AI To Help Boost NHS Winter Response and Prevent Avoidable Admissions
AI will spot patients at risk of needing to go to hospital so community NHS teams can get to them first and reduce pressures on A&Es, as part of a range of tech and data solutions being rolled out across the NHS ahead of winter. Four GP practices in Somerset are trialling an AI system…
Read MoreSelf-care week 2023: Small changes can make a big difference to your mind and body this winter
Self-care week is a perfect time to think about how we live our lives and make small changes that will improve our health and wellbeing, and that of our family too. Our Somerset have put together a list of ten ideas to inspire you. Jeremy Imms, Associate Clinical Director Primary Care at NHS Somerset said:…
Read MoreThere’s still time to get winter strong with flu and COVID-19 vaccines
More than half of the 255,000 people in Somerset eligible for a COVID-19 booster have had their vital top-up dose ahead of winter. Somerset began its autumn booster campaign just two months ago and has already given maximum protection from COVID-19 to 137,000 people and from flu to 170,000 people. As the weather turns colder,…
Read MoreNHS Somerset top in South West for care home COVID-19 vaccinations this season
Somerset is leading the region on the percentage of care home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 this winter. Over 90% of care home residents in Somerset have received their COVID-19 jab. The winter vaccine roll-out began on the 11 September 2023 and 128,000 COVID-19 vaccinations and 164,000 flu vaccinations have been given in Somerset to date.…
Read MoreNHS Patients To Be Offered The Chance To Travel For Treatment
Hundreds of thousands of NHS patients who have been waiting the longest for treatment will be offered the opportunity to travel to a different hospital, if it means they could be seen sooner. From today, any patient who has been waiting longer than 40 weeks and does not have an appointment within the next eight…
Read MoreSomerset Community Foundation awards over £150,000 to help local community groups survive cost-of-living crisis
Somerset Community Foundation, in partnership with Somerset Council and NHS Somerset, recently awarded over £150,000 in grants to 44 local community groups in the latest round of Cost-of-Living grants this summer. The grants will help groups across the county cope with rising energy bills and offer more support to people in Somerset who are struggling…
Read MoreEMED group to provide non-emergency patient transport in Somerset
This is a patient transport service for non-urgent, planned journeys . NHS Somerset has successfully concluded a procurement exercise, awarding a 5-year contract to EMED Patient Care for the non-emergency patient transport service to go live on 1 October 2023. EMED, which is an independent sector provider of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS), has an…
Read MoreSomerset based Digital Inclusion project shortlisted for national award
The Spark iT Digital Inclusion Project, which supports Somerset residents to get online, has been shortlisted for the national Digital Inclusion Award category by ISPA UK. The team behind the project, hosted by charity, Spark Somerset, works to provide free support to Somerset residents who want to get online, but face barriers due to a…
Read MoreHelping you make the most of the NHS App to help you look after your health
In readiness for winter, when we know health and care services become busier, NHS Somerset is rolling out a series of drop in events across Somerset at local GP practices to help Somerset residents better understand how to use the NHS app. At the drop in events, we will be able to help residents register…
Read MoreShining a spotlight on safer care across Somerset for World Patient Safety Day
NHS Somerset and Healthwatch Somerset are shining a spotlight on patient and family engagement for safer care across Somerset for World Patient Safety Day on 17 September. In June 2023, NHS Somerset appointed two Patient Safety Partners (PSPs) to support Somerset’s journey to improve the way patients are involved in health and care to help…
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