This month our newsletter is introduced by Katherine Nolan, Chief Executive of Spark Somerset – who talks about the importance of volunteering and how this can spark a positive change in people. There is also information on NHS Somerset’s Big Conversation Roadshow, a spotlight on a recent VCFSE research event as well as some great…

Local health teams in Somerset working together on the COVID-19 vaccine programme are celebrating as over 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccination have been delivered in Somerset. COVID-19 can still be a serious illness, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune system. Last year’s spring vaccination programme showed that people who…

Update on the implementation phase following the Integrated Care Board meeting 23/05/2024 Following the unanimous decision taken by NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board in January to improve our acute stroke services, we agreed to keep the public informed on the next steps in the process. We have now started to implement the plans, which were…

GP Teams in Somerset have been working hard to ensure patients get the care they need. In 2023, they delivered 3,600,868 appointments, an increase of 25% from 2019. This is the equivalent of each person in Somerset seeing their practice six times this year. 42% of appointments took place on the same day. 62% of…

Ahead of Dying Matters Week, with its theme this year around the importance of having conversations around death and dying, NHS Somerset has launched a unique film made by and with adults with learning disabilities called We Need to Talk About Death. The film was made with a group of adults with learning disabilities from My…

The latest edition of Our Somerset is now available. Our monthly newsletter brings together news and updates from across Somerset’s health and care organisations, providing you with a range of helpful updates, news and events from across the county. This month we are asking people to ‘move more’ in May for mental health as well…

As we move into the spring and summer months, our focus continues to be on caring for you and your families in the right way, in the right place, and at the right time. Community Pharmacies Visiting your local pharmacy when you feel like you’re coming down with something or affected by over 40 common…

Tens of thousands of children and adults living with type 1 diabetes across England are set to receive an ‘artificial pancreas’ in a world-first initiative being rolled out by the NHS. The groundbreaking device continually monitors a person’s blood glucose, then automatically adjusts the amount of insulin given to them through a pump. Local NHS…

Two new armed forces hubs were officially launched in Somerset last week by Deputy Lieutenant Brigadier Toomey, representing HM’s Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and Shelagh Meldrum Chief Nursing Officer at NHS Somerset. Also, in attendance were serving personnel from RNAS Yeovilton, 40 Commando, a number of veterans, charities and other agencies who work with the…

The NHS in Somerset is working hard to keep services running and people safe during periods of planned industrial action. The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced junior doctors will take strike actions from 07:00 on Saturday 24 February to 23:59 on Wednesday 28 February Hospital Consultants and Specialist Assoc (HCSA) has also announced that their…