GPs in the south west have said they are under extra pressure due to patients coming to them rather than dentists with concerns over oral health. According to a poll conducted by ComRes, 82 per cent of GPs based in the South West believe that too many patients are turning to them for oral health advice instead of a dentist which is increasing pressure on general practices. The polling, released during Mouth Cancer Action Month, by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), the professional body representing private and corporate dental practices, also showed that 96 per cent of GPs based in...
Continuity of care so that all patients see the same GP with whom they build up a relationship over time could help reduce delays in the diagnosis of cancer in primary care. In an essay published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, a team of primary care experts write that this, together with longer consultations and better distribution of information to GPs about referral pathways or new services could have a wide reaching impact on the early diagnosis of cancer and survival. Yet, write the authors, recent changes in the structure of the NHS and the continuing pressure on...
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) member GP practices have been rated among the highest in the country – by the patients they serve.
A national survey showed that patient experience of local doctors’ surgeries in Devon was consistently better than the England average.
Almost nine in ten Devon patients said they would recommend their GP surgery to someone who has just moved to the area and 95 per cent said they had confidence and trust in their GP.
A total of 84 per cent of patients in Devon reported they found it easy to get...
Teignbridge residents are encouraged to share their personal stories at a new awareness event aimed at the dangers of slips, trips and falls in the home.
Those who have suffered an injury in their own home - or know someone who has - are invited to attend the story sharing event to highlight the problem to others and help find a solution.
The event brings together a range of professionals, led by Teignbridge District Council, who are working together in a pioneering programme of work aimed at reducing the number of people suffering trips and falls in their own home
A national scheme offering ‘books on prescription' to people with mental health problems is to be rolled out across Devon.
Devon County Council has teamed up with leading independent charity The Reading Agency and the Society of Chief Librarians to help launch the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme, which aims to use reading as a tool to help those who suffer from conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, phobias and some eating disorders.
The new initiative, which is the first national books on prescription scheme for England, provides self-help reading as an...
On Wednesday 19 June (6-8pm) at West Exe School and Thursday 27 June (6-8pm) at ISCA college of Media Arts, the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group is inviting you to a community engagement meeting that gives you an opportunity to be involved in influencing the design of future health services for Exeter.
The Commissioning Group says: "We want to make sure that our hospital emergency departments remain responsive, safe and sustainable in the future so we have been working with our local healthcare providers; Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust,...
New research on patients' experiences of health services and how these relate to their expectations and satisfaction, published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, reveals that older people have higher expectations of their care and that they believe that their expectations are being met.
The research questions prevailing stereotypes that characterise older patients as being satisfied with their care because their expectations are lower.
Patients visiting their GP and hospital outpatient departments were surveyed before and after their consultations. They were...
Even though the economy is picking up again, healthcare across the nation is still struggling to afford adequate staff and essential supplies to meet the needs of patients. Doctors and nurses are in short supply and often work more hours than they should. Whether in private practice or within the NHS, there is no doubt that more doctors are needed if the healthcare needs of a growing population are to be met.
Number of Foreign GPs Rises
Within the past decade the number of foreign doctors working within the NHS has risen by 11%. At the moment family doctors from foreign...
