Don't Miss Life's Precious Moments

If you are aged 40 - 74, help look after your health so that you don't miss out on precious moments, such as the birth of a grandchild, your son or daughter's graduation or wedding.  A quick and easy step towards achieving this is having a free NHS health check.

Norfolk's fire-fighters are backing this year's campaign, to encourage as many people as possible to have an NHS health check.  Watch a video to see how they got on - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpOfyOWvJug

Each health check takes approximately 30 minutes and records blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels and blood sugar.  This helps to assess your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease or diabetes.

Checks also include tailored lifestyle advice on heart disease risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol consumption, high cholesterol, obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity.

To be eligible for a free NHS health check you must

Ø  be between 40-74 years old

Ø  not have had an NHS health check in the last 5 years

Ø  live in Norfolk, or be registered with a GP in Norfolk

Ø  not have been diagnosed with, or be receiving treatment for, any of the following conditions:

-   Diabetes -   Heart problems -   Kidney problems

-  High blood pressure -  High cholesterol -  Stroke

If you're unsure about your eligibility, speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Health checks are available in most GP surgeries and at over 50 pharmacies across Norfolk.  For more information, visit www.mynhshealthcheck.com

 or call 0344 800 8029.

CPR Training

A very informative CPR training session was held at the Red Lion on 26 January, and was presented by Graeme Seaman, NHS Community First Responder.  The First Responders work on a voluntary basis and are trained by the ambulance service to attend emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Their aim is to reach a potential life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives on scene.  The role of the First Responders is to help stabilise the patient and, in doing so, keep the patient alive until the arrival of the more highly-skilled ambulance crew, who are trained to undertake further life-saving techniques.

The photographs show Graeme using a dummy to demonstrate the correct procedure for administering CPR.  Graeme also showed us how to put a patient into the recovery position and John Morrish kindly volunteered to be the 'patient'. 

There was an excellent turnout of villagers from Needham and Brockdish for this CPR training.   Graeme was pleased to see the large number of attendees and commented that usual numbers tended to be two or three people per session.

If anyone is interested in learning about the work of the NHS Community First Responders, then have a look at their website - http://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/get-involved/community-first-responders.htm - you may be inspired to become a volunteer!

Needham/Brockdish Defibrillator

Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS)

If you need to call for emergency assistance requiring the use of the defibrillator, follow the procedure shown below -:

ALWAYS call 999 ambulance first

 

Make call to VETS village helpers on

01379 844005

(The caller is played a simple message before

VETS village helpers answer - 10 lines ring simultaneously)

VETS village helpers collect and bring the

defibrillator to patient

VETS Village Helpers

Andrew Major

Clive Read (Brockdish)

Del Snaith

Gill Powell

Helen Walker

Jackie Spooner (Brockdish)

John Morrish

Michael Massey

Scott Coleman

Yvonne Coleman

NOTE:  It is worth reiterating the information given in the last edition of The Link, advising that the system can also be used for any other non-999 emergencies, where family/neighbours/friends are not on hand to assist.  In this instance, ring the same number -  01379 844005 - to make contact with the VETS village helpers.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT 01379 844005 INTO YOUR TELEPHONE MEMORY.