Tag: Health

SUPPORT NEEDED: VODG is calling on the #health and #socialcare workforce to share their views on how we can reduce the reliance on psychotropic medications

/ George Matuska / Leave a comment

The essential role of the health and care workforce in reducing reliance on psychotropic medications – ‘STOMP’ and ‘STAMP’

STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both) and STAMP (Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics) are national projects, launched by NHS England and involving many different organisations, aiming to stop the overuse of psychotropic medicines. 

It is estimated that on an average day in England between 30,000 and 35,000 people with a learning disability, autism or both are taking prescribed psychotropic medication without appropriate clinical justification. 

This is a medication which results in alterations to perception, mood or consciousness. Long-term use of these medicines puts people at unnecessary risk of a wide range of side effects including weight gain, organ failure and even premature death.

We have launched a questionnaire to hear from colleagues across the health and care sector, including family carers, about your experiences of using STOMP and STAMP within your job roles and how awareness and understanding of STOMP and STAMP could be improved. 

Understanding the views of health and care professionals with experience in supporting people is essential to identifying opportunities and building solutions to prevent the overuse and inappropriate use of psychotropic medications.

The questionnaire is open now until Friday 16 December 2022.

This project is a collaboration between VODG, the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), Learning Disability England (LDE) and Skills for Care and is funded by Health Education England. 

Find out more on our project page here: www.vodg.org.uk/resource/stomp-and-stamp-the-essential-role-of-the-health-and-care-workforce-in-reducing-the-reliance-on-psychotropic-medication.html   If you have questions about the survey or would prefer to talk through your views with a researcher, please email research.policy@vodg.org.uk

Fancy and job in Learning Disability Nursing? or want to come back to Learning Disability Nursing?

/ George Matuska / Leave a comment
Image credited to NDTi

Did you know there are Learning Disability Nursing Apprenticeships?

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Have you been a Learning Disability Nurse and have left the profession but would like to rejoin?

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Return-to-Practice-Enhanced-Offers-Confirmation-Letter-22-23-002-Copy

Let’s Talk about Health Research event 9th September

/ dmarsden49 / Leave a comment

An open invitation from Amanda Bates, Public Engagement Officer ‘‘Are you interested in health and health services? Would you like to know more about research in health and social care?

Then why not come to our ‘Let’s talk about Health Research!’ event, hosted by the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS).

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Just pop into the Westgate Hall, Canterbury on Wednesday 9th September anytime between 11.30am and 2.00pm to meet health researchers, enjoy talks, activities and films, and to find out if you would like to be involved in the research that we do at CHSS. It will be an informal opportunity to talk with others who are interested in health research and to learn about what’s happening on your doorstep’’.

To register your interest, or if you have any questions, e-mail engage-chss@kent.ac.uk or phone 01227 823940. For those that like to Tweet, please follow @chss_kent and search for hashtag #chssletstalk

Learning Disability Mortality Review Consultation

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The new Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme that has been commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of NHS England.

The aim of the Programme is to make improvements in the quality of health and social care service delivery for people with learning disabilities and to help reduce premature mortality and health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities, through national and local reviews of deaths.

The Programme has now started, and we would appreciate your views about a number of aspects of the work.

We have set up a consultation that runs from now until 10th August to find out your views about:

•             The core data to be collected at the notification of a death, at an initial ‘light touch’ local review, and in a full multidisciplinary review of the death of a person with learning disabilities (LD).

•             The criteria for which deaths are would require an initial ‘light touch’ local review only, and which will require full multiagency review.

•             The definition of key terms used in the Programme.

•             The standards against which ‘best practice’ will be measured.

The link to the online consultation is at:

https://sps.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/learning-disabilities-mortality-review-programme-stakehol-2

We would be grateful if you could please contribute to the consultation by following the link and completing as much or as little of the consultation as you are able to. Please feel free to send on to others you know who may be interested in participating. Thank you.

 If you have any queries about the consultation, or would prefer a paper version of the consultation questions, please contact Pauline.Heslop@bristol.ac.uk and we will send this to you.

Anna Marriott

IHAL