Parents are being urged to protect their children against flu this winter following a surge in serious cases among under-fives. Figures suggest flu hospitalisations in young children are nearly 20 times as high as last year, with this week showing 230 under-fives hospitalised compared to just 12 at the same time last year. Estimates also […]

Seven NHS healthcare control centres have gone live in the South West today, helping to get patients into beds more quickly and ease winter pressures. The centres use data to respond to emerging challenges and can divert ambulances to another nearby hospital with more capacity, or identify hospitals that need extra support. These healthcare control […]

People across the South West who are eligible and had their first monkeypox vaccine can now take up the offer of a second vaccination, which offers long term protection against the virus. Almost 68,000 people have been vaccinated against monkeypox since the first cases in this outbreak were identified in England in May this year. The second monkeypox vaccination […]

NHS England South West (NHS SW) and Health Education England South West (HEE SW) have launched a new campaign to recruit more learning disability and mental health nurses in the region. Aligned with the national #WeAreTheNHS campaign, the #WeAreTheSouthWest campaign hears from a range of learning disability and mental health nurses as they showcase their […]

Health experts in the South West are encouraging parents and carers to take the dangers of flu seriously this winter and to protect their children by getting them vaccinated. The call from NHS England South West comes as data from Australia – which has been through its winter – shows that rates of flu and […]

People working in frontline health and care jobs in the South West are being urged to have the COVID-19 autumn booster and flu vaccination as soon as possible, to protect themselves and the people they care for, before winter takes hold. This year, all frontline social care workers are being offered the free flu and […]

Winter is coming and the NHS across the South West continues to be here for you when you need us. Health and care workers are working hard to prepare for what is expected to be a very challenging winter, following an extremely busy summer. Dr Michael Marsh, Regional Medical Director at NHS England South West, […]

Health experts for NHS England – South West are encouraging people get protected and stay well this winter by getting both their Flu and Covid-19 vaccinations when they are invited to so. Nearly 1.5 million people in the South West have had their Covid-19 autumn booster vaccination since the beginning of September, but with many […]

A specialist NHS service in the South West is already helping nearly 50 mums-to-be to quit smoking just two months after it began. Since the new Treating Tobacco Dependency Service was launched by Torbay and South Devon NHS Maternity Services in June, 46 pregnant women and birthing people, have sought support for the service through […]

Past and current smokers who are registered with specific GP practices across Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, and Gloucestershire are now being invited to NHS lung health checks to improve lung health, detect and treat lung cancers earlier, and save lives. The SWAG Cancer Alliance, which covers Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, and Gloucestershire, was selected as a site […]