Patients across Devon will be able to make routine GP appointments in evenings and at weekends from this month.
The aim of the GP improved access service is to make it easier for people to get an appointment at a time that suits them.
This new scheme is an extension of the usual GP practice services that patients across Devon will be used to – it is not a walk-in service. Patients will still need to contact their GP practices directly to make an appointment if they want to see a GP between the longer opening hours during weekday evenings, weekends and bank holidays....
A South Devon practice has won a prestigious national award for its contribution to clinical research.
The achievements of the Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh Practice were recognised at the Royal College of General Practitioners Research Awards, run in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), last month at the annual awards ceremony held in Liverpool.
Picking up the Practice Award, the South Devon team at Riverside surgery in Bovey Tracey and the Tower House surgery in Chudleigh were praised for demonstrating excellence and innovation in delivering...
Nearly a quarter of Devon GP practices are outstanding according to quality inspectors, compared to just 4 percent of practices in England. And the percentage of Devon’s care homes rated outstanding is twice the national average.
The data, published by the health and care watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is being loudly applauded by Devon County Council and NEW Devon CCG.
19 of 435 care homes in Devon (4 percent), inspected by the CQC, are considered ‘outstanding’ homes, compared to just 2 percent of care homes in England overall.
Friends, family and carers of women with learning disabilities are being urged to help ensure that they have regular breast screenings.
It follows the latest NHS data which shows that significant numbers of women with learning disabilities in Devon did not have a breast screening during 2016. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and women with a learning disability are the least likely to attend screenings, even though it can save their life. During October, local authorities, charities and health providers are joining forces to raise awareness among carers, friends...
Around two in every five GPs in the South West have said they intend to quit within the next five years, exposing the magnitude of the region’s impending healthcare crisis suggesting that the picture for the UK may be particularly challenging.
The University of Exeter’s recent largescale survey of GPs across the region also found that seven out of ten GPs intend to change their working patterns in a way that would mean less contact with patients. This included leaving patient care, taking a career break, or reducing their hours.
Researchers in Exeter are to receive £5m in funding to improve the early detection of cancers in GP surgeries, Cancer Research UK has announced. The CanTest is part of Cancer Research UK’s Catalyst Award which aims to help researchers deliver trailblazing progress in their field with long-lasting results. The CanTest team, led by Professor Willie Hamilton - from the University of Exeter will work with researchers in three UK sites and across the globe on a five year project that will help GPs to detect cancers in a primary care setting and reduce the burden of referrals. This research will...
Following the installation of a new state of the art Aquagym, the Flamingo Pool in Axminster launches its new ‘Aquatherapy’ GP referral scheme.
The Flamingo Pool’s pilot scheme currently offers 12 fully funded sessions to clients referred, under certain criteria, by their GP or an approved certified professional. Partly funded sessions will be offered upon completion of the first 12 sessions.
Each 30 minute session, led by one of the GP referral instructors and limited in participant numbers, will take into account each client’s specific needs and exercise programme. Water...
As the UK faces major challenges in sustaining the GP workforce, a new research project sets out to understand why some GPs are leaving their jobs to take early retirement or career breaks.
The ReGROUP project, led by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, is a comprehensive programme to develop strategies and policies for the NHS in seeking to support the GP workforce. It is funded by nearly £500,000 from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).
The Government has recognised that new approaches are needed to sustain the GP workforce over the next few years. The...
Research by the University of Exeter has helped underline new national guidelines to help GPs diagnose cancer earlier, and save lives.
Professor Willie Hamilton, at the University of Exeter Medical School, was a major contributor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) process to consider the latest evidence in formulating guidelines for use in general practice and healthcare settings. He was the clinical lead on the NICE Guideline Group, feeding in his expertise into key decisions that affect the way healthcare is delivered.
Gina Awad, Project Lead of the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance, and 40 staff including seven GPs from St Thomas Health Centre, spent their Saturday morning cycling from Exeter to Exmouth and back again all in aid of raising funds for dementia.
They were inspired following a Dementia Friends information session delivered by Gina, who also volunteers as a Dementia Friends Champion in Exeter, and arranged this event to support her fundraising. Together they have raised approximately £2,300.
Gina’s hour long interactive talk triggered Health Centre staff to join in with her...
