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Archived News from the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum.
- 2007 Health Mela
- Information for Maintaining a Healthy Heart
- 10 Steps to Healthy Living
- Shah Family Brings Pride to Preston
- Holistic Management of Stress
- NHS Governors Meeting
- Preston Hobbies Fair
- Successful Eye Care Event
- 2006 Health Mela Review
- GMC's Review of Health Mela
- Primary Care Trust Newsletter
- The PSP Association
- Download the Health Mela Programme
- Healthcare Chief Applauds Health Mela
- Eye-Care Advice
- Doctor's Personal Recommendation to Attend Health Mela
- GMC Chief to Open Health Mela
- Healthcare Commission Fact Finding Tour
- Events Programme
- 2005 Health Mela Report Now Available
- 2005 Health Mela and Other Events
- Award for Professor Romesh Gupta
- 2004 Health Mela
- Another Sucessful Health Mela
- Main News Page
On
24th March 2007, the Gujarat Hindu Society hosted its annual Health Mela
in association with Central Lancashire NHS Primary Care Trust.
"The Health Mela is a blueprint for NHS professionals across the UK," said Professor Romesh Gupta, Chairman of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum and a Consultant at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. "It demonstrates how to engage effectively with minority communities that traditionally don't access services, either because of a reluctance to talk about their health or because of fear. I am proud to say that the Health Mela is now in its sixth year and its success locally at raising health awareness among people from all communities has attracted national interest."
The event, which attracted upwards of 800 visitors, was held at its usual venue - the GHS Centre on South Meadow Lane in Preston.
The guest of honour was Professor Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health. She was among a long line of dignitaries and experts from the health community who were keen to see what our community is doing to strengthen relations and keep healthy.
Professor Beasley said: "The Health Mela is a shining example of good practice to health professionals across the UK of how to work with community leaders and how to engage with ethnic minority groups. I am delighted to have been invited to open the event.
You can view/download a copy of the 2007 Health Mela review here. (Word format - 837k.)
What People said about the 2007 Health Mela:
“I am proud to say that the Health Mela is now in its sixth year and its success locally at raising health awareness among people from all communities has attracted national interest. We have created a template that could soon see similar events springing up across the UK.”
“The Health Mela is a blueprint for NHS professionals across the UK on how to engage minority communities, which traditionally don't access services - either because of a reluctance to talk about their health or because of fear.”
Professor Romesh Gupta, (Chair of LGHUF)
Consultant Physician at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
“The Health Mela is a shining example of good practice to health professionals across the U.K. of how to work with community leaders to engage with ethnic minority groups.”
“The importance of encouraging greater health awareness cannot be underestimated, particularly among communities, which traditionally have been reluctant to access health services because of their fear or apprehension. It also serves as a showcase for Asian lifestyle and culture to boost community links.”
Official Opening and Messages by the Chief Guest Professor
Christine Beasley
Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health, England
“It is a great way to encourage people from minority ethnic communities to meet health experts and get informal and friendly advice. At some time in the lives of local people, they will more than likely be cared for at one of our hospitals and this event is an important way of building bridges between our staff and minority ethnic communities.”
“We value being involved in supporting this popular event. Promoting good health is of great importance in overcoming health inequalities for the whole population of the UK.”
Tony Curtis, Chief Executive,
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
“I for one am looking forward very much to this year's Mela. It is an event that is not only entertaining and a wonderful chance to meet old friends and make new ones, but also an important opportunity to involve the whole community in the promotion of good health. We believe that Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is the best in the land but every one of us would prefer to practice prevention rather than cure and the Mela is a good place to start."
Dennis Benson, Chair
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
“I am delighted that Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust is supporting this important and popular local event. We value the involvement this gives in raising awareness of the health initiatives and schemes we support and offer as a primary care trust across central Lancashire.”
“The event is an ideal way of promoting health awareness amongst minority ethnic communities and a model of practice that could be used with other Black and Minority Ethnic communities. The Health Mela provides local people with an opportunity to take a greater interest in their own health as well as promoting closer ties between service providers.”
Mark Wilkinson, Chief Executive,
Central Lancashire PCT
“The Health User's Forum is a shining example of a partnership between health professions and communities helping to address issues of access, information safety and health inequalities. The leadership is to be commended and should help facilitate replicating the message and practice nationally.”
Professor Iqbal Singh, Commissioner,
Healthcare Commission
“Professor Chris Beasley was extremely impressed to see nurses from a variety of areas, being involved in a community setting with so many other organisations to raise the awareness on improving healthy life styles. Professor Chris Beasley was also very pleased to see the Radiography Department and the Hand Hygiene display stand.”
Sarifa Kabir
Public Health Co-ordinator
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Information for Maintaining a Healthy Heart
Heart disease is one of the principal killers in the UK and the single biggest killer worldwide. Recognising that people from Indian ethnic backgrounds are more susceptible to it than any other ethic group in the world, the Health Users Forum has compiled a Powerpoint presentation that spells out some key facts about heart disease and what you can do to avoid it. You can download the presentation here.
If you don't have Powerpoint on your computer, you can download a free Powerpoint viewer from the Microsoft downloads website.
Dr Rajbhandari Satyan of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has produced a 10-step guide to healthy living, which is particularly relevant to people with ethnic origins in southern Asia. The guide covers issues such as diet and exercise, and helps to explain how certain foods and activities can help people to avoid serious ailments such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
The guide is free and can be downloaded here as a PDF document (file size 160k.)
Shah Family Brings Pride to Preston
Preston
resident, Samir Shah, achieved his MRCGP medical qualification on 20th
December 2006. It is quite an unusual feat for a young person to achieve
such qualifications, but Samir has done it in the first attempt at the
tender age of just 29 years.
Samir’s younger brother Nikunj is now following in his footsteps; he is also a medical doctor and, pursuing his goal of becoming a Specialist Medical Physician, he has also successfully completed Part 1 of MRCP. The Preston Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum is pleased to see two Prestonians achieving such impressive results and has high hopes for the brothers over the coming years.
The GHS Centre recently hosted a fascinating presentation by Khushal Kumar, an accredited member of the Association of Professional Healers, homeopath and Reiki Grand Master. Entitled Understanding and Managing Stress the Holistic Way, it examined the causes, symptoms and dangers of stress, before examining some of the ways in which it can be managed in the day to day environment.
The presentation was very well received and the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum have decided to make it available for viewing on-line. The file, which is a PowerPoint presentation, is just over 400k in size and can be downloaded here.
The GHS Centre recently played host to an NHS Governors meeting, which was well attended by healthcare professionals from throughout the region. Papers were presented by Dr Bansal from Sunderland and Prof. Gokul from Manchester on the subject of "Non-evidence-based medication".
This is just the latest example of the Centre establishing itself as a popular conference venue for the medical profession and of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum increasingly being recognised as an organisation with a close connection to community healthcare.
On
Sunday 19th November, the Gujarat Hindu Society hosted the Preston Hobbies
Fair, a day long event comprising all kinds of interesting activities
and pursuits to keep both mind and body active. Some of the many hobbies
and activities that were featured included:
- Dance performances
- Aikido
- Music / bands
- Card making demonstrations
- Woodwork demonstrations
- Indian crafts
- Model railways
- Henna painting
Various societies were represented, encouraging visitors to engage in activities such as lace making, scrabble, stamp collecting and music. T fair took place between 10am and 4pm at the GHS Centre on South Meadow Lane, and was supported by Preston City Council and the Rotary Club of Preston Amounderness.
Voluntary societies and similar groups are welcome at this annual event. Further information is available from Paul Gaywood on 01772 713917.
The Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum held a successful eye care seminar on 17th September. Over 50 people attended and many of them reported that they had found the event extremely informative and helpful. The event was followed by another seminar on 15th October, which examined the question of how to obtain the best service from your GP.
The following article, entitled 'Mela Brings Community Together,' originally featured in the June edition of GMC Today, which is published by the General Medical Council. The article is reproduced here with the GMC's kind permission:
A
Health Mela held recently in Preston successfully brought together 1000
members of the community to help promote the importance of health issues.
‘Mela’ is a Hindi word for festival or entertainment, and
the Preston Health Mela has been running for the past 4 years. Eighty
percent of the visitors to this year’s 5th annual Health Mela said
they found it enjoyable, while the 60 exhibitors all reported it was a
worthwhile event for them.
The idea began in 2001, when a new Hindu temple was being built in Preston. Members of the community attended monthly seminars and workshops to address issues among the Asian population. The group wanted to involve more members of the public so they held a weekend Mela in 2002. Feedback was excellent, particularly from families. The annual event has increased in popularity ever since. Its aim is to improve health awareness among the Asian community, and to promote partnership and information sharing between public groups and health professionals and organisations.
Sir
Graeme Catto, who opened the event, said: “This is a unique experience.
I had not experienced anything of its kin and on this scale in my life.
I am pleasantly surprised and impressed to see people from various generations
and backgrounds coming to the Mela and taking full advantage of the various
health advice and health checks available.”
Professor
Romesh Gupta, chairman of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum, added:
“The Health Mela provides an excellent opportunity to get your health
MOT in a friendly and non-threatening environment. Not only does it address
the health issues but also promotes social integration.”
The Mela has attracted MPs and representatives from various health organisations. Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission, praised the Mela as an example of good practice in her recent visit. The theme of this year’s Mela was to promote healthy eating and living. To emphasise this, workshops on oral hygiene and the benefits of regular exercise were held for the schoolchildren. They were also presented with free school bags containing a bottle of water and fruit.
A number of medical students also attended, to work with a team of nurses, taking people’s blood pressure and checking their sugar and cholesterol levels. They also offered eye and ear examinations. The students actively managed a few stations, giving them an opportunity to sharpen their clinical skills and even more importantly to enhance their communication skills.
Professor Romesh Gupta hopes that the Mela will spread to other areas. “The Manchester Health Users Forum came for advice and Oldham and Ashton are also interested. This is a real way of promoting health issues by education and training. It is also a good message for the locum hospitals – they should work with organisations like this, so they take into account public opinion.”
NOTE:
The official report for the 2006 Health Mela can be downloaded here as a PDF file. (File size 131k).
The General Medical Council publication, GMC Today, has published a review of the 2006 Health Mela. The article, originally published in its June 2006 edition, has been reproduced on our events page. To read the review, click here.
The latest issue of the Primary Care Trust's internal publication, 'Best of Health', contains a review of the 2006 Health Mela, as well as other health-related stories. A copy can be downloaded here. (PDF format - 200k.)
The Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum is working alongside a Northamptonshire based health promotion organisation to raise awareness about a degenerative brain disease that is often misunderstood. PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) is presently incurable and affects progressively a patient’s vision, balance, mobility, speech and ability to swallow. In some cases, it can also cause personality changes and behavioural problems. Many PSP patients still remain undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed as having Parkinson’s or other related conditions, and because many other neurological conditions are much better understood, PSP patients and their carers can be left feeling isolated.
The PSP Association is working to find a cure and provides support for PSP sufferers and their carers. The Association has published a single page fact sheet, which can be downloaded here as a PDF file (file size 70k). For more information, please contact Maureen Fowler at the PSP Association on 0776 232 0840 or by e-mail: mofowler@fowlershouse.fsnet.co.uk. The Association's website can be seen here.
Download the Health Mela Programme
The official 2006 Health Mela programme can be downloaded here as a PDF file (1.96MB). The programme contains a welcome message from Professor Romesh Gupta and a statement from Professor Sir Graeme Catto, the President of the General Medical Council. It also features messages of support from VIP visitors, details of the Health Mela's overall aims and objectives, an exhibitor list and information about how the GHS Centre has helped to empower the Hindu community in Lancashire. It also provides a helpful guide to the symptoms and warning signs of major health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Healthcare Chief Applauds Health Mela
After her recent visit to Preston and meeting with the members of the Health Forum, Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission, said "I visited the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum in February and was tremendously impressed by the Health Forum's work. The government is currently stressing how important it is for all of us to look after our health and the importance of care in the community. The Health Mela is an example of very best practice.”
The main aim of the Health Forum has been to educate the local public about the provision of health care services and promoting health through regular workshops. The forum held its 5th Health Mela on Saturday 8th April at the Gujarat Hindu Cultural Centre, South Meadow Lane, Preston.
Professor Sir Graeme Catto, President of the General Medical Council, will open the Health Mela. Sir Graeme says “It is clear that the annual Health Mela has made a considerable impact on the local community by encouraging greater health awareness among ethnic minority groups.”
The Health Mela featured many workshops for participation by the public. There was a demonstration about preparing healthy meals and visitors were encouraged to participate in exercise and Salsa classes throughout the day. Visitors were offered a free Health MOT including measurement of blood pressure, blood glucose, blood cholesterol, height and weight, etc. There was also an ambulance and fire engine display to entertain children. Activities such as accident prevention information, eye care, oral hygiene and healthy eating, amongst many others, helped improve health awareness. Also there were workshops relating to common ailments affecting men and women’s health.
Besides hundreds of members of the public, various dignitaries attended, including the Mayor of Preston, MPs, Chief Executives and Chairpersons of various health bodies as well as several eminent Health professionals and community leaders.
Abha Gupta, Senior House Officer at Manchester Royal Eye Infirmary has produced a useful guide to eye-care that explains who is eligible for free eye tests, common ailments and some of the warning signs to watch out for. The two page guide is easy to read and can be downloaded here. (PDF - 77k).
If you have any questions or comments about any of the above articles, or of you have a relevant news item that you would like us to feature, please contact us.
Doctor's Personal Recommendation to Attend Health Mela
A doctor diagnosed as diabetic purely by chance after having a blood test at a health fair urged people to get a health MOT when they visited Preston's Health Mela.
Dr Chandrika Shah, of Ashleigh Court, Fulwood, Preston, decided to have her blood glucose tested at the Health Mela a couple of years ago to set an example to others. To her alarm, she discovered her blood sugar was very high and follow-up tests determined that she was diabetic.
Chandrika,
a clinical medical officer for family planning and a part-time GP in the
Leyland area, now controls her diabetes with a healthy diet and medication.
And the 57-year-old mother-of-two hopes her story will encourage people
to get themselves checked out.
Chandrika, who is married to Ravi Shah, a Chief Biomedical Scientist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It was a complete shock when I found out I was diabetic as I had not really had any symptoms. I had been feeling a bit tired for a while but I had just put that down to overwork or stress.
"I had only had a blood test because everyone else at the Mela was in the queue, so I thought 'why not?' No one could believe it when I told them I was diabetic. They said, 'You can't be, you're a doctor'. But we are human, just like anyone else.
"The good news is that I now know that I have the condition and can do something about it. I check myself regularly and have professional monitoring and have a reasonable control over it. I would encourage others to have the simple check-up."
The Preston Health Mela is funded and supported by Preston Primary Care Trust and the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust. It is aimed at the whole community but has a high attendance of people with ethnic backgrounds, where the incidence of conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and strokes is high.
This year's Mela was held at the Gujarat Hindu Centre on South Meadow Lane, Preston, on Saturday, April 8th and was attended by health service providers, social services and voluntary organisations.
Preston PCT chair Wendy Hogg said: "The many different health care organisations involved in the Mela help people learn more about healthy living. The healthier our lifestyle, the better for the individual.
"It also means less pressure on our health services and professionals, both in the community and at hospitals. We can all benefit from events such as the Mela and I would encourage people to come along."
Carol Kubiscki, Preston PCT’s Men’s Health Manager, said: “Overall, we had an excellent response to both the flu campaign and the general health checks on offer. Our aim is to better the 72 per cent of the over-65 population of Preston and Longridge who had the flu jab last year, as well as reaching those who are more vulnerable because of conditions like asthma, heart disease and diabetes."
The President of the General Medical Council, Professor Sir Graeme Catto, officially opened the Health Mela on the 8th April.
The
event, which attracted hundreds of people, is the only health event of
its kind in the UK and helps to develop a unique partnership between community
leaders and health professionals in an effort to encourage greater health
awareness in minority ethnic communities. It also serves as a showcase
for Asian lifestyle and culture to boost community links.
The Health Mela is now in its fifth year and is particularly aimed at people from ethnic minority groups, in which the incidence of conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and strokes is relatively high. However, the event is open to people from all walks of life, and is intended as a fun, family day out with refreshments, activities and free parking.
The event included health eating and cooking demonstrations, exercise workshops, free tests for blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, and holistic living workshops.
The President of the GMC, Professor Sir Graeme Catto said "It is clear that the annual Health Melas have made a considerable impact on the local community by encouraging greater health awareness among ethnic minority groups. The aim, to encourage greater integration of different societies and ethnic mix, has led to an improved understanding of the services offered by the health and social services sector, with a positive emphasis on health education."
Professor Romesh Gupta, Chairman of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum and a consultant at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said "We were pleased to see that hundreds of people attended the Health Mela. This year, like every year, everyone was welcome and there were plenty of activities for all the family to enjoy."
Healthcare Commission Fact Finding Tour
Community
leaders have hailed a fact-finding mission by the Chief Executive of the
Healthcare Commission as a resounding success. The Commission is an independent
body, set up to promote and drive improvement in the quality of healthcare
and public health.
Chief Executive Anna Walker toured the Gujarat Hindu Society Community Centre on South Meadow Lane and the medical rehabilitation unit at Royal Preston Hospital. She met members of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum which has been instrumental in developing closer ties between minority ethnic communities and healthcare organizations.
Professor Romesh Gupta, Chairman of the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum, said: "I was delighted that the Chief Executive of Health Care Commission visited the Gujarat Hindu Cultural Centre to learn about our activities.
"We believe this is a shining example of public and patient partnership with health organisations, where the public are engaged and empowered to shape delivery of health care in a culturally competent manner in the community and away from the traditional set ups like hospitals, health centres and GP surgeries. The forum not only fits in with the principles of recent white paper published by the government but goes much further."
The Healthcare Commission Chief Executive was delighted about this unique initiative and impressed by the partnership between the health professionals and the community. She also mentioned that this was an excellent example of good practice that has already surpassed the expectations of recently published White Paper Review. She appreciated the feedback from the consultation of the Healthcare Commission regarding performance review and explained the role of the Commission and its commitment to improving health.
His worship the Mayor of Preston City, Councilor Bikhu Patel also attended. He said that the representation of ethnic minority in the NHS Trust is poor and should be addressed.
Carol Kubiscki, Preston PCT’s Men’s Health
Manager, said: “Overall, we had an excellent response to both the
flu campaign and the general health checks on offer. Our aim is to better
the 72 per cent of the over-65 population of Preston and Longridge who
had the flu jab last year, as well as reaching those who are more vulnerable
because of conditions like asthma, heart disease and diabetes.”
Back to the top.
The Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum has announced a new programme of events running to October 2006. Details can be found on our Events page.
2005 Health Mela Report Now Available
A detailed report about the organisation, subjects and the many successes of the 2005 Health Mela has been produced by Sarifa Kabir and Ravindra Shah of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. The report considers the organisation of the event and records some of the presentations by key speakers such as Professor Romesh Gupta, as well as a personal message from the Chief Executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Tony Curtis.
2005 Health Mela and Other Events
The
fourth annual Health Mela took place at the GHS Centre on South Meadow
Lane in Preston on 12th March 2005 and was supported by Preston Primary
Care Trust. In all, it attracted more than 800 visitors. At the event,
a broad spectrum of health care providers provided information, support
and advice about subjects as diverse as diabetes, alternative medicine
and road safety.
The aims and objectives of the Health Mela are to improve health awareness and promote various health related issues amongst the local population of Lancashire and in particular the ethnic minorities living in Preston and surrounding areas.
Preston
Primary Trust's chairman, Wendy Hogg said that the Mela was the only one
of its kind in the UK. "Preston PCT values the involvement which
this gives us, and which makes people aware of the health initiatives
we support as a primary care trust."
The main speaker at the event was Professor Raman Bedi, the Chief Dental Officer for England, who described the Mela as "a great way to encourage people from minority ethnic communities to meet health experts and get informal, friendly advice."
A detailed report about the 2005 Health Mela can be downloaded here. (PDF document - 911K).
A shorter article about the 2005 Health Mela can be downloaded here. (PDF document - 224K).
Award for Professor Romesh Gupta
Professor Romesh Gupta, Chairman of the LGHUF Steering Group, has received a Silver Clinical Excellence Award. This is to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution, over and above that normally expected in a job, to the values and goals of the NHS and to patient care.
Professor Gupta has made significant national contributions to the government agenda of equality and diversity by tirelessly educating the NHS staff as well as the community at large. He is dedicated to education and training in NHS at various levels, and has done pioneering work in mentoring and appraisal of doctors. He has particularly assisted the ethnic minority doctors at staff and associated grade levels who feel frustrated due to lack of opportunities in the NHS for them.
“Romesh deserves the recognition for the tremendous time and effort he has put in the development and delivery of high quality service particularly for the Ethnic Minority community” said BAPIO President Dr Ramesh Mehta.
More details on the BAPIO website.
The third annual Health Mela took place at the GHS Centre on South Meadow Lane in Preston on 27th March 2004. More detailed information about the 2004 Health Mela can be downloaded here. (PDF document - 130K).
The following article was originally published in 'The Best of Health' - a newsletter produced by Preston NHS Primary Care Trust.
"Another Successful Health Mela"
The Third Health Mela organised by Lancashire Gujarat Health Users Forum (LGHUF) on 27 March 2004 has been a huge success with over 800 people attending the event. The aim of the Health Mela is to improve health awareness and promote general health issues.
The
event was officially opened at 11.00am with a welcome dance by members
of the Gujarat Hindu Cultural Society followed by a speech by the Chairman
of LGHUF, Professor Romesh Gupta. In welcoming all the visitors, dignitaries
and participants Romesh Gupta reiterated the aim of promoting health awareness
and healthy living by organising such an event whereby both health providers
and users have an opportunity to discuss health issues in an informal
environment.
Chief guest, Professor Sir Netar Mallick, in his speech congratulated the forum in organising such a big event which would benefit the community in improving their health. He also said that such a partnership is a way forward and encouraged the forum to continue with such good work.
The other guests at the event were Mr Brian Booth, Chairman of Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, and Mrs Wendy Hogg, Chairman of Preston PCT.
Those attending the event took the opportunity to have their blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure checked. There were well over 50 exhibitors which included various voluntary sectors, primary and secondary health care organisations and pharmaceutical companies.
The seminars and workshops during the day included accident prevention, diabetes, stroke, yoga, acupuncture and homeopathy. All of these were well attended.
The feedback received has been very positive and there has been a strong indication for this event to be repeated next year. In view of this, we have already planned to repeat the Health Mela next year on 12 March 2005. LGHUF expressed their thanks to Preston PCT, the main sponsor of the Mela, for the encouragement given in organising this event.
If you have any questions or comments about any of the above articles, or of you have a relevant news item that you would like us to feature, please contact us.
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