InfoNOWNews 15 July 2022

News

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Self driving vehicles and The Highway Code

From 1 July new rules on the use of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain have came into force. The changes are included in a new section in The Highway Code which can be accessed for free on GOV.UK.

Currently only vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems are available in the UK.

No vehicles in Great Britain have been classed as self-driving yet, but they could start to be as soon as next year. Any that are classed as self-driving will be listed on GOV.UK.

Vote Newcastle to host the HQ of the Great British Railways

There was good news for the city this week as Newcastle could become the home of the Great British Railways’ new headquarters – but a public vote will help decide that.

Newcastle was shortlisted alongside Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster and York. The public will now choose the town or city they think has made the best case to operate the rail headquarters. The headquarters would bring new jobs to Newcastle. A decision is expected to be announced later this year.

Vote for Newcastle

Blister pack medicines boxes

Some pharmacies have been telling patients on multiple drugs that they can no longer have blister pack boxes, known as dosette boxes.

Weekly pill organisers can help you to keep track of your daily medication and stay safe. Pharmacists put the tablets into individual boxes in the trays, each one indicating when they should be taken.

A Boots spokesperson said: “The latest Royal Pharmaceutical Society guidance indicates that the use of multi-compartment compliance aids is not always the most appropriate option for patients that need support to take their medicines at the right dose and time. ..It is recommended that Patients on blister packs should be reassessed frequently to ensure it is an appropriate intervention for them as an individual.”

The NHS says boxes are not always available for free on the NHS and they’re not suitable for every type of medicine.

The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies says most of its members are continuing to supply patients with blister packs even though the process is costly. These include Lloyds, Superdrug and independent pharmacies.

Opportunities for Action

GSK Impact Awards are open

The GSK Impact Awards are open. They provide funding, training and development for charities doing excellent work to improve people’s health and wellbeing.

The awards are funded by GSK and managed in partnership with The King’s Fund. They are open to registered charities that are at least three years old, working in a health-related field in the UK, with a total annual income of between £120,000 and £3 million.

This year the GSK IMPACT Awards have moved to a two-stage application process.

Deadline for Stage 1 applications is 5pm on Thursday 1 September 2022

Why not apply? Healthworks were successful in the last round.

Newcastle Fund – Round 13 is open for applications now

Round 13 of the Newcastle Fund was launched on 24 June 2022. The Newcastle Fund provides grants for voluntary organisations to support projects which:

build community resilience.
improve individuals’ resilience.
improve wellbeing and health.

Newcastle Fund Round 13 will fund activities that begin in April 2023. The deadline for applications is 2 September 2022.

Recycle to help others

Have you got spare or unused furniture that you’d gladly part with? Lots of people are struggling through the cost of living crisis and would be grateful for your donation of furniture. Furniture can be anything from a chest of drawers, sofas, lights with or without lampshades, mattresses, bed linen and more. They cannot be damaged items. You can donate them through:

Freecycle
Reuse Network
Community Transport Byker or Fenham
British Heart Foundation
Betel
St Oswald’s
Orange Book North East

If you are in need of affordable credit, low cost or second hand furniture or electrical goods read our articles on InformationNOW

Consultations

Sexual information – C Card Review

Aged 13 to 25? Can you help?

Mesmac and Shine are part of the sexual health team at Newcastle City Council. They want to know your thoughts on how young people can get free condoms and sexual health information in Newcastle. They don’t need to know your name, or anything that tells them who you are. Even if you don’t want any condoms, or didn’t know you could get them, it is still really helpful for them to know your thoughts.

Anyone who wants to, can be entered in a prize draw for completing the questionnaire. Prize £10 Eldon Square voucher. Please leave your number at the bottom of the survey to enter

Complete the survey online here This link also works on a mobile phone.

Should you require hard copies of the questionnaire, please the two organisations above or if you are interested in a facilitated session, a focus group or anything else.

Read more on InformationNOW about Sexual health

Public views of health inequalities

Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable differences in health between different groups of people. They arise from differences in conditions in which we are born, grow, work and age. Newcastle University researchers would like to invite you to take part in a 2 hour online workshop using Zoom on18th July. They offer a £50 gift voucher for your time.

by completing a short form or email [email protected] or call/text 07398 014 647

Spotlight on

What to do to stay cool this summer

During the summer the warmer days can make the heat very uncomfortable. For children, older people, or people with chronic health conditions, the hot weather can be dangerous and potentially fatal.

If a heatwave is forecast the hottest part of the day runs from 11am to 3pm. Keep cool and:

stay out of the sun
avoid strenuous activity, such as gardening or carrying heavy shopping bags
stay in the shade if you are outside
wear a high factor sunscreen, a hat and loose-fitting clothes
drink water regularly. It is important to drink even if you don’t feel thirsty to avoid dehydration
avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
take cool showers or baths to stop your body temperature from getting too high or splash yourself with cold water
eat as normal. Cold foods such as salad and fruit help

When indoors you can stay cool by:

closing your curtains to keep some of the heat out
keeping windows closed when the room is cool. Open them when it gets hotter and at night for ventilation
opening your loft hatch to help cool your house
staying in the coolest rooms in the house

Wherever you are going this summer, enjoying our local beaches or walking in forests, the NHS is recommending that you carry a first aid kit with you. Sun cream is an essential item, but items like tweezers for splinters or ticks, plasters and antihistamine cream are all useful.

Remember to keep cool in the summer, and read our article on InformationNOW.

BBQ fire and burns warning

For those having BBQs and fire pits please don’t use accelerant/ lighter fluid. It is a huge flash fire risk. Remember to keep children well away and remember even disposable BBQs (and the sand underneath) take hours to cool. Make sure the sausages are the only thing that get burnt!

Reports

Report: Not Heating, Eating or Meeting Bills

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) report looks at working-age households in the lowest 40% of incomes and finds that:

56% have missed or reduced meals in the last month due to cost, compared to 14% in 2019 to 2020
32% have been unable to heat their home in the last month due to cost, compared to 12% in 2019 to 2020
40% are behind on at least one bill, an increase of a fifth compared to October 2021

Read more on InformationNOW about managing the cost of living and low income support

Personal Assistant Survey – The Forgotten Workforce

Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) report

Recruiting and retaining a Personal Assistant (PA) report on the period March 2020 and January 2022.

TLAP and the Local Government Association publish a new report, based on a survey response of nearly 1,000 people who employ a personal assistant. It describes the challenges faced by people trying to find the support they need and makes recommendations including:

action on PA pay
improve PA terms and conditions
commissioners need to shape a quality PA market
tailored advice for parent carers

Read the report or watch the graphic animation.

Resources

Census 2021

The ONS Census data for 2021 has been released. You can use the interactive article to see how the population size has changed in your local authority or council area and how it compares with others in England and Wales.

Events & Activities

Find these on the Events & Activities tab

Launch of the Festival of Archaeology
16 July, Segedunum Roman Fort

Building the Wall
14 July to September
Segedunum Roman Fort

Basic Computing at Cruddas Park
27th July

Techy Tea Party
28 July

Tuneless Choir
16th July onwards

Wish you were here. Summer holiday Memories
Wellbeing for Life
Jesmond Library, 3rd August

Fresh Night Club
Twisting Ducks
Thursdays from August

Updated Organisations

Moorside Allotments Association

Moorside Allotments has been in existence since the 1940’s when it was created during the war as part of the Dig for Victory campaign.

Located on on the Town Moor off Fenham Hall drive, the allotments has over 100 separate plots, let as half or full plots. They also have a Trading Hut open on Saturday and Sunday 10 am to noon.

They have an open event planned for 20 August 2022, 12 to 4 pm.

Updated Articles

Keeping you and your community safe from radicalisation

Keeping you and your community safe from radicalisation explains what radicalisation is and how Prevent Newcastle works to keep children and adults safe. This has been updated with the latest Government Prevent Guidance.

Last updated: July 15, 2022

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