Welcome to the
September 2024 edition of our Residents’ eNewsletter, featuring the
latest news and updates from your county council.
Positive Ageing Month: free events at our libraries
Selected libraries across West Sussex will host free
events and health checks to raise awareness for Positive Ageing
Month next month.
Throughout October, you can listen in to talks on
ageing, book a wellbeing assessment, attend a drop-in, speak with
local organisations, and of course pick up plenty of books on
ageing well.
One of the first events is at Littlehampton Library on
Tuesday 1 October. Arun Wellbeing will be offering free wellbeing
checks and blood pressure checks. No appointment is needed for
blood pressure checks, but full wellbeing checks must be booked in
advance. Email wellbeinginfo@arun.gov.uk or call
01903 737862 for more information and to book.
For details of events in all libraries, click on the
'ageing well' tag on our Library What’s On pages.
Have you got high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart
disease and strokes.
We’re encouraging everyone over the age of 40 to
have their blood pressure checked and take control of
their health. Find out more about blood pressure here.
You can pop into your local pharmacy to ask about
getting a free blood pressure check and some GPs have machines in
their waiting rooms. You can also buy a monitor to check yours at
home.
Blood pressure measurement is also part of the NHS
Health Check. If you're aged between 40 and 74 years old with no
pre-existing conditions, this free 30-minute check will tell you
your level of cardiovascular risk and what you can do to ensure it
stays low.
Best start
in life for our children
Our new ‘Right from the Start: Early Years and
Childcare Strategy’ sets out our vision and priorities for
supporting children in West Sussex.
The four-year strategy aims to improve the wellbeing
of young children, reduce inequalities and support positive choices
for families.
This strategy will be embedded across all our services
supporting young children, to help every child in West Sussex
achieve their full potential.
Ensuring we work together with families and other
services to implement the strategy and shape what happens next is a
high priority for us.
Please look out for opportunities to get involved
through our upcoming communications.
Our plan to reduce emissions and increase climate
resilience
We’ve set out the first phase of a six-year plan to
become carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030.
A Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for 2024 to 2027
has been published which identifies 20 priority actions to be taken
across the council and in partnership with key stakeholders in the
county.
The actions are broken down into six pathways focusing
on issues such as buildings and energy, transport, and nature and
environment.
Vaccinations
update
- A new vaccine to help protect against
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is now available on the NHS.
It will be offered to those aged 75 to 79 and women who are
over 28 weeks pregnant. RSV is a major cause of respiratory
illness, particularly dangerous for infants and the elderly. Find out more about this new vaccine
which will help to prevent severe illness in those most
vulnerable, helping to protect lives.
- The Covid-19
vaccine will be offered this autumn to those at high risk of
serious disease and who are most likely to benefit from
vaccination. Find out more about eligibility.
- The flu vaccine helps protect against
flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening
illness. It's offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early
winter to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from
flu. For more advice about the flu vaccination, speak to your
GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or school immunisation team.
Free electric blanket testing dates
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is offering free
electric blanket testing sessions this autumn.
Last year 36% of the blankets tested were found to be
defective. Faulty electric blankets are a common cause of fire in
the home.
Testing is recommended for blankets more than two
years old. Blankets over 10 years old should be replaced.
The sessions will take place on the dates below by
appointment only. You can book an appointment to have your blanket
tested by calling 0345 872 9719.
- 1 October Bognor Regis Fire Station
- 2 October
Durrington Community Centre
- 3 October Petworth
Fire Station
- 4 October Age UK
Burgess Hill
- 7 October Burgess
Hill Town Hall
- 8 October Horsham
Library
- 10 October Haywards
Heath Fire Station.
If your blanket is found to be faulty, a limited
number of replacement blankets will be available thanks to our
partnership with SGN. These will be given free of charge to
vulnerable residents who receive certain benefits, while stocks
last.
‘Money muling’ on the rise
Money muling is a type of money laundering, where
a person receives money from a third party into their bank account
and then transfers it on to another one, keeping a commission.
Money mules may not be directly involved in crime,
however they are an accomplice as they are laundering the proceeds
of crime.
At this time of year, criminals may try to take
advantage of students studying in the UK by offering them quick
ways to make money.
You may think it’s an easy way to increase your cash
flow, but the reality is you could end up with a criminal record
and a hefty prison sentence.
If you think that you or someone you know is a victim
of money muling, stop communication with the criminals, stop
transferring money and report it to the police and Action Fraud.
September 2024 West Sussex County Council
eNewsletter
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Important amendments to the ‘Sepsis: Know the Signs,
Save a Life’ campaign featured in last week’s newsletter.
Last week we issued information in our newsletter for
Sepsis Awareness Month on how to spot the signs of Sepsis and the
actions to take. This missed vital information. The version below
aligns with the UK Sepsis Trust advice. Please take the time to
read this vital life-saving information. We apologise for any
confusion this may have caused.
Sepsis: Know the Signs, Save a Life
As part of Sepsis Awareness Month this September, we
are highlighting the importance of recognising the symptoms of
sepsis.
In the UK alone, there are at least 245,000 cases and
up to 48,000 deaths of sepsis every year. That’s more deaths than
breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.
There is no single sign or diagnostic test, and sepsis
is indiscriminate: while it primarily affects very young children,
older adults, and people with underlying health conditions, it can
sometimes be triggered in those who are otherwise fit and healthy.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition.
How to spot sepsis in adults:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or
muscle pain
- Passing no urine (in
a day)
- Severe
breathlessness
- It feels like you’re
going to die
- Skin mottled or
discoloured
A child may have sepsis if they:
- Are breathing very fast
- Have a ‘fit’ or
convulsion
- Look mottled,
bluish, or pale – on darker pigmented skin, colour changes may
show on the inside of the forearms or palms
- Have a rash that
does not fade when you press it
- Are very lethargic
or difficult to wake
- Feel abnormally
cold to touch
A child under 5 may have sepsis if they:
- Are not feeding
- Are vomiting
repeatedly
- Have not passed
urine for 12 hours
If you or another adult or child develop any of these
signs, it is important to seek urgent medical attention.
Call 111 or contact your GP if you are worried about
an infection.
Call 999 or visit A&E if you or another adult or
child has one of the sepsis symptoms.
Just Ask: Could it be Sepsis?
For further information on sepsis please click on this
link: FAQs – The UK Sepsis Trust
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Head to our Newsroom to find all the latest
news.
You can become ‘scam savvy’ by attending one of the free
sessionswe’re running this autumn in-person and
online.
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