Weston Park Cancer Charity is bringing cancer support services to our community for the first time ever. The Big Purple Bus offers one to one support for anyone affected by cancer from their friendly, supportive Healthcare Professionals and advisors. They can offer emotional, financial, practical support and advice.

They have a qualified welfare advisor at specific locations who can offer support and practical advice if you are affected by cancer.

Most importantly, they offer friendly faces and a welcoming environment - no question is too big or small for the Big Purple Bus Team.

The bus will be at Manor Park Centre, S2 1WE every Monday between 9am-12pm & Springs Leisure Centre, East Bank Road, S2 2AL every Monday between 12.30pm-3pm.

For more information, call 0114 553 3330 or visit the website here

Come along to the Dementia Friendly Project sessions for people living with dementia and their carer’s. This weekly seven session project is based around our Christmas Musical, Little Shop of Horrors. There will be singing, movement and creative activities.

These will be happening at the Crucible, the first session starts on Tuesday 10 September from 10am – 11.30am.

The following dates are:

• Tuesday 17 September 10am – 11.30am
• Tuesday 24 September 10am – 11.30am
• Tuesday 1 October 10am – 11.30am (There is also a tea dance on this date)
• Tuesday 8 October 10am – 11.30am
• Tuesday 15 October 10am – 11.30am
• Tuesday 22 October 10am – 11.30am

Refreshments will be served from 9.30am. It's free to attend, but places are limited.

To find out more or reserve a place for the seven weeks, please get in touch with Sheffield Theatres by calling the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or visiting us in person from Friday 30 August 10am.

If you would like further information please email access@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

For more information please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-lung-cancer-screening-roll-out-to-detect-cancer-sooner

From September 2024, pregnant women can have a free vaccine from week 28 of each pregnancy to protect their babies against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccination OR speak to your midwife, maternity service or GP practice.

RSV can cause pneumonia which can be serious. We will invite you for your free vaccination if:

• You turn 75 years of age on or after the 1st September 2024
• You are already aged 75-79 years old on 1st September 2024

For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccination-for-older-adults OR speak to your practice nurse, GP or health team.

Looking for a quick STI check-up?

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea self-screening kits are now available at the clinic at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

There's no need to make an appointment, and you won't have to see a member of staff when you arrive. Just call in during the regular opening hours, complete one of the kits, and leave it at the collection point.

You will be contacted with your results when they are available.

As part of this walk-in service they can also offer a routine blood test for HIV and syphilis every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during clinic hours. They recommend having a blood test as part of a full sexual health check-up.

#sexualhealth #STIs #STIScreening #sheffield

There are now more ways than ever to prevent HIV. This includes PrEP, a pill that is taken by someone who is HIV negative before and after sex to protect themselves from HIV.

Answer a few questions at startswithme.org.uk/prep-tool to check if PrEP is right for you.

To find out more about accessing PrEP in Sheffield visit bit.ly/SHSPrEP or call them on 0114 226 8888

#itstartswithme #hivprevention

Aged 18 or under?

Their Youth Clinic is open Monday's and Thursday's from 2-6pm offering free and confidential sexual health and contraception support.
No need to make an appointment - just call in

For more info visit http://bit.ly/SHSYouthClinic

In spring this year we will be changing the clinical system we work with, from EMIS Web to SystmOne. This means how your information is shared will be changing and give you better access to your information, and ensure information from other health providers is shared with us faster so that the information we have is accurate and as up to date as possible. Find out more here.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, UK Health Security Agency Consultant Medical Epidemiologist said: “The continuing downward trend in the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations is a serious concern. The diseases that these vaccines protect against, such as measles, can be life-changing and even deadly. No parent wants this for their child especially when these diseases are easily preventable.

“We now have a very real risk of measles outbreaks across the country. Please don’t put this off, check now that your children are fully up to date with both their MMR jabs and all their routine vaccines, and do take up the offer as soon as possible if you are contacted by your GP practice or the NHS for your child to catch up”.

Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “Measles is a serious but entirely preventable disease.

“The MMR vaccine is proven to be safe for youngsters and offers lifelong protection.

“I’m urging everyone whose child is not yet fully vaccinated to come forward and get them protected as soon as possible”.

Parents and carers can find out more about the different vaccines their child should have and when by visiting www.nhs.uk and searching for ‘NHS vaccinations and when to have them’.

Visit NHS.uk for information about booking your child’s vaccination appointment.

NHS South Yorkshire are supporting health and care staff across the region to put a stop to aggressive and abusive behaviour from patients and members of the public under a new zero tolerance approach and public campaign backed by South Yorkshire Police called #NotInADaysWork.

As reported incidences have increased in recent months, frontline NHS primary care workers such as GP practice, pharmacy, dental and optometrist staff across the region are being offered support and advice from NHS South Yorkshire on reporting such behaviour, and guidance on a process for dealing with it.

Many practices and pharmacies already operate a zero-tolerance approach towards abusive behaviour and will ultimately exercise their right to refuse to see or treat people who are persistently aggressive or abusive.

Dr Zak McMurray, GP and Medical Director for Sheffield at NHS South Yorkshire said: “Unfortunately NHS staff are working in a difficult environment where demand for health services is very high. People get frustrated if they can’t get an appointment and that 3 sometimes leads to anger and unacceptable treatment of the very people who are trying to help them.

“It’s dreadful to see the effect that such bad behaviour can have on staff. Receptionists, nurses, GPs and chemists are among those who have experienced some awful comments and threats, whether that’s face to face, over the phone or on social media. This constant drip feed of negative experiences can sadly result in good people leaving their jobs from the stress it is causing.”

In 2021 NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, which is now NHS South Yorkshire, conducted a survey of primary care staff and found that 95% had experienced verbal abuse, 52% had experienced intimidation, 34% had experienced threats of violence and 16% had experienced violent behaviour. NHS South Yorkshire say that reports of this type of behaviour have also actually increased since the pandemic.

The main aim of the NHS South Yorkshire zero-tolerance approach and campaign is to show that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated amid the ongoing efforts by primary care staff to increase staff levels and the number of available appointments.

Dr McMurray added: “The vast majority of the public are very respectful and supportive of our staff and we thank them for that. Our relationships with our patients and the public are based on mutual respect and trust and any decision to remove someone from a practice list would be an exceptional and rare event and only taken as a last resort.

“However, our colleagues should never be fearful or anxious about coming to work. Everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect and free from harassment, violence, and abuse which is why we’re sending out a clear message that we will not tolerate any abuse or violence and will take appropriate action to ensure our staff are safe.

“Our staff continue to go above and beyond to provide the best care possible for our patients and deserve to feel safe when they come to work.”

Visit www.southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/zero-tolerance to find out more

Check out the local Welcome Places near you! They are based in buildings such as libraries and family hubs and in voluntary, community and faith sector buildings. Check here for your nearest Welcome Place organisation. ​

• The remit for these spaces is for residents to have somewhere to go, someone to talk to and access Council and partner services including cost-of-living information in print and digital formats. Many buildings have free WiFi and offer free tea and coffee. 
• These spaces can mean a big difference to someone without access to a computer or digital device or speaks a community language. Each organisation is based in the heart of our communities. 

The Moor Markets Welcome Place is open 10am-3.30pm with free WiFi. We offer free tea/coffee and a hot breakfast of either teacake/toast Mon-Fri 10am-2.30pm.​

Partner organisations deliver service support weekly to clients face-to-face:

• Wednesdays 10am-3pm - Citizens Advice Sheffield Energy Affordability Team offer energy advice and help with energy debt. 
• Wednesdays 10.30am-1.30pm – Cost of Living application support. ​
• Thursdays 1pm-3.30pm Cost of Living application support. 
• Alternate Thursdays (14th Dec) Multiply Team offers course sign up information & Household Support Fund direct application help (as Trusted Assessors).

According to the Office for National Statistics, 91% of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living in October-November 2022.

Low-income households spend a larger proportion than average on energy and food, so are more affected by price increases. Food bank charities are reporting an increase in demand: the Trussell Trust reported that in April-September 2022, they provided almost 1.3 million emergency food parcels, a third more than in the same period in 2021 and 50% more than pre-pandemic levels.

Sheffield City Council has put together a toolkit you can find following this link Sheffield GOV Cost of Living Support. 

For the most up to date information on covid-19 please access the government website: 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This provides information about lockdown, shielding, testing and vaccination.

In addition to the information on the government website please find below links to other agencies which may be able to offer help and support:

• A helpline for people bereaved by covid-19 for people to talk to a trained therapist. Free to call on: 0800 048 5224 or refer via website https://listening-ear.co.uk/refer/
• Sheffield City Council have information about local services and support at this link: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/your-city-council/coronavirus-hub/support-for-people
• For information about coronavirus in other languages please visit: https://www.learningenglish.org.uk.