I would like to give you a brief update on new features on the EQUIP
(Electronic Quality Information for Patients ) website - www.equip.nhs.uk.
On this website you will find links to quality-checked health and social
care information for patients and carers in the UK and checked national and
local (West Mids) support groups. There are some specific sections for West
Midlands users, but most of the information is for the whole of UK.
A new PALS section - http://www.equip.nhs.uk/services/pals.html aimed at
PALS staff and others with simialar interests - has links to useful
documents, news, training and conferences and networking opportunities.
This is very much in development so please feedback to me - grateful for
your input or any additional info that you feel appropriate for the
section. If you know of any events that you want advertised etc or training
- let me know.
Support group search - the database of over 1000 support groups (contact
details checked every 12 months) is now searchable on the site from the
homepage http://www.equip.nhs.uk either by geographical area (either
UK-wide or for West Mids users you can select your county (NB West Mids
county is split further)) or by information topic.  Soon these 2 searches
will be able to be combined so you can search for 'Eye Disorders in
Worcestershire', for example.  I hope that this new feature will enhance
the way some users might want to find the information
Hot topics - from the homepage you can search the list of hot topics -
these are issues that are in the media at the moment or are ongoing popular
querieseg: MMR, MRSA etc.. The links on the hot topics page take the user
directly to specific information about that topic rather than going into
the more general topic pages.
West Midlands NHS services has been changed to WMids 'health & social
services'  and links to council websites have been added.  These services
are split by county.
NHS compatible - I have aligned the font and colour etc of the website to
NHS guidance.
EQUIP now has a link from nhs.uk as well as many other NHS organisations
and is used by NHS Direct Call Centres throughout the UK and I am trying to
do some more publicity pushes in the next month or 2 to widen the audience.
 Any help on this from you would be gratefully received - I have A3
posters, stickers to go on PC screens and leaflets about the website (see
http://www.equip.nhs.uk/publicity.html).  These have been placed in
libraries and many GP surgeries in the West Midlands, but if you are able
to place any more of these, please let me know.
Thank you for your time. I hope EQUIP is helping you in your jobs, if not
please let me know how I can improve the site.
Sarah
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Sarah Greening
Intelligence Officer - Patient Information
Partnership for Developing Quality
Regional Library Unit, Public Health Building,
University of Birmingham
Birmingham. B15 2TT
Tel. 0121 414 7754
email [log in to unmask]
EQUIP - Electronic Quality Information for Patients at www.equip.nhs.uk
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