Around 100 frontline NHS staff from across the South West will be joined by NHS England directors in Taunton today (4th March 2025) to discuss what they want to see from the government’s 10 Year Health Plan. It is the last in a series of events where frontline NHS staff across the breadth of the […]

The NHS in England has launched its first ever awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of breast cancer screening. The campaign comes as annual data shows that 27% of eligible women in the South West are not up to date with their regular mammograms and over one in ten (12%) of those eligible have never […]

Rapper and health activist Professor Green is helping the NHS raise awareness among families about the importance of children looking after their teeth, by launching an exciting competition to all primary schools across the South West. He says he only realised later in life how not brushing properly twice a day affected his own physical […]

The NHS in the South West is encouraging people to find out where their local sexual assault referral centre (SARC) is as part of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (3 February – 9 February 2025). There are 6 SARCs located across the region, which provide help 24/7. This includes crisis care, medical and […]

I am Lianne Clarke, Health Development Manager working with Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP). As an active partnership, we work with the NHS to find ways to encourage people to lead healthier and happier lives by bringing physical activity and movement into health and care plans. SASP’s health work spans across social prescribing, reconditioning […]

Nursing students in the South West are urging people to follow them into the NHS by applying for a healthcare degree course. In 2024, 20,920 people in England accepted a place on a nursing degree. In 2025, there are places on courses across the South West for those who want to follow suit, including school-leavers […]

  I am Briony Bond, a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist working with Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. My role is to assess and treat common mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), panic, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These are delivered in person or via video call […]

I am Lesley Harper, a registered Dietitian working for the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Somerset. Recently I have been working closely with my public health colleagues to roll out a collaborative health promotion project called Focusing on MORE. Focusing on MORE recognises obesity can be a result of many different factors and there is […]

High levels of seasonal illness, including flu, and vomiting and diarrhoea bugs, mean ambulances, hospitals and other NHS services in the South West are under severe pressure. People across the region are being asked to help by continuing to choose the right service for their needs and by getting vaccinated against winter viruses. This is […]

Statement: Following the amber cold weather alert, issued today by the UKHSA, Dr Justin Varney-Bennett, Regional Director of Public Health for NHS England – South West, said: “As we head into a very cold spell it’s important for people with pre-existing medical conditions to take extra care, especially the elderly or those with heart or […]