News
Warmer weather doesn’t lower the risk: Spring COVID jabs to protect vulnerable people in Somerset
As spring brings brighter weather, many people naturally feel more active and optimistic. But illnesses like COVID-19 haven’t gone away, and for some, the risks remain very real. 42% of people in Somerset have already been vaccinated this Spring but the virus spreads easily all year round and can be very dangerous and even life…
Read MoreReminder: Order prescriptions ahead of the bank holiday
NHS Somerset is reminding people to plan ahead and make sure they have ordered their repeat prescriptions in time, ahead of this weekend’s May Bank Holiday. The easiest and quickest way to order your repeat medicine is via the NHS App or GP Online Services which you can do from the comfort of your own home. If…
Read MoreMore than 4,500 people sign up for appointments at new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne
More than 4,500 people have expressed an interest in an appointment at a new NHS dental practice opening soon in Crewkerne. NHS Somerset, the local headquarters for the NHS, is working with DentistryForYou to open Crewkerne Dental Care. The new practice, located at 22 Market Street in the town centre, will be offering NHS and…
Read MoreGet protected this spring with a COVID-19 vaccination
If you are over 75 years old, aged 6 months and over and immunosuppressed or a resident of a care home for older adults, you can now get your COVID-19 spring vaccination. COVID-19 spreads easily all year round. It can still be very dangerous and even life threatening, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune…
Read More‘We’d never heard of RSV – until it almost took my mum’: family backs new vaccine roll-out for over‑80s
A Somerset farmer, whose mum spent years supporting her church and volunteering locally before becoming critically ill with RSV, is urging older people to get vaccinated and make the most of new rules which mean everyone over 75 can get the jab from April. Previously, the RSV vaccine was available to older adults who were…
Read MoreNHS Somerset update on progress to reopening Yeovil maternity and neonatal services
NHS Somerset has today issued an update following the latest three‑monthly review meeting with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, confirming the trust are making continued progress toward the planned reopening of maternity and neonatal services at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) on 21 April 2026. The Trust reported significant improvements in staffing, a key requirement for safely…
Read MoreHelp save the NHS £300 million: Public urged to act as over one billion prescription items are wasted every year
The NHS is urging the public to check their medicine cabinets as shocking figures reveal that more than one billion prescription items are wasted each year, costing the NHS over £300 million annually. GP prescribing spend nationally is £10.3 billion a year. NHS England’s National Overprescribing Report shows that around 10% of primary care prescriptions…
Read MoreNHS Somerset launches its RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine take up campaign to protect over 75s
The little-known vaccination that could keep you out of hospital this winter 15,000 over 75s in Somerset who are eligible haven’t yet taken up the RSV vaccination There’s a winter virus called RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), which can be much more serious for over 75’s, and for anyone with a weaker immune system or long-term…
Read MoreBounce back in winter viruses as NHS top doctor warns ‘the worst is far from over’
Christmas and New Year gatherings may have caused a bounce back in winter viruses, as the health service also grapples with a vicious cold snap. Figures published today show that the number of patients in hospital beds with flu has risen by 9% on the previous week (2,924), following two weeks where that number had…
Read MoreHelp us, help you, as demand for NHS services increase during the cold weather spell – January 2026
The NHS is here for you, so don’t delay if you need us, but please help us help you, by choosing the right service during this busy cold weather period (January 2026). You can help us, help you by: Please Be Patient Be Kind We will do our best to see you as quickly as…
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