“Stop and think before visiting A&E” – that’s the message from doctors in Devon as the NHS gears up for the cold months ahead. Doctors are urging people to visit or phone their GP practice, pharmacy or NHS 111 if it’s not an emergency. They are also calling for who have not yet registered with a GP practice to do this. Groups of people who have not yet registered with a GP practice include students, and those who have only recently moved to Devon or have moved to a different area of the county. The number of people presenting to hospital emergency departments is already high during the...
A Community Health Check is being held in Exeter city centre on Saturday, 11 October.
The public are invited to “know your numbers” as such values as BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol are measured.
The event will take place at St Stephen’s Church, High Street, Exeter from 10am-4pm on 11 October, and it is free. There is no need to book, just turn up on the day.
The event is organized and staffed by volunteers from the Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Devon & Cornwall, including medical professionals, to offer a service to the public. At last...
New research led by King’s College London and involving the University of Exeter Medical School suggests that many women under 30 with cervical cancer are diagnosed more than three months after first having symptoms. In many cases this was because they did not recognise the symptoms as serious.
The study is published in the British Journal of General Practice.
Professor Willie Hamilton, co-author from the University of Exeter Medical School, says: “This study matters as we know screening in the much younger age groups is problematic- so we have to try and diagnose young...
When considering the various things that can save a life, most may not think to turn to their kitchen, purse, or pocket. However, it’s very likely that everyone carries at least one life-saving product on a regular basis without even knowing it.
Who knew items like dental floss, bin bags, and credit cards could save lives – read on to find out how.
1 - Glasses
Survival is one situation where being called “four eyes” may come in handy. Glasses can be used to start a fire and create distress signals. To start a fire, begin by collecting tinder, like lint or Spanish...
The fifth National Eye Health Week will take place on 22 – 28 September 2014.
The week aims to raise awareness of the importance of good eye health and the need for regular sight tests for all. 20 million people in the UK could be at risk of avoidable sight loss because they fail to have regular sight tests. Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss yet over half of sight loss can be avoided.
The number of people in the UK with sight loss is set to increase dramatically. It is predicted that by 2050 the number of people with sight loss in the UK will...
The University of Exeter has strengthened its commitment to encouraging access to medicine in low income and developing countries by adopting a new approach to health-related intellectual property on products and technologies deriving from its research.
The change aims to make it as easy as possible for those in need to access medicine advances linked to the University. Working with its partners and commercial licensees in the sector, the University will, wherever possible:
only apply for and implement patent applications relating to healthcare technologies in less
With the August bank holiday upon us doctors in Devon have reminded people where they can find medical help if they need it.
Dr Tim Burke, a family doctor from Devon and chair of the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said people should choose the most appropriate NHS service so they can get fast and effective advice and treatment for their health issue.
Every year emergency departments (A&E) at hospitals in Devon see approximately 300,000 patients, a number of which have common illnesses or ailments, which may be better treated elsewhere...
Public Health England (PHE) is urging new students (freshers) to ensure they get vaccinated against meningococcal C (MenC) infection before beginning university in September.
In the UK, all children are offered MenC vaccine to protect them against MenC infection but, as the protection offered by the vaccine can wane, a booster for teenagers was added last year. For the next few years, university freshers will also be eligible for vaccination, until the teenagers who have had the booster reach university age.
Dr Shamez Ladhani, an expert on meningococcal disease for PHE,...
Would a stranger save your life? It may depend on who you are, where you live and whether you’ve got a family, according to a survey for Anthony Nolan, a charity which relies on the kindness of strangers.
People in the South West are more likely to come to the aid of their pet than to help a male or teenage stranger in danger, new research has revealed.
A poll conducted for the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan found that overwhelmingly, over four out of five people in the South West (86%) would be willing to help their pet if it was in danger.
This summer, LEO Pharma and Otter Nurseries have teamed up to bring the Know Your Skin™ campaign to Devon to raise awareness of solar keratosis among gardeners. Solar keratosis (also known as SK) is defined as rough or scaly skin patches that develop where unprotected skin has been exposed to sun over time. SK can lead to non-melanoma skin cancer in a small number of cases.
On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August 2014, Otter Nurseries in Ottery St Mary will play host to the Know Your Skin campaign where visitors will be able to learn how to check their skin for sun damage and obtain...
