A local community champion is supporting the NHS in Devon to transform health and social care by independently chairing a series of special public events.
Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay is the local independent champion for people using health and social care services.
They listen to people’s views and experiences of local services like GPs, Hospitals, Dentists and Care Homes. They then encourage those in charge to use what they have heard in decisions that affect local people.
In November last year the NHS in Devon launched local engagement around...
The NHS in Devon is reminding everyone of the simple steps they can take to protect their health as they gear up for end of year festivities.
Get vaccinated
Winter illnesses, including flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are circulating widely, with emergency department attendances on the rise. We strongly encourage everyone eligible, especially the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing health conditions, to come forward for their vaccinations for these infections. Vaccination will help reduce your risk of getting seriously ill this...
The rollout of COVID and flu vaccines for older adults, care home residents and those with long term health conditions kicked off this month as the NHS drive to protect against a ‘tripledemic’ of viruses this winter continues.
The NHS in Devon is preparing for the winter period and encouraging local people to make best use of health services and protect themselves with winter vaccinations to get ‘winter strong’.
Those eligible can book appointments, with hundreds of thousands of slots still available via the NHS website, the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free. The flu...
Medical Imaging at the University of Exeter is celebrating 20 years of teaching and research excellence, training much-needed radiographers for the NHS and beyond.
Since the programme was launched in 2004 to help address a national shortage of radiographers, Medical Imaging has trained more than 1,000 radiographers, with active student placements in ten NHS trusts across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset. The programme is consistently ranked among the best in the country, producing outstanding radiographers to help meet the needs of the NHS.
Over four million people have now received their spring covid booster from the NHS just ten weeks after bookings officially opened as part of the latest vaccination campaign.
Around seven million people are eligible for a spring covid jab this year, including those aged 75 and over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents, and the latest stats published today show 4,042,920 vaccines have been delivered by the NHS.
The vaccine offer formally opened to everyone outside of a care home on 22 April, but NHS staff have been going into older...
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is encouraging people to use the right healthcare for them this May bank holiday weekend as the region prepares for a further influx of visitors.
Residents and tourists to the South West are reminded to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency.
Bank holiday weekends can be a busy time for 999 services, especially if the weather turns out to be warm and sunny – whether in the garden, doing DIY at home, visiting family and friends, or exploring the region’s beauty spots.
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 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...
Equipped with Aplio i800 / Prism Edition , the Devon hospital – a Covid-19 response unit turned community diagnostics hub – has helped reduce the local NHS patient waiting list from six weeks to less than two weeks.
With a quarter of the population now on the NHS waiting list, reducing the backlog is critical. To ease the pressure on acute care, Professor Sir Mike Richards published a report in November 2020 calling for community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to be made available across England.
Utilising a share of £11.3 million funding awarded by the National Accelerator...
