People in Eastbourne, Hailsham, Seaford, Hastings, Rother and surrounding areas will now find it easier to see a GP, practice nurse or other health professional at a time more convenient to them.

Appointments are now available on weekday evenings, over the weekend and on bank holidays. These new appointments may be at your GP surgery, another GP surgery in the local area or via telephone consultation.

Visit the ESBT website to find out where you can access these extra appointments in your area.

Southdown are a not-for-profit specialist provider of care, support and housing services for vulnerable people in Sussex.

As Christmas approaches, we feature a guest article by Lynne Thomas, who is lead for Southdown’s mental health services across the county. 

Lynne explains challenges the festive season can pose for people and the support offered by a range of local mental health services, including Community Connectors, Peer Support, Wellbeing Centres and the Staying Well Space.

Hear more from Lynne and find out about the support available.

Last month we shared some top tips on keeping warm and well this winter.

If you do become unwell, it’s important to choose the right service for your need.

NHS emergency services are there for you in emergency and life threatening situations. For medical treatment when it is not an emergency, there are other services available.

This month, we're sharing information on the range of non-emergency services available to help you locally, whether it's the NHS website, 111, community pharmacy or a Minor Injury Unit.

Click here to read about available services.

Are you kicking off the New Year with a resolution to be healthier and happier in 2019?

One You East Sussex, the county’s healthy lifestyle service, could help you reach your goal.

Since launch, One You has helped people in East Sussex lose more than a combined 2,000kg, helped over 2,000 people access a specialist stop smoking service and completed 2,500 free NHS Health Checks.

They also offer free training for frontline staff.

Find out more about the services and training on offer, and if One You East Sussex could help you.

Kate Tym and Kate Dyer, two independent celebrants, brought the ‘funeral revolution’ to Hastings when they launched the UK’s first Coffin Club in 2017.

Coffin Club aims to empower people to take control of planning and costing their end-of-life celebrations, and has been going from strength to strength.

We asked Kate and Kate what they think the biggest impacts have been on those who have come to Coffin Club since it began:

Kate T explained; “People sometimes think Coffin Club will be a sad place, but it’s actually the opposite – every week there’s so much fun and laughter.”

Kate D added; “We’re normalising something that, in our society, has been turned into a scary and taboo topic, but educating yourself about your options and taking control is really empowering,”

Learn more about Coffin Club, its new celebrity patron and how you can take part in the next round of meetings.

Local community organisations can also attend cascade events about how it can benefit people they come into contact with. Read more here.

The Integrated Breathe Easy project has been empowering people living with lung conditions and those close to them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to better manage their health.

The two year project  created community hubs promoting self-care, friendship and education for people with living with lung conditions like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema and lung cancer.

People taking part saw a number of important positive health and wellbeing benefits, including getting more active and feeling less lonely.

Find out how to get involved in the Eastbourne and Bexhill Breathe Easy groups, which have continued to be run by dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic volunteers.