New NHS England data shows staff in the North West treated almost 1000 more people for cancer in January this year, compared to the previous month (December 2023), despite ongoing winter pressures and industrial action. A new digital platform set to cut waiting times for skin cancer diagnosis and tests and checks for cancer in […]

NHS North West’s Chief Pharmacist Karen O’Brien is reminding people to order repeat prescriptions if they are due ahead of the Easter Bank holiday. Every bank holiday the NHS 111 phone service sees huge increases in people contacting to ask for urgent repeat prescriptions when their medication is due to run out – and on […]

This Healthcare Science Week (11-15 March), health leaders at NHS England North West are celebrating healthcare scientists who work across all patient pathways in the NHS delivering crucial healthcare to patients. Over 55,000 NHS staff work in more than 50 specialist healthcare science roles across England. Using their knowledge of innovation, science and technical skills, […]

Health leaders in the North West are urging parents of young babies and pregnant mums to ensure they have the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine amid a big drop in vaccine uptake and rising whooping cough infections. The region has the lowest uptake of pertussis vaccine in pregnant women outside of London, with NHS England data […]

THERE were nearly 900,000 more appointments in general practice in January 2024 compared to the same month before the pandemic. Nationally, new NHS data shows GPs are seeing record numbers of patients, with 53 million more appointments – excluding those for Covid vaccinations – delivered last year, compared to before the pandemic. In the region, […]

Health leaders in the North West are urging parents of 12 and 13 year-olds to ensure they consent to their children having the HPV vaccine, as the NHS raises awareness this week, following HPV awareness day (4 March 2024). Latest data shows that in the North West fewer than 75% of girls, and fewer than […]

Today marks the launch of the sixth NHS Parliamentary Awards 2024, where MPs get to recognise staff who go above and beyond to deliver excellence in healthcare. This year we’ve seen significant demand across the North West’s NHS services. Despite these pressures, staff across the region have continued to provide excellent care and have found […]

NHS teams in the North West are stepping up efforts to get more children protected with the MMR vaccine amid rising cases of measles in the region.   Uptake of both doses of vaccine, which is usually given to children aged one and then a second vaccine at around three years and four months, is […]

A nurse and breast cancer survivor from Blackpool is urging others to go for their mammograms, after newly published data shows around a third of eligible people in the region didn’t take up their invitations. Mary Rigby, who is 55, was diagnosed with grade 1 cancer in September 2022, following her second routine mammogram. She […]

As measles cases continue to rise, thousands of North West school children, aged 6 – 11, who are yet to have one or both of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccines, have started receiving invitations to book a catch up appointment. Last week, NHS England launched a major drive to invite those not fully […]