THE Forest Health Forum was welcomed local “digital Czar” Alex Digby from the Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF) to its July meeting.

Alex gave a talk on Digital Inclusion and also brought along CEV (aka KEV) FVAF’s Community Engagement Vehicle to demonstrate to members.

He explained that digital inclusion is ‘the effort to ensure that everyone (who wishes) has the opportunity to participate in the digital world’.

First steps in this process are bridging the digital divide, which is something Alex and the Adult Transformation Team have been doing since its early launch at Bream in 2021. 

Since then the Project has grown “exponentially”, the forum heard, not only in the Forest but across the county, establishing warm space hubs to welcome interested citizens eager to learn. 

In 2023 between April and mid June 260 Hubs received 608 participants, served by some 44 Digital Champion Volunteers.

Forum Chair, Albert Weager told members he attended five meetings in June, one in person and four virtual ones.

At the Urgent and Emergency Care Group, the main item was an update on the Transformation project being led by healthcare consultants, Newtons, Europe. It is soon to enter the implementation phase.

There was also a discussion on sudden closures of Minor and Illness and Injury Units (MIIUs) and the knock on effects on the care system.

Mr Weager also learned Cinapsis, the advice line for doctors and paramedics, is being overloaded with long delays in advice coming through.

All too often this results in a conveyance to an acute hospital, which may possibly have been avoided.

At the Ageing Well Programme Board (MST), members heard about a new national six stage model for pro-active care, linked to virtual wards, aimed at keeping people out of hospital.

At a Forest Connectors meeting there was a presentation by ' Music Matters' on the exciting work going on locally to offer musical opportunities to challenged youngsters.

A dedicated opportunity centre has been established in Cinderford town centre.

At a Blood Transfusion Committee, concerns were raised and addressed about procedures for managing nighttime serious haemorrhages at Cheltenham, to avoid harm to patients.

A new electronic patient record system can now track internal patients through the transfusion process. I

t is expected that this system will embrace same day patients, by the end of 2023.

At the Forest ILP (MST) the peripatetic, Alex Digby and colleague Daniel Gale gave a lengthy presentation on Digital Inclusion.

Mr Weager advised members that the Health Forum's Healthcare Survey report had been sent to potentially interested parties in Wales and to Forest MP, Mark Harper, from whom a response is awaited.