We are about to complete the installation of Immersive Greenbooth . It is aimed at encouraging communities that don't normally visit reservoirs to do so, benefiting from the physical and mental well-being being there brings. A Brief Introduction Immersive Greenbooth is an exciting AR (Augmented Reality) Experience you can find around Greenbooth Reservoir in Norden, Rochdale. It's backed by Arts Council England with support from Culture Coop. Everything will be up and running by May 3rd and will remain in situ until November 4th. This project brings together the work of Sophie Cooper (musician and sound artist) and Babs Smith (visual artist), who've been collaborating for a year. They've created something that really connects with the reservoirs and surrounding environment. They ran workshops with community groups, and you can see those influences throughout the artwork. Experiencing the art is super simple - just download the Artivive app and point your phone at the trigger images to unlock sound and visual art! You can also grab a 10-second recording and share it on social media with #immersivegreenbooth . There are six different artworks to discover as you explore the area. Sophie and Babs plan to host some walk-and-talk tours during summer and would love to welcome local community groups. You can reach them through their website:  https://www.immersivereservoirs.co.uk/  - which also has all the access information and audio descriptions. For convenience, audio descriptions are also available via QR codes at each location. It would be great to get your support on social media too, we are on Instagram:  @immersivegreenbooth @sophiecooper_music   @babssmithart We are planning an opening event for the end of May and will keep you informed.

At Rochdale Health Alliance (RHA) , we take immense pride in our mission to empower healthcare professionals through training, education, and workforce development. Since our establishment in 2016 by GP practices across the Rochdale Borough, we've been dedicated to reshaping the landscape of primary care. Our vision is rooted in collaboration, working closely with our members, partners, and stakeholders to enhance care and health outcomes for our patients while ensuring the sustainability of local primary care practices. With 31 member practices spanning Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale, we stand at the forefront of our integrated healthcare system. Our dedicated team is always at hand, offering invaluable support in areas ranging from finance and HR to communications and strategy. We believe that by strengthening our members, we elevate the quality of healthcare in our community. Our Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale Primary Care Academy play a pivotal role in nurturing the primary care workforce. This, in turn, ensures that our community benefits from well-trained and motivated healthcare professionals. We understand that the backbone of a robust healthcare system lies in its workforce, and that's why we are committed to the development of the staff involved in the healthcare industry. One of the hallmarks that sets us apart is our commitment to accessible healthcare. We offer services like same-day GP appointments and enhanced access outside standard practice hours, addressing the evolving needs of our patients. This flexibility has been a lifeline for our community, particularly during challenging times - especially with the COVID outbreak, where we were committed to helping the vital vaccination rollouts, at speed and scale; to protect the community that we serve. Our adaptability is a source of pride. Over the past seven years, we've navigated numerous national and local changes in healthcare, ensuring that we continue to grow and deliver on our commitments. It's a testament to our resilience and unwavering dedication - our experienced team and knowledge in key areas have allowed us to adapt to any unforeseen circumstances and ensured we are able to plan for the future to develop our services and offerings. If you're a healthcare professional or aspire to be one, or even just on the hunt for employment but have not considered primary care; we urge you to explore our employability programs. By doing so, you'll not only enhance your skills but also become an integral part of our ongoing transformation and be a force for good in the community you live in. Together, we can revolutionise primary care for the better. Visit our website today to learn more about our offerings and how you can be a part of this transformative journey, and nurture an amazing career in healthcare - whether you had planned to or not.

The Kickstart Scheme made up part of the Government’s ‘ Plan for Jobs ’ skills and employment programmes, which also include Apprenticeships, T Levels and Traineeships. The Kickstart Scheme Our Greater Manchester Kickstart Scheme offered six-month jobs for young people aged 16 to 24 years old who were currently claiming Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment. For employers not only did you have a young person working for you, funded by the Government, but the employee will also be developing transferable skills that was aimed at increasing their chances of sustained employment. Working in primary care in Greater Manchester is a varied, busy and exciting place with many opportunities not just in nursing but administration, HR, finance, communications and project management amongst others. This was a chance for employers to offer young people a taste of what it’s like to work in the much-loved and fast-paced environment of the NHS.

The PCA invited local Sixth form college students interested in applying for medicine to join us online for a two-day Medical Work Experience virtual workshop. The programme was open to all but applications were encouraged from students from lower-income households and those who may have been the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education. The workshop was designed to give the students a taste of a career as a doctor. The group discussed the many options and opportunities in medicine, the application and training process, and considered issues like medical ethics to help with their applications and interviews for medical school. We then used an online platform from the RCGP to watch the role plays of consultations. The students found this really useful… “I liked how we reflected on the observe GP consultation, which gave me more insight into what being a GP is actually like” The session ended with a Q&A with Dr Cheshire about her journey to become a GP - they were able to ask questions a get a realistic idea of her training and day-to-day work. Student Volunteering Work Experience!! Some of the students were then able to take up an opportunity for some practical non-clinical work experience in the vaccination centres. For this programme, we held a training day at Riverside and students volunteered at the surge pop-up vaccination clinics at local community centres in Rochdale. They helped out with marshalling and got to shadow vaccinators and learn about the COVID vaccination programme etc. The student volunteers were a great help and all the feedback showed they also got so much out of it. …. ” It has been an excellent experience and I feel very privileged to have been a part of this opportunity” Thank you to all of the group who attended, or helped to organise for their time and enthusiasm. It was a pleasure!!

In July 2020 Primary Care Academy held a virtual summer school for Rochdale sixth-form students to obtain something akin to medical ‘work experience’, in the current climate where face-to-face work experience is impossible. The session was led by a local GP and PCA Clinical Fellow in Medical Education, Dr Mary Cheshire. It was an opportunity for students to consider what it involves to study and work as a doctor. The group observed and reflected on videos of doctors at work, using the RCGP ObserveGP online platform, and discussed issues such as medical ethics and the university application process. There was also an opportunity for students to chat with Mary about her work and training, and the highs and the lows of working as a GP. The students who attended generally had a positive experience of the course with all who attended rating it as either good or excellent. All of the group reflected on the mix of activities as being suitable. When asked whether the course met their expectations 95% answered yes to this question. An overall theme was that the students who attended gained a better understanding of the work of a GP and how a Doctor works with patients. The interactive format also was appreciated by those who attended the course with a mix of presentations and questions via Kahoot. The experience was designed to enthuse and inform students about a career in medicine, hopefully as a GP​​​​​. All of the students gave constructive feedback on the course and suggested how we could improve future sessions. Thank you to all of the group who attended, or helped to organise for their time and enthusiasm. Word Cloud Diagrams The Word Cloud diagrams illustrate the feedback we received from the group. The first shows all the positive aspects gained from the session and the second gives us constructive suggestions on we could improve our future offerings.

HART (Homeless Alliance Response Team) has launched an improved and more robust podiatry service, especially for the homeless people of Rochdale. Staffed by the Podiatry Service of the Northern Care Alliance it held its first clinic on the 09th of June. The service, which is operated out of the Petrus drop-in centre on Great George Street in Rochdale has already proved extremely popular with the homeless community and appointments are now being made for the next clinic on 07th July. Research has shown that homeless and rough sleepers who take up the offer of a podiatry service are more than likely to move on and seek out the services of other healthcare professionals. “By providing services such as this as well as the other range of services that HART make available, we are able to build trust with patients who in turn are more likely to open up about other issues which we can then help with,” said HART nurse Elaine Stone.

July is Sarcoma Awareness month and whilst Sarcomas are rare cancers it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and tell-tale signs. There are three main types of sarcoma: soft tissue sarcoma, bone sarcoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). Tissues that can be affected by soft tissue sarcomas include fat, muscle, blood vessels, deep skin tissues, tendons and ligaments. Soft tissue sarcomas can develop in almost any part of the body, including the legs, arms and tummy (abdomen). Bone sarcomas affect less than 500 people in the UK each year, making it a very rare form of cancer. Not all bone cancers will be sarcomas. Signs and Symptoms Soft Tissue Sarcoma Symptoms of sarcoma can vary depending on the size and location of your tumour. You may experience all, some or none of these symptoms before you are diagnosed with a sarcoma: A lump or swelling in the soft tissue of the body under the skin, often on the arm, leg or trunk that is: Increasing in size Larger than 5cm Usually painful, but not always Bone Sarcoma Bone pain, particularly occurring at night A mass or swelling Restricted movement in a joint Symptoms can sometimes be confused with more common problems such as a sports injury or in children and young people or growing pains. GIST GIST is the most common type of sarcoma. It develops in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a long tube running through the body from the oesophagus (gullet) to the anus (back passage) and includes the stomach and intestines. Symptoms of GIST can vary depending on the size and location of the tumour. They may include: Blood in your poo or vomit Anaemia (low level red blood cells) Fatigue Fever and sweating at night Discomfort or pain in your tummy Painless lump in the tummy Feeling sick and vomiting Weight loss

HART ( Homeless Alliance Response Team ) has launched an improved and more robust podiatry service, especially for the homeless people of Rochdale. Staffed by the Podiatry Service of the Northern Care Alliance it held its first clinic on the 09th June. The service, which is operated out of the Petrus drop-in centre on Great George Street in Rochdale has already proved extremely popular with the homeless community and appointments are now being made for the next clinic on 07th July. Research has shown that homeless and rough sleepers who take up the offer of a podiatry service are more than likely to move on and seek out the services of other healthcare professionals. “By providing services such as this as well as the other range of services that HART make available, we are able to build trust with patients who in turn are more likely to open up about other issues which we can then help with,” said HART nurse Elaine Stone.

Our BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) Degree Apprenticeship allows you to invest in your workforce by combining university education, work-based learning and ongoing professional development Read more here: https://www.hmrpca.co.uk/bschonsrnda

Following the success of our HART Volunteer Service, we now provide a HART Outreach Service every week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For further information regarding this service including where it can be accessed. View here

These are snapshots from our 2-day Medical Summer School with Sixth Form College students who are interested in applying for medicine! A fantastic couple of days filled with lots of helpful advice and insights into a career as a Doctor! Great feedback was received from the students who took part in our two-day Medical Summer School!