Health & Beauty

Free NHS flu vaccination clinics available across Devon

It’s not too late to have your free NHS flu vaccination to protect yourself and your loved ones this winter.

Due to the current increase in the rates of flu and other respiratory infections, extra drop-in clinics are running for those eligible to get their free NHS flu vaccine and/or their seasonal COVID-19 booster vaccination.

Pregnant women, and those aged 75-79 and people who turned 80 after 1 September 2024, are also encouraged to take up the offer of Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination, which helps protect against respiratory syncytial virus, commonly referred...

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Ground-breaking COVID-19 antiviral treatment trial opens to recruitment in South West

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 12/11/2021 - 3:37pm

Local GPs and healthcare professionals have begun enrolling participants across Cornwall to a first-of-its-kind clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of new oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 - which can be safely taken at home.

People from across other areas of the South West, including Devon and Somerset, will be invited to take part in the coming weeks.

The Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of covid-19 In the Community (PANORAMIC) trial will rapidly assess a range of purpose-designed antiviral treatments which could help...

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Get NHS advice quickly ahead of ‘winter like no other’

The NHS in Devon is encouraging local people to use NHS 111 online to get urgent medical advice quickly as we enter what England’s top doctor says will be a ‘winter like no other’.

Patients should continue to come forward for care and are still being encouraged to speak to a pharmacist, GP or call 111 if they need urgent advice.

NHS 111 online can direct patients to urgent treatment centres and walk in clinics, GP surgeries, pharmacies and emergency dental services and, if needed, a call from a healthcare professional.

Dafydd Jones, NHS Devon’s Strategic...

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Over 2.2 million doses given as Covid-19 vaccination programme reaches anniversary milestone

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 12/08/2021 - 12:11pm

In just one year more than 2.2 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been given across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay at 43 vaccine clinic sites and over 160 outreach clinics. Over the last year people have been vaccinated in sports grounds, pharmacies, pubs, hospitals, leisure centres and places of worship.

The most recent published figures show that between the start of the vaccination programme, on 8 December 2020, and 28 November 2021 968,574 first doses have been given in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, 896,315 second doses and 368,781 third and booster doses. A total of 2,234,...

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NIHR supported study run in Exeter publishes COVID-19 booster data

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 12/03/2021 - 11:57pm

Six COVID-19 vaccines are safe and boost immunity for people who have had two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech, results from the UK-wide COV-BOOST trial show.

The world-first study, which recruited volunteers at Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, was key to shaping the UK booster programme and gives vital evidence for global vaccination efforts. The study, led by University Hospital Southampton, has had its latest results published in The Lancet.

COV-BOOST looked at the safety, immune responses and side-effects of seven vaccines when used as a third,...

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Over 50s urged to have free flu vaccine this winter as scientists predict significant outbreak

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 12/02/2021 - 11:27pm

Over-50s in Devon are being urged to take up their FREE NHS flu vaccine as experts warn of a significant flu outbreak this winter.

Flu is not just a heavy cold. It is a highly infectious disease, causing fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. It can’t be treated by antibiotics because it is a virus.

Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days but, for some, it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. The virus can...

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Public urged to wait their turn as booster programme expands in Devon

This week the UK government announced the booster programme is being significantly expanded to fight the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced that current vaccines are likely to be at least partially effective against the Omicron variant and that having the booster offers a much higher antibody response against Covid-19.

Around 50,000 people are already being vaccinated against Covid-19 each week in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. The NHS is working to increase this capacity following the announcement that the booster...

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The pros and cons of using BetterHelp Therapy

Authored by Claire Small
Posted: Tue, 11/30/2021 - 10:58pm

BetterHelp Therapy is an online platform that provides counselling services. The platform has qualified, licensed and experienced therapists that include psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, family therapists and mental health professionals.

However, you can only access BetterHelp therapy services online using a computer, tablet or a smartphone and not in person.

To understand BetterHelp Therapy better, here are its pros and cons. You can also look at these BetterHelp reviews .

Pros

1. Easy to get started

It's easy to get...

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Poor sleep linked to feeling older and worse outlook on ageing, which can impact health

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 11/29/2021 - 11:36pm

Poor sleep in the over 50s is linked to more negative perceptions of ageing, which in turn can impact physical, mental and cognitive health, new research has revealed.

A study led by the University of Exeter and found that people who rated their sleep the worst also felt older, and perceived their own physical and mental ageing more negatively.

Lead author Serena Sabatini, of the University of Exeter, said: “As we age, we all experience both positive and negative changes in many areas of our lives. However, some people perceive more negative changes than others. As we...

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Concern regarding undiagnosed liver disease in Devon

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sun, 11/28/2021 - 11:12pm

One in five adults in the South West could have undiagnosed liver disease, the British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver mobile screening and scanning unit found after visiting the region in November.

The charity visited Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and Cheltenham, and scanned passers-by who were interested in finding out more about their liver health. Of the 268 people scanned, 50 (19%) had a high reading and were sent to their doctor for further tests.

The numbers of people with a high reading varied across the region: One in four people in Truro were sent to their...

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Help yourself and the NHS in Devon with self-care

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 11/27/2021 - 5:32pm

As winter approaches, doctors in Devon are reminding people that by practising self-care, they can help themselves and reduce the need to use busy NHS services.

Self-care involves helping people to better understand how to look after minor illnesses or long-term conditions, and how to prevent ill health by choosing healthy options for good physical and mental wellbeing.

Dr Alex Degan, NHS Devon’s Primary Care Medical Director, said: “It is really important to look after yourself, especially as we are getting closer to winter, with both flu and Covid-19 likely to both be...

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