Marc Astley, a well-known local journalist and news editor, is the latest trustee to join the board of Westbank Community Health and Care and says he’s on a mission to spread the word about the work of this fantastic, community charity.
As an experienced media professional and a former editor of the Exeter Express & Echo newspaper, Marc is well-placed to do this. His achievements include co-founding the UK Daily Ltd, a stable of 10 online news and feature platforms including The Exeter Daily. He also set up the successful Exeter-based PR and Marketing Agency, Astley Media,...
Women in England can now get a first prescription of the pill and repeat orders without having to see a GP, in a move that makes access to free contraception even more convenient.
Pharmacies across the country are now offering the new service, increasing choice for women in the ways in which they can access contraception.
The rollout is part of the government and the NHS’s primary care access recovery plan, which committed to making it quicker and easier for millions of people to access healthcare on their high street.
Strength training is a valuable component of any runner’s training program. It develops physical resilience, systematically improves motor control and increases force output which leads to greater projection with every stride.
I commonly hear that athletes are following split strength programs in the gym. Split programs are where certain muscle groups and/or movement patterns are performed on separate days. I prefer athletes to complete balanced strength sessions where most primal movement patterns are performed. Split programs have their origins in bodybuilding and are popular...
We’ve all been there; we know that we should exercise, and we know we’ll feel better if we do, but the couch is feeling so comfortable, and it's cold outside! Here are my top tips for keeping active with your motivation is low.
Modify your expectations
If the thought of completing an hour-long HIIT session, where you burpee until you almost pass out, is just too much, perhaps you need to think about doing something a little bit different. We all have days where we’re not feeling so energetic, and other days when we’re full of beans. Don’t be afraid of substituting your...
100 ‘warm bags’ to keep winter chills at bay are being distributed to people in and around Exminster as a result of a partnership between Wales & West Utilities and Devon charity Westbank Community Health and Care (Westbank).
The bags are being distributed to people in the local community through Westbank’s recently-launched Warmwell at Home initiative. Each bag contains hand warmers, a thermometer, a pair of thermal socks, a travel mug, a hat and gloves, a hot water bottle and a large blanket.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service,...
The NHS in Devon has reduced the number of patients waiting a long time for spinal surgery by nearly 80% between May 2023 and January 2024 by revolutionising the approach to caring for patients.
The number of patients in Devon waiting 78 weeks or more for spinal surgical treatment was 31 at the end of January 2024. This is 79% lower than May 2023 when that number stood at 131.
NHS organisations in Devon have worked with the NHS England Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) team lead by Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England South West regional colleagues and the Peninsula...
People in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are being urged to do their bit to relieve pressure at busy hospitals by making use of NHS 111 and local urgent treatment centres and minor injury units this half-term.
Emergency Departments (EDs) at all the county’s hospitals are currently seeing very high demand, and many have ambulances outside waiting to handover patients.
Other parts of the NHS healthcare system have capacity to look after people with less severe needs to allow EDs (also known as A&E) to focus on those who need help the most.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating a significant milestone, in January it passed 100,000 Devon patients signed up to MY CARE, a digital service that makes it makes it easy for patients to access their hospital information.
Accessible on a computer, phone or tablet, MY CARE brings information about hospital appointments, test results and other medical details together in one convenient place.
Not only does MY CARE allow patients to see details about appointments and test results at any time, home or abroad, for some patients it also...
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is urging communities across the region to use its services responsibly this festive period, as it prepares for a challenging and busy time.
The Trust is expecting a period of significant and sustained demand across its 999 services - a position that is reflected across other health and care organisations locally, regionally, and nationally. Boxing Day is traditionally the busiest day over the festive break for the service. In response to this, Trust leaders are asking communities to ‘help us to help you’ by...
The run-up to Christmas has been busy for local health and wellbeing charity Westbank Community Health and Care, with a full calendar of events for members of its community and its team.
The festive celebrations got off to a heartwarming start when Year 2 children from Exeter Pre-Prep School visited Westbank’s Day Centre at Exminster to sing a melody of Christmas songs for regular clients.
The following day, the Royal Oak in Exminster kindly hosted a 3-course meal for fifty of Westbank’s clients to mark the end of a year of fantastic support from the pub.
