The NHS in Devon is supporting people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities (BAME) to take up a potentially life-saving coronavirus vaccination when they are eligible as part of the national programme.
Like other areas of the country, take-up of the vaccination in Devon among some BAME communities is lower than in the overall population.
In Devon, early data modelling suggests people of Black and Asian ethnicity have lower take-up than White British people.
Recent engagement work led by NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group suggests that the reasons...
Testing for coronavirus is going to be the cornerstone of our transition back to normal life, Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, has declared.
With schools and colleges opening up again, and restrictions set to gradually ease over coming weeks and months – subject to the latest data at the time – testing is going to be a vital part of keeping case numbers down, he explains.
“Over coming weeks and months, we are going to see a lot more movement of people – students returning to education, more people getting back to work, the loosening of restrictions on how...
People with Covid in Devon, who are over 65 or are clinically extremely vulnerable, are being encouraged to ask their GP about using a potentially life-saving device at home to check their blood oxygen levels are not getting dangerously low.
Under a new NHS scheme called Covid Oximetry at Home, eligible patients can be given a pulse oximeter – a small and simple device that measures levels of oxygen in the blood – to use in the comfort and safety of their home during the first 14 days of symptoms.
The service is available to patients who have coronavirus and are...
There are now 200 organisations working with the University of Exeter on degree apprenticeship programmes, which combine work with part-time study – allowing for on-the-job experience while students work towards a degree qualification.
NHS employees enrolled on newly launched degree apprenticeship programmes in Diagnostic Radiography, Clinical Associate in Psychology and Senior Leader Healthcare during 2020, raising the total number of NHS apprentices to 203 – up from 29 this time last year.
The success comes amid challenging circumstances, with the Covid-19 pandemic...
There is still time for people in Devon aged over 70, and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, to book a coronavirus vaccination in coming days.
The NHS in Devon is on target to have vaccinated all the eligible people in priority groups 1-4 who wanted to take up a vaccine, by Sunday (February 14), in line with the Government’s ambition.
The latest data published by the NHS show that as of 7 February, more than 271,000 people had received a first dose across the county, with approximately 98% of people aged 75-79, and 95% of over-80s, having received a vaccination...
Devon has seen a fall in the number of positive cases, across all age groups, Public Health Devon has confirmed.
"The current restrictions are helping to bring down the number of positive cases in Devon," says Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon.
"Devon residents are doing really well in adhering to the current lockdown restrictions, and we're seeing evidence that their efforts are working. However, we must keep it up.
"We do have concerns about the numbers of people currently testing positive for coronavirus in care homes, and in some business settings...
A joint New Year message from Steve Brown, director of public health Devon County Council and Dr Rob Dyer, NHS medical director for Devon.
It is customary at this time of year to reflect, to look at the last 12-months – and then to look ahead.
2020 was certainly like no other for many of us.
What we expected at the beginning of the year - the usual trials and tribulations of normal times – were suddenly and significantly turned on their head in March.
The worrying images on our TVs screens first from Wuhan in China, then Hong Kong, Russia and then...
NHS organisations across Devon are sharing their resources and expertise to manage the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, prepare for winter and keep essential services running.
As COVID-19 infections rise, health and social care partners are preparing for an increase in patients with the virus at hospitals in coming months.
The most recently published data show 517 confirmed cases in Devon with hospital admissions increasing.
Devon’s four main hospitals* will work closely as a network to manage resources in the most effective way to deliver a range of services...
Hundreds of volunteers from the South West will from today be invited to join a leading phase three COVID-19 vaccine study, as the number of people who have signed up to take part in vaccine research hits 9,220 across Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset.
The study will test the safety and effectiveness of a promising new vaccine, developed by US biotechnology company Novavax, across a broad spectrum of people, including those from a variety of age groups and backgrounds. Phase 3 studies involve many thousands of people, giving researchers insights into the effects of a vaccine...
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has called on people across the South West to download the new NHS Covid-19 app, which has now launched across England and Wales following rigorous testing and successful trials.
The NHS Covid-19 app will alert users if they have been close to someone who later tests positive for coronavirus, as well as providing risk alerts based on a user’s postcode, allow users to scan QR codes to check in at venues on the app and allow people to book tests, if they have symptoms.
The app works by logging the amount of time you spend near other app users...
