1. Help shape Plymouth’s disability adaptation services

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    Plymouth City Council are launching an important consultation about how they deliver disability adaptations across Plymouth, and they need your help to spread the word and get involved.

  2. First sponsors announced to honour Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s people at annual celebration event

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    Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is proud to announce details of its annual Our People Awards celebration event, thanks to the generosity of its corporate sponsors.

  3. DR RANJ CALLS ON PUBLIC TO SPARE 3 MINUTES TO FEEDBACK ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES

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    This Share for Better Care Week (24 February – 2 March), Dr Ranj is teaming up with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Healthwatch England (HWE) to urge people across England to take three spare minutes to feed back on their recent health and social care experiences.

  4. Devon ADHD project secures funding to develop virtual assistant

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    A project to support young people with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has secured funding to develop a multilingual virtual assistant.

  5. One week to go to give your views on the NHS in Devon

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    Local people in Devon have one week left to share their experiences, views and ideas that will contribute to the development of the national 10-Year Health Plan whilst informing local priorities in Devon.

  6. New research calls for pocket-sized cards to support NHS patients with trauma

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    Nearly a fifth of people who have experienced trauma say they often avoid health services. Healthwatch England have called on the NHS to adopt pocket-sized trauma cards for patients to show during appointments, following a successful pilot.

  7. NHSE national director set to retire

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    The seniormost medic in the NHS in England is stepping down.

  8. Tell us about your referral

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    Our national partner Healthwatch England are asking about your experience of referral for specialist treatment. Has your GP referred you for an assessment or treatment at a hospital or community clinic? Share your story.

  9. Details announced on supervised toothbrushing scheme for children

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    Today the government finally announced details of how it will fulfill Labour's election pledge to roll out a supervised toothbrushing scheme to children aged 3-5 living in deprived areas.

  10. NHS dental changes to increase by 2.4% from April

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    The government has announced that NHS dental changes will go up from 1 April by 2.39% .

  11. New report released on people held under the Mental Health Act

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    People detained for inpatient assessment and treatment under the Mental Health Act seem to be more unwell on admission than in the past, according to a report out today from the Care Quality Commission.

  12. Digital literacy project shortlisted for national award

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    A Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust team has been shortlisted for its work on digital literacy and inclusion in the prestigious Health Services Journal (HSJ) digital awards 2025.

  13. Impact awards: Outstanding work leads to first-ever joint win

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    Two projects have been awarded the 2024 Healthwatch Impact Award for their exceptional work in using local people’s experiences to improve care.

  14. New domestic abuse service launches in Devon

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    A new domestic abuse support service is set to launch in Devon.

  15. New Changes to the 2025/26 GP Contract

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    Following the announcement last month that the government had agreed a new one-year contract with GPs, Healthwatch can bring you more details of what the changes mean to patient care from 1 April.

  16. Healthwatch England position on social care

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    Good social care can make a big difference to someone's life. But are people always receiving the help they need? Find out what our research and feedback tells us and how we think social care support could be improved.

  17. Learn more about heart health at a free event at Torbay Hospital

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    Want to find out more about heart health? Join Naing KoKo, consultant cardiologist, at a free health talk on Tuesday 29 April 2025, from 5.30pm-6.30pm at TREC, Torbay Hospital (or online).

  18. Local GP joins national committee of health and social care champion

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    Dr Joanna Bircher is now a member of the Healthwatch England Committee.

  19. Share your experiences about emotional support for people affected by cancer

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    The NHS Peninsula Cancer Alliance and Macmillan Cancer Support are undertaking a survey to understand how cancer affects the feelings and emotions of patients, their families, and/or carers.

  20. More than 40,000 Devon residents vaccinated against COVID-19 in first week of Spring vaccination campaign

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    More than 40,000 patients in Devon eligible for the COVID –19 vaccination this Spring have been vaccinated in the first week of the campaign.

  21. NHS in Devon prepares for Easter weekend

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    The NHS in Devon is preparing for the start of the holiday season, as the first of many visitors start to arrive for the Easter weekend.

  22. New exhibition explores life after the pandemic

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    For the past three years, artist Helen Snell has worked with staff at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to explore issues of wellbeing and burn out as they tried to recover from the pandemic.

  23. Government funding approved for new Emergency Care Building

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    The southwest’s major trauma centre and acute specialist hospital at Derriford will benefit from a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Care Building after the Department of Health and Social Care rubber-stamped funding for the project.

  24. Protections on NHS letter delivery agreed between Royal Mail, NHS leaders and patient bodies

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    Working with Royal Mail, NHS and patient organisations, our national partners Healthwatch England have written an open letter to Ofcom highlighting the introduction of new protections to ensure reliable and efficient postal service for NHS patients.

  25. Eye care costs a barrier for people on low incomes

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    New research from our national partners Healthwatch England reveals costs of additional eye care services are likely to deter some people from visiting opticians altogether.

  26. AI solution to detect lung cancer launches in south west

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    Peninsula Imaging Network (PenRAD) has launched an AI-powered chest CT service across four NHS trusts in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to help detect lung cancer quicker.

  27. Men's Health Strategy for England - share your views

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    The Government launched a call for evidence to inform the development of a men's health strategy for England. Share your views by 17 July 2025.

  28. Refurbished St Edmunds community site enhances local health and care services

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    Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to announce the reopening of its newly refurbished St Edmunds community site in Torquay.

  29. Lung cancer screening rolled out across Torbay and South Devon

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    To help us get ahead of lung cancer, screening is currently being rolled out across Torbay and South Devon and is available for people aged 55-74 years old who have ever smoked and are registered with a participating GP practice in the area.

  30. NHS prescription charges frozen for 2025-26

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    NHS prescription charges in England will be frozen for the first time in 3 years, keeping the cost of a prescription below ten pounds.

  31. Health and care select committee publish report on the cost of not reforming social care

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    Last week the House of Commons Health and Care Select committee has published its report Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction.

  32. NHSE sets out specification on urgent NHS dental appointments

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    NHS England has published a national specification and clinical guidelines to support the goal of delivering 700,000 extra urgent NHS dental appointments during 2025-26.

  33. Help the NHS in Devon this bank holiday weekend

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    Ahead of the bank holiday weekend, the advice is to:
    • Order and collect any repeat medicines
    • Make sure your medicine cabinet is well-stocked
    • Make use of community pharmacies
    • Look after yourselves and loved ones - check in on vulnerable family members and neighbours.

  34. ADHD diagnosis life-changing but long waits on the NHS need urgent action

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    New poll of 2,579 adults from our national partners Healthwatch England highlights that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis can change people’s lives. Yet long waits for assessments put people with suspected ADHD off seeking professional care. Read more from Healthwatch England below.

  35. Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust welcomes Care Quality Commission reports

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    Inpatient and community children’s services run by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission following unannounced inspections last year.

  36. £7.3million secured to reduce critical infrastructure risks at Torbay Hospital

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    Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust have confirmed that they have secured £7.3million from the estates safety fund to reduce their critical infrastructure risks at Torbay Hospital, helping to prevent cancelled appointments and operations.

  37. Torbay's Voluntary Network Celebrates Milestones at Annual Celebration

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    The Torbay Health and Wellbeing Voluntary Sector Network has released its second annual report showcasing an “extraordinary year of community collaboration, impact, and resilience in the face of ongoing economic and social challenges”.