LONG TERM CONDITIONS E-NEWS
JULY 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Managing your Long term Condition – Support available from your Pharmacist
Your Community Pharmacist is an expert on medication and on the Island Pharmacists can
support you in managing your long term condition in the following ways:
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Consultations – all have consulting rooms; just ask if you want a private conversation
about a medicine you are taking.
The ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme – this scheme aims to help you treat minor ailments
such as a chest problems, skin rashes, coughs, colds, earache, and mild pain without
you having to go to see your GP. This service is free for anyone who does not pay for
their prescriptions. They cannot access your health records so therefore they will
write to your GP about medication and advice they have offered so that your GP is
aware of what medication you are taking.
Urinary Tract infections – your pharmacist can issue antibiotics following a
consultation.
Medication review – your pharmacist can go through your medications with you to
help you understand how and why to take them. They can explain how medicines
interact with each other and possible side effects. They should also check your inhaler
technique, if you use inhalers.
New Medications Advice – the pharmacist should discuss the following with you
when you start taking a long term medication:
o how to take it
o when to take it
o how it might affect other medications
o life style advice
 If you need a particular medication but your pharmacist doesn’t have it available
they can give you a date when it will be available or find a pharmacist on the Island
who does have it available
 If there has been a change to the name of a repeat medication you use – the
pharmacist can talk to you about this if you are concerned. The medication may be
in short supply or a cheaper, non-branded version may now be available when the
original medication comes “off patent”. This will be the same drug but with a
different name.
 Difficulty opening blister packs – some people use tweezers to get the tablets out
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but your pharmacist will put the pills into bottles if you ask.
Coming off some medication – the pharmacist will speak to your doctor on your
behalf if you feel you want to cut down your dosage.
Changes to medication please discuss this with your pharmacist and ask for
explanations about the medication
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Support Group
This group has been running for about two years and provides a free, confidential, safe environment
for people with OCD to discuss problems, worries, concerns and meet other people with the
condition. The group is open to anyone aged 14+ (those under 18 needs to attend with a
parent/carer) and meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month between 6.30 and 8.30 at the Age UK
Offices in Newport. For more details please contact Brian Taylor on either 07870 171990 or email
briantaylor1938@talktalk.net
Isle of Wight Carriage Riding for the Disabled
Isle of Wight Carriage Riding for the Disabled Support Group aims to offer the experience of
carriage riding to any disabled adult, regardless of disability, who might get benefit with regard to
their health, happiness and well-being. During the summer months weather permitting the group
meets on Wednesdays at Osborne House where driving starts at 10.30 and continues until 1.00ish.
English Heritage allows the group to use two big fields and some of the driveways. You can learn to
drive the carriages yourself or be driven and wheelchair accessible carriages are available. There is a
yearly membership fee of £10 and a nominal charge of £2 per week for the drive. Coffee and tea
are provided but you should take your own lunch. During the winter the group holds regular coffee
mornings as well as a Christmas lunch. The group is currently looking for new people to take part
but also for volunteers to support those taking part. For further details please contact Sue Martin
on 07788100687 or write to her at Tolls Lye, Birchmore Lane, Blackwater PO30 3BP.
Solent Pituitary Support Group
This group usually meets in Portsmouth but held its annual meeting for people with Pituitary
Disorder on the Isle of Wight on Saturday 11th July at 10.30 at Lakeside Community Centre in Lake.
The group were given a presentation from Dr Jane Hazeldene as to how what we think and feel
about our long term condition further affects our health. There was a lot of discussion about
acceptance and pacing that is applicable to all patients with a long term conditions. The group
produce a newsletter which is very comprehensive and for further details of this and future
meetings please contact: Melissa Reeds at Melissa.reeds@glanvilles.co.uk
Doorstep Crime and Scams
Isle of Wight Council Trading Standards are inviting Island residents to an afternoon information
session on ‘Doorstep Crimes and Scams’. If you want to learn how to identify a scam and how to
protect yourself against them please do attend. The session will be on the 22nd July from 2 to 4 pm
at Riverside, The Quay, Newport. Refreshments will be provided and there will be information to
take away. No booking is required.
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Cancer Directory
Following an extensive mapping exercise of voluntary and community services that are available to
cancer patients on the Isle of Wight a directory has been produced. This is in booklet form and will
be made available to all newly diagnosed patients through their Cancer Nurse Specialist but if you
would like to have a copy then please contact Claire Tillman at Community Action Isle of Wight on
ctillman@actioniw.org.uk.
Heart2Heart
The Heart2Heart Support Group held a Cream Tea on the afternoon of the 24th June at Wootton
Methodist Church. The tea was such a success, attended by 50 people and raising over £300 for the
group that it has been decided to move the meetings of the group to the church on a regular basis.
Therefore the next meeting of the Heart2Heart Group will be on Thursday 13th August from 2 to 4
pm at Wootton Methodist Church, Station Road, Wootton. Parking is available at the church and
across the road and refreshments will be provided. Cost for the meeting is £2.00. For further
details please contact Michael Jones on michael401@btinternet.com or phone Robert Brown on
07581 080057.
English Heritage Accessible Visits at Osborne House
English Heritage has been exploring ways of increasing the access at Osborne House for Island
Residents who are disabled or have a long term health condition. Guided tours of the Swiss
Cottage and Museum that have been specially designed for these groups have taken place on three
Fridays in June and July. Feedback from those who have attended has been very positive. There are
three further Friday sessions planned for September and October. Unfortunately the first date in
September is full due to demand but there are opportunities to join the tour on either the 25th
September or the 2nd October. The visits take place between 10.30 and 1.00 and are free for one
person and their carer. There is transport down to the Swiss Cottage. For further details please
contact Claire Tillman on ctillman@actioniw.org.uk
Surviving Cancer Information Programme
This is a new programme that has been developed by a multi-disciplinary team at St Mary’s Hospital
to support cancer patients as they come to the end of their treatment phase. There are 5 sessions
running once a week covering living well, diet, and exercise. The final week is planned to be run in a
‘market place’ style and offers all cancer support groups the opportunity to meet those who have
participated in the course and time to promote their group to them. If you are running a cancer
support group please do take the opportunity to take part in the next ‘market place’. For more
details please contact Claire Tillman on 01983524058 or email ctillman@actioniw.org.uk
TRAINING and SUPPORT
Home Fire Safety Checks
The Fire Service is offering training to people who may be able to help and support vulnerable
people with a Home Fire Safety Check. If, as part of the work you do for your support group, you
visit people in their own homes then this is something you might be able to do. The training is to
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take place on the 6th August between 10 and 1 pm at Sandown Fire Station. For further information
about Home Fire Safety Checks and the training course please contact Rebecca.read@iow.gov.uk
OTHER NEWSLETTERS
See the latest newsletter from My Life a Full Life at
http://www.mylifeafulllife.com/Downloads/MLAFL%20newsletter%207%20Winter%202014%205.pdf
Pinterest Board for the LTC project
There is a Pinterest Board for the Community Action LTC project available via this link
http://www.pinterest.com/ltccaiw/ The Board is a virtual resource library for local LTC groups and
it will grow over time as I find more useful resources that I can signpost groups to. If you haven’t
used Pinterest before, it is a virtual “pin board”. It enables you to “pin” links to your different
boards to build a reference of resources for yourself in all sorts of interest areas. Once you pin a
link, it links you back to the original website where you can see the source of the information. You
do not need to be a member of Pinterest to view the LTC project Pinterest boards or find the
original web links which are linked on each individual “pin”. If you want to set up your own boards
you will need to register for Pinterest yourself. You will see that a number of the resources
mentioned in these newsletters feature as pins on the project Pinterest boards.
This bulletin will be produced on a regular monthly basis as part of the Long Term Condition Self
Help Group development programme co-ordinated by Community Action IW.
For more information contact Claire Tillman, Project Co-ordinator on ctillman@actioniw.org.uk
Community Action Isle of Wight, Riverside, the Quay, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO302QR.
Registered Charity No: 1063737
Company Limited by Guarantee Reg No: 3340032
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