Somerset children who have not received their routine childhood vaccinations by the recommended age are to benefit from a pilot which will support families facing barriers to accessing healthcare.   The Health Visitor team in Somerset is testing a new way to help some families get routine childhood vaccinations, by offering jabs during health visiting appointments. The scheme is aimed at families […]

The NHS in the South West is urging parents to check that their child is up to date with their routine childhood vaccinations during World Immunisation Week, which runs from 24 to 30 April.   Childhood infections such as measles and whooping cough spread easily, especially when children mix closely at school. Vaccination helps to protect children and reduces the risk of outbreaks in schools and the wider community.  Vaccines […]

Teams and individuals across the South West are celebrating today (22 April) after being named regional champions in the first NHS Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding work to improve care for patients, communities and staff. The NHS Excellence Awards are the only awards run by, and for, the NHS. They celebrate innovation, quality improvement and leadership […]

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and the NHS in the South West is reminding people to complete and return their bowel cancer screening test as soon as it arrives.   Bowel cancer screening tests are sent for free in the post to everyone aged 50 to 74 who is registered with a GP. The test can be […]

People across the South West will benefit from faster tests, checks and scans closer-to-home after the government today confirmed funding to open and expand Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) across the country and in the region. Bideford in Devon is one of four new CDCs across the country, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, that will open summer 2027. […]

If you are over 75 years old, aged 6 months and over and immunosuppressed or a resident of a care home for older adults, you can now get your COVID-19 spring vaccination.  COVID-19 spreads easily all year round. It can still be very dangerous and even life threatening, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune […]

The NHS in the South West is preparing for another round of industrial action by resident doctors, who are due to strike directly after the Easter weekend – from 7am on Tuesday 7 April until 7am on Monday 13 April December. Plans are in place to maintain services as far as possible at near-normal levels, […]

From 1 April 2026, the RSV vaccine will be available for free on the NHS for adults aged 75 and over, adults living in a care home for older adults, and pregnant women.   The RSV vaccine helps protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. RSV is a common virus, and almost all children get an RSV infection […]

A woman from Redruth, Cornwall, who lost the sight in both eyes after the birth of her first child, has had it restored thanks to a new service launched in the region – and the blood and plasma donors who made the treatment possible. Jessica Kent-Hazledine, a dentist, woke up two weeks after giving birth […]

Ambulances across the South West reached heart attack and stroke patients 38 minutes faster this winter — the best performance in years. Average response times for the serious, time-critical conditions (category two) improved from 72 minutes to 34 minutes between 2023 and 2026 – despite a 22% increase in demand. This is linked to clinicians […]