NHS England

Do you have green fingers? These folks certainly do. The Growing Well Garden, an initiative in Mid Devon, is supporting patients’ wellbeing and mental health. Led by GP Susan, the garden is open for drop-in sessions and patients can also be referred for one-to-one sessions through social prescribing. Susan explains why the garden has been so successful in helping improve patient outcomes. ‘A garden feels like a natural place to talk about well-being, connection, relationships, diet and physical activity. It removes barriers. If patients come and talk to me when I’m wearing gardening clothes and covered in mud, the conversations are more natural, rather than people feeling they’re being told something by a doctor.’ #TimeToTalkDay is an opportunity for everyone to speak about their mental health. So, if you’re struggling with your mental health, NHS Talking Therapies can help. You can refer yourself online or you can be referred by your GP. Find out more. https://lnkd.in/empHwhvJ

We’ll be live streaming our next #NHSBoard meeting today at 2:30pm. You can find the agenda, board papers and link to watch the public session on our website. https://lnkd.in/egjM8mBz

There was an average of 98,101 patients in hospital each day last week – higher than at any point so far this winter. Around 96% of adult hospital beds were occupied, also a record for this winter. Read more on the latest data ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e6_yasT9

‘Seeing Albert again after all these years has made my day. We do all sorts of difficult things in our job, but it’s for people like Albert.’ In 2006, Albert visited his GP due to stomach pain and was referred to the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. After his visit, he learned that he had cancer in both kidneys. Without treatment, he would only have three months to live. Albert said, ‘Later that week I received a letter referring me to Mr Golash, who would be performing a new kind of keyhole surgery.’ During surgery, Mr Golash and the urology team took one kidney out, and whilst the other kidney had cancer cells in it, they weren’t growing that quickly. Albert was told he’d be able to manage that with drugs, which he’s still on today. Albert recently met Mr Golash, 18 years later, and thanked him for giving him precious extra years with his late wife Irene, who passed away two years ago. 💙Thank you Albert for sharing your story. Click here to find out more about the signs and symptoms of kidney cancer https://lnkd.in/eAvJaizA. #WorldCancerDay 

‘When I started experiencing tummy ache during the night, I put it down to Braxton Hicks contractions. Unfortunately, I woke up at 2.30am with a lot of blood loss.’ Molly suffered a placenta abruption at 36 weeks pregnant and was rushed to the hospital ahead of the birth of her twin girls, Poppy and Millie. Despite the birth becoming an emergency, Molly looks back on the experience fondly because of the amazing work of the staff. ‘All of the staff on shift were so friendly, calming and made me feel at ease. I had some observations done and an ultrasound, and I was reassured every step of the way as both me and my husband were a little worried!’ Due to her blood loss, Molly needed an emergency C-section under general anaesthetic. ‘The staff told me I would have my babies with me soon. The mask went on and I was under, the next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room with two babies next to me! Thank you to all of the staff for making a lot of trauma very easy to deal with, all to get my baby girls who are now nearly 1-year olds!’ Excellent work Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group! 💙 If you want to work as part of a team that helps mums like Molly, discover a career in midwifery. https://lnkd.in/eds-Eugj

‘We all work very hard to ensure that patients feel included and safe with us.’ Edu is a Speciality Doctor in Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, who joined his clinic at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust three years ago. ‘As a queer immigrant person of colour in the UK, I am really proud of working in a service that cherishes diversity, fosters inclusion and creates a safe space for the LGBT+ community.’ Sexual health services across the country, like the one where Edu works, provide specialist services that cater for the needs of the LGBT+ community, including peer support, specialist clinics, access to PrEP and PEP, HPV vaccinations and sexual health advice. Find a sexual health clinic near you. https://lnkd.in/erTksB-W #LGBTplusHM

‘Like football, survival from a cardiac arrest is a team effort and every second counts.’ Late last year, first team players from Norwich City Football Club were taught life-saving skills by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Held at the club’s training ground, the players were taught essential skills such as how to use a defibrillator, and how to perform CPR. Peter, a Community Response Manager at the ambulance service, said: ‘For survival rates to improve, we need to increase awareness of the importance of learning CPR. Initiatives like this will only help us achieve that objective. We are grateful to Norwich City FC for helping us reach a new audience.’ Knowing CPR can mean the difference between life and death. Learn how to perform life-saving CPR by visiting: https://lnkd.in/dPpqm9f 📸: @norwichcityfc #CPR #HeartMonth

‘The day ran incredibly smoothly thanks to the work of the whole team.’ Using a High Intensity Theatre (HIT) list approach, the surgical team at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust recently completed an impressive seven hip replacements in one day! HIT lists minimise turnaround time between operations, giving the surgeon as much time as possible to operate. This means the surgical team can treat more patients efficiently and safely, in just one operating theatre. Consultant Surgeon, Syed, said: ‘We were delighted to see all the patients returning home within 24 hours to continue their recovery. This means beds are available for other patients to have life-changing orthopaedic surgery.’ Well done team!

From today, eligible NHS patients in England with sickle cell disease will be able to benefit from a groundbreaking gene-editing treatment that offers the hope of a cure for the condition. Clinical trials suggest the gene therapy, also known as ‘exa-cel’, can stop painful and unpredictable sickle cell crises. The treatment will be offered at specialist NHS centres in London, Manchester and Birmingham. It will be available for eligible patients, who are 12 years and older, who experience recurrent sickle cell crises, and would be suitable for a stem cell transplant, but where a donor is not available.    In England, around 15,000 people are living with sickle cell disease – an inherited blood disorder, with 250 new cases a year. It mainly affects people from Black African and Black Caribbean backgrounds.   Before the availability of this new one-time treatment, sickle cell disease required lifelong treatment, with people suffering from chronic pain and frequent hospitalisation. Many patients describe the condition as ‘looming over their daily lives’.   Prof. Bola Owolabi, MRCGP MFPH(Hon), FRSPH, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England, said: ‘This represents a monumental step forward in the treatment of people with sickle cell disorder’.   Find out more about exa-cel, and how the NHS is committed to rolling out new, innovative treatments to narrow the gap in healthcare inequalities. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eihsTq7u

Today, NHS England has published its national planning guidance for 2025/26.      This sets out the priorities for the NHS to transform services, cut waiting times and improve care for our patients across England, including:    ✅ Faster elective care, aiming to ensure 65% of patients receive treatment within 18 weeks.    ✅ Improved emergency care, with faster ambulance response times and shorter A&E waits.    ✅ Better access to GPs and dentists, including 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments.    ✅ Enhanced mental health services, with shorter stays in adult acute beds and services for 345,000 more children and young people.    Learn more about how we’re improving healthcare for everyone. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ejE6GCvA