Resources for your patients
Clear messaging can help improve health outcomes for patients.
Free Resources for Your Patients
If you are looking for helpful social media resources please click one of the campaigns below to download free, useful messages to share with your patients on your website, social media sites or to print and display in house.
If you are looking for something specific, or have a question about any of the below resources please contact: somicb.communications@nhs.net
Gloves Off
Resources for our 'Gloves Off' campaign, which aims to reduce the unnecessary use of non-sterile disposable gloves for patients without a known infection risk.
Includes a selection of printable posters, social media content and team background.
Measles in the South West
Social media and TV screen graphic resources to help raise awareness about measles cases in the South West.
Suggested social media copy: Cases of measles have been reported in #Somerset. Protect your child make sure you book their MMR vaccination appointments when invited. ▶️ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/
More information on Measles can be found here: Measles - NHS Somerset ICB
Whooping cough in the South West
Social media resources to help encourage people to get their vaccinations for whooping cough. Includes symptoms as well as messages during pregnancy.
Suggested social media copy:
Pregnant women and babies under 3 months are at the highest risk of whooping cough. It’s important to get the whooping cough vaccine to protect your baby. Speak to your GP or midwife.
Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/whooping-cough-vaccination/
Summer social media messaging
Social media resources to help during the summer period. Includes reminders for suncream, visiting pharmacy, using 111, tick bites, advice on bites and stings, hot weather warning and advice to keep babies cool in hot weather.
Please contact our communications if you are looking for further summer messaging.
Away from home healthcare access
Social media resources for healthcare access reminders whilst away from home.
Includes reminder to contact your usual GP, think 111, visit local pharmacy and reminders to pack medication.
Be Kind and Patient to our staff
Social media resources for help communicating about kindness to staff.
Social Media Videos
A number of videos are available on NHS Somerset’s YouTube channel with seasonal messaging to help advise people on how to stay well and where to go if they are injured or unwell. Click here to view our You Tube channel and share videos with you patients or choose from the selection below:
- Advice on Strep A and Scarlet Fever (Dr Sarah Bridges, Musgrove Park Hospital)
- Advice on Bronchiolitis (RSV) in young children (Dawn Bradley Musgrove Park Hospital)
- Getting help at your GP
- Accessing GP Care
- Don’t fear the smear: what happens at your appointment
- Let’s talk breastfeeding: find your support group in Somerset
- Think Pharmacy
- Stay well this winter
Videos
Please click the images below to share new films. These are under 3 minutes each in length and are great for use on social media platforms such as Facebook and also digital screens in a surgery. Please use the social media toolkit for suggested copy.
Menopause Webinars and Resources
These resources have been developed as part of the overall Somerset Menopause Service
We would be grateful if you would share information on your practice website as not only will this help your patients but it should also help to save consultation time, particularly if you recommend that they watch the recorded webinar prior to attending an appointment. The webinar is delivered by Dr Kathryn Patrick, a Somerset GP, who has found that, for her and her colleagues in their surgery, consultation time is significantly reduced if a patient has watched the webinar first and if they submit their consultation request alongside their BP, BMI and a completed symptom assessment.
Helpful Menopause Resources for Patients
Copy for practice websites including the recorded webinars, and a helpful resource pack can be found below:
Getting help and support around the menopause
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing the menopause and wants help with managing your/their symptoms and to understand how you/they may be affected, please watch this helpful webinar developed by Dr Kathryn Patrick a local Somerset GP recorded in March 2023. The webinar is also available in sign language for those who are hard of hearing, this was recorded in October 2022.
There is a list of useful resources on the NHS Somerset Menopause Service web page that talks about the menopause service running in Somerset.
If you would like to speak to your primary care team here at your practice about HRT, it will speed things up if you let us know you have watched the webinar and also include your Body Mass Index (BMI) which can be calculated at BMI calculator | Check your BMI – NHS | Please fill in your details (www.nhs.uk), and Blood Pressure (BP) if possible. Please also complete this symptom checker and bring it to your appointment Menopause Symptom Assessment or use the Balance app and print out a summary.
Menopause webinars
Webinar recordings to share:
What to do when your child is ill
What to do when your child is ill: Videos
- Strep A and Scarlet Fever: Dr Sarah Bridges offers words of advice and guidance on knowing the signs of Scarlet Fever and Group A Strep, and what to do if you are worried. Click here
- Advice on Bronchiolitis (RSV): Dawn is a children’s respiratory nurse specialist & offers her words of advice on managing RSV (bronchiolitis) in young children. Click here.
HANDi Paediatric app
The HANDI app offers simple and straightforward advice, for the following conditions in children:
- diarrhoea and vomiting
- high temperature
- ‘chesty baby’ illnesses, such as bronchiolitis, asthma and croup
- ‘chesty child’ illnesses such as wheezing and asthma
- abdominal pain
- common newborn problems.
Download the HANDi App for Android phones at Google Play.
For iPhone or iPad you can download it from the app store or iTunes, using the search term ‘HANDi App’.
RSV and bronchiolitis
Cases of respiratory illness in children are higher than usual for this time of year. Some social media resources on RSV and bronchiolitis are below for your use and an information sheet to enable patients to assess symptoms is available here. There is also a video available on our You Tube pages from Musgrove Park Hospital here.
NHS 111 First
Social media resources
Leaflets
Video
A number of videos are available on the Somerset CCG YouTube site with messaging to help advise people on how NHS111 can help and what happens when they contact NHS111. See the ‘How NHS111 can help you’ playlist including videos on:
- Contact NHS111 for urgent care
- Advice from an ED consultant – stop, think, is it really an emergency?
- Think 111 before you call 999
- What happens when you call NHS111
- Advice from a paramedic – think NHS111 first before calling 999
- The range of services available through NHS111 if you become unwell
- National NHS 111 videos for GP practice TV screens (zip file)
Pharmacy
