Sign up for FREE suicide prevention training workshops in Scarborough

People are being encouraged to sign up for free suicide prevention training workshops in Scarborough next month as part of the #TalkSuicide campaign from local NHS and council organisations.

The Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership is hosting two workshops in Scarborough on Monday, 9th March 2020 at YMCA Building, St Thomas Street, Scarborough, YO11 1DY – and members of the public are invited to attend to learn life-saving skills.

These one-hour workshops, which will run between 9.30am-10.30am and 11am-12pm, are free to attend but it is essential to register beforehand. You can register at bit.ly/talksuicidescarbro.

There were 6,507 registered suicides in the UK in 2018 – which amounts to one death by suicide every 80 minutes. Yorkshire and Humber had some of the highest rates of suicide in England in 2018.

The suicide prevention workshops will be group training sessions, including interactive video-based training from the Zero Suicide Alliance and discussion with people who work in suicide prevention within our local community. Free refreshments will be available.

Completing the training at the workshop will help you to:

  • Identify the signs of when someone might be suffering from suicidal thoughts.
  • Feel comfortable speaking out about suicide in a supportive manner.
  • Signpost anyone suffering from suicidal thoughts to the correct services and support.

The workshops are part of the Partnership’s #TalkSuicide campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma around talking about suicide by raising awareness about suicide in our communities and encouraging our people to complete suicide prevention training.

Jo Kent, Suicide Prevention Lead for the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, said: “Every death by suicide is a tragedy and in Humber, Coast and Vale we are working collaboratively with the NHS, councils, voluntary organisations and other groups to prevent suicides from happening in our communities.

“The suicide prevention training is integral to this work as those who complete the training can make a real difference in their communities, simply by being better placed to identify those people who might be suicidal, and knowing what to say to them and signposting them to the most appropriate services.

“We want to train as many people as possible in our communities so if you can spare an hour on the morning of Monday, 9th March please register for one of the free suicide prevention training workshops taking place in Scarborough – the skills you learn could help you save someone’s life in the future.”

Can’t attend either of the Scarborough workshops? Workshops are also being held in York, Beverley, Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby. Visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to find out when these workshops are taking place.

You can also complete the training on the talksuicide.co.uk website, where you can also find out more about the #TalkSuicide campaign.

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New programme launched to prevent abusive head trauma injuries to babies

On 8 November, the Designated Nurses team  in North Yorkshire and York launched a new innovative programme to prevent abusive head trauma injuries to babies caused by shaking. ‘ICON – Babies Cry, You can Cope’ (ICON) is an evidenced-based programme designed to help parents and carers understand the normal crying pattern of young infants and to help them develop successful coping mechanisms.
The ICON programme has been initially funded by the four North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and delivers four simple messages before the birth and in the first few months of a baby’s life which will be communicated by Midwifery and Health Visitor services :

I – Infant crying is normal;

C –Comforting methods can help;

O – It’s OK to walk away;

N – Never, ever shake a baby.

These ICON messages have been demonstrated to help parents and carers manage the stresses which can be caused by normal infant crying. Midwives, Health Visitors and other professionals across  the region have developed ICON expertise to help give parents and carers the tools they need to help keep their babies safe. They have also produced an information graphic around infant crying which can be found here.

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NHS leaders call on patients with norovirus to stay away from hospital

Published on Feb 1, 2019

The local NHS in Scarborough and Ryedale is calling on residents and communities for help to prevent the spread of norovirus.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has taken the unusual step of restricting visiting to York Hospital “for the safety of patients and staff” after an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug and the closure of wards.

Norovirus is also affecting several wards at Scarborough and Bridlington Hospitals, with people urged to think twice before visiting loved ones.

Anyone who thinks they may have flu or norovirus is advised not to visit a GP surgery, but to stay at home and call NHS 111 for advice if necessary.

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Associate Chair, Dr Peter Billingsley, said: “When we have loved ones who are poorly and in hospital, it’s natural we want to be with them, even if we’re feeling under the weather ourselves. However, norovirus is particularly contagious and the risk of passing these infections on to the person you are visiting in hospital who may already be quite ill – as well as other sick people and hospital staff – is extremely high.”

Beverley Geary, Chief Nurse at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Over the past few weeks we have experienced a high level of norovirus at York Hospital which has resulted in the closure of wards in order to stop the spread, which means we have reduced bed capacity. Closing wards can help to contain the virus but visitors play a huge part in preventing the continued spread of the infection.

“The safety of our patients is our top priority. While we recognise the importance of having people visit when you are in hospital, we now need to introduce these measures in order to protect our patients, as well as keeping our staff safe, well and able to come into work.”

Norovirus is the most common stomach bug in the UK. Like the flu, it spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and care homes. It can be spread through contact with an infected person, by contact with contaminated surfaces or by consuming contaminated food or water.

Typical symptoms of a norovirus infection include the sudden onset of projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea. Some people also experience headaches, mild temperature and stomach cramps.

There is no treatment for norovirus but it is important people who have the winter vomiting bug keep hydrated to combat the loss of fluids. People with norovirus will recover in a day or two, but will remain infectious for up to three days after recovery.

There are simple steps people can take to reduce the risk of spreading norovirus:-

Thorough hand washing – wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry

Don’t prepare food while infected

Immediately clean and disinfect surfaces after episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting

Wash clothes and bed linen that may be contaminated thoroughly

Drink plenty of fluids – stay away from caffeine and pay particular attention to the young and elderly for signs of dehydration

For more information please visit www.nhs.uk/norovirus

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#TalkSuicide campaign encourages people in Scarborough and Ryedale to complete short online suicide prevention training

Published on Jan 31, 2019

The Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership has launched the #TalkSuicide campaign to encourage the people of Scarborough and Ryedale to complete a free 20-minute online suicide prevention training programme.

The #TalkSuicide campaign urges pepole in Scarborough and Ryedale to visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to complete the video-based training so they can learn life-saving skills and improve the support network for those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

The Zero Suicide Alliance – a group of NHS Trusts, businesses and individuals committed to suicide prevention – has created the training to help people spot signs in people experiencing suicidal thoughts, and equip them with the information and skills to help them help these people.

There were 5,821 registered suicides in the UK in 2017 – more than one death every two hours – with the Yorkshire and Humber region having some of the highest suicide rates in England.

Mental health issues and financial problems are some of the biggest contributing factors to suicide.

National statistics show that suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 50. Men accounted for three quarters of suicides registered in 2017, while those aged between 45-49 are considered to be most at risk.

Anyone can undertake the training, which only takes 20 minutes to complete, at www.talksuicide.co.uk

Completing the training will help you to:

Spot signs in people experiencing suicidal thoughts

Feel comfortable speaking about suicide in a supportive manner

Signpost individuals suffering from suicidal thoughts to the correct services or support

Visit www.talksuicide.co.uk to complete the video-based suicide prevention training and learn more about the #TalkSuicide campaign.

Michele Moran, Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Mental Health Partnership Board and Chief Executive at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Each death by suicide is a terrible loss and a tragedy for everybody involved. By taking just 20 minutes to complete the online training, you could help save someone from taking their own life.

“The training will help you to be better in identifying suicidal thoughts and behaviour and give you the information to direct them to the most appropriate support services.”

Jo Kent, Humber, Coast and Vale Suicide Prevention Lead said: “The #TalkSuicide and Zero Suicide Alliance websites have plenty of material to help businesses and organisations incorporate this training into their workplace. We’re calling on individuals and businesses alike to encourage their friends, family, colleagues or employees to complete the online training – because knowing what to do and say in the right situation really can help to save a life.”

If you need urgent help, or if you’re worried about the mental or emotional state of yourself or someone you know, help is available from the following services:

Samaritans offer a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week support service. Call them FREE on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – for men call 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight every day

PAPYRUS (support for young people) – Freephone 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.

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NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG issues cold weather alert health advice

Published on Feb 26, 2018

With weather forecasters predicting a prolonged period of cold conditions, ice and snow this week, heath chiefs in Scarborough and Ryedale are urging residents to “stay well”.

Cold weather often triggers an increase in demand for NHS services. Ice and snow can lead to an increase in slips and falls, while the cold can lead to poorer health for older people, the very young and those with an existing respiratory illness or infection.

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says there are measures we can all take to reduce the risk of cold-related ill health and keep NHS resources free for those who need them the most.

Dr Phil Garnett, chairman of NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, said: “Cold weather is a mere inconvenience for many people, but for others it poses more serious health risks.

“If you have an elderly relative, friend or neighbour, it’s important to check up on them to see if they are keeping warm – ideally homes should be heated to at least 18C.

“We’re also asking people to take extra care when walking or driving during icy conditions. And if you have existing heart or lung problems, or recently had a fall, is a trip out absolutely necessary?

“If you start to feel unwell, even if it’s a cough or a cold, don’t wait until it gets more serious – seek advice from your pharmacist. If you have cold or flu, it’s best to buy medicines like paracetamol over-the-counter from your local supermarket, corner shop or pharmacy. And then stay at home, drink plenty of fluids and keep warm.

“Should you not see an improvement in your illness, get in touch with your GP practice and they should be able to offer you an appointment.

“If you’re not sure where you should go or need medical advice but it’s not an emergency, we’d always recommend dialling ‘111’ to speak with someone who can offer advice and signpost you to the most appropriate service.”

For more information and tips on staying well, please visit the campaign website.

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