Residents and visitors to the South West are being urged to prepare ahead of this Bank Holiday weekend to minimise pressures on the NHS as it manages the next round of industrial action. A few simple steps now will mean people will be less likely to need the help of the NHS this weekend, such […]

The NHS South West’s Chief Pharmacist is reminding people time is running out to order repeat prescription if they are due medication ahead of the Easter break. Every bank holiday the NHS 111 phone service sees many more people using the service where they’ve left it too late to order their repeat prescriptions. Calls to […]

Author: Sammy Roberts, Expert by Experience, Inclusion Gloucestershire  According to the ‘National Autistic Society’, less than 20% of autistic people are in any form of employment. This seems to be a significant underuse of an incredible resource, but as an autistic person, I found it very hard to think about getting a job. The fear […]

The NHS in the South West is encouraging people to come forward for their covid booster before the offer ends next month. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has today advised that, thanks to the success of the programme, the offer of an initial booster dose should end when the current autumn campaign […]

If you’re feeling deflated, lacklustre, or depressed right now, then you’re not alone. Hundreds of people find the winter months tricky to get through, which isn’t surprising when it’s colder, darker and we’re faced with the stress of potential post-festive season debt. Dr Lowri Kew, who is a GP from Corner Place Surgery in Devon, […]

People across the South West are being urged to choose the best option for healthcare this Christmas, when GP surgeries are closed. While dialling 999 is essential for life-threatening injury or illness, there is a wide range of other help available, including: Minor injury units and urgent treatment centres, for less-serious accidents and illnesses The […]

NHS staff dealt with a significant number of NHS 111 calls last week with over 700,000 calls in one week alone– an increase of over 60% compared to the previous week (from 440,047 to 706,129.) Excluding two weeks in the first month of the Covid pandemic (March 2020), this is the highest number of 111 […]

It’s two years on since the NHS in the South West gave the first covid vaccine on the 8th December 2020. Since then, they’ve given nearly 16 million vaccinations and are calling on the public to get boosted ahead of Christmas to provide crucial protection for yourselves and your loved ones. Covid-19 cases are on […]

With winter fast approaching and the arrival of cold weather, the NHS in the South West is urging parents of young children to take steps to ward off serious illnesses over the coming months. The latest figures show that between October 2021 and September 2022 there has been an 15% increase in the number of […]

A survey of patients undergoing radiotherapy in the South West has found that 98 percent are either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience of treatments and that 99 percent agreed that they were treated with care, kindness, dignity and respect. The survey of over 600 patients at eight hospital trusts in the region carried […]