Disruptions to NHS services in the South East are expected from Thursday as junior doctors get ready to strike again. The latest strike action will run from 7am on Thursday (27 June) until 7am on Tuesday 2 July, and is set to affect most routine care as the NHS prioritises urgent and emergency care, with […]

The offer to have a spring COVID-19 booster will end soon. People eligible for the booster have until Sunday (30/6) to get their top-up. This includes anyone currently aged 75 and over, or who will be aged 75 by 30 June 2024, along with older adult care home residents and people with a weakened immune […]

The NHS has today announced the 143 hospital sites that will test and roll out Martha’s Rule in its first year. Twenty of these sites are in the South East Confirmation of the first sites to test implementation of Martha’s Rule is the next step in a major patient safety initiative, following the announcement in […]

With the last of May’s bank holidays fast approaching, the South East’s Medical Director is once again urging members of the public to order any repeat prescriptions that are due in good time. Many pharmacies will be closed on Monday 27 May and others may have limited opening hours, making it more challenging for patients […]

The NHS in the South East is urging all adults aged 40 and over in the region to make regular blood pressure monitoring a priority this World Hypertension Day. The theme of this year’s awareness day, which is being marked today, is: “Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement, Control It, Live Longer.” Recent statistics reveal that over […]

Since the start of the region’s Virtual Wards Programme, over 110,000 patients in the South East have been able to receive hospital level urgent care from their home. The programme launched in April 2022, and whilst some patients are transferred to a virtual ward after an initial stay in hospital (as an ‘early supported discharge’), the […]

There were one million more GP practice appointments available to patients in the South East in March this year compared to March 2019 (pre-pandemic) recent NHS figures reveal. There were 4.5m appointments with health care professionals offered last month compared to 3.5m in March 2019 – an increase of 29%. Of the 4.5m appointments last […]

With the May bank holiday fast approaching, the South East’s Medical Director is urging members of the public to order any repeat prescriptions that are due in good time. Each bank holiday the NHS 111 phone service sees an increase in calls from people who need urgent repeat prescriptions. Pharmacies may have limited opening hours […]

Emergency Departments and ambulance services across the South East continued to see improved response and treatment times last month despite further increases in demand. 357,740 people attended emergency departments in March, and although that represents an 11.6% increase year-on-year and 35,000 more than last month, providers were able to treat an additional 6,601 patients within […]

The NHS National Booking System will open for spring Covid-19 vaccination bookings on Monday (15 April), with those eligible able to book appointments from the following week. Spring vaccinations will be available until 30 June 2024. Following Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, the following people are eligible for the vaccine this spring: […]