 GP surgeries in the Taff Ely area are now vaccinating priority group 2 - All those 80 years of age and over.
Patients in this cohort will be contacted by their GP practice to book appointments. Due to the extreme demand of the rollout, please do not call the practice to book your vaccine unless the next priority group has been opened and you still haven't received your first dose. Practices will invite patients to attend for a vaccination. To keep up to date with information about the vaccination programme across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg area please visit the Cwm Taf Morgannwg website cwmtafmorgannwg.wales  If you have any health concerns over the Christmas period, your local healthcare team are here to help you. Patients are urged to think carefully about which service is right for their needs and access the healthcare appropriate for them.
Pharmacies If you have a minor illness or ailment your local pharmacist may be able to help. Opening times for Pharmacies in our area are available on our website here: https://cwmtafmorgannwg.wales/services/pharmacy-medicines-management/ Dentists If you have tooth ache or mouth pain, dentists will be open on regular working days but services may be subject to reduced hours. Emergency arrangements will be in place where practices are closed – please contact your regular dentist to access urgent treatment. If you do not have a regular dentist and need treatment please contact our emergency lines. Patients living in RCT and Merthyr Tydfil should call 01443 680168/ 01443 680166 and patients in Bridgend can call 111 to access emergency dental treatment. Dental practices will be closed on weekends and bank holidays. If you need urgent treatment at this time please contact our out of hours service on 0300 123 5060 if you live in RCT or Merthyr Tydfil areas or 111 if you live in the Bridgend area. Optometrists Your local opticians can help with eye issues. Please check with them directly for information about opening times. If you require an urgent appointment over the Christmas period, your local opticians who will be able to provide information on services. GP Practices GP practices are open as usual on Thursday 24th December. Individual practices can advise patients on their opening times over the Christmas period. The majority of practices will be closed over bank holiday and weekends, including 25th -28th December and 1st January. A small number of practices will be open all day on 28th December – please check your practice website or social media pages for details. If you do need non-urgent medical advice and your GP surgery is closed, you can access e-Consult (via your practice website or social media sites), visit your community pharmacy or call 111, the new easy to remember shared number for NHS Direct Wales and the GP out-of-hours service or visit the website – www.111.wales.nhs.uk. In an emergency dial 999 COVID Symptoms If you have Covid-19 symptoms no matter how mild, please self-isolate and book a test. You can do this online at gov.uk or by telephone by calling 119. If you require urgent healthcare please advise of your symptoms when contacting us.  We are inviting patients to tell us about pharmacy services in your area. This is to help us plan for services for our patients now and in the future to make sure they meet your needs, using a process called a ‘Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment’.
Your answers will help us identify if there are any service gaps, for example whether a pharmacy (also called a ‘chemist’) is needed in a particular area, or whether more pharmacies need to provide a particular service. We will also look at the dispensing service that some GP practices provide in rural areas – this service allows GPs to provide the prescribed medicines to people instead of giving them a prescription to take to a pharmacy. Looking to the future, we will look at what may change over the next five years and whether there will be enough pharmacies in the right places, providing the services that people need as, for example, more houses are built. Your views are important to us so please spare a few minutes to complete this questionnaire. We estimate it will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The questionnaire is anonymous and any information you give will not be linked to you. If you would like more information about the questionnaire or have questions on how to complete the questionnaire, please contact CTM.PNAqueries@wales.nhs.uk with “PNA questionnaire” in the subject header. The questionnaire is available in both Welsh and English and can be accessed by clicking on the links below. English: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/O046XS/ Welsh https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/U43D5X/  Visiting your GP Surgery
It is now compulsory to wear a face covering in shops and public spaces in Wales. This includes your local GP surgery, pharmacy, hospitals and all other health premises. Everyone over the age of 11 will be required to wear a face covering, with limited exemptions for people with certain disabilities and medical conditions. Exemption Certificates There are a large number of queries coming into GP surgeries around exemption certificates for facemasks. Please DO NOT contact your GP Practice for an exemption letter/certificate. Guidance around wearing face coverings can be found on the Welsh Government website and states: How can I show that I am not required to wear a face covering? Whether somebody has a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering will not always be obvious. Disabilities and impairments are not always visible to others, and respect and understanding should be shown to those who have good reasons not to wear face coverings. We advise people to carry information if possible which demonstrates why they have a reasonable excuse (for example a prescription or evidence such as a hospital appointment letter relating to a medical condition). A number of organisations such as transport operators have created cards that can be downloaded from their websites and printed. Sufferers of certain conditions can download a face covering exemption card or badge from the below specialist sites: Asthma UK British Lung Foundation COVID Symptoms Please remember, if you or anyone you live with has symptoms of Coronavirus you should book a test online via www.gov.wales/apply-coronavirus-covid-19-test or telephone 119 You should only be tested if you CURRENTLY have Coronavirus symptoms: - A new, continuous cough - High temperature - Loss/change of taste/smell Various updates - physio self referral, bereavement support, and local activities / resources.22/9/2020
Updated digital access to physio during Covid.
New bereavement support service Updated local activities / resources for over 18's and over 50's. A new temporary testing centre is opening in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf this week. The testing centre is available for residents living anywhere in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Test bookings need to be made in advance via this link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/
A number of frequently asked questions have been developed in partnership with RCT Council – in relation to the testing facility an what to expect from the testing process: https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Newsroom/PressReleases/2020/TemporaryTestingFacilityPorthFrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx Please only book an appointment if you are showing signs of Coronavirus symptoms:
 The Staying Well at Work project have just launched a series of live webinars on health and well-being in the work place. Here's a bit more about the work they do:
The Staying Well at Work project is led by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, is part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, and aims to provide support to small businesses and their employees. The support is offered at no cost, and focussed on a bespoke range of products to improve employee Health and Wellbeing and businesses to manage employees with disabilities/work limiting health conditions. Services we offer include; coaching, counselling, physiotherapy, occupational health advice, health surveillance checks, specialist business and people support. For more information regarding European Funding please visit : www.gov.wales/eu-funds What problems can we help with? Staying Well at Work specialises in designing and delivering services including consultancy, training and clinical support. Our proactive and integrated approach supports the prevention and management of physical ill health, mental health, rehabilitation and long term conditions. We provide clinical support for people to improve their daily functioning and symptom management so that they can return to or continue to work. The service offers direct access to specialist support at no cost in the following areas:
What problems can’t we help with? We cannot provide the service to individuals who:
How to access the service? You can self-refer without seeing a GP first. You are advised to telephone the Staying Well at Work Centre. The center is open Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. You will be asked to complete a self-referral form prior to attending an appointment. Self-referral forms are available at the GP practice or alternatively can be sent out via post or email. Contact details Telephone: 01443 827317 Email: stayingwellatwork@rctcbc.gov.uk Website: Staying Well at Work Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StayingWellAtWork/  Young people and their parents and carers have described a family wellbeing course as ‘comforting and reassuring’ during difficult times.
The Families 2gether 4 Wellbeing course, run by wellbeing charity Valleys Steps, is a free course designed for young people, aged 14-18, accompanied by their parent or carer. Developed last year through a partnership with Cwm Taf Morgannwg’s Taff Ely Primary Care Cluster, the course aims to provide a range of ideas and practical steps to improve mental health and wellbeing. Practical techniques such as mindfulness and stress management are taught over six weeks by a Valleys Steps practitioner. The course was developed after GPs in the Taff Ely Primary Care Cluster noticed an increase in the numbers of young people coming to them with anxiety, stress and finding they were unable to cope with some everyday situations. Valleys Steps was asked to develop a course that would meet the needs of teenagers and developed the course with input from pupils and staff at local schools in the area. Dr Ian Morris, a GP at Old School Surgery in Pontyclun, said: “Mental health and wellbeing are such important areas to address in the modern world. Work, school, exams and the everyday stresses and strains of being a teenager can impact on family life and we increasingly see evidence of this in our surgeries. As a cluster we asked Valleys Steps to develop a family project to promote wellbeing for young people and the result is this fantastic course that is already helping families in the Taff Ely area.” Initially developed as eight face-to-face sessions, the course was adapted to six sessions, delivered online, due to the pandemic. Despite the changes, the course has been given a 100% approval rate by the families who have taken part, with every participant saying they would recommend the course to other families. One parent who attended with their teenager said: “I really found this course helpful. It was really positive to participate with my teenage daughter as a team. My daughter and I both took a lot of good tips and advice from the course. It was also comforting to see other parents in similar situations.” Research suggests that over time mindfulness brings about long term changes in mood and levels of happiness. Mindfulness can help prevent or reduce depression and can help when stress and anxiety issues arise. Clare McRobbie, Wellbeing Course Practitioner for Valleys Steps and a former teacher, developed and delivered the course. She said: “The Mindfulness and Wellbeing course was developed for parents and young people to learn together in a way that felt invitational and gently encouraged them to use the mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, taught in the weekly sessions to reduce stress and anxiety. “I really enjoyed teaching this course and felt that the group grew in confidence each week in a safe and nurturing environment with lots of different learning activities to keep young people and their parents engaged. I look forward to our next course starting.” The next course, starting on September 17, is now open for registration. The course is free for young people aged 14 to 18 and their parent or carer. Participants must live in the Taff Ely area of RCT or be registered with a Taff Ely GP practice. Please contact Valleys Steps on info@valleyssteps.org or call 01443 803048 to register or for further information. For further information on health and wellbeing services and other cluster initiatives in the Taff Ely area visit www.taffelycluster.com Aminah Teague and Hannah Furnish work in surgeries across the Taff Ely area, providing support with non-medical needs. This includes mental health and wellbeing, loneliness and isolation, volunteering or employment, housing, benefits and financial support, or anything else patients would like to talk about.
Their job involves connecting people to local activities, support and services. Wellbeing Coordinators can take the time to chat with patients and get to know them and their interests. Aminah said: “We take time to have a good chat, find out what might be helpful to them at the moment and it could be for anything, from feeling a bit isolated, mental health and wellbeing, issues around housing, finance, training and volunteering, it could literally be anything.” During the covid19 pandemic, Hannah and Aminah have been working in new ways supporting patients. Appointments are currently take place over the phone and the wellbeing team have been able to provide practical support, such as shopping or picking up prescriptions. Between them, Aminah and Hannah provide support to patients across the whole Taff Ely area. Aminah covers New Park Surgery, Eglwysbach Medical Practice, Taff Vale Practice and Old School Surgery. Hannah can support patients in Park Canol Practice, Ashgrove Surgery and Taffs Well Medical Centre. She also supports people attending Llantrisant Job Centre and Pontypridd Job Centre and will be running appointments from both locations in the future. If you’re looking for support with any of the issues above or just feel you need a chat about your mental health or wellbeing, you can contact Aminah or Hannah directly or make an appointment through your GP surgery. Aminah is available on 07515 166035 or email ateague@interlinkrct.org.uk Hannah is available on 07730 431859 or email hfurnish@interlinkrct.org.uk  Daily online health and wellbeing sessions are helping residents across Rhondda Cynon Taf to get active and stay connected during lockdown. Yoga, gardening, chair aerobics, dance, crafting and Pilates are just some of the sessions being delivered by Be Active RCT via the digital platform Zoom and one to one support sessions. The Be Active RCT programme aims to improve health and increase active lifestyles by offering easy to access fun activities in the community. It provides wellbeing advice and sessions tailored to individuals’ needs, alongside supportive, fun, social groups. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme was keen to diversify to keep in touch with people and ensure they were supported to stay physically and mentally well. Using its Facebook page, the programme decided to deliver its classes online and promote its work digitally. It has also provided one to one support over the telephone and via video chat to connect with its participants. Steph Duffy, Health and Wellbeing Officer at local housing association RHA, who is part of the team leading sessions, said, “It’s more important now than ever to take care of our health, and keep active by trying new activities and ensuring we stay connected with each another. “We were really keen to keep offering our health and wellbeing classes in the best way we could and although it’s a different way of working, we’ve had great fun delivering our sessions online. “It’s so lovely to stay engaged with existing participants of our Be Active RCT programme as well as warmly welcoming new people and supporting them to stay motivated and active in the comfort of their own homes.” The Be Active RCT team run daily sessions online that you can sign up for in advance. There are a variety of activities on offer from arts & crafts, gardening, quizzes, social events, yoga, aerobics, circuits and dance to suit all abilities. Or if you just fancy a cuppa and a chat, you can join in the Wellbeing session with Steph which takes place every Wednesday. This session offers tips on healthy living during lockdown and short taster sessions in relaxation techniques which can help reduce anxiety and aid better sleep. The sessions are open to everyone and suit all ages and all abilities with the overall goal to improve wellness and reduce social isolation. Steph added; “These sessions are open to everyone in the community and can really help to not only improve health and wellbeing but to provide a vital connection with others during this challenging time. I know how difficult social isolation can be and this can make a difference to people, particularly those who live alone. “I’d like to say a big thank you to those who have already joined us online and look forward to welcoming even more. Check out the Be Active RCT Facebook page and view all the sessions and support available. Please get in touch and give it a go!” The Be Active RCT programme was launched in July 2019. It is delivered in partnership by RHA, Interlink RCT, Ynysbwl Regeneration Partnership, Spectacle Theatre, Active Nutrition, Cambrian Village Trust and Volunteering Matters. The project is funded by Welsh Government, Sport Wales and Public Health Wales, through their Healthy and Active Fund (HAF). For more information and to register for a class, please see the Be Active RCT Facebook page www.facebook.com/BeActiveRCT/ email BeActive@rhawales.com or call 01443 424272. There is a timetable available online. Please register at 24 hours before a session.  |
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