Sutton Grange Care Home celebrated Easter in style

STAFF and Residents at Barchester's Sutton Grange Care Home, in Southport, celebrated Easter with a whole host of different activities including an Easter Egg Hunt and Chocolate Bingo alongside their friends, at:- Banks St Stephen's CE Primary School.

Residents from Sutton Grange Care Home visited the youngsters at their School to take part in the events and were delighted to return to the home with their winnings of chocolate treats.

Activities Co-ordinator, Alison Wareing said:- "As always, we've all been looking forward to Easter. It's such a lovely time of year; the Residents love all the colourful Easter eggs and we are so lucky to have such an amazing intergenerational relationship with Banks St Stephen's CE Primary School who have helped us celebrate the occasion. It's really been an eggs cellent few days!"

Sutton Grange Care Home is run by Barchester Healthcare, 1 of the UK's largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high quality care across its care homes and Hospitals. Sutton Grange provides nursing care, residential care, dementia and respite care.

1 year since launch of HRT PPC - patients reminded to renew their certificate

1 April 2024 marks 1 year since the launch of the Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC).

More than 500,000 HRT PPCs have been purchased over the past 12 months, saving patients millions of pounds in prescription charges.

Patients who purchased an HRT PPC in April 2023 are reminded to renew their certificate if they wish to continue saving money on their HRT prescriptions.

With an HRT PPC, patients can access an unlimited number of listed HRT medicines over 12 months for the cost of 2 single prescription charges.

Improving menopause support is a priority in the Government's Women's Health Strategy, with HRT PPCs being a key aspect in this area.

Minister for Women's Health Strategy Maria Caulfield said:- "When we launched the Women's Health Strategy, we made it clear our aim is to create a health system that listens to; and works for; women. A key part of this has been enabling better support for women experiencing the menopause. Women using the certificates have saved almost £16 million overall, along with new women's health hubs and the launch of a dedicated menopause information hub on the NHS website; huge progress is being made. I'm urging all women to check and renew their PPC to make sure they are getting the best value for money."

Michael Brodie, Chief Executive of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), which is responsible for delivering this service, said:- "Having an HRT PPC saves patients money if they currently pay for more than 2 HRT prescriptions in a year. The certificate helps users access their important medication in an easy and affordable way and we look forward to another great year for the service."

Patients who purchased an HRT PPC, in April 2023, will be notified by the NHSBSA that their certificate is due to expire soon.

HRT PPCs can be bought online at:- NHSBSA.NHS.UK/HRT-PPC or in-person at some pharmacies.

Before buying an HRT PPC, patients should check if:-

• They can get free NHS prescriptions using the NHS eligibility checker:- NHSBSA.NHS.UK/Check.
  

• Their medicine is covered by the HRT PPC:- NHSBSA.NHS.UK/HRT-PPC-Medicines.
  

• A 3 or 12 month PPC is more suitable for their needs. It covers all NHS prescriptions, including HRT items: - NHSBSA.NHS.UK/PPC.

Patients are encouraged to check when their HRT PPC expires. If they use their certificate after it has expired to collect medication, this could result in a penalty charge of up to £100. More information about this process is available on our website: NHSBSA.NHS.UK/Understanding-Penalty-Charges.