Watford Health Centre

08/08/2025

From September 2025 and in addition to the support already available, eligible working parents will be able to access 30 hours of childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, starting from the term after their child turns 9 months old. This is all part of the government’s Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life by making high-quality early years education and childcare more affordable and accessible for families.

We encourage all parents to find out what they might be eligible for and apply ahead of the 31st August deadline (to start using your hours from 1st September) by visiting:

Information targeted at Parents

05/06/2025

Loneliness Awareness Week - 9th to 15th June 2025

This year’s theme, “Meeting Loneliness Together”, emphasises reducing the stigma around human emotion and encourages collective efforts to foster connections.
Further information:https://assets.nhs.uk/campaign-resource-centre-v3-production/documents/25_26__Better_Health_Every_Mind_Matters_final_template.pdf

07/10/2024

Quit smoking for Stoptober with free support:

Will you be one of the millions of people who will commit to stop smoking this October?

If so, there are plenty of resources to help you get started and support to keep you going.
Smoking causes 64,000 deaths a year in England, making it the biggest cause of preventable illness and death, so quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health.

In east and north Hertfordshire some people aged 55 to 74 who have ever smoked and are registered with participating GP practices, are being invited for a free lung health check – if you receive a letter make sure you book your appointment.

The check will assess your risk of lung cancer and you may be offered a low dose CT scan to check for early signs of lung cancer.

By quitting smoking you are reducing your risk of lung cancer. If you quit for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good.

When you stop smoking you will start moving better, breathe more easily and give you more money to spend.

Stoptober’s range of free quitting tools includes the NHS Quit Smoking app, daily email support, Facebook support group, information about quitting smoking with a v**e and expert support from local stop smoking services. Search ‘Stoptober’ for more information or visit the Better Health Quit Smoking website.

When you stop smoking, good things start to happen to your health. This Stoptober, get free support from the NHS to become smoke-free.

07/10/2024

New service for Hertfordshire residents experiencing memory loss
A new community dementia service has launched in Hertfordshire this month.

Memory Support Hertfordshire is a new service that is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and will be run by a new partnership between Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK Hertfordshire and Carers in Herts.

The service is available to Hertfordshire residents aged 18 years old who may have memory concerns whether they have a diagnosis of dementia or not. It is also open to carers.
Those using the service will benefit from:

• a single point of information and advice where users can get advice on all aspects of local support for memory loss and dementia
• access to a range of groups offering a range of activities to support people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia and informal carers
• tailored individual support to help people to live well with dementia
• carer support groups and advice – a chance to relax and share ideas with a group who can relate to your experiences
• young onset dementia support – tailored support for those who are living with or supporting someone with dementia who is under 65, as well as other rarer forms of dementia
• Admiral Nurses – when things get challenging or difficult, Admiral nurses work alongside the family carers of people with all types of dementia giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions
• training – courses and information sessions to carers and people with dementia, and to those who work with them. Training will also be available to people and organisations who wish to become more dementia aware
• dementia friendly communities – working with the new dementia friendly Hertfordshire accreditation scheme, supporting communities and businesses to make Hertfordshire a place to live well with dementia

The service works with partners in the community, as well as with health and social care partners, to best serve the interests of the people who use community support services.

People can self-refer into the service via the Memory Support Hertfordshire website. https://memorysupportherts.org.uk/?utm_campaign=1876340_Health%20Matters%20-%204%20October%202024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=HWEICB&dm_i=5GMO,147SK,5DFD7O,4KDD6,1

Health and care professional can refer their patients into the service using an online referral form which can also be found on the Memory Support Hertfordshire website.

Alternatively, people can telephone 0300 1313946, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4pm or email Memory Support Herts.

Local connection, information and advice for everyone affected by dementia and memory loss

01/10/2024

STOPTOBER Campaign is back!

Stoptober is the Department of Health and Social Care’s annual stop smoking campaign, based on evidence that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good. Since it first launched in 2012, Stoptober has helped over 2.5 million people make a quit smoking attempt.

09/09/2024

Share your experiences of booking a GP appointment:

The Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board Patient Engagement Forum (PEF) wants to hear your experiences of booking a GP appointment in Hertfordshire and west Essex.

The group is looking to determine if there are differences in patient experience depending on whether you use digital, telephone, or other methods to book GP appointments.

In addition, some patients are reporting a significant increase in the number of appointments/ requests that are resolved "on the day" - meaning the day you raised your request with your practice.

It will only take you between three and five minutes to complete the survey and all responses will be anonymous.

The PEF, which advises the Herts and west Essex ICB's board, will share the results, any points raised as a result, made to the Board, and the responses received.

Please share with your friends and family who live across Herts and west Essex.

09/09/2024

Simple steps to make asthma care more effective for young people:

A campaign to make asthma care more effective for children and young people gets under way next week, running from 9 to 15 September.

The campaign is focused on encouraging kids and teens, and their families and people involved in their care, to take simple and effective measures to help them control their asthma.

Asthma should not limit children and young people’s lives in any way. The following four steps should help ensure good control and no symptoms:

• Get an asthma action plan in place.
• Understand how to use inhalers correctly.
• Schedule an asthma review every year and after every attack.
• Consider air pollution and its impact on lung health - every asthma conversation should include indoor and outdoor air pollution.

This is the eighth year the campaign has been running. It comes at a time of year when asthma attacks increase as students go back to school following the summer holidays.

You can find more information about living with asthma on the ICS website and there is additional support for parents on the Healthier Together website.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs causing the airways to narrow, making it difficult to breathe. Asthma can be distressing for you and your child.

09/09/2024

Autumn vaccinations programme - how and when to get yours:

The NHS across the East of England and the rest of the country has started vaccinating people against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), for the first time in its history.

RSV, a leading cause of infant mortality around the world, is a common cause of coughs and colds but can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, which are highly dangerous to older people, young children and babies.

As part of winter preparations, the NHS will be vaccinating pregnant women and older adults, including those turning 75 on or after 1 September.

There will also be a one-off ‘catch-up’ offer for everyone aged 75 to 79 years old to ensure the older age group are protected as the winter months approach.

Visit the ICS website to find out more about RSV vaccinations and also the programme for COVID and flu jabs this autumn including who is eligible and where to get them.

Find out who is eligible and how to get a COVID-19, flu or new RSV vaccine in Hertfordshire and west Essex this autumn.

13/06/2024

This Carers Week and throughout the year Carers in Hertfordshire work to ensure unpaid family and friend carers are identified, informed, supported and heard. They help with ‘Putting Carers on the Map’ – the theme of this year’s Carers Week (10th – 16th June 2024).
They do this by highlighting carers’ invaluable contributions with people who provide or commission services as well as politicians and ensuring carers’ views and experiences are heard by them.
If carers want to learn more about any events or are interested in joining in any, please contact them to book or register an interest. You can email them at contact@carersinherts.org.uk or call them 01992 58 69 69. Some events will be available to book online via the listing on the events page, otherwise please phone or email Carers in Hertfordshire.

Information about Carers Week and activities the charity has planned for unpaid carers or the community to join in with.

20/05/2024

Find out if you're at risk of type 2 diabetes:

This Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week (20-24 May), find out whether you’re at risk of developing the condition – and if so, what you can do to reduce this.

Type 2 diabetes is a common yet often preventable condition which causes levels of sugar in the blood to become too high. It heightens the risk of developing serious problems that can affect the heart, eyes and nerves.

Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, but certain factors can increase your risk. People at a higher risk include men, people of South Asian or Black ethnicity, people who are overweight and those with a family history of type 2 diabetes. You can check your risk using the free Know Your Risk tool from Diabetes UK.

If you’re at risk, the good news is that changes to lifestyle habits can help to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing altogether. This can include eating a healthy, balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping physically active.

You can find tips on you can improve your lifestyle habits on our webpages about staying well and on the Diabetes UK website.

Those who have been told by a healthcare professional that they are at risk of developing the condition can sign up to the NHS diabetes prevention programme.

Reducing risks of type 2 diabetes is everyone’s business. Check your risk during Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week. For more information about type 2 diabetes, visit the NHS website.

https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start?utm_campaign=1750949_ICB%20Update%20-%2017%20May%202024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=HWEICB&dm_i=5GMO,11J1H,5DFD7O,48GS4,1

20/05/2024

Launch of new local campaign tackling painkiller addiction:

A health campaign has been launched across our area to improve patient safety and raise awareness of pain medication dependency.

The ‘painkillers don't exist’ campaign aims to start a conversation about opioid addiction and challenge the misconception that medication alone can alleviate all pain.

By promoting awareness and sharing details of local pain and support services, we want to empower people to take control of their pain management journey and improve their overall wellbeing.

Our data shows that more than 17,000 people living in Hertfordshire and west Essex are relying on regular opioid medication to manage long term pain, despite only 1 in 4 of those reaping any benefit.

1,072 of our patients are on high doses of opioids - equivalent to 120mg or more per day of morphine.

Living with persistent pain can be overwhelming and requires more than just medication. Book a pain review with a pharmacist or GP at your practice.

07/05/2024

May is Stroke Awareness Month – know the signs and be ready:

Would you be able to spot the signs that someone might be having a stroke? And would you know what you should do to help them?

May is National Stroke Awareness Month – a perfect time to remind ourselves about FAST and the need to ring 999 as soon as we think someone might be suffering a stroke.

FAST stands for:
• Face weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye dropped?
• Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
• Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
• Time to call 999 if you see any of these signs.

The quicker the person who is affected gets treated, the more of the person that can be saved.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells and affecting how the body works.

Do not delay if you think you or a loved one is having a stroke. Call 999 immediately to give yourself and others the best chance – this could include receiving clot-busting stroke treatment called Thrombolysis which must begin quickly to have the greatest chance of working.

Other symptoms of a stroke or mini stroke include:
• Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes
• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body
• Sudden memory loss or confusion
• Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs.

You should call 999 immediately if you notice any these symptoms.

Find out more on the NHS website and also by visiting the Stroke Association website for more information and support.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/?utm_campaign=1740536_ICB%20Update%20-%203%20May%202024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=HWEICB&dm_i=5GMO,11B08,5DFD7O,478AN,1