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13/11/09. In 2005 Wigan became the first borough in England to offer free swimming to children up to the age of 17. It was such a success that a year later the offer was extended to include the over 60s. Various sessions take place in the pools, from casual swimming, ladies only, men only, adult swim, family swim, swimfit fun and floats. There are also parent and toddler sessions that grandparents can take their grandchildren to: the sessions are for under 5’s who must be accompanied in the water by a parent or grandparent.
Another session that is popular is the Earlybirds swim, an early morning session usually held between 7.30am and 9am which attracts working adults, adults who are over 50 and people who have retired. To take part in free swimming requires joining the Lifestyle membership scheme, which for £1.50 allows free swimming for the year. For further details please contact Dianne.yates@wlct.org.
17/07/09. Two cases of swine 'flu' have been reported at Golborne High School, adding to the number of Wigan schools affected. The local Primary Care Trust has set up a collection point for antiviral medicine, and will be setting up a further one in the next few days. Anyone who has a fever and 'flu'-like symptoms should stay at home and contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or telephone their GP for advice.
25/06/09. Plans to build a comprehensive health centre on the old police station/Silcock's site have been shelved. The site has been declared unsuitable, as it would not accommodate the comprehensive range of services planned for the centre. These included two general practices, a drop-in centre, a range of community services currently supplied at Ashton clinic, and new weight management and long term conditions services. However, the Primary Care Trust remains fully committed to improving the range of services in Ashton and is searching for a more suitable site.
10/06/09. Over seventy Ashton residents attended a focus group organised on behalf of Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust at Edmund Arrowsmith School. Introduced by PCT Chief Executive Peter Rowe, the meeting sought local views on future priorities for the PCT and service improvements for local primary care services. The event was the last of ten organised in Wigan, and the views expressed at the meetings will be taken to the PCT.
22/11/08. A study has shown that hospitals in the Greater Manchester area have significantly higher death rates than the national average. Wigan Infirmary's mortality rates are 25% above national figures, and 40% higher than Salford Royal.
04/11/08. The Dr Alistair Partnership has opened the new practice at 233 Wigan Road. In addition, three other surgeries - Dr Pal, Dr Pitalia and Dr Sharma - are extending their opening hours for patient consultations.
05/04/08. Private healthcare group Dr Alistair LLP plan to manage a new general practice in Wigan Road. The practice will offer extended opening hours - 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am-noon on Saturdays - and is already open for new patients to register.
28/06/07. Under the Department of Health 'Fairness in Primary Care Procurement' programme Ashton and Golborne are to have new general practices. Although there is no national shortage of GPs, Ashton Leigh and Wigan have 45.1 per 100,000 population compared with the national average of 57.9. The programme is expected to provide patients with better access to a family doctor and more choice of GP, including flexible opening hours and extended services, such as minor surgery. All local residents will have the choice to access any new services, which are expected to open to patients by Spring 2008.
13/12/06. As part of a £70m revision of facilities in Greater Manchester, Wigan Infirmary's children and maternity services are to be branded as 'centres of excellence'. Public consultation with over a quarter of a million people has resulted in plans to reduce the number of hospitals in Manchester with round-the-clock labour and children's wards from 13 to eight, and the introduction of three new specialist centres for neo-natal care. Wigan is expected to see a rise in home births and more community-based children's services. The borough has already seen the appointment of three paediatric community matrons, and the new proposals will result in an on-call consultant permanently assigned to the labour ward.
18/04/06. Ambulance response times in Ashton and Bryn reflect the distance from the nearest ambulance station, ranking eighteenth and nineteenth out of the 25 areas of Wigan surveyed. Average time to respond was 8 mins 4 seconds for Ashton and 8 mins 13 seconds for Bryn. Quickest response was in Wigan Central, at 5 mins 7 seconds.
24/12/05. Ashton, Wigan and Leigh Primary Care Trust are continuing the search for new premises for the medical practice in Wigan Road. Currently three doctors are working there on a locum basis, but developers are looking to use the site to build a number of apartments. Current plans for 22 apartments have been withdrawn, but it is expected that replacement plans will be submitted and the practice will eventually move.
24/08/05. The NHS Trust is organising a training day for people wanting to know more about the local health service. To attend the event on Thursday 22nd September, telephone 686234 or email Wigan Voices.
19/03/04. Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust is applying for NHS Foundation Trust Status and is undertaking
a consultation exercise with the public, patients, staff and partner organisations. The proposed new status would
give the local health services independence from central government control by establishing a public benefit corporation modelled on co-operative and mutual traditions. The new Trust would be democratically controlled through a membership
council comprising public, patient,staff and partner organisation representatives, elected from a membership community
drawn from local people, patients, carers and staff.
Local health services would be developed in accordance with the following strategy:
- Wigan Infirmary will be the centre for emergency and very acute care, linked to Whelley Hospital which provides
sub-acute and primary care services.
- Leigh Infirmary will develop as an outpatient, diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation centre
- Wrightington will continue as an international orthopaedic centre and develop to become the largest in Europe
- The Thomas Linacre Centre will continue to develop as a modern outpatient centre
- Primary and Community Care will expand the range and volume of services offered to the public.
The consultation process is intended to elicit
views on the
proposed Trust's service development strategy, composition of the membership council and board of directors and will end
on 30th April 2004.
Community Forum Reports
29/01/04. Changes in the NHS are intended to relieve pressure on Wigan Infirmary by moving cold surgery to
Whelley and Leigh hospitals and directing out-patient appointments to the Thomas Linacre Centre.
A key part of the new strategy is to identify people with chronic diseases, such as heart,
liver, lung and kidney disorders. Ashton Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust is building a register of patients
with chronic diseases with the intention of developing new ways of educating patients to manage their
condition. By offering early intervention, it is hoped to reduce the general waiting list and give better
health care to those with chronic conditions.
Foundation Status at Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust
26/01/04. Helen Hand, Patient and Public Involvement Co-ordinator at the Trust, gave a presentation to Ashton
and Bryn Township Forum on the Trust's bid for Foundation Status. The Trust believes that such status would allow
Wigan and Leigh to be able to direct its services more closely to the local communities, with freedom to develop
new ways of working that reflect local needs and priorities.
The Trust is undertaking an extensive consultation exercise from 9th February 2004 to 30th
April 2004 and would like to hear the views of the public regarding the application for NHS Foundation Trust
status. During the consultation process the Trust hopes to engage with stakeholders and partner organisations
as well as patients, the public and staff.
29/05/03
Wigan and Leigh College have received two debrillator training machines to assist with First Aid training.
The Greater Manchester Ambulance Service is seeking to recruit volunteer 'first responders' to cover the
Ashton-in-Makerfield and Tyldesley areas of the borough. Telephone Andrea Brown on 761370 for further
information, or meet her at the next Forum meeting.
Citizens' Panels
13/3/02 The Council and the Health Authority, in a bid to improve the co-ordination of consultation, have made
a jointly funded commitment to establishing a Citizens' Panel.
The Citizens' Panel comprises approximately 2,000 adults (aged 18+) recruited to be representative
of the population of the borough and aims to provide an "ordinary persons' perspective". It is intended to
provide a fairly accurate reflection of the views of the majority of the population. To maintain objectivity the
panel is "refreshed" (i.e. new members recruited, existing ones asked to leave) by a third every year.
The Panel will be contacted at least four times a year via postal questionnaires and people will
also be asked to participate in focus groups, workshops, interviews, visioning events, service reviews etc.
Panel members will receive a quarterly newsletter informing them of the survey findings, proposed action and
achievements, and the newsletters are also available on the
website.
The Panel is designed to provide an easily accessible group of willing people to be consulted in a
variety of ways on a regular basis. There will be an opportunity for a range of questions to be asked each time
the Panel is surveyed. aiming to cover areas of interest to the general population.
The Panel will complement the existing (and developing) community networks and forums, and will be a
method for gaining whole community views on broad strategic issues.
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