Doctors in Devon are concerned that people with cancer symptoms are not coming forward due to the coronavirus pandemic, following new findings that suggest four in ten people are too concerned about being a burden on the NHS to seek help from their GP.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has warned that delays in getting treatment due to coronavirus fears pose a long term risk to people’s health.

John Renninson, Clinical Director of the Peninsula Cancer Alliance and consultant at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, has said there has been a 75% reduction...

The operational challenges currently facing Air Ambulances have kept the teams at Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) focussed on finding sustainable solutions to protect our patients and our staff and help our communities. “We are involved in an industry-wide effort and collaboration to tackle various aviation factors that will enable the organisation to resume its air operations", explained Ian Payne, Flight Operations Director of Devon Air Ambulance "and are very grateful to the businesses and regulators who are all working together on three key initiatives.” A prototype separation barrier has...

An Exeter food wholesaler, which usually services the South West food service industry, has secured a six-figure finance facility from HSBC UK to extend its service to members of the public amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Family-owned J&R Food Service, which supplies frozen, chilled and ambient food predominantly to pubs, cafes and restaurants across the South West, is using the funding to facilitate its new home delivery service, set up to provide essential food deliveries during lockdown.

Since lockdown began in March, the business has seen more than 9,000...

Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has been nominated for Planning Law Firm of the Year at the 2020 Planning Awards. The awards recognise excellence in professional planning work including outstanding work by councils, consultants, developers, lawyers, voluntary groups and other important players in the UK planning system.

WBD's national planning team was shortlisted on the back of its expertise advising public and private sector clients on a range of high profile projects. There are two matters of note.

The firm advised NHS Property Services Limited (NHSPS) on a...

An engineering company that provides vital services to NHS hospitals throughout the South West and Wales is using funding support from NatWest so it can continue helping frontline medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rotamec, which is headquartered in Cheddar and has offices in Exeter, Pontypool and Redditch , is a specialist engineering firm that supports multiple sectors with the provision and repair of electrical and mechanical infrastructures and facilities.

These include important heating and pump systems used in hospital theatres and patient wards, which...

A leading scientist from the University of Exeter has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Professor Gordon Brown , Director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology , is among 51 new Fellows, 10 Foreign Members and one Honorary Fellow selected for their “outstanding contributions to scientific understanding”.

Professor Brown’s primary research interests are C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) and their role in homeostasis and immunity, with a particular focus on antifungal immunity.

“I am honoured and delighted to have been elected to the Royal Society, an...

Patients from across the South West Peninsula (Cornwall, Devon and Somerset) are being enrolled into the firstclinical trial of potential COVID-19 treatments to take place in GP practices.

The nationally coordinated PRINCIPLE (Platform Randomised trial of INterventions against COVID-19 in older pePLE) trial, led by the University of Oxford, has seen the first participants recruited regionally and many more sites are opening to deliver the trial. There are currently thirteen General Practices in the region with the site open for recruitment and a further 61 that have expressed an...

A housing association charity has increased practical support for rough sleepers and the homeless in and around Exeter because of the national emergency.

In close collaboration with multi-agency partners, BCHA secured them local accommodation and essential support services during lockdown.

Westminster informed local authorities that everyone sleeping rough must be supported into appropriate accommodation, with £3.2m earmarked nationally to help secure accommodation for people sleeping rough to self-isolate.

Following social distancing measures by the Government...

Researchers from the University of Exeter and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), in partnership with the NHS, have developed a crucial new tool to ensure health trusts maintain sufficient levels of life-saving equipment and bed spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research team, led by Professor Gavin Shaddick from the University of Exeter, has developed a new data modelling tool to help forecast demand on crucial NHS resources in the region.

The forecasts have been used to help predict the demand for in-patient beds, intensive...

As a child, I grew up with a family member who was diagnosed with a mental health illness. I witnessed many times them being sectioned and quite often would visit them in hospital. From that time I remember saying “I want to work there one day”; referring to the hospital that my mother was in.

Since leaving school, I have always wanted to work in healthcare. I started as a health care assistant in a nursing home before working in an acute psychiatric unit. I have always wanted to become a nurse as I have the compassion and empathy for the people I look after. However, it was not as...