Self-Help and Wellbeing information

Local Services

Child Health Advice

Advice for common problems your baby or child may have

When should I worry?

Having an ill child can be a very scary experience for parents. If you understand more about the illness it can help you to feel more in control. This booklet is for parents (and older children) and deals with common infections in children who are normally healthy.
Little-Orange-Book.pdf

Info for ‘What do I do if my child has a fever?’:

The Bham Childrens Hospital have provided some fantastic videos on how to manage different children symptoms and illnesses:

Birmingham children’s hospital videos

Child Safety

If you are worried, or have any concerns about a child or a young person who you think may be abused, neglected or harmed, please contact:

• Solihull MASH Team on 0121 788 4300. If you are calling out of hours, call the emergency duty team on 0121 605 6060.

• Birmingham Children’s Advice & Support Service (CASS) on 0121 303 1888. If you are calling out of working hours, call the emergency duty team on 0121 675 4806.

Childhood illness guides

Use this visual guide to help you identify common conditions and illnesses that may affect your child. Includes conditions such as measles, slapped cheek syndrome, chicken pox and warts.

Website: Rashes in babies and children

Glass test:

uk conditions/meningitis/symptoms

Healthier Together:

Worried your child is unwell 2-18

Worried your baby is unwell 0-2

Includes advice in other languages

Vaccination planner

One of the best ways to protect your baby against diseases like measles, rubella, tetanus and meningitis is through immunisation. Your baby needs their first injections at eight weeks, then 12 weeks, 16 weeks and one year.

Vaccinations are offered free of charge in the UK – just book your appointments with your GP. Remember, as well as protecting your own baby, you’re also protecting other babies and children by preventing the spread of disease.

Download from: Vaccination guide

Circumcisions

There are a range of CQC registered circumcision practitioners who can perform operations in Birmingham and Solihull, or in other areas. For their details, please visit www.cqc.org.uk/search and type in “circumcision” and the area or location.

Domestic Abuse

Bereavement Advice

Elderly Care Advice

Drugs & Alcohol Advice

Carers Advice

Eye Care

Sexual Health

Mental Health

Solihull Mind & Rethink

Solihull Mind

Provides a number of services for people requiring emotional support, including:

a seven day a week drop in service for anyone struggling with mental health issues, with lunch available for a small charge on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
a women only drop in on a Friday afternoon between 1.00pm and 3.00pm
a support group for women experiencing domestic violence

You can contact Solihull Mind by:

Email: contact@solihullmind.org.uk
Telephone: 0121 742 4941
Website: www.solihullmind.org.uk

Rethink

Rethink provide expert, accredited advice and information to everyone affected by mental health problems.

Email: info@rethink.org

Telephone: 0300 5000 927

Website: www.rethink.org

Samaritans

Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal. Call Samaritans free, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Email: jo@samaritans.org
Telephone: 116 123
Website: www.samaritans.org

NHS Mental Health Information

Green Spaces

Spending some time outside of the house can help with mental health. Some fresh air and light excersize such as walking can improve mental wellbeing There are a number of green spaces within Solihull that you can visit:

In Solihull, therapies are provided by the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) service for people with mild, moderate and moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression.

You can refer yourself by:

calling 024 7667 1090 (Monday to Friday – 9.00am to 4.30pm)
visiting www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/iapt

Maternity Advice

Smoking Advice

Men’s Health

Teenagers and Young People

Emotional and Wellbeing Support for Young People

At least 10% of young people between the ages of 5-16 years old have issues with their emotional wellbeing or mental health at some point. It can be really helpful to talk about how you are feeling and there are lots of different types of support available, we have suggested some organisations below.

Sometimes people find it easier to open up about feelings when talking to someone online or via text so we have included those options too in case that feels more comfortable.

There are also some useful App’s that you can download that might help you cope with some of the more difficult feelings.

Websites

Kooth
www.kooth.com
This is an online counselling and emotional wellbeing support for young people, available until 2200 at night.

Solar
www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/our-services/solar-youth-services/
This is Solihull’s emotional wellbeing and mental health service for young people aged 0-19. You or your carer can make a referral directly via their website.

Young Minds
www.youngminds.org.uk
This is a charity that offers support to young people facing a range of issues including mental health issues, anger, bullying, abuse or problems at school. They have a free 24/7 text message service if you feel you are in crisis ( text YM to 85258) and lots of useful information on their website. They also have a parents helpline 0808 802 5544.

Stem4
www.stem4.org.uk
This is a teenage mental health charity which offers lots of information and practical support suggestions on their website.

Apps

There is lots of evidence that practicing mindfulness for a few minutes every day can really help with emotional wellbeing. There are a couple of free App’s that offer short guided mindfulness meditations that last about 10 minutes, you might like to try them! All you have to do is plug in your headphones and listen.

Headspace App

Calm App (also has some modules that can help with sleep)

If you are struggling with feelings around self harm:

Calm Harm – free to download, self help advice to deal with those feelings and practical advice to help you distract and reduce the desire to self harm.

Crisis

If you are in a crisis situation and your feelings are becoming overwhelming or you are worried you are going to hurt yourself then you can contact:

Childline: 0800 1111

Emergency services: 999

Or you can go directly to your local AE department who will be able to arrange help and support for you.

NHS Health and Cancer Screening

What are screening tests?

Screening tests check to see if you have a disease or condition before you have any symptoms of it. The idea is that a problem is picked up before it develops, or in the very early stages. In this way, certain diseases can be prevented before they ever occur, or treated before they start causing any problems.

Not all conditions have suitable tests which allow them to be detected early, and not all conditions can be treated successfully even if they are picked up. So only certain conditions are part of our national screening programmes

Here is a summary of the screening programmes taken from the NHS Website:

Diabetic Eye Screening

From the age of 12, all people with diabetes are offered an annual Diabetic Eye Test to check for early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Cervical Screening

Cervical screening is offered to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 to check the health of cells in the cervix. It is offered every 3 years for those aged 25 to 49, and every 5 years from the ages of 50 to 64.
Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer.

Breast Screening

Breast screening is offered to women aged 50 to 70 to detect early signs of breast cancer. Women over 70 can self-refer.
You can contact the Public Health England (PHE) Screening Helpdesk if you have any questions about breast screening practice or policy on 020 3682 0890.

Bowel Cancer Screening

Everyone aged 60 to 74 is offered a Bowel Cancer screening home test kit every 2 years.
If you’re 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every 2 years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening

AAA screening is offered to men during the screening year (1 April to 31 March) that they turn 65 to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms (a dangerous swelling in the aorta). Men over 65 can self-refer.

PSA Testing

There’s currently no screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK. This is because it has not been proved that the benefits would outweigh the risks.
PSA tests are unreliable and can suggest prostate cancer when no cancer exists (a false-positive result)
Click here for more information

Screening Timetable

Male Screening Pathway

Female Screening Pathway

Musculoskeletal

Weight Management Advice

Womens Health

Unplanned Pregnancy

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is the UK’s leading abortion service. It has over 70 clinics nationwide and helps around 88,000 women every year. It offers medical (abortion pill) and surgical abortion up to 24 weeks gestation.

The BPAS abortion service includes the following:

Consultation – includes full medical assessment, and pregnancy advice and counselling
Medical or surgical abortion treatment
Contraception review, supply and fit – methods include pill, patch, ring, injection coil, hormonal coil (Mirena, Levosert and Jaydess) and implant
Chlamydia and HIV testing
Aftercare

More information:

There is no need to visit your GP first, you can self-refer and get an appointment by calling 03457 30 40 30
Visit https://www.bpas.org/
Email info@bpas.org

Menopause & HRT

The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.

The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. However, around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age.

Please click here to see some useful resources from Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust.

Cervical Screening

Cervical screening is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer.

Cervical screening checks the health of your cervix. It’s not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer.

You can book your appointment in designated clinics with our nurses.

Women’s Health NHS Topics

Breastfeeding

We have made some resources available below to help with your journey and make sure you get you family off to the best start!

For more information follow this Start4Life link from the NHS for all your Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler & breastfeeding needs.

Some handy downloadable guides are below and a link to their 24/7 advice service:

Bump Services

If you have a positive pregnancy test you can now make your own online self-referral for your maternity care, without needing to see a doctor or nurse at the practice.

Our practice is now registered and listed on the online referral portal, so all you need to do, to refer for your maternity care is click on the secure link below and provide the information requested. You will need your NHS number and the name of the practice, with which you must be registered. Important that the correct NHS number is entered to avoid delays in accessing care. Below is the national link for getting a text message with your NHS number as long as you input the contact details you have used to register with the GP.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number

You can also find your NHS number on your NHS App.

The information you provide will be used to process your referral by both the community maternity team assigned to our practice and the booking office of your chosen hospital within Birmingham and Solihull. A copy of your referral will also be shared with us, as your GP Practice, for information.

Click on this link or type into your browser using your mobile phone or digital device (laptop/ computer) https://www.badgernotes.net/SelfReferral/CareLocation/BUMP – it is quick and easy and will just take a few minutes. This link can also be used to refer a pregnancy on behalf of someone else, providing you have her consent.

IMPORTANT: You need to search for the GP practice site by the POSTCODE in the drop-down list to complete your SPA portal referral. Your referral can only be processed based on the information you provide and can delay your care if incorrect information is provided.

You will be able to select from a number of hospitals to provide your antenatal care and for the birth of your baby; we have a number of birthing facilities:

Hospitals sites include:	Review websites for further information
UHB – Good Hope Hospital	https://hgs.uhb.nhs.uk/good-hope-hospital/
UHB – Birmingham Heartlands Hospital	https://hgs.uhb.nhs.uk/obstetrics-heartlands-hospital/
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital	https://bwc.nhs.uk/maternity

If you would like to refer to any other hospital then please speak with your community midwife at your first ante-natal booking appointment or contact your GP.

Useful information: to support you throughout your pregnancy

Information guides on all you need to know about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour, and birth.https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/

The Ask the Midwife – a live zoom session hosted by consultant midwives, Health Visitors, and clinical staff to answer questions on pregnancy, birth and caring for your baby.https://yourbump.nhs.uk/ask-the-midwife/

Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) a team of people who provide feedback about local maternity systems to a panel of maternity health professionals from service users on co-production to improve services.https://gatewayfs.org/our-work/health-and-wellbeing-services/maternity-voices-partnerships-mvps/

Bump (Birmingham & Solihull United Maternity and Newborn Partnership). Uniting maternity services; in Birmingham and Solihull to improve your maternity experience. Together Bump partners offer you personalised care, with more choice about your care – for both you and your baby.Local Maternity and Neonatal System :: Birmingham and Solihull ICS (birminghamsolihullics.org.uk)

The community midwifery team assigned to your GP Practice will contact you by the time you are Eight to Ten weeks pregnant, or within 2 weeks of receiving your referral, however if you do not hear from the team, by then, please contact the midwife directly via the details listed below:

Community Midwife Office – BHH/ SOL contact details:

0121 424 2726 between 10am – 12non or 2pm – 4pm Mon-Fri

One of the team members will contact you once your referral is processed. If you have any technical problems using the web address please email project.bump@nhs.net

Conditions that can be managed at home or with your chemist

Click below for some fact sheets for common conditions that can be managed at home or with your chemist:

Fact Sheets