NHS England has produced this guidance which is aimed at anyone exposed to the incident at Manchester Arena that took place on 22 May 2017. The emotional effects will be felt by survivors, bereaved families, friends, emergency services, health care workers and the general public. If you witnessed or lost someone in the attack you will most certainly have a strong reaction. Reactions are likely to be strongest in those closest to the incident, who directly witnessed the aftermath and who were involved in the immediate care of victims.

Common reactions to traumatic events
The following responses are normal and to be expected in the first few weeks:

Emotional reactions such as feeling afraid, sad, horrified, helpless, overwhelmed, angry, confused, numb or disorientated
Distressing thoughts and images that just pop into your head
Nightmares
Disturbed sleep or insomnia
Feeling anxious
Low mood

These responses are a normal part of recovery and are the mind’s mechanisms of trying to make sense and come to terms with what happened. They should subside over time.
What can people do to cope?
The most helpful way of coping with an event like this is to be with people you feel close to and normally spend time with.
If it helps, talk to someone you feel comfortable with (friends, family, co-workers) about how you are feeling.
Talk at your own pace and as much as you feel it’s useful.
Be willing to listen to others who may need to talk about how they feel.
Take time to grieve and cry if you need to. Letting feelings out is helpful in the long run.
Ask for emotional and practical support from friends, family members, your community or religious centre.
Try to return to everyday routines and habits. They can be comforting and help you feel less out of sorts. Look after yourself: eat and sleep well, exercise and relax.
Try to spend some time doing something that feels good and that you enjoy.
Be understanding about yourself. Continue reading “Well being advice following Manchester Arena attack”

With the second bank holiday in May fast approaching, local health professionals are reminding people to examine their options should they or their family members become unwell over the long weekend.

Many GP practices will be closed on the bank holiday, so it is wise for people to think about repeat prescriptions they will need before the long weekend begins.

Dr Rob Caudwell, a Southport GP and NHS Southport and Formby CCG chair, said: “We remind people to examine their options all year round but it is even more important over the bank holiday weekends when GP practices are closed.

“We want to make sure that people have a good weekend and that they use the right service should they need it. We don’t want patients to become poorly and have to spend part of their holiday in hospital. Another thing we don’t want to happen is for people to run out of their medication but it is also important that they don’t over order to avoid unnecessary waste.”

Dr Andrew Mimnagh, local GP and NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) chair, said: “We are reminding people about the services on offer to them such as advice on the NHS choices website and by calling NHS 111 which will be invaluable this weekend.

“Your pharmacist can also give you useful advice on how to deal with common bugs, such as coughs, colds, sore throats and the flu so that you can take precautions and have a nice long weekend.”

The local NHS CCGs in Sefton are also reminding people that A&E and 999 services are for life-threatening and serious conditions.

Continue reading “Be prepared if you get sick over the bank holiday”

Three new Autism Hubs across Sefton are looking for volunteers and are holding a volunteering open day tomorrow.  The Hubs, located in Southport, Waterloo and Bootle, offer adults with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism the chance to socialise, gain new skills and access support around a variety of issues. Volunteers are needed to ‘meet and greet’ at the Hubs, providing a friendly welcome to those attending. … Continue reading New autism hubs seek volunteers

Client A and Client Z met Paula, a May Logan Centre Living Well Mentor, at a health awareness day at Sefton Carers Centre and, after an initial assessment, it was identified they had issues around poor diet and lifestyle choices. It was decided that A and Z would benefit from meeting Paula together as the friends spend a lot of time in each other’s company … Continue reading Friends benefit from life-changing encounter

NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Southport and Formby CCG took part in a charity lunch break cake sale as part of International Nurses Day 2017 on Friday 12 May. To mark the occasion, CCG staff showed their baking skills and brought in cakes for a charitable donation raising over £100 for Royal College of Nurses (RCN) Foundation. This money will go … Continue reading CCGs celebrate International Nurses Day with sweet success