Healthier Together

Improving the quality of care for pregnant women, parents/carers, children and young people.

A website is available that aims to improve the quality of care for pregnant women, parents/carers, children and young people in Bassetlaw and South Yorkshire. The site – Healthier Together – provides simple and easy-to-follow health and wellbeing advice for parents, young people and pregnant women.

The resources on the Healthier Together website have been developed in partnership between parents and healthcare professionals from across Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. They are used not only by parents but also by healthcare professionals including GPs, paediatricians, health visitors, nurses and mental health leads. This means that you and your child are receiving consistently high quality care, irrespective of which healthcare provider you take them to see.

You’ll find clear information on common childhood illnesses, including advice on what ‘red-flag’ signs to look out for, where to seek help if required, what you should do to keep your child comfortable and how long your child’s symptoms are likely to last. The content on the website is not only medical as it also contains sections on local services information, keeping your child safe and child development.

First trialled in Hampshire, which found an equivalent website greatly reduced pressures on A&E and GP appointments, it has already gained excellent professional feedback in SYB:

“I’ve been using the website regularly during my working week… I even used it on occasion when my own children were ill and had to check rules for school!” – Dr Jason Page, GP, Thorpe Hesley Surgery, Vice Chair, Rotherham CCG.

There are also several features that improve accessibility:

• Browsealoud (translate and read aloud text)
• Option to print a page
• Option to share any page via SMS for free

For more details visit the Healthier Together website.