Date published: 31 October 2023
Mersey Care has enhanced and improved its ‘Help Us Help You’ website page designed to give Cheshire and Merseyside residents advice and tips to support their general wellbeing during the colder months.
The website page, a one-stop shop for tips and advice about keeping warm, looking after your physical and mental health and when to go to A&E or ring 999, is aiming to keep residents away from hospitals and inpatient units, which are traditionally high in demand during winter.
It’s the third year of the ‘Help us, Help You’ campaign which last year helped save over 44,000 bed days while there were nearly 150,000 attendances in our walk-in centres/urgent treatment centres. Our winter messages also generated over 1.8 million social media impressions.
“We’ve run the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign for a few years now and we’ve found it very successful in guiding people to choose the right services. I’d urge everyone from Cheshire and Merseyside to look at our webpage for all the advice you’ll need this winter,” explained Dr Noir Thomas, Mersey Care’s Chief Medical Officer.
“Each winter the demand for services seems to increase annually, so we’re doing everything we can to help colleagues working in A&E departments and hospitals.”
Among the additions to the webpage are:
- A series of adverts going out on Greatest Hits Radio giving hints and tips to stay well this winter
- A series of new animations covering urgent mental health support, top tips to improve your mental wellbeing, information about Walk-in Centres/Urgent Treatment Centres, the importance of self care and how to beat loneliness.
Mersey Care, one of the largest mental and community health Trusts in the country, has also developed a number of free self help guides available for depression, stress, panic and many other issues.
A spokesperson from NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: ““Across Cheshire and Merseyside, the NHS is preparing for what is expected to be another busy and challenging winter. We’re working closely with local Trusts and other partners in health and social care to help keep people well, raise the profile of mental health helplines, reduce long waits for care, and speed up hospital discharge by ensuring that people can get the care they need in the community more quickly.
“The public can also play their part by taking simple measures to stay well this winter, such as getting winter vaccines when invited to, keeping warm, staying active, looking out for others, and choosing the right service when they need help or advice.
“Please remember that A&E should only be used for major, life-threatening illnesses and injuries. For conditions which are less urgent, please contact NHS 111, or consider visiting a local pharmacy or NHS walk-in centre, or GP practice for advice and support instead.”
