The Health Psychology main base is The Lodge at Walton Hospital - click on google maps for directions. The Lodge, Walton Hospital, Whitecotes Lane, Chesterfield, S40 3HW. Tel: 01246 515520. The patient entrance is the door on the right in this photograph. We look forward to seeing patients old and new!

The Health Psychology team said a fond farewell to Dr Alan Blair and Dr Karen Scholes and welcomed in the new Clinical Director, Dr Rachel Holt.

Better Care Closer to Home: consultation for north Derbyshire residents A very important consultation was launched yesterday about the future of health and social care within north Derbyshire. This is led by North Derbyshire and Hardwick CCGs and has also involved a wide variety of partner organisations. It is a public consultation and there will be a chance for everyone to respond. This can be done in writing, through the internet and/or through a number of public events. Attention has been given to locating a variety of care closer to home and the concept of “community hubs” is important here; there are 8 such hubs in north Derbyshire. They are called Dronfield & North East; North Bolsover; Chesterfield East; Chesterfield Central; South Hardwick; Dales; Buxton; and High Peak. The consultation is focussed on: 1. “Older people receiving in-patient care in a community hospital usually after a spell of care in a district general hospital following an illness or accident” 2. “Older people with dementia who presently receive services from community hospitals” There are three proposals 1. Create “integrated care at home teams” of health and social care staff; provide local “beds in care” typically in existing residential and nursing homes; move services for people with early dementia out of day units and nearer to or in the patient’s home; introduce “dementia rapid response teams”; set up local “community hubs” 2. Permanently close community hospital beds at Bolsover, Clay Cross, Cavendish, Newholme and Whitworth; provide 8 specialist rehab beds at Cavendish and 24 at Chesterfield Royal ; have a “centre of excellence” in-patient beds for people with severe dementia at Walton; close the dementia day units at Bolsover, Newholme and Walton and have care closer to or in patients’ homes 3. Eventually close Bolsover and Newholme Hospital Closures of services (and hospitals) will only happen when the new services are up and running. As this is a consultation, there is a chance to influence the outcome by communicating your views. Further information can be found at http://www.joinedupcare.org.uk/

Motor Neurone Disease: "shortened stories" Did you know that, throughout June, the MND Association are sharing stories of real people whose lives have been, or will be, cut short by motor neurone disease? For more information, see: http://www.shortenedstories.org/

Diabetes Week (Sunday 12 June to Saturday 18 June 2016) Did you know that this is Diabetes UK national Diabetes Week? There are 3.5 million people diagnosed in the UK and probably a further 0.5 million who have undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes UK are promoting "setting the record straight" on the many myths and misconceptions that surround the condition. There are many ways to get involved in Diabetes week and information about how to do so can be found on: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Get_involved/Diabetes-Week/

national Carers' Strategy Are you a carer or do you have someone care for you? if so, please consider contributing to Gov.UK Carers' Strategy The plan is to create a new strategy for carers that sets out how more can be done to support them. "It needs to reflect their lives now, their health and financial concerns, and give them the support they need to live well while caring for a family member or friend." To help Gov.UK develop the strategy, they want to hear from carers, those who have someone who care for them, business, social workers, NHS staff and other professionals that support carers. They have extended the closing date until 31 July 2016 (from June 30 2016). For more information see: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/carers-strategy-call-for-evidence

Interested in supporting research into understanding and treating dementia? Are you interested in supporting research into understanding and treating dementia? If so, please consider registration with Join Dementia Research Anyone, with or without dementia, can register as a volunteer or sign-up for someone else, providing that they have their consent. For more information, have a look at their website https://www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/

Do you live in the Buxton area? Do you live in the Buxton area? if so, there is a special chance to have your say on your local health services. Health leaders are hosting an informal lunchtime spotlight session on NHS services in the Buxton area on Thursday 26 May which is open to all. The free event is being run by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust at 12.30pm at Buxton Methodist Church, Chapel Street, Buxton, SK17 6HX for one hour. The informal lunchtime spotlight session is a chance for everyone to chat to local healthcare leaders in a friendly atmosphere, with light lunch refreshments provided, and to share views and updates specifically about health services in their area. This is a walk-in event, there is no need to book in advance. It will be followed straight afterwards at 1.30pm by the trust’s May board meeting, which is also open to the public at the same venue. For more information see: http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/news/derbyshire-nhs-leaders-in-buxton-to-take-questions-about-local-nhs-services-all-welcome/

Memory Market Place brings help for families affected by dementia in Derbyshire This event takes place on Thursday 19 May at The Assembly Rooms in Chesterfield’s Market Hall from midday to 5pm. Twenty-three different agencies, including health, social care, voluntary and private sector organisations, will gather under one roof to offer help and advice, information and opportunities to anyone who thinks they or their loved ones may be affected by memory problems. Occupational therapists from Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust’s Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) service will be offering taster sessions of the Living Well with Dementia Programme, currently run at Walton Hospital, Chesterfield. Organisations attending the Memory Market Place in Chesterfield include: Age UK, Chesterfield Museum, Derbyshire Carers Association, Dementia Action Alliance, Derbyshire County Council Social Services and Alzheimer’s Society. For more information, see: http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/news/memory-market-place-brings-help-for-families-affected-by-dementia-in-derbyshire/ You may also want to have a look at: http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/

Protecting ourselves from skin cancer Now that the sun has finally appeared, even if just for a few days, it is worth giving especial attention to looking after our skin. The BBC Newsbeat team are currently featuring: "Katie's story: Sunscreen could have stopped me getting skin cancer" http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36226262/katies-story-sunscreen-could-have-stopped-me-getting-skin-cancer . Many of us, whether unthinkingly or accidentally, do not give our skin adequate sun protection. For example, the BBC report a study by the Teenage cancer Trust which suggested that almost two thirds of people aged 13 to 24 have avoided using sunscreen to try to get a better tan. For information on how to protect your skin and eyes in the sun, see http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/skin/Pages/Sunsafe.aspx

The importance of connection with others for our health and well-being A recent report in the Heart Journal has found an interesting link between how socially isolated people are and their risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. This article (called "Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies") can be found at http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2016/03/15/heartjnl-2015-308790 If you do find that you or someone you know has become lonely or socially isolated, it may be important to think how to address this, not just because of the effect on our psychological well-being but also on our physical health. Is there more that we can do to stay in touch with people who are important to us? Ar there ways of making new connections, for example, getting together face to face or virtually with people who share similar interests, passions or concerns? Could we become involved in a voluntary role? Is there more that we could do to stay in touch with people who have become socially isolated? In Chesterfield, the Volunteer Centre run a scheme called Elderfriends which helps to befriend people who have become especially isolated. For more information on this service, see: https://chesterfieldvolunteercentre.wordpress.com/elderfriends/