1. What should I expect after being referred for mental health support?

    Advice and Information -

    Your mental wellness is as important as your physical health but seeking help can be daunting. Here's what to expect when you seek support for your mental health.

  2. How can your pharmacy help you?

    Advice and Information -

    Did you know that pharmacies provide advice and information on minor illnesses and ailments? Take a look at how they can help you.

  3. How does Asthma impact your daily life?

    Report -

    One in 12 people have asthma. That means that thousands of people in Medway are dealing with the effects of asthma every day. We heard from some Medway residents about their story.

  4. What to expect when waiting for care

    Advice and Information -

    Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps.

  5. Vaccine programme : boosters and vaccinations for children

    News -

    Booster vaccinations are already being offered across Kent & Medway and the vaccine programme will now extend to include children aged 12 and above following the recent Government announcement.

  6. Would you like to improve community mental health services?

    News -

    Maybe you could help us make it happen?

  7. How are you really feeling?

    Advice and Information -

    aaand breathe. Are you stressed, anxious or depressed? You’re not alone.

  8. What is adult social care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  9. New service for men who are victims of domestic abuse in Medway

    News -

    A new service dedicated to supporting men who are victims of domestic abuse has been launched in Medway & Kent this week.

  10. Nearly half of all women don’t check their breasts. Are you one of them?

    Advice and Information -

    Every 10 minutes, someone in England is diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s 55,000 women a year but men can get breast cancer too with 370 men receiving diagnosis every year.

  11. What's it like to be diagnosed with Complex Emotional Difficulties?

    News -

    Nearly 6% of adults in Medway & Kent are thought to have Complex Emotional Difficulties. We chatted with Steve about his own diagnosis and his work to involve people to improve the support available for people like him in Medway and Kent.

  12. Help the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to be better

    News -

    If you need help to attend an NHS appointment, you may have used the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to help you get there. This is a free transport service that is available to some, but not all, patients based on their eligibility.

  13. Do you find it easy to get a dentist appointment?

    News -

    That's the question we are asking people across Medway this month.

  14. Decision made for five GP surgeries in Medway

    News -

    Five GP surgeries in Medway have had permanent contracts awarded so they can continue to provide services for their communities.

  15. State of Care : our response

    News -

    Today, the health and care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, published their annual review of NHS and social care support. Read our response.

  16. NHS dentistry: We're calling for the Government to invest

    News -

    We have co-signed an open letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak calling for a recovery plan for NHS dentistry.

  17. People living in deprived areas waiting longer for hospital treatment

    News -

    In partnership with the King’s Fund, we are calling for urgent action to improve peoples’ experience of delays to their treatment.

  18. Final decision on Medway's stroke service

    News -

    The Secretary of State has today agreed proposals for three new stroke units to be created for Medway and Kent.

  19. How was your last visit to the community mental health service?

    News -

    Have you been to Britton House in Gillingham recently (or any other community mental health service) Did you get the support that you needed?
    What would have made your experience better?

  20. 50% of people with Diabetes don't know they have it!

    Advice and Information -

    World Diabetes Day on Nov 14th will bring together millions of people around the world to raise awareness of diabetes and help people to understand what it’s really like to live with Diabetes.

  21. Are you looking after someone? Today is about you

    News -

    Each year on November 25th we celebrate a Carers Rights Day.

  22. COVID-19 vaccine: what you need to know

    Advice and Information -

    Take a look at what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccination programme, including how you will know when it's your turn, where to go, and why it's important.

  23. Are you under 18 and have a long term health condition?

    News -

    This is your chance to speak up. The NHS want to hear from you because they want to improve the way your care is organised and co-ordinated.

  24. Would you like to lose weight but don’t know how?

    Advice and Information -

    In our heart of hearts, all of us know that we should be looking after ourselves, especially during a pandemic.

  25. Helping people to get the treatment that they need

    News -

    Every day people contact us seeking information and help to know what to do next. This month we helped people to get the eye injections that they needed.

  26. Have you had your smear test recently? Did you know 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by having a smear test?

    Advice and Information -

    Nine women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day in the UK. 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by cervical screening (smear tests).

  27. Plans to tackle NHS backlog : our response

    News -

    In a new report, MPs have today warned that tackling the backlog caused by the pandemic is an "unquantifiable" challenge and have called for a broad national health and care recovery plan to be introduced.

  28. How has lockdown affected people's mental health and dignity?

    News -

    New research highlights the challenges faced by health and social care services in England and the importance of feedback for improving care.

  29. £6.8million to help tackle the lack of dentist appointments

    News -

    The NHS has today announced emergency funding to help create hundreds of new dentist appointments.

  30. Did you know today is Dignity Action Day?

    News -

    Dignity is precious. It is especially important when we are feeling more vulnerable such as when we are in hospital, being looked after at home or living in a care home.

  31. Changes to vascular services

    News -

    The NHS is asking for your thoughts about the future of vascular services in Kent & Medway.

  32. Everything you need to know about a Colonoscopy

    Advice and Information -

    Thousands of people have a colonoscopy every week. It’s a very common procedure but do you actually know what it is, or what it involves? We’ve got everything you need to know.

  33. Have you heard of Raynaud’s?

    Advice and Information -

    You probably know someone with Raynaud’s without even realising it. February is Raynaud’s Awareness Month.

  34. Epilepsy is more than seizures

    Advice and Information -

    Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest known medical conditions which affects around 600,000 people in the UK. 87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day, but many people still don’t understand it or talk about it.

  35. Medway NHS trusts not consistently meeting the legal rights of deaf and blind patients to accessible information

    News -

    Local NHS trusts are only partially meeting their legal duty to help people with additional communication needs, new FOI findings show.

  36. Did you know that 300 million people in the world live with a rare disease?

    News -

    A disease is rare when it affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. Examples of rare diseases include cystic fibrosis, Chron’s disease and sickle cell anaemia. 72% of rare diseases are genetics which means they can be hereditary.

  37. What are the rules about Covid testing now?

    Advice and Information -

    COVID-19 testing rules have now changed across England. Find out the latest information on where to go to get tested, which test is most suitable for you, and what to do if you get a positive COVID-19 test result.

  38. Raising awareness about self injury

    Advice and Information -

    We’re working to raise awareness about self injury.

  39. Read our scrutiny of the public consultation on Ruby Ward

    Report -

    One of our statutory responsibilities is to act as a critical friend on public consultations. Our role is to ensure people have been involved and listened to as part of any public consultation.

  40. How will the NHS tackle the backlog?

    News -

    With a record six million people currently waiting for hospital treatment in the UK, the NHS has set out its plan to address the backlog that has built up during the Covid-19 pandemic and tackle long waiting lists for care.

  41. Where can I get support for an eating disorder?

    Advice and Information -

    You are not alone. Around 1.25 million people in the UK are dealing with an eating disorder right now, many in secret.

  42. Do you have your dream job yet?

    Advice and Information -

    Navigating the world of work can be daunting, especially if you've just left education. Where do you start?

  43. This March, ovarian cancer is being put in the spotlight.

    Advice and Information -

    Two thirds of those with ovarian cancer are diagnosed too late when the cancer has already spread.

  44. Brain size does not determine how clever you are

    Advice and Information -

    Did you know that Albert Einstein’s brain weighed less than the average brain?!

  45. Do you know someone who could be a young carer?

    Advice and Information -

    Right now, hundreds of young people in Medway are believed to be looking after someone, but not getting any help.

  46. Take care of your teeth. Don’t forget your gums!

    Advice and Information -

    More of you call us about getting a dentist appointment than anything else. Every day we hear from people who are struggling to get to see an NHS dentist. That means than looking after our own teeth is more important than ever!

  47. What do you know about Down’s Syndrome? Today is Down’s Syndrome Day

    Advice and Information -

    Down’s syndrome happens when you are born with an extra chromosome. The extra chromosome causes developmental and physical changes.

  48. Talking endometriosis

    Advice and Information -

    1 in 10 women have endometriosis. It can be extremely painful and take years to get a diagnosis. We talk to Rheanna about her experience.

  49. Let your smile do the talking

    Advice and Information -

    When people talk about oral health, they mean the way we care for our teeth.

    If you brush your teeth every day and eat well, then you have good oral health!