Newly pregnant women across the East of England can now self-refer online to get their “all-important” first midwife appointments quicker, ensuring the best and most personalised care for their baby. By completing a simple online form on NHS.uk, mums-to-be can now refer themselves directly to their local maternity services without seeing a GP first. The new […]

The NHS is urging newly eligible pregnant mothers that “now is the time to act” and get the RSV vaccine to protect their baby ahead of this winter. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of infant mortality around the world and a main cause of child hospitalisations every year – with almost 7,000 […]

With industrial action by resident doctors ongoing until 7am on Wednesday 30 July, patients in the East of England are being reminded to attend their planned appointments unless they are contacted to reschedule. The latest strikes began on Friday 25 July, with hospitals and local NHS teams throughout the region working together to minimise disruption […]

The NHS is facing another significant round of industrial action later this week and over the weekend as groups of resident doctors across the east are expected to walk out from 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July. Hospitals and local NHS teams throughout the region have been preparing as usual […]

Hospitals in the East of England will be able to address unfair elective waits for patients living in deprived areas, as new regional data shows patients from these communities are more likely to wait longer. Data published for the first time ever by the NHS show patients in the poorest communities are more likely to […]

People with persistent heartburn or acid reflux will be offered an innovative ‘sponge on a string’ test in high-street pharmacies for the first time, as part of a new NHS pilot to help prevent oesophageal cancer. NHS England has today announced that dozens of pharmacies in England will offer new ‘heartburn health checks’ to test for Barrett’s oesophagus, […]

The NHS in the East of England is making it easier than ever for pregnant women to protect their babies from whooping cough, with more than 30 of the region’s pharmacies set to become the first in England to offer vaccinations against the infection. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an infection of the […]

NHS services in the East of England are promoting tailored programmes to stop potential type 2 diabetes in its tracks this week, as part of national Diabetes Week. Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age and is a major contributor to kidney failure, limb amputation, heart […]

More than 600,000 consultations have taken place in the East of England since the launch of the Pharmacy First service last year, enabling people to receive fast treatment from high street pharmacies for common conditions, minor illnesses and urgent repeat medicine supply without needing to see a GP. Since January 2024, almost 300,000 patients in […]

The East of England’s lead pharmacy advisor for vaccinations, Sarah Cavanagh, has urged those eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine to come forward and take up their jabs while they are still available, as figures just published show just over four in ten eligible people in the region (40.3%) have received their jabs so far. […]