Message from the Chairman of the forum Mr Rajash Mehta

Volume 2- December 2016

Aylesbury Surgery Health and

Engagement Community Forum

Here we are, now approaching Christmas and an end to the Year. Christmas

time can be a stressful, lonely time of the year for many. What we need to

remember is that it is a time of giving, gratitude and hope. Hope and giving

comes in many forms, joy of giving, giving time, giving thought, giving a helping

hand. We all need a beacon of hope at some time, let us become that beacon

for those that need it.

The beauty of the Christmas season can remind us of all the beauty of life

that we take for granted. Our family, our friends and our faith.

Wishing you peace and hope at Christmas

and a New Year full of better days.”

Health Improvement describes the work to improve the health and

wellbeing of individuals or communities through enabling , engaging and

encouraging healthy lifestyle choices.

Today many people face not understanding things to do, to avoid having a

healthier and longer life, for many it can begin with eating right, exercising,

seeing a doctor more often, avoiding smoking cigarettes, daily exercise and

avoid or drink alcohol in moderation. If a person learns to eat right, they

will get the right amount of nutrient to balance a healthy diet. Eating right

can also help avoid reaching serious health issues with anorexia, bulimia,

diabetes and obesity. For these reasons, eating right, exercising is very

important and vital to a healthy life.

Starting healthy eating habits at a young age will possibly help people as

they get older. Learning about the importance of proper nutrition at a

young age will help to establish lifelong healthy eating habits and will

improve the health of children. But nutrition alone will not guarantee good

health. It is important to Combine a balanced diet with physical activity will

help you to live a long and healthy life. It is with Self-esteem, self-confidence

and self-belief we can achieve self-efficiency.

Dr Michael Wilcox

(GP / Forum Advisor)

Dr D S Bhomra

(lead GP)

Members of the stakeholders meeting, who joined and participated at our

second forum meeting held on the 30th November 2016.

Beryl Wilkes, a resident from Warren Farm

Lodge ,Thanks the practice for the Care she

has received.

(Above )

Dalvinder Kaur –Kelly

( NK Care services &

Jason Meredith

(Project Manager

Birmingham Better Care

Father Eamon Corduf

(Christ the King church

PC Mohammed Najib

(CTU)Safeguarding

and Vulnerable

Anna Freeman ( New Heights)

Father Eamon Corduff( Christ

the King Church, Kingstanding

Your Invitation to Join John Taylor

Hospice for Light up a Life

Each year John Taylor Hospice offers families the opportunity to

come together for Light up a Life - a short service for us to

remember people we have loved who have died.

Light up a Life features music, readings and a moment of silence as

a tree full of lights is illuminated – all dedicated to people who

remain very special to us.

Taking place at Hollyfields Centre, Woodacre Road, Erdington, B24

0JT, the event at 6pm on Sunday 11 December is free to attend and

open to everyone, regardless of whether your family has received

support from John Taylor Hospice.

There is also the opportunity to make a dedication in memory of

your loved one by adding their name and a personal message to a

Book of Remembrance which is available for viewing at the event

and afterwards at the hospice.

There is also the opportunity to make a

dedication in memory of your loved one by

adding their name and a personal message

to a Book of Remembrance which is

available for viewing at the event and

afterwards at the hospice.

John Taylor Hospice spiritual care lead

Helen Cotter, who organsies Light up a Life,

says: “This special annual remembrance

service is an opportunity for local people to

come together and remember the lives of

loved ones who are no longer with us. It

gives us a chance to celebrate and honour

those lives, to take time to remember and

reflect and to find a sense of comfort,

support and meaning in the midst of the

busy Christmas season.”

Light up a Life is a special event for many families who attend every

year. Last year was the first time that Dawn Thomas joined the event

and she’s planning to be there again this December – in memory of her

son Dean Andrews and her mum Ann Douglas, who both received care

at John Taylor Hospice.

“I’m so glad that I went to Light up a Life,” she says. “Hospice staff

were amazing to me and my family when they were caring for Dean

and my mum and I found the event very comforting. It’s emotional but

so moving.”

If you’d like to attend Light up a Life, join us at Hollyfields on 11

December. For more information or to make a dedication call the

hospice’s fundraising team on 0121 465 2000, email

fundraising@johntaylorhospice.org.uk or see the

www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk website.

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1. Eat at least 5 portions of vegetables

and fruit a day

The NHS advises that we eat at least 5 portions of

vegetables and fruit a day, amounting to 400g.

Ensuring we eat at least 5 a day, each day has been

shown to reduce risks of a range of common health

problems including heart disease and Diabetes

Examples of single portions of vegetables and fruit

include: 2 good sized florets of broccoli 8 Brussels sprouts 2 inch piece of cucumber Half an avocado 1 medium sized apple

2. Eat less sugar It’s an obvious one for people with diabetes and it also

applies to people without diabetes. Eating less sugar

helps to reduce calorie intakes and helps to lower

blood sugar levels.

It's worth bearing in mind that whilst reducing sugar

intake is generally a good idea, people who are

suffering hypoglycemia should take sugar to bring

their blood glucose up. 3. Include fish and lean meats

In the study mentioned above, consumption of fish and

lean meats instead of red meat was shown to help

lower the statistical chance of developing cancer or

heart disease.

4. Type 1 diabetes, count carbohydrates For people with type 1 diabetes, counting

carbohydrates is a key part of managing the condition.

Because people with type 1 diabetes take insulin, it’s

essential that the right balance of insulin and

carbohydrate is achieved.

5. Type 2 diabetes, watch

carbohydrates Whilst there is less need for people with type 2

diabetes to actively count the carbohydrates being

eaten, it is a good idea to be aware of the

carbohydrates you’re eating as carbohydrate has a

direct effect on blood sugar levels.

SIMPLE MEASURES TO AID GOOD HEALTH

Hello,

I am June Locke, Chair person of The Aylesbury Surgery PPG but, I would like to talk about how we can set about maintaining good health. Firstly some of us seem to be bursting with good health from the day we are born and yet others seem to struggle and spend a lot of time going to the doctors.

Some of the reasons for this are due to the genetics which we inherit from our parents, however we can counteract some of these by trying to do our best to maintain a healthy lifestyle, how do we do this? By eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables which is full of vitamin C and anti-oxidents, a balanced amount of cereals like porridge oats and other cereals which do not have too much added sugar in them but have sufficient carbohydrate to give you enough energy to get you through the day but not enough to make you put on weight. A reasonable portion of fresh meat to give you enough protein, to keep your muscles and flesh strong and healthy. It is also preferable to eat as much fresh food cooked at home as you can and to eat as little processed food with as few additives as possible.

Other ways to keep the body well are to have a brisk walk each day but which is a comfortable pace for you and for a reasonable distance say half a mile or more if you can do it and walking as vigorously as you can to stimulate the muscles of the heart. This will keep it and the circulation in good condition.

Swimming is also a good form of exercise because the water takes the weight off the limbs whilst performing the swimming movements with the arms and legs and of course it is also helps to expand the lungs and at the same time is also quite relaxing and encourages free movement of the limbs and this is good for children and adults alike.

Whilst we are on the subject of water it is excellent to drink plenty of water as this keeps the kidneys healthy.

We must not forget some of us live very stressful lives, discussing problems, with close relatives and friends alike can help. Remember the old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved.

I trust my little article has been interesting and useful.

June Locke

St. John’s Centre Volunteers October Event

On Friday 14th October 2016, New Heights Warren Farm Community Project hosted an event to celebrate and say ‘thank you’ for the magnificent contribution made by volunteers across a variety of community groups in Kingstanding. Each organisation linked to ‘Fourteen Spirit of Kingstanding’ nominated up to 9 volunteers to attend and represent their organisation. We were joined by Kingstanding Regeneration Trust, Kingstanding Food Community, Witton Lodge Community Association, St Martins Social Care Project, Urban Devotion and Elim Life Church. They had an opportunity to present a summary of their services and share ideas for innovative ways of recruiting and retaining volunteers along with ‘next steps’ in terms of partnership working. Jack Dromey, MP for Erdington also made a special guest appearance.

Community Christmas Day Meal at St. John’s Centre

Every year on 25 December we gather to celebrate this special day with a three course traditional Christmas meal. The event is usually attended by about 40 to 50 Kingstanding residents, volunteers do the catering and decoration of the room and one of the doctors from Aylesbury Surgery pays for the food. In the past we have also received funding from Spirit of Kingstanding and Fare share have provided some items of food. We also provide ‘take away’ meals for the housebound. Participants are usually people and families who are vulnerable, isolated or unable to cater for themselves on Christmas Day. Everybody has a fun time in a safe environment, enjoying delicious food!

Community Café relaunch We are really excited about our Community Café refit. We would love for new volunteers to help out at the café in the New Year. If you can help please contact Victoria Bixby (Volunteer Coordinator) on 07555496614 or victoria.Bixby@new-heights.org.uk.

Café Refit New Heights Community Café will be closed on Monday 14th November 2016 due to the Café having a refit. Our Community Café will reopen on Tuesday 3rd January 2017.

Christmas Message

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123 Warren Farm Road

Kingstanding

Birmingham

B44 0PU

Warren Farm Lodge

We all at Warren Farm Lodge would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and very happy and healthy

New Year.

It is an absolute pleasure to be writing a blog for the newly formed Aylesbury

Surgery Health and Community Engagement Forum. I warmly welcome the

Forum which I know will help community engagement. Community engagement

is essential for this part of Birmingham, one of the poorest in the UK, but one

of the richest in talent and decency. The people of Kingstanding should be

asked what works for them when it comes to their health and wellbeing and it

is therefore of paramount importance that people are made aware of the

lifestyle choices they have available. This initiative run by Mr Raj Mehta will

help do an enormous amount of work in raising awareness in the community of

health issues that affect us all, so everyone can take an active role in managing

their own health.

On a separate note, I am however, saddened by the news that the DOVE Sexual Health clinic that is used by so many

people will be forced to close its services. Having visited their excellent service and seeing the hugely positive feedback

from patients, I am concerned to see such a detrimental decision for Kingstanding. I made strong representations to the

Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham and the Minister responsible, stressing that the service should

continue to operate. Despite all our efforts, however, the service will be terminated. Patients stand to lose out the most

when such high quality services are lost, which is a great shame.

Added to this Kingstanding Food Community is facing an uncertain future. This service offers food education through

friendly cooking workshops to individuals, families and groups and is a critical service for health and wellbeing at a time

of growing obesity. KFC, what a wonderful set of initials, helps families cook better and eat better for less money.

However its current grant from the Big Lottery’s 'Reaching Communities' scheme is unlikely to be renewed. Although I

have worked with KFC and Forest Schools to keep it going, unless alternative funds are found, it will not be able to

function on the same scale.

It is not all doom and gloom, however, as this Health Forum will

make local people aware what they can do to improve their health.

This initiative will increase health awareness, engender self-care for

minor everyday illnesses and future long term ones whilst also

promoting healthy lifestyle choices that will make you feel healthier.

In addition I am delighted that there will be a once a month Police

Surgery held in the Aylesbury Surgery to help boost community

engagement with the police.

Finally, on a sadder note, because of the Tory imposed cuts to

Birmingham City Council, health services will be pushed to the

brink this winter. This Health and Community Engagement Forum,

nevertheless, will help local people to engage in looking after

themselves and leading healthy and happier lifestyles. Well done to

the Aylesbury Surgery.

Aylesbury Surgery Health and Engagement Community Blog

Mr Jack Dromey MP

PREVENTING CRIME,

PROTECTING THE PUBLIC

AND HELPING THOSE IN

NEED.

MEET YOUR LOCAL

NEIGHBOURHOOD

POLICING TEAM.

PLEASE CONTACT THE KINGSTANDING

NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM ON 101

EMAIL kingstanding@west-

midlands.pnn.police.uk

TWITTER:- @KingstandingNHT

Keep your home safe.

If you’re out leave a light on, use a timer switch.

Check all doors and windows are secure before going

out.

Don’t put your presents under the tree until the last

possible moment; burglars are always looking for

things to steal!

Make sure boxes from expensive items are Brocken

up when put out for recycling; don’t let burglars

know what you’ve got in your house.

Please check on your elderly neighbours.

A Christmas message from the Kingstanding Neighbourhood Team: We want everyone in Kingstanding to have a very happy and

safe Christmas. It’s a time of year when we all get so busy trying to remember everything, we can sometimes forget the simple things that can

help keep our homes , belongings and self’s safe. So to help keep these things in mind we’ve set out some simple crime prevention advice which

will help make sure your Christmas is crime free.

We wish you all a happy & peaceful festive season.

Keep yourself, your shopping & car safe.

When out shopping, don’t leave valuables on display

in your vehicle.

Don’t leave your vehicle unattended with the engine

running while defrosting.

Be aware of your purse/wallet when you’re out

shopping keep your bag by your side and watch out

for pick pockets.

Always check that your car is locked before leaving it.

Please don’t drink and drive, book a taxi, stay safe!

Even though its Christmas, well will be around so remember if you need us call 101 for

non-emergency. In an emergency call 999.Web site: www.west-midlands.police.uk

A regular Police Surgery will be held at the end of each month at the surgery, come and share your concerns

Nicotine in cigarette smoke is a drug that mimics a

natural occurring chemical messenger or

‘neurotransmitter’ called acetylcholine which is present

in many parts of the nervous system.

Nicotine attaches itself to receptors in the brain that is

important in controlling our motivation, called the

Ventral Tegmental area. This causes the nerve cells to

become more active, causing them to release dopamine

at the other end of the nerve in the area of the brain

called the Nucleus Accumbens.

Nicotine absorption and its elimination from the body

Nicotine from cigarette smoke is rapidly absorbed

through the large surface area of the lungs, these results

in a nicotine HIT reaching the brain within a few

seconds of each puff.

Following each cigarette nicotine concentrations in the

body fall rapidly, as it is metabolised and excreted. The

concentration falls by half every 90-120mins which

means that after a night’s sleep most smokers have very

little or no nicotine in the body.

Nicotine in cigarettes

On average smokers get just over 1 mg of nicotine from

each cigarette but the dose varies considerably between

smokers. If a cigarette is smoked hard as possible, a smoker

can get up to 6mg nicotine into their system.

Nicotine craving and withdrawals

Smoking causes lasting changes to the brain. This means

that smokers are used to regular doses of nicotine and when

there is no, or less nicotine in the brain, dopamine levels in

the nucleus accumbens are normally low. This creates a

hunger for a cigarette of craving. This is in addition to the

cravings triggered by smoking cues.

Habit

Smokers have to learn how to smoke because for many, at

first it is usually and unpleasant experience with feelings of

nausea and giddiness.

However, repeating smoking becomes a habit. Nicotine taps

into a part of the brain that learns automatic associations

between triggers and actions-the part that learns habits.

This means that smokers get automatic pulses to smoke in

situations in which they would normally light up, called

cues. When smokers encounter a cue, they have the impulse to

reach for a cigarette. If they consciously resist this, they

experience the impulse as an urge to smoke.

Smoking

Why is it addictive ?

Smoking Causes : Lung cancer, Mouth Cancer,

Emphysema, Peripheral Vascular

Disease.

Time after stopping

8 Hours Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood

reduces by half. Oxygen levels return to

normal. Circulation improves.

24 Hours Carbon monoxide and nicotine elimintaed

from the body.

48 Hours The ability to taste and smell improves.

1 Month Appearance improves – skin loses its greyish

pallor.

3-9 Months Coughs and wheezing declines.

1 Year Risk of a heart attack reduces by half

compared to that of a smoker.

10 Years Risk of lung cancer falls to about half of that

of a smoker.

15 Years Risk of a heart attack falls to the same as

someone who has never smoked

Other Benefits

Healthier complexion

More oxygen-rich blood reaches the skin

Reduces skin

damage

Stopping smoking reduces the premature skin

ageing associated with smoking.

Feet smell

fresher

Odour of smoke no linger clings to your hair

and clothes.

Whiter teeth Teeth have a greater chance of staying white

By Sukhvinder Kaur (Prescribing Nurse)

Healthy Living and Mental Health

We often talk about the beneficial effects that healthy

eating and exercise can have on our physical health - and

that is clear to see. As I wrote about in the last edition, a

healthy diet is vital to reduce the risk of heart disease,

diabetes, obesity and other common physical problems. It

is easy to sometimes overlook how much of an impact

these lifestyle changes can have on our mental health, but

this is important as well. Good nutrition may be just as

important for common illnesses, such as depression, and

recent evidence has begun to support this.

Several pieces of research have found exercise to be

effective in elevating mood and reducing symptoms of

depression. As for anxiety, many research studies have

also found an improvement in anxiety symptoms with

increased physical activity, especially yoga and tai chi.

There is a chemical reason as to why this helps: exercise

stimulates the body to release chemicals into the blood

called serotonin and endorphins which in turn alleviate

the symptoms of depression. As well as this, exercise

boosts your self-esteem and gives you confidence. It can

help build social involvement and improve relationships,

which will definitely have a positive impact on your mood.

A healthy diet gives the brain the necessary nutrients to

function well and a poor diet may provoke symptoms of

depression and anxiety. Interestingly, a recent study

showed that those who drank 4 or more cans of fizzy pop

a day were 30% more likely to suffer from depression

when compared to those who didn’t drink pop.

Research is currently underway in this area and therefore

the full effects are not yet known - but it is another reason

to try and make those small changes we speak about.

It is important to stress that healthy living should sit

alongside other treatments recommended for you - be

that talking therapies or medication and support from

your GP. Those suffering from severe depression should

seek medical help as a priority.

Dr Mike Wilcox

Obesity in the NHS Staff

Obesity is one of the core reasons of poor health. It

represents a bigger threat than smoking, physical

inactivity or alcohol consumption. It’s at the root of

many diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2,

depression, heart disease and infertility to name a

few. The number of obese people in the UK is

increasing at an alarming rate.

To stop it as healthcare professionals we advise our

patients to eat healthy, regularly be physically active

and control their weight. But, I have noticed that the

problem starts within the NHS. One day, I was on a

nightshift working on the emergency lists. I stopped

to have a meal and looked around me. I could notice

that almost every nurse was overweight or obese,

except one. How can we advise our patients to

maintain a healthy weight if we look out of shape

ourselves?

Almost two third of the NHS staff are overweight or

obese. 50% of them blame the culture within the

NHS. Most healthcare professional spend part of

their time doing out of hours duties. This means

doing nightshift and late shifts. It makes it very

difficult to avoid overindulging with food and snacks.

Also, most doctors skip meals due to the stress and

workload. This leads them to eat more sugary drinks

and food. Fruit and vegetables are not readily

available in most canteens. In addition, there is a

drive now to have MacDonald’s and Greggs next to

most hospitals, which makes fast food easily

accessible for healthcare professionals.

It is time to change that mentality and do what we

preach. This is why in Aylesbury Surgery we are

writing a policy on healthy eating and only healthy

food we’ll be allowed in the GP practice.

Dr Adonis Salloukh

Accessing early antenatal care is essential in ensuring women (and their families) maximise health outcomes for themselves and subsequently their babies. Ideally women need to access antenatal care as soon as they suspect pregnancy, thus ensuring antenatal screening are offered and completed within a timely manner. Optimum times for most antenatal screening are from 5 weeks and up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Women can be referred to antenatal services by their GP or alternatively they can access antenatal care directly by contacting their midwife when they think they are pregnant.

Once a pregnancy referral is received the woman will be contacted by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospital Trust (SWBH) to attend what is called an 'Antenatal Booking Appointment.' This first appointment may take place at City Hospital (Weekends) or at a local Children Centre (week days) and will take approximately 1 hour to complete. During this appointment a detailed history will be taken by a midwife, enabling a risk assessments to be undertaken and planning of individualised care pathways. At this appointment women will be able to express their choice of birth setting (where they wish to birth their baby).

Women who choose either SWBH or home to birth their baby will be given an appointment to complete their first antenatal screening bloods. These bloods include: Blood group, antibody screen, Iron levels, blood clotting count, HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Sickle Cell and Thalassemia. (Women who choose other birth settings will have their bloods completed at their chosen birth setting)

Once the antenatal booking has been completed the midwife will email the history report and risk assessment to SWBH who will then email it to the woman's chosen birth setting. The woman's chosen birth setting will in turn then send an appointment to attend the first scan (called a dating scan).

All screening for Downs syndrome, Edwards Syndrome and Patau Syndrome as well as scanning are hospital based and it is crucial that it occurs at defined stages of pregnancy (hence importance of accessing early antenatal care).

N.B: Before leaving the hospital setting women need to ensure that they have been given an appointment for an 'Anomaly Scan' (19-20 week scan) and a print out of their individualised growth charts.

2-3 weeks after the dating scan and completion of all blood tests and screening, women need to ensure they rebook to see their community midwife, whose role includes chasing all the results of any tests undertaken and feedback these results to the woman.

Also after the dating scan women who are assessed to be "low risk", care is typically provided by a named midwives working from community health facilities, GP surgeries and increasingly from Children's Centres. Typically contact with named midwife or maternity services should take place every 3 weeks and becoming more frequent as pregnancy progresses. During this period further tests (including blood screening) will be undertaken to ensure maternal and baby well being are maintained.

If a woman has complications or assessed 'high risk' then she will typically be placed under the care of a named hospital consultant. Her antenatal care will be provided within an acute trust (hospital) setting whilst ongoing links with the named community midwife usually still being maintained.

Some hospitals have established Early Pregnancy Units (EPUs) which are nurse/consultant led clinics that provide assessment and care for women who have problems in very early pregnancy and referral are required via GP, Midwife or A&E.

Afrah Muflihi Community Midwife (Aston and Great Barr team)

Pregnancy

Answers:6 Hidden words: Mittens,Boot,Chill,Sled,Frost ,Snow

/

Can you find the Six hidden words?

Rahul Mehta Age 12

We would like to thank the children of Christ the King School, Kingstanding for their

contribution for our newsletter . A great painting kids. Thank you all at Christ the King School

Useful facts

•How common is a sore throat? Sore throats are

extremely common.

•What’s causing my sore throat? Sore throat is usually

caused by a harmless viral throat infection that gets better

by itself. You may suffer from bacterial tonsillitis if you

have pus on your tonsils (the two clumps of tissue on

either side of your throat), painful glands in your neck and

fever – but no cough. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes

glandular fever, is responsible for about 1 to 10 out of 100

cases.

What can I expect to happen?

•How long are my symptoms likely to last? Your sore

throat is likely to get better within 3 to 7 days (and a

maximum of 2 weeks) without the need for treatment by

a health professional. Most sore throats last for an

average of eight days.

•Will I need antibiotics? You won’t normally need

antibiotics.

•Will I need any tests? You’re unlikely to need any tests,

such as a throat swab.

What can I do myself to get better – now and in the

future?

•Home remedies: You can relieve symptoms of sore

throat by eating cool, soft food and drinking cool or warm

drinks, as well

as sucking lozenges, ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets.

Gargling with warm, salty water may also help reduce

swelling and pain.

•Smoking: Avoid smoking and smoky environments as

much as you can.

•Fluids: Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluid (preferably

water every day, particularly if you also have a fever.

•Pain killers: Painkillers help to relieve symptoms of sore

throat, fever, and headaches in adults. Use what suits you

best and talk to your pharmacist if you’re unsure.

•Gargles, lozenges and sprays: There is not enough good

quality evidence to recommend non-prescription gargles,

lozenges and throat sprays – although you may still find

them helpful.

When should I seek medical help?

Seek medical advice if your symptoms are no better after

two weeks or if you have frequent sore throats that do

not respond to pain killers.

Warning symptoms and signs include:

•High fever: You have a persistent high temperature

over 38°C for more than three days that does not come

down even if you take ibuprofen and/or paracetamol.

•Glandular fever: A sore throat that doesn’t get better

within 10 to 14 days or that gets worse rather than better

may suggest glandular fever.

•Breathing: You find it hard to breathe in, and your

throat feels like it’s closing up

•Drooling and swallowing: You’re drooling and find it

difficult to swallow – this is an emergency!

•Severity: Your pain is severe and does not respond to

over the counter painkillers.

•Voice changes: Your voice becomes muffled.

•Fluid intake: You find it difficult to drink enough fluids

and become dehydrated

•Effect on day to day life: Your symptoms are so bad

that they severely affect your quality of life and prevent

you from functioning normally.

•HIV/AIDS or other causes of reduced immunity: If you

suffer from a sore throat and have a deficient immune

system because, for example, you have HIV/AIDS, or you

take certain medication (such as chemotherapy, high

dose steroids,disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or

a drug called carbimazole), you should seek medical

advice if you develop a sore throat.

Catherine Dean - Birmingham CrossCity CCG

Prescribing Support Pharmacist

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These simple balance exercises can be done at home to help improve your health and mobility. Don't worry if you've not done much exercise for a while, these balance exercises are gentle and easy to follow. If you're not very active or not sure how to start, you may want to get the all-clear from a GP before starting. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep some water handy. Build up slowly and aim to gradually increase the repetitions of each exercise over time. Consider doing the exercises near a wall or a stable chair just in case you lose your balance. Try to do these exercises at least twice a week and combine them with the other routines in this series to help improve strength, balance and co-ordination.

A. Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent.

B. Step sideways in a slow and controlled manner, moving one foot to the

side first.

C. Move the other to join it.

Avoid dropping your hips as you step. Perform 10 steps each way or step

from one side of the room to the other.

Yellow fever What is Yellow Fever? Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus, which is carried by mosquitoes And which infects humans and other primates (e.g., monkeys). For some people it can cause a flu-like illness from which they recover completely. However, for other people it causes symptoms of fever, being sick (vomiting), yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice) and bleeding. This is fatal in about 1 in 12 cases. There is no medicine that can destroy the virus, so treatment is to support the person medically whilst the body fights the infection. Yellow fever is passed to humans and other primates such as monkeys by bites from infected mosquitoes of a type, which tend to bite during daylight hours. (These are different to the type of mosquitoes, which carry malaria, which tend to bite from dusk to dawn.)

How does it Work?

The vaccine stimulates your body to make

antibodies against the yellow fever virus.

These antibodies protect you from illness

should you become infected with this

virus. The yellow fever vaccine is a live

vaccine, which can be given at the same

time as other vaccines.

For what destinations you should you have the vaccination ? It is usually given when you go on holiday or go abroad. It is

good to have if you are visiting or going abroad to the

following countries: Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso,

Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,

Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and Gabon and many more!

Where can you get it from?

You can not have it on the N.H.S. You will have to go to a designated center to have it.

Is it expensive?

It is not expensive but it isn’t free so you do have to pay a fee.

How long does the vaccine last ?

When you are given the yellow fever vaccine it usually last 10 years.

Finally

When you have the vaccine you would be given a yellow fever certificate so you can show it to the

borderline security so you can go abroad!

By Rahul Mehta aged 12

When is it Given ? The yellow fever vaccine is given as a single injection. You should be vaccinated at least 10 days before you travel, as this will allow enough time for your body to develop protection against the yellow fever infection.

Aylesbury Surgery Health and

Engagement Community Forum

Aylesbury Surgery

Warren Farm Road

Kingstanding

Birmingham

B44 0DX

E-Mail:

ashiforum@outlook.com

Mrs Kirrpal Danjaul PA to Mr Rajash Mehta

June Locke

( PPG Chair)

We would like to thank all the members of the Aylesbury Surgery

health and Engagement Forum who have participated in front and

behind the scenes to make the forum a success. Comments and

advice from your experience always welcome

At the close of another year, we gratefully pause to wish you a warm

and Happy Holiday season.

At the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who

have made our progress possible. It is in this spirit that we say…

Thank you and best wishes to all.

We will be announcing the next date for the fourth coming forum

meeting in due course, in the interim if there are any points or

concerns you may wish to discuss to promote health and engagement

in the Kingstanding community. Please feel free to contact me.

Mr R Mehta

SSSeeeaaasssooonnnsss GGGrrreeeeeetttiiinnngggsss

We would like to thank

the children of Christ

the King School for

visiting and inviting us

to their school nativity

play. Mr Rajash Mehta