewisham hospital, that we might not have it now.

What some of us might not know (or have forgotten) is just how essential children's community nurses and health visitors are. The council have had a £4.7 million reduction to the public health budget by central government. This will mean massive reductions to the local health services that help to keep us all healthy and prevent illness.  It will especially affect children.

Children's services are not some non-essential, 'cuttable' part of the local health service. They are central to protecting our most vulnerable children from disease and neglect. They provide the bulk of our safeguarding and public health commitments, from cradle to adulthood. It is not the place of Lewisham Council to take these services away from the next generation, it is their duty to demand they are adequately funded.

Please, for the skilled staff, vulnerable children and community, sign this petition, and once again demand we Save NHS Services in Lewisham.  Keep your eyes peeled for any actions or demonstrations we may organise.

To sign the petition, click here.

Lewisham doctors on the picket line

The Guardian has interviewed junior doctors from the Lewisham Hospital picket line about their reasons for participating in industrial action:

Lewisham Rising: Heidi Alexander named Shadow Health Secretary

Lewisham East MP and former Deputy Mayor, Heidi Alexander, has been named Shadow Health Secretary in Jeremy Corbyn's first Shadow Cabinet.

Not only does that make her the first Shadow Health Secretary to have toured Brockley Cross, it means that Lewisham Hospital has a strong ally if - as rumoured - it faces a fresh assault on its status from the government. With Tom Watson's Deputy Leadership secured with the help of campaign manager and Brockley Councillor Baroness Alicia Kennedy, Lewisham's political stock has rarely been higher.

This decision comes as a blow to the fevered plotting of Lewisham politics' secret Machiavelli, who has been thwarted in his attempts to overthrow Lewisham Labour once more. Like Skeletor, Dick Dastardly or any other 80s cartoon villain, he'll be back next week with a fresh scheme and we'll do it all over again.

Tried to capture Castle Grayskull earlier. I've had better days. pic.twitter.com/9XpqQmT7LW

— Skeletor (@GrumpySkeletor) September 9, 2015

Honor Oak Wellness Rooms Open Day

Ginny writes:

I'm the Practice Manager here at the Honor Oak Wellness Rooms. We are planning an open day on the 12th September, which is going to be a lovely (free) day of:15-minute massages, taster classes (yoga, Pilates, meditation), chiropractic consultations and talks, plus lots of food and drink.

Our timetable and booking info is available via our website.

Save Lewisham Hospital again

As a general rule, we refuse to support any cause which uses any variation of the "Keep Calm" poster in its marketing materials. However, we're going to make an exception on this occasion, because the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign is back on "high alert", believing the government will have another crack at downgrading or even closing it. They say:

We notice that the latest South East London healthcare strategy document uses arguments for reconfiguring NHS services in south east London that are very similar to those used by the Trust Special Administrator- who in 2012 proposed closing essential services at Lewisham Hospital: A&E, maternity, intensive care, medical, surgical and children’s wards.

To date, there is no specific mention of Lewisham Hospital, but that is exactly how the TSA discussed the issue at first – he talked generally of reconfiguration, care closer to home and concentrating hospital care in fewer sites, before he announced that to achieve these goals Lewisham Hospital would have to close.

We are on high alert, like we were before the TSA announcement in 2012, and we want to use this petition to show that the people of Lewisham are ready and willing to defend their hospital again should our fears be proved right and a further closure plan materializes. 

It's really important to share our petition as much as you can and tell all your friends to keep an eye on savelewishamhospital.com / Twitter / Facebook, where we will post information about how to get involved.

Lewisham fat-shamed

Lewisham has the 10th-highest rate of hospital admissions related to obesity in England, according to figures released by the NHS.

The rankings are dominated by northern areas, but Southwark and Lewisham take 9th and 10th places respectively. The Mirror reports:

In total last year there were 11,000 hospital admissions for obesity, almost ten times the figure for ten years ago.

The figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show women are roughly three times as likely to be treated for obesity as men.

The 2013 Health Profile for the borough showed that Lewisham suffers lower than average life expectancy, higher than average rates of heart disease, and perhaps most-worryingly, a higher than average rate of child obesity, suggesting the fat fight will take generations.

St John's Medical Centre Behind Closed Doors

GPs- Behind Closed Doors from Knickerbockerglory TV on Vimeo.

GPs - Behind Closed Doors is the Channel 5 documentary, filmed at St John's Medical Centre, Loampit Hill, and starring Doctors Ferdinand and Jean Parker and a kebab knife wound. You can see episode one here. Thanks to Monkeyboy and Chris Wheal for flagging.

The good people of Brockley

Rachel writes:

I don't know how else to do this, but I'd like to thank the three men who picked up my partner and cared for him while the ambulance arrived after he suffered a brain haemorrhage on Wickham Road on Monday. They also locked his bike up safely which I retrieved today.

I am incredibly grateful to them for their help. He is making good progress in intensive care. I ask for help because I wasn't there at the time and don't know who they were and therefore how to thank them! My partner's name is Jo and we live on Lewisham Way.

Hunt's Lewisham A&E appeal thrown out

PA reports:

The Court of Appeal ruled today that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not have the power to implement cuts at Lewisham Hospital in south east London.

Three judges announced their decision on the second day of a hearing in London.

Supporters of the highly-regarded hospital cheered when Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls, sitting with Lord Justice Sullivan and Lord Justice Underhill, gave their decision in an appeal brought by the Government over a High Court judge's ruling in July.

Good.

Poor place suffers from poverty-related health problems

The 2013 health profile of Lewisham is out! It's not pretty.

We're winning on hip fractures (in your face, Eastbourne) and healthy eating (by virtue of the fact that Lewisham is not in the north of England) but not much else:

• Deprivation is higher than average and about 17,900 children live in poverty
• Life expectancy for both men and women is lower than the England average. Life expectancy is 6.8 years lower for men and 4.6 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Lewisham than in the least deprived areas
• Over the last 10 years, all cause mortality rates have fallen. The early death rate from heart disease and stroke has fallen and is worse than the England average
• In Year 6, 25.0% of children are classified as obese, worse than the average for England. Levels of teenage England average
• Levels of alcohol related hospital admissions and teenage pregnancy and GCSE attainment are worse than the stays among those under 18, breast feeding and smoking in pregnancy are better than the England average 
• The estimated level of adult 'healthy eating' is better than the England average
• Rates of sexually transmitted infections and smoking related deaths are worse than the England average
• The rate of hip fractures is better than the England average
• Priorities in Lewisham include lifestyle and behaviour change, tackling obesity, alcohol and smoking

With thanks to Robert.

Lewisham and Greenwich create new NHS Trust

A new Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust will be formed on 1 October 2013. The Trust will be responsible for Lewisham Hospital and community services in Lewisham, and for Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich.

Lewisham Healthcare says:

Services are not changing following the merger, and patient appointments are unaffected. Lewisham Healthcare and Queen Elizabeth Hospital serve similar communities, and have much in common in terms of what we do. As a larger organisation, the Trust will be better placed to meet the challenges of the future. Our focus will be on learning from best practice in Lewisham and Greenwich to improve NHS services for local people.

Following the merger Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital will continue to provide the same services. We will also continue to run community services in Lewisham, and to provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. If you receive treatment at Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital or Queen Mary’s Hospital, it will not be affected by the organisational change.

All services at Lewisham Hospital – including for maternity and emergency care – are running as normal. In July 2013, Government plans to downgrade Lewisham’s emergency and maternity services in two to three years’ time were overturned by the High Court, following a legal challenge by Lewisham Council and the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign. The Department of Health is appealing this decision, and you will be able to find out more on this website as it happens. The judicial review and appeal do not affect the formation of the new Trust, as there is clear distinction between service change and organisational change.

With thanks to Joe for the news.

The Lewisham Hospital Victory Dance

On the Brockley forum, Tamsin writes: 

The Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign are facing more legal costs - the Secretary of State is appealing Mr Justice Silber's decision in favour of the Campaign and Council - so the "Victory Dance" is also a fundraiser.

Ticket prices reduced from the earlier flyers that have gone round and about. £20 still gratefully accepted as a "donation rate", but there's also standard at £10 and concessions are now £5.

Tickets available online - http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/victory-event-rivoli/ but they can also be bought in person at Brockley Market on Saturday 7th September, New Cross Learning and, of course, at the Celebration in Ladywell Fields after the Parade on 14th September.

Lewisham Hospital saved

Amazing, wonderful news. Lawyers acting for the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital from the threat the closure of key services say:

The High Court today (31 July 2013) found that the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, had acted outside his powers and therefore unlawfully, in deciding to substantially cut services and close departments at Lewisham Hospital. 

In today’s judgment Mr Justice Silber said that the decision of the Secretary of State must be “quashed” as he had acted outside his powers as Secretary of State, and in breach of the National Health Service Act 2006, when he announced to Parliament that services at Lewisham Hospital would be downgraded and closed. 

The BBC reports:

The judge gave [Hunt] permission to appeal against the decision. Mr Justice Silber said recommendations of the Secretary of State had to have regard to, or be supported by, GP commissioners. It was quite clear that the Lewisham GP commissioners did not give support to the proposals, said the judge. 

He went on: "On the contrary, they strongly opposed them although those GP commissioners in a number of surrounding but different areas were happy with them. I considered that it was the absence of support from the local GP commissioners which constituted an additional reason why the decision of the Secretary of State cannot stand."

Save Lewisham A&E campaign heads to high court

The three-day Judicial Review of Jeremy Hunt's plans to downgrade Lewisham Hospital begins today.

Lawyers from Leigh Day, on behalf of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, will argue that the decision to substantially cut some of Hospital’s services in three years’ time is unlawful and they will ask the Courts to quash it and ask the Secretary of State to reconsider.

The campaigners also point to a report published yesterday by Prof Allyson Pollock, professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary, University of London, which claims that the major closures, redundancies, sell-offs and service reconfigurations imposed on the hospital, and more widely across the South London Healthcare NHS Trust by the special administrator appointed by the secretary of state, do not serve patient interests whose needs, prof Pollack claims “…have been, at best, down-played and at worst ignored.”

Writing in the Guardian today, campaigner Shannon Hawthorne says:

As a resident of the south London borough of Lewisham, for me, today is a very significant day. After months of fundraising, protesting and petitioning, the community-led Save Lewisham hospital campaign is heading to the high court. The aim? To challenge plans to close the successful, solvent hospital's existing A&E, maternity, adults' and children's acute wards, and critical care unit, all to bail out a failing neighbouring NHS trust.

By approving the cuts at Lewisham, the health secretary sent out a clear message: any hospital, regardless of quality or financial solvency, can be subject to closures if it fits with the government's wider agenda.

Full article here.

New Mental Health Service for Lewisham

Mental health charity, Bromley Mind, launches a new service from 1st July. The Mind Community Support Service in Lewisham is focused on adults affected by mental health problems whose needs are most appropriately met outside of statutory mental health services.

The Mind Community Support Service in Lewisham will work with adults affected by mental health problems for up to six months.  It will support individuals to plan for the future given their personal interests and skills, develop life skills including managing finances and access support and new experiences in the local community.

Funders of the service (London Borough of Lewisham and Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group) have also announced that additional funding has been identified to expand the mental health support team.  As a result, the service can provide support to older adults as well as those aged 18-65.

The team of a Service Manager and six Mental Health Advisors will be based in central Lewisham.  Referrals from GPs, mental health and social care professionals are being accepted as of 1 July 2013.  Adults affected by mental health problems living in Lewisham or registered with a Lewisham GP can approach the service directly to request an assessment to find out if they qualify for support from the service.

For more information about the service, please contact Community Support Service Manager, Antonio Danzi at antonio.danzi@bromleymind.org.uk or 07734 857303.

Volunteers needed for new Lewisham mental health service

Bromley Mind says:

Mental health charity, Bromley Mind, is pleased to announce the launch of a new service, Mind Peer Support in Lewisham.  This service will provide activities, connections, opportunities and skills for anyone with a mental health problem living in Lewisham and develop community led groups to meet local needs.

Mental health is a local health priority.  Lewisham has a higher rate of mental health problems than the London and England average.

Mind Peer Support in Lewisham is supported by the London Borough of Lewisham’s Communities that Care fund. The service currently provides a weekly reading and creative writing group every Tuesday from 2pm to 4pm at Lee Green Community Centre.   Mind Peer Support in Lewisham is seeking more volunteers to help launch more groups.

Ben Taylor, Chief Executive of Bromley Mind said “Peer Support is a great way to harness the energy, enthusiasm and talent of individuals. It is amazing to see what can be done when people come together to find the local solutions to local needs. We are continuously inspired by the dedication of our Peer Support Volunteers.  We welcome more people to join us so that together we can provide more opportunities for individuals to access mental health support in Lewisham."

Mind Peer Support in Lewisham provides full training and support to individuals to set up a mental health activity group of their choice in Lewisham. Training sessions will commence on 29th April, and in early June. For more information please contact Megan Jamison on 07850 639811 or megan.jamison@bromleymind.org.uk