Cases of winter illnesses like covid-19, flu and norovirus are rising in the South West and people are urged to take steps to prevent the spread
NHS Devon is reminding people to stay safe and well this winter by wearing a face mask in healthcare settings, washing their hands regularly and practicing social distancing whenever they can.
Darryn Allcorn, Chief Nurse at NHS Devon said: “We are seeing a worrying increase of flu, Covid-19 and norovirus cases in Devon this week and high numbers of patients being admitted to Devon’s hospitals with potentially infectious respiratory...
Winter is one of the busiest times of the year for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) – and we need continuing support from the public.
Ambulances must be available for patients who are facing a life-threatening medical emergency. To help with this, we are asking for the public’s support to ensure the service is used correctly.
You can help by choosing the right service to get the care you need:
Use your own medicine cabinet for self-care for issues like grazed knees
The Moorings, run by Mental Health Matters, is being expanded to offer additional hours of support.
The service provides free mental health support to anyone aged 18 and over from three locations in Barnstaple, Exeter, and Torquay. Staffed by a team of highly skilled Support Workers, the service offers one-to-one emotional support to individuals in mental health crisis, as well as a space for people to access advice, guidance, and information.
The expansion will see the Exeter and Torquay sites offering daytime support (10am-6pm, Monday-Friday) in addition to the out-of-...
The second series of highly successful webinars for parents of teenagers is set to kick off this autumn, covering a range of new topics.
Let's Talk Teenagers is a series of online support sessions and an opportunity for parents and carers of teenagers to hear about the challenges young people are facing today and discover ways to help them navigate their way through them.
The sessions have been running throughout 2022 and discuss the tools and techniques that can be used to support young people and their community. The latest sessions, starting on Tuesday 13 September...
Residents and visitors to Devon are being reminded that if they have an urgent health issue this summer they can access medical advice online or by phone 24 hours a day at NHS111 .
Anyone contacting 111 who needs emergency medical care from a hospital Emergency Department (also known as A&E) will be given direct access to the department. Staff at NHS111 can also refer patients through to Minor Injuries Units and Urgent Treatment Centres. This will ensure that people get to the right place for treatment quickly and may reduce their waiting times.
A Devon health and wellbeing charity is seeking ‘chatty’ volunteers to come on board once a week to provide friendly conversation, information and support to local people on the number 57 bus between Exmouth and Exeter. The Chatty Bus, organised by Westbank Community Health and Care, relaunched on Thursday, 28th July as part of an initiative to reduce loneliness and social isolation.
Westbank’s Chatty Bus route initially began in November 2019 but was put on hold because of Covid restrictions. The route is being relaunched with new funding from Devon County Council’s Connecting...
People at high risk of Type 2 Diabetes who make small changes in their everyday habits over up to two years are much less likely to develop the disease, according to a project run by the Devon charity Westbank Community Health and Care.
Westbank’s Healthier Devon Diabetes Prevention Programme supports adults aged 18-90 years who want to improve their overall health and fitness. Many are patients referred by a GP or clinician because they are at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes - a serious, debilitating and often lifelong condition. Individuals can also self refer.
We all love a bask in the sun from time to time — especially if it's on a warm beach or in your garden on a summer's day. But when you work outdoors, overly warm weather may not be ideal for your health or for the projects that you're working on.
Knowing how to protect yourself from sun damage is important at any time of year. Not only can too much time in the sun harm your eyesight and put you at risk of dehydration, but it can also cause severe health problems in the long term, like skin cancer and a suppressed immune system. Heat can affect your work area too, for example by...
Devon-wide health and well-being charity Westbank Community Health and Care is delighted to welcome personal injury lawyer James Wood as its newest Trustee. His appointment was confirmed by the board on Wednesday (27th April).
James, who’s a paraplegic following a motorcycle accident as a young man, lives in Exeter and is a former Managing Director of a unique legal service called Aspire Law. Set up as a joint venture between Aspire Charity and a leading UK law firm, it made significant gains in the personal injury market under James’ stewardship - resulting in a lucrative extra...
Wetter weather earlier in the year followed by warmer, sunnier spells this month in Devon may make pets and people more prone to ticks when walking in woodlands or long vegetation, Public Health Devon warn .
“Ticks thrive in warmer weather and in lush vegetation,” says Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon. “And with warmer weather and people taking to the outdoors for recreation, woodlands and overgrown paths are likely to have ticks living among them.”
There are approximately 1,500 cases of Lyme disease, commonly spread by ticks, in England and Wales each year...
