Monday, 20 May 2013

A campaign designed to remind Hampshire residents and visitors to be 'tick aware' this summer includes new leaflets on how to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of contracting Lyme disease.

Part of a national programme by Public Health England (PHE), the campaign aims to raise awareness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses among health professionals and the public. Ticks are small, spider-like creatures most common in late spring, summer and autumn. a tick is the size of a poppy seed and once detected, it is important to remove the tick with tweezers as soon as possible to reduce the risk of getting bitten and becoming ill. Most ticks do not carry the infection but any area where ticks are present could be a potential risk for Lyme disease.

Dr Ruth Milton, Hampshire's Director of Public Health said: "We want people to go out and enjoy the countryside this summer but it's important to be aware of ticks which can bite and lead to unpleasant illnesses such as Lyme disease. The new leaflets help explain the risks and how to avoid and treat tick bites.

"As there is currently no effective vaccine against Lyme disease, the most important ways to protect yourself and your family are by being 'tick aware', avoiding tick infested areas, wearing the right clothing where ticks are more common and quickly removing any attached ticks.

"Not all tick bites result in disease, but some can transmit bacteria that cause diseases such as Lyme disease, which can lead to very serious conditions if left untreated. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include a circular rash, tiredness and muscle and joint pain.

"Lyme disease can be contracted in parks, gardens and rural areas across most of the country, and is common in areas such as the New Forest and South Downs. Therefore it is important to raise awareness of this disease amongst our residents and those who visit the area."

Since June 2012 1,928 samples from Hampshire have been tested for Lyme Disease by Public Health England's Rare and Imported Pathogens Department at Porton Down. Of these, 190 were found to be positive for Lyme Disease - approximately 10%. Most cases occurred between June and August, however not all samples necessarily belong to Hampshire residents as the data reflects samples sent from hospital laboratories within Hampshire rather than residents. The positive rate of around 10% is consistent across the UK.

Cases are often the result of outdoor activities including camping, walking, hiking and mountain-biking, where tick exposure is more likely.

• A factsheet providing important health advice and some basic precautions is available from PHE

Monday, 20 May 2013

With fuel costs rising and continued pressure on household budgets, Hampshire residents have two weeks left to sign up for a collective energy switching scheme that could save them money on their gas and electric bills.

The County Council has joined up with the 13 local authorities across Hampshire (including Portsmouth and Southampton) to set up Switch Hampshire, which allows gas and electricity consumers to combine their purchasing power and get a better deal on bills.

Registering for the scheme is free and simple to do - all you need is your current tariff and energy use in terms of power (KWh) or cost. This information should be included on your annual energy statements or you can find out from your energy provider. There is no obligation to switch and the secure scheme is backed by the County Council.

Each household could save between £60 to £200 a year on energy bills by joining the scheme. Running a collective switching scheme three times a year could result in potential savings of up to £25 million for Hampshire residents.

People can register until 3 June, either online or by calling 01962 846828 (lines open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm). After the closing date, Switch Hampshire will begin negotiations with energy providers to secure the best deals on the strength of this collective buying power.

There is no obligation to switch energy supplier - Switch Hampshire will notify everyone who has registered about the best energy tariffs available to them and manage the process if they do decide to switch.

With around 760,000 households in Hampshire, just two per cent signing up to switch energy supplier through Switch Hampshire would give a combined purchasing power of just over 15,000 customers. The more people who sign up, the more negotiating power Switch Hampshire will have.

Switch Hampshire is part of a larger scheme, the Big Community Switch, involving several London boroughs.

Access to cheaper energy can have significant benefits to those on low incomes, the elderly and families in fuel poverty, including making a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. It can also offer an opportunity for greater savings for those who rely on electricity for heating and cooking because they are not connected to a mains gas supply.

Nationally, collective energy switching is supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Local Government Association and consumer groups including Consumer Focus.

• Switch Hampshire - Register with Switch Hampshire to see if you could save money on your energy bills

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Hampshire County Council is encouraging parents to swap their car for a ticket to stride on the school run instead, with their children, during Walk to School Week (20- 24 May).

Over ninety thousand Hampshire-based school children have signed up to take part in Walk to School Week 2013, encouraging parents and children to take the opportunity to try walking to school and putting into practice good pedestrian road safety behaviour. All children taking part in Walk to School Week will receive a log book, certificate and stickers.

Walk to School Week is the initiative of national charity 'Living Streets'. According to the charity, by walking to school, parents say they find the journey to school less stressful, their petrol bill goes down, their children perform better at school and both they and their children feel healthier and fitter.

The aim of the initiative is to encourage as many school children and their families across the county to give walking a go during Walk to School Week. It is a more active way to start the day and can help improve concentration in the classroom. It can also be beneficial in helping children develop life long road safety skills and their sense of independence, as well as being fun.

Number of children participating by district.

East Hants 7,860
Basingstoke 13,170
Eastleigh 9,060
Fareham 8,435
Gosport 5,995
Hart 6,860
Havant 7,705
New Forest 9,980
Rushmoor 6,835
Test Valley 8,265
Winchester 6,455

Total 90,620

• Walk to School Week

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Hampshire County Council's street lighting replacement programme will be arriving in Four Marks in June 2013, improving local streetlights with the latest energy efficient equipment.

Much of the county's lighting stock is over 30 years old and needs replacing. As part of the improvement programme, 150,000 street lights, illuminated signs and bollards across Hampshire are being replaced or upgraded with the latest technology in energy saving lamps and dimming controls. Hampshire's new street lighting will also comply with Government targets for carbon reduction.

The new lighting in Four Marks will see the replacement of approximately 29 lanterns and a further 105 lanterns and posts. The majority of the work will focus on improving lighting along the A31.

This long term investment will help improve the county's energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions. As well as replacing older lighting columns which are coming to the end of their life, the new lamps will improve lighting levels on the ground, reduce light pollution at night and help make people feel safer in town centres and residential streets.

The preparation and planning for the Street Lighting programme aims to keep disruption to a minimum by coordinating work with other schemes and ensuring that work on key roads is planned to take place outside of rush hour periods.

• Street Lighting and the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

To mark Dementia Awareness Week (19 - 25 May), Hampshire County Council is holding a number of events to promote greater understanding of the condition, which mainly affects older people.

Dementia Awareness Week is the Alzheimer's Society's annual flagship awareness-raising campaign and this year's theme is 'talking'.

The events are being co-ordinated by Andover Mind, who are commissioned by Hampshire County Council to deliver the new Hampshire-wide Dementia Friendly Communities project, as well as provide services for people with dementia and their carers.

Around one quarter of the population of Hampshire is likely to be over the age of 60 by 2026 with the largest growth being in the number of people aged 85 and over. One in six people over the age of 80 have dementia but currently only a third to a half of older people with dementia receive a diagnosis. People can, and do, live well with dementia and early diagnosis can improve a person's quality of life and help them to maintain independence for longer.

Monday 20 May 2013

• Alresford Library 10.00am -1.00pm: leaflets display/information session
• Information session at St Thomas' Care Home, Basingstoke

Tuesday 21 May

• Bishop Waltham Library poster/leaflets 2.30- 3.30 pm and Dementia Friends session
• The Wellbeing Centre, Vyne Rd Basingstoke - information session
• Fareham Library - find out more about dementia and dementia-friendly communities

Wednesday 22 May

• Fareham Shopping Centre - taking over a shop in the shopping centre with a display and several awareness raising information session
• Information session at Randell House, Blackwater

Thursday 23 May

• New Milton Mind Charity Shop, 118 Station Rd New Milton - raising awareness of dementia including a stand and posters

Friday 24 May

• Hart Shopping Centre in Fleet - find out more about dementia and how the community can help 9.30 -1.00pm in conjunction with Hart DC, Alzheimer's Society, Hart Voluntary Action and Minding the Garden

Saturday 25 May

• Hart Shopping Centre in Fleet - find out more about dementia and how the community can help 9.30 - 1.00pm in conjunction with Hart DC, Alzheimer's Society, Hart Voluntary Action and Minding the Garden

Monday 20 May - Friday 25 May

• Andover Library - display and information available at 'help point' in the library. Stand will be manned every morning during the week by Dementia Advice and DementiaFriendly Communities staff and volunteers.

Hampshire County Council, NHS Hampshire, Andover Mind and The Alzheimer's Society have teamed up to provide a Dementia Advice service across Hampshire to support the delivery of the Joint Hampshire Commissioning strategy for Older Peoples Mental Health.

The strategy identifies the need to develop further information and signposting services for older people with mental health needs and their carers. The Dementia Advice Service helps people access appropriate care, support and advice.

The new Dementia Friendly Communities project, commissioned by Hampshire County Council and delivered by Andover Mind aims to create an engaged community, enthusiastic about and supportive of people with dementia. The project will involve and empower people with dementia and their carers, giving them a role in developing communities which enable them to 'live well' with dementia.

Other ways the County Council supports work to help people with dementia and their carers is through grants to voluntary organisations.

• Dementia Awareness Week

Wednesday, 08 May 2013

Businesses across south Hampshire are being invited to compete in the 'My Journey' Commuter Challenge by completing their daily commute using alternative ways to travel other than the private car.

The challenge is part of Hampshire County and Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils' 'My Journey' campaign and is being organised by Sustrans, a leading national charity which encourages and enables sustainable travel for residents in the UK.

Participants will be encouraged to try cycling, walking, using public transport or car-sharing to get to and from their place of work, in a bid to reduce congestion in Hampshire and encourage a more active lifestyle. Businesses and their employees will be invited to compete in group and personal challenges throughout May.

By recording online how they travelled to work, those who take part in the challenge have the opportunity to win one of a number of weekly awards such as passes for free bus, rail, hover and ferry travel, theatre tickets, and entry to a wide range of Hampshire attractions.

Eligible journeys for the Commuter Challenge start at one mile in length, the equivalent of just 20 minutes walking or 10 minutes by bicycle.

The 'My Journey' campaign has been developed by Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council and is funded by a successful bid to the Department for Transport for Local Sustainable Transport Fund monies. The objectives of the Government's fund are to reduce congestion at peak times, and to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. These objectives will be met at a local level, through 'My Journey' initiatives to encourage less use of the private car and a more active lifestyle by encouraging walking, cycling, use of public transport or car sharing to travel around, particularly for local journeys.

• Businesses, groups or individuals can sign up to take part in the Commuter Challenge

Tuesday, 07 May 2013

School children are being invited to nominate their 'diamond' lollipop person as Hampshire's School Crossing Patrol of the Year 2013.

In nominating who they think should win, children are being asked to get creative by sending in a poem, drawing or a story illustrating why their school crossing patrol is a real diamond.

Hampshire County Council has 262 school crossing patrols who help children cross roads every morning and afternoon during term time. This year marks 60 years of the school crossing patrol service nationally, making 2013 its Diamond Anniversay.

From all the nominations received, one finalist will be chosen from each of the 11 boroughs and districts across Hampshire. The finalists will be invited to a special awards ceremony on 10 July, to be held in Winchester, where the overall winner will be announced and presented with their award.

The winner will also be presented with £500 worth of IKEA vouchers donated by the Southampton store. Each of the 11 finalists will be presented with bespoke fleeces and the children who submit the winning entry for each finalist will receive a road safety goody bag.

The school whose lollipop person is crowned School Crossing Patrol of the Year 2013 will win a Street Feet kit courtesy of Fox Oilskins. The kit is designed to help children practice crossing the road safely while being in a safe environment. The school will also win an environmental tour of IKEA for the class of the pupil's winning nomination.

All those who nominate a school crossing person will be presented with a fluorescent zipper courtesy of Heart FM.

The closing date for entries is Friday 24 May

• Vote for Hampshire's top school crossing patrol

Friday, 3rd May 2013

Hampshire residents are being urged to register for Switch Hampshire, the collective energy switching service that could mean lower household bills for gas and electricity.

The County Council is working with other local authorities across Hampshire on the "Switch Hampshire" scheme that will enable gas and electricity consumers to use their combined purchasing power to seek a better deal on their bills. The scheme offers people the potential to get their gas and/or electricity at cheaper rates than if they buy either service as an individual customer.

As an example, customers could save in the region of £60 to £200 per year on their energy bills by joining the scheme. Running a collective switching scheme three times a year could lead to potential savings of up to £25 million for Hampshire residents.

The first opportunity for residents to register is open until 3 June. People can register online or by calling 01962 846828 (lines open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm). After the registration closing date, Switch Hampshire will begin negotiations with energy providers to secure the best deals on the strength of this collective buying power.

Registering for the scheme is free and does not commit anyone to switching energy supplier. Switch Hampshire will notify all those who have registered about the best energy tariffs available to them and will manage everything for them, if they do make the decision to switch supplier.

With approximately 760,000 households in Hampshire, if just two per cent signed up to switch energy supplier through Hampshire's collective energy switching service, this would give a combined purchasing power of just over 15,000 customers - enabling greater discounts to be negotiated on their behalf. The more people who sign up, the more negotiating power Switch Hampshire will have.

Access to cheaper energy has the potential to bring significant benefits to those on low incomes, the elderly and families in fuel poverty, including making a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. It can also offer an opportunity for greater savings for those who rely on electricity for heating and cooking because they are not connected to a mains gas supply.

Nationally, collective energy switching is supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Local Government Association and consumer groups including Consumer Focus.

• Switch Hampshire

Friday, 3 May 2013

The votes for the County Council election on 2 May were counted overnight and the Conservative party has retained overall control of Hampshire County Council.

Of the 78 seats on the County Council, the Conservative party has won 45 seats, the Liberal Democrats 17, UKIP ten, Labour four, Independent one and Community Campaign (Hart) one.

This compares with the results of the 2009 elections, when the political make up of the County Council was 51 Conservatives, 24 Liberal Democrats, one Labour, one Community Campaign (Hart) and one Green Party.

The turnout for the County Council 2013 elections was 31 per cent of the electorate.

Andrew Smith, County Returning Officer and Hampshire County Council Chief Executive confirmed the next steps for the County Council: "The majority party will now meet to consider its key appointments. The Full Council meeting on 23 May, will appoint the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Leader of the County Council. The newly elected Leader will make appointments to the Cabinet ahead of its first meeting on 24 June.

"The County Council could have at least four political groups and I look forward to working with all of Hampshire County Council's Members to ensure that the Council maintains quality public services to the residents of Hampshire and continues to transform the Authority into a modern, efficient and innovative organisation, fit for many years to come.

"The County Council elections have run very smoothly and I would like to thank all of the staff in the districts, boroughs and the County Council, for their contribution in the process."

• List of newly-elected County Councillors
• Further information about the election results

Thursday, 25 April 2013

A targeted campaign to ensure that young people across Hampshire are protected against measles outbreaks is launched today (Thursday 25 April) in the wake of rising levels of confirmed cases of the preventable disease nationally.

Dr Ruth Milton, Hampshire's Director of Public Health said: "Our team is working with colleagues in health and care services to raise awareness of this important health hazard and the real benefit of protecting our young people by taking up the MMR vaccine. Current levels of vaccination in our five year olds is 91%, but this is still is short of the 95% coverage needed to protect the entire community by preventing the spread of the infection."

"The proportion of 10 to 16 year olds in Hampshire who are immune is far lower. This means that about 1 in 5 teenagers in Hampshire is at risk of this avoidable and serious infection. We know from recent outbreaks that this age group is most at risk and that complications are common with measles infection."

"A vaccination for a preventable disease can protect you at any time and the MMR is given as two doses. I would strongly urge parents to check with their GP to ensure that their children are fully protected against measles and if not, to book an appointment to get their MMR vaccine as soon as possible."

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many 10 to 16-year-olds missed out on a vaccination due to publicity surrounding a discredited link between autism and the vaccine.

As well as the current serious outbreak in Swansea, there have also been smaller measles outbreaks across many parts of England including Teeside, Greater Manchester, Preston, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. While there has been only one case of measles in the last quarter in Wessex (made up of the NHS in Dorset, Hampshire, and Isle of Wight), which was in Hampshire, the natural history of measles infection is such that an increase is expected in the coming months.

Measles is an unpleasant illness that starts with a few days of cold-like symptoms and is then followed by a rash accompanied by high fever, red eyes and a cough. It can be particularly severe in babies under the age of one year, teenagers and older people, especially those who have a weakened immune system. In these groups, measles can cause complications including pneumonia, ear infections, diarrhoea and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).

Around one in every 10 children who get measles is admitted to hospital. In rare cases, people can die from measles. Measles in pregnant women can also be very serious and threaten the pregnancy.

• Information on Measles - NHS Choices

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

John Coughlan, Hampshire County Council's Director of Children's Services, said: "The County Council's admission team has handled more than 14,000 applications for children starting primary school in September and parents have been notified of places offered to their children today, April 16. 97.76% of children have been given a place at one of their preferred schools, slightly higher than last year, including a small increase in the number getting their first choice.

"If parents applied by the deadline of midnight, on the 15 January, via our online application system, they will have been notified online accordingly, via email. In the cases where email addresses appeared to be incorrect, or where paper applications were received, hard copies of the offer letter will be sent instead, by first class post today. If parents are happy with the place offered to their child, there is no need for them to confirm acceptance but they are expected to contact the school with evidence of address and their child's date of birth over the coming weeks.

"Parents can appeal in respect of any school for which they have received a refusal. If parents have been allocated a place at a school other than one they hoped for, we advise that they hold onto that place for the time being, pending the outcome of offers being made to children on waiting lists or any appeal process. Their child's name will automatically be added to the waiting list of any higher preference Hampshire school named.

"If parents no longer need the school place secured for their child, they are asked to notify us, as soon as possible, so that the place can be re-allocated."

• Further information about what happens next