Since the start of the region’s Virtual Wards Programme, over 110,000 patients in the South East have been able to receive hospital level urgent care from their home. The programme launched in April 2022, and whilst some patients are transferred to a virtual ward after an initial stay in hospital (as an ‘early supported discharge’), the […]

There were one million more GP practice appointments available to patients in the South East in March this year compared to March 2019 (pre-pandemic) recent NHS figures reveal. There were 4.5m appointments with health care professionals offered last month compared to 3.5m in March 2019 – an increase of 29%. Of the 4.5m appointments last […]

With the May bank holiday fast approaching, the South East’s Medical Director is urging members of the public to order any repeat prescriptions that are due in good time. Each bank holiday the NHS 111 phone service sees an increase in calls from people who need urgent repeat prescriptions. Pharmacies may have limited opening hours […]

Emergency Departments and ambulance services across the South East continued to see improved response and treatment times last month despite further increases in demand. 357,740 people attended emergency departments in March, and although that represents an 11.6% increase year-on-year and 35,000 more than last month, providers were able to treat an additional 6,601 patients within […]

The NHS National Booking System will open for spring Covid-19 vaccination bookings on Monday (15 April), with those eligible able to book appointments from the following week. Spring vaccinations will be available until 30 June 2024. Following Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, the following people are eligible for the vaccine this spring: […]

As Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month draws to an end, three women affected by the disease are urging others to listen to their bodies and to seek medical help if something does not feel right, in collaboration with charity Target Ovarian Cancer. Sbba from Slough, Elaine from Reading and Sue from Kent have come together to […]

Emergency Departments across the South East saw improved response and treatment times last month even though demand for the services in the region increased more than the national average. More than 321,000 people attended emergency departments across the region in February which was an increase of 12.9% on the previous year, while the average increase […]

NHS leaders for the South East and London have today (Thursday 14 March) decided that Evelina London will provide the specialist cancer treatment centre for children living in south London and much of south east England. Evelina London has been chosen as the future location for the Children’s Cancer Centre for London and the South […]

8% of children in South East are not protected with two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccination by their 5th birthday Six cases of measles in South East since October 2023 UKHSA is launching a new multi-media marketing campaign across England to remind parents and carers of the risk of their children missing out […]

Data on the recent industrial action by junior doctors can be found on the NHS England website here: NHS England » Industrial action in the NHS. Since strike action began last year, with junior doctors and consultants taking joint action first in October 2023, the cumulative total of acute inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled in the […]