Health professionals from NHS England are urging pregnant women in Kent and Medway to get vaccinated against whooping cough. This will protect their new baby from birth, by passing on immunity from mother to child. Young babies are particularly at risk and can’t be vaccinated themselves until two months of age. On average, about six […]

Men aged 65 years and older are being urged by NHS healthcare professionals to be screened for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA). Screening can detect the presence of potentially life-threatening aneurysms in the abdominal aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body. An aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta caused by a weakness in the […]

The Clinical Senate for the South East Coast (Kent, Surrey and Sussex) region held its first Summit, 12 May 2014, on the theme of Advance Care Planning. Advance Care Planning (ACP) is the voluntary process of discussion to help a person decide on their future care should they become seriously ill or disabled. These wishes […]

Ruby Wax will be one of the 250 people coming together from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex as part of a ‘Call to Action’ on the importance of mental health and wellbeing across the region. The ‘Valuing Mental Health’ conference will bring together patients, the public, healthcare professionals, voluntary organisations and other partners to rethink […]

How can we change our perspective on mental health in Kent, Surrey and Sussex? On 6th May the South East Coast Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) for Mental Health, Dementia and Neurological Conditions along with NHS England will hold a conference called Valuing mental health: A change of perspective in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. I was […]

A vaccination campaign gets under way across schools in Medway this term to encourage teenagers to get the Meningitis C vaccine booster and so strengthen their defences against this dangerous infection that can cause meningitis. The Meningitis C vaccine is now routinely given to babies at three months to provide sufficient protection until a booster […]

On Tuesday 6 May 2014 South East Coast Strategic Clinical Network for Mental Health, Dementia and Neurological Conditions and NHS England will host a conference at Sofitel Gatwick Airport to discuss ways to achieve parity of esteem between mental and physical health in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. You can download the conference programme here and […]

GPs in Slough have been given £2.9 million to improve access to care for 147,000 patients, as part of the £50m Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund. There will be 16 practices benefiting as part of the trial known as ‘Steps to the Future’ and they will be trialling a range of options to make services more […]

GPs in Folkestone and Dover have received around £1.89 million to improve access to care for 94,940 patients, as part of the £50m Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund. There will be 13 practices benefiting as part of the trial, piloting a range of options to make services more accessible to patients including: extended opening hours from […]

The NHS in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been given £3.575 million to improve access to GP care for all 1.72 million patients, as part of the £50m Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.  The total award is one of the largest in the country, with most bids based around small numbers of GP […]