Welcome to our fortnightly NHS Mid and South Essex news round up. This regular email series brings you the latest local news on innovations in healthcare, changes and improvements to services and how the NHS is helping local people in need.
Over 125,000 Pharmacy First consultations provide fast access to care
More people are taking advantage of quick access to health advice and treatment at their local pharmacy. The Pharmacy First service has delivered over 125,000 patient consultations since it launched last year.
193 pharmacies across mid and south Essex have offered expert advice to help manage a range of illnesses, meaning thousands of local people have benefitted from fast access to treatment without needing to see a GP.
Faster access to dental care for people with specialist need
Last week our dental service providing dental care for care home residents was covered on ITV East Anglia.
Since the service launched, all 285 care homes in mid and south Essex have been offered oral health assessments for their residents, and 6,000 courses of treatment delivered without residents needing to travel. This has freed up appointments for people with more complex needs such as learning disabilities or anxiety, as waiting times for home visits by specialist dental teams have dropped by nearly 90%.
Access to tirzepatide for weight management in mid and south Essex
The ICB has provided information for residents on how to access tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) in mid and south Essex, following a national announcement that it will be made available via prescribing in GP practices (primary care).
The current postion in mid and south Essex is that only specialist weight management services will be able to prescribe the medication inititally. Access to tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) through primary care is not expected to start in mid and south Essex until later in 2025.
Mental Health Response Vehicle marks two years of life-changing support in Essex
A mental health response vehicle that has helped more than 2,000 people in mental health crisis is marking its second anniversary of service in mid and south Essex.
The service delivers compassionate, face-to-face mental health care to patients and expert telephone advice to ambulance crews. It has become a vital part of the region’s emergency response – improving patient outcomes and reducing pressure on emergency departments.
Pharmacies soon to offer babies protection from whooping cough
More than 30 pharmacies in the East of England will soon be the first in England to offer the whooping cough vaccine. Pregnant women are offered the vaccine to protect their unborn baby from the infection. The vaccines are currently available via GP practices and some antenatal clinics, but introducing them to pharmacies will make it even easier for pregnant women to get vaccinated.
Beating pre-diabetes with help from NHS tailored programmes
As part of Diabetes Week earlier this month, the local NHS shared the stories of two patients that signed up to programmes designed to stop type 2 diabetes.
The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme and the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme help people to make changes to their diet, exercise and lifestyle habits so they can avoid developing diabetes.
SWF Health & Social Care Group 