All over the country, service users and health care professionals are coming together to discuss the Losing Patients campaign. Here are a few key facts and figures of what's been happening so far and the impact we've had...
Stoke-on-Trent, North Midlands
Action for blind People and RNIB
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30 people attended
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NHS from Stoke Primary Care Trust and Stoke Combined healthcare attended.
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Lord Mayor made powerful speech supporting the campaign and the rights of blind people to be treated equally.
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Local newspaper Stoke Sentinel covered the event
Follow up news is not in yet due to the event only just happening.
Blackburn, North West of England
N-vision and RNIB
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60 people attended the event
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30 people attended representing NHS across the North West of England
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The Lord Mayor attended and made a speech
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BBC TV 'North West tonight' cover the issue after the 10 o'clock news
Following the event, NHS North Lancashire have published our Losing Patients notify letter on their website. Blackpool PCT are also looking to make changes to their practices. Over 25 other NHS representatives attended the event and many tell us they are now engaging in the issues and looking at improving their service for blind and partially sighted people.
Middlesborough
Teesside & District Society for the Blind and RNIB
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35 people attended
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Senior figures from North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Middlesbrough NHS attended
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Middlesbrough Evening Gazette covered the event
Middlesbrough NHS is now engaging with the issue. As well as producing some leaflets in audio and braille, they have introduced a yellow card for blind and partially sighted people to show to 'front line' staff that they need assistance and alternative formats. Progress has also been made with South Tees Hospital introducing a flagging system for blind and partially sighted service users and North Tees & Hartlepool NHS have amended their Alert Form to include visually impaired.
Sutton and Merton
Merton Vision and RNIB
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40 people attended
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LINk attended represented by their Chair who addressed the gathering
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Local MPs Paul Burstow and Siobhain McDonagh attended and spoke
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Paul Burstow MP underlined the importance for NHS trusts to respond to blind people's format needs in his address and agreed to highlight the issues at senior levels within local NHS
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Sutton & Merton PCT and Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust attended
Since the event Paul Burstow MP has become minister for health and written to the chief executive of Sutton and Merton PCT asking what they are going to do about this issue. Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust have also run a workshop to invite further input from visually impaired patients
Milton Keynes, South East
Milton Keynes (MK) LINk and RNIB
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30 people attended
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The local MP and the Mayor attended and spoke
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NHS Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Hospital Trust and Health MK attended
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Milton Keynes hospital and Milton Keynes PCT, both committed to taking the issue seriously.
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We had great media coverage on Heat FM, Heart FM and in the Milton Keynes Citizen.
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BBC Radio four's 'In touch' cover the issues raised by the Milton Keynes event
Following the event there was a promise from the hospital to set up a Patients' Forum.
Truro, Cornwall
Cornwall Blind Association and RNIB
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50 people attended
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local MPs Andrew George, Julia Goldsworthy and Dan Rogerson attended
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The NHS was represented by Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust and Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
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Media coverage included BBC 1, Southwest TV, BBC Radio Cornwall, and BBC Radio Devon.
Following the event the PCT is now working on an action plan to address the issues and has committed to achieving change within a year.
Nottingham, East Midlands
Nottingham Royal Society of the Blind and RNIB
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50 people attended
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Nottingham LINk (NHS local involvement network) spoke to the meeting
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NHS present included Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County NHS
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BBC TV local news and the Nottingham Post covered the story.
Following the event Queens Medical Centre committed to working towards providing large print, braille and audio formats to their patients. Kathryn Deering, the main case study for the event, had previously never received a consent form or letter in large print but she has now received an apology and commitment to supply information in her preferred format. She has already received one letter in her preferred format large print.
Batley, Yorkshire
The Society for the Blind of Dewsbury Batley and District and RNIB
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40 people attended
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Local MP Mike Wood made a speech
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Chief Nurse and Director of Patients Experience for the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Hospital Trust committed to taking the issue very seriously
Following the Batley event Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust announced it is investigating how to adapt their systems to support blind and partially sighted patients better. Chief Nurse and Director of Patients Experience for the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Hospital Trust Tracy McErian-Burns said the health trust was working with an IT expert to see how computer systems could be changed to improve the service to the blind and partially sighted:
"We want to hear from you once in the first instance, so we can put an alert flag on your record for a need of information in a different format. There is no reason why we would not be able to do that. I will also look at getting consent forms and information audio on the intranet. We are committed to help get this sorted."
Enfield, North London
Enfield Vision and RNIB, with Middlesex Association for the Blind and Haringey Phoenix Centre
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65 people attended
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Joan Ryan MP, Andy Love MP and Enfield's Deputy Mayor Pam Adams made speeches
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NHS Enfield (PCT) and Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals Trust attend
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Local newspapers covered the event
Following the Enfield event NHS Enfield have included a clear statement that information will be provided in large print, audio and braille in their 'Single Equality Duty'. Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital have also announced that they will make their top ten health leaflets available in accessible formats. In a Daily Mail feature the actress Alison Steadman, patron of Haringey Phoenix Group, added her support to the campaign.
Sheffield
Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and RNIB
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80 people attended
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Nick Clegg MP launched the campaign with a powerful speech
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Richard Cabourn MP and Sheffield's Lord Mayor also addressed the meeting
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Media coverage included Look North TV news, BBC radio Sheffield and Sheffield Star newspaper.
Following the event 200 notification letters have been sent to local NHS providers by blind and partially sighted people. Sheffield hospital trust are also now pursuing modifications to their computer system to make it accomodate blind and partially sighted people's information needs and Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind report progress being made throughout the region with the PCT and local hospitals .