Debbie, previously the Deputy Director of PHE South West, has been acting in this role since Debra Lapthorne’s retirement in December 2020 and has now been formally appointed. As the Deputy Director for PHE South West since 2015, Debbie has already overseen a range of public health issues and achievements in the South West, working […]

Miniature cameras which patients can swallow to get checked for cancer are being trialled across the South West NHS. The imaging technology, in a capsule no bigger than a pill, can provide a diagnosis within hours. Known as a colon capsule endoscopy, the cameras are the latest NHS innovation to help patients access cancer checks […]

Over two million vaccinations have now been delivered by the NHS in the South West, as the biggest and fastest vaccine drive in NHS history continues at pace. NHS staff, alongside volunteers, have been jabbing people in over 100 sites across the region. The NHS is working with local communities to make it as easy […]

Sir Andrew Strauss, the ex-England cricket captain who lost his wife to lung cancer, has backed an NHS and Public Health England campaign urging people to get checked if they test negative for Covid-19 but have a persistent cough. Sir Andrew has joined television presenter Gaby Roslin, who lost her mother to lung cancer, and […]

A ‘major milestone’ has been met today as the number of first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine offered to people in the south west tops one million. Staff across the NHS have been supporting the roll-out of the vaccination programme in the areas, with people most at-risk of Covid-19 being prioritised, in line with expert […]

To mark the anniversary of the first confirmed Covid patients being treated by the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens today paid tribute to NHS staff for their “extraordinary work in a year like no other”. He today met the team who cared for the country’s first two confirmed Covid patients, who were admitted to the Royal Victoria […]

The new Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is being rolled out to General Practice led services today making it easier to protect care home residents and other vulnerable people against Covid-19. The vaccine has been trialled at selected hospitals for surveillance purposes before being sent out to hundreds of community-based local vaccination services. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, […]

The biggest vaccine campaign in NHS history kicked off this morning, as 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 jab following its clinical approval. At 6.31AM early riser Margaret, known to friends and family as Maggie, was given the life-saving jab by nurse May Parsons at […]

The NHS in the South West took a significant further step today towards joined-up health and social care at grassroots level, with the approval of four more integrated care systems (ICSs). The new ICSs cover: • Bath & NE Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire • Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire • Cornwall and Isles of […]

People most at risk of flu are being urged to get their free NHS vaccination as soon as possible, before flu season hits. This year, more people than ever are being offered the free vaccine, including those more likely to develop serious complications such as pregnant women and people with long term health conditions including […]