The NHS is recruiting a growing army of social prescribing link workers to combat loneliness and isolation fuelled by coronavirus. More than 1,200 are already helping people to improve their mental health and get more exercise by taking part in activities from gardening to ballroom dancing. And now the NHS is fast-tracking recruitment of an […]

Funding for children’s hospices will rise to £25 million a year, NHS England has pledged. Medical advances mean the NHS can help seriously ill children and young people with more complex health issues live longer, more fulfilling lives. NHS England’s hospice grant programme currently provides £12 million a year for children’s hospices, helping to provide […]

More than 50,000 people have taken charge of their own care after being handed control of how their NHS funding is spent. Personal Health Budgets can be used to purchase personalised wheelchairs, assistance dogs and respite care to manage complex health problems, as well as tech devices that can control curtains, lighting, heating and door […]

NHS England has welcomed moves by football clubs to improve the nation’s health including cookery classes for bereaved men, exercise sessions for people with cancer and sport to help tackle mental ill health. A nation-wide day of action (Tuesday) will see 72 football clubs from the English Football League put their full weight behind nationwide […]

The sister of MP Jo Cox is backing an anti-loneliness campaign to help 30,000 people avoid health and wellbeing problems that can come from feeling and living alone. The campaign, backed by the Foundation set up following the murder of the former MP for Batley and Spen in 2016, is one of a range of […]

An army of advisers will be recruited to help patients live fitter, healthier lives and combat anxiety, loneliness and depression under plans to ramp up social prescribing set to be launched by NHS England this week. Around half of GP appointments are not directly related to medical conditions, according to experts. Growing evidence shows that […]

An programme in Somerset has helped patients avoid 7,500 nights in hospital and freed up at least £2 million for other services. Somerset’s pioneering ‘Homefirst’ scheme offers patients who are healthy enough, and their families, tailored help to finish therapy at home, with personalised care reducing stays in hospital by up to ten days. Described […]

The first children to receive a game-changing personalised therapy for cancer will start treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London this week. A second centre, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, is also ready to start treating children with a rare form of leukaemia while a third, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is expected […]

A group of senior health professionals have today thrown their support behind Self Care Week 2018. Self Care Week 2018, which began yesterday and runs until November 18, is urging people to ‘Choose Self Care for Life’ by making health-savvy decisions. Whether it is about self-treatable conditions, long term conditions, or lifestyle choices to ensure […]

More than 22 million people are being targeted as part of Self Care Week which launches today. Under the banner of “Choose Self Care for Life” the aim is to engage and empower people to better look after their own health. Whether it is about self-treatable conditions, long term conditions, or lifestyle choices to ensure […]