• Mental health: We want to hear from you
• Talk to us about how we can make health and care better
• GP appointment data for Kent and Medway
• Join the NHS reserve team
• Health bus at a stop near you
• Let's talk about ovarian cancer
• Social prescribing survey
• Celebrating NHS 75

Mental health: We want to hear from you

Talk to us about how we can make health and care better

• giving children the best start in life
• helping the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
• encouraging people to manage their own health and wellbeing
• supporting those with multiple health conditions
• improving hospital services and providing centres of excellence for specialist care.

• To read more about the strategy, visit www.kmhealthandcare.uk
• To give your views and get involved, visit www.haveyoursayinkentandmedway.co.uk

Latest GP appointment data for Kent and Medway

New figures released by NHS England show 945,208 appointments were offered by general practices in Kent and Medway in January. Of those appointments, 64 per cent were face-to-face or home visits. 

Having now had a full set of statistics for 2022, the data shows that between January and December last year, general practice teams offered more than 10 million appointments. That's the equivalent of every person in Kent and Medway having five appointments with their practice team. This is significantly higher than the previous years, where full data is available. 

The data also indicates more than 43,000 people did not attend their appointments in January. 

We would urge anyone who can no longer attend any appointment to please cancel them. This allows the NHS to use the time to see other patients in need.

Join the NHS reserve team   

As a reservist, you’ll make a unique contribution to your local community – and receive payment for doing so. You’ll have the chance to grow your skills and build on your experience, while helping the NHS.   
 
There’s a wide, exciting range of paid reservist roles on offer, matched to your experience and flexible to your availability. Whatever your background, there’s a reservist role waiting for you.

Register your interest today.

Health bus at a stop near you

The one-stop health and wellbeing bus is back at Asda in Strood, until Saturday (4 March); next week it moves to the Tesco store in Tovil, Maidstone.

On board the bus, you can have your Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood pressure checked, as well as a Covid-19 vaccine. 

Trained NHS staff will be able to advise on how to be healthier and fitter, how to stop smoking, how to reduce alcohol consumption, and where to find cancer support services.

Find all the dates for the bus.

Let’s get talking about ovarian cancer

Find out how you can join NHS Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance’s Let's talk about ovarian cancer campaign on our Have Your Say platform this Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Around 230 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Kent and Medway every year; data from 2020 shows more than half (57 per cent) of cases were diagnosed at a late stage.

The campaign aims to increase earlier diagnosis by encouraging women to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer and to contact their GP practice if they are concerned. 

Strategy to improve social prescribing

We want your views about social prescribing and community navigation 

Social prescribing and community navigation is a service that can empower you to make a positive change in your life and in your community. It helps people with more control over their healthcare, to manage their needs and in a way that suits them. 

We want to improve social prescribing and community navigation across Kent and Medway and we need your views and opinions about the service, to help us continue to build a better service for our communities.  

If you have had support from a community navigator or link worker, or you know a family member or friend who has, you can complete the survey here and also read more about the service and what it can provide.   

The survey will close on Monday, 20 March. 

For more information about parkrun, visit www.parkrun.org.uk.