Open Mental Health (OMH) recently released its 2024/25 Impact Report, and it shows what happens when people are put first. By bringing together the NHS, social care, and local charities, OMH are working to make sure everyone in Somerset gets the right help at the right time. 

The numbers from the last year tell a powerful story. The alliance delivered over 80,000 interventions and helped the local health service save £6.1 million in bed day costs. But it’s about more than just data. The report also highlights how their Experts by Experience gave over 1,700 hours of their time to help shape services, ensuring that lived experience stays at the heart of everything they do. 

You can read the full report and see how their local network is supporting the whole person on the Open Mental Health website: https://openmentalhealth.org.uk/impact-report-a-summary-of-successful-partnership-working/  

The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has given one of its biggest ever grants to improve care for patients undergoing complicated spinal surgery.

It means that patients in Somerset who need a spinal fusion will benefit from safer and shorter operations, thanks to the introduction of a robotic navigation system that assists surgeons.

It’s the first time a system of this type has been available to spinal surgeons at the hospital, thanks to an incredible £835,000 donation from the Musgrove Park Hospital League of Friends and its supporters – the entire cost of the system.

Musgrove Park Hospital has now become only the second hospital of its size, outside of the large teaching hospitals, to have access to this revolutionary technology.

Read more here

NHS Somerset has launched a vaccination campaign to help keep people out of hospital this winter.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a winter virus which can be much more serious for over-75s, and for anyone with a weaker immune system or long-term health condition. It often starts like a simple cold, but can quickly lead to pneumonia and breathing problems, which can lead to hospital stays – especially in colder months.

On average every year in the UK around 9000 over-75’s become infected with RSV and have to be admitted to hospital.

The NHS is offering the RSV vaccine to people aged 75-79, those who turned 80 years old after 1 September 2024 and pregnant women from 28 weeks, as it also protects newborn babies during their first months of life.

In Somerset, nearly 15,000 over-75s who are eligible to have the RSV vaccine have not yet taken it up - that’s nearly 30% of over-80s and nearly 50% of over-75s.

As Move 2 Independence (M2I) approaches two years of supporting Somerset residents after hospital stays, the impact is best seen through the people whose confidence and independence have been rebuilt after engaging with the service's Activators.

With more than 500 participants supported and over 1,300 personalised sessions delivered, there are many stories like Eileen's that show how the service helps people get back to living well at home.

At 79, Eileen was referred to M2I after a fall at home left her with a fractured ankle. Living alone, she faced reduced mobility, pain and a significant loss of confidence. Everyday tasks felt overwhelming, and the fear of falling kept her from going outside. Before M2I support began, she described life after discharge as "terrible," struggling even with simple activities such as filling the kettle.

Eileen's journey is one of many that demonstrate how M2I bridges the gap between hospital discharge and long-term independence, helping people regain strength, confidence and enjoyment in everyday life.

Click here to find out how M2I Activators helped Eileen achieve her goal returning to run the coffee morning at her local village hall.

NHS Somerset is urging people to take advantage of the national NHS Pharmacy First service. The service offers a fast and convenient way to get treatment for seven common minor conditions directly from a community pharmacist, without needing to see a GP.

The seven conditions are:

• Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
• Sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
• Earache (aged 1 year to 17 years)
• Infected insect bite (aged 1 year and over)
• Impetigo - a bacterial skin infection (aged 1 year and over)
• Shingles (aged 18 years and over)
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (women aged 16 years to 64 years).

Anyone can access the service by contacting their local pharmacy directly to ask for a consultation, or be referred by NHS 111, their GP practice, or other urgent care settings. In 2024/25 over 20,000 people accessed the service, and 96% of all consultations were face to face.

Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals, experts in medicines and managing minor illnesses. Under the Pharmacy First scheme, they can provide expert advice and, where appropriate, supply NHS-funded medication, including some prescription-only treatments, for many common conditions.

Find out more about Pharmacy First on the NHS Somerset website.

People in Somerset are being asked to share their views on a planned data system
that would help health and care organisations develop services that are better
tailored to local needs.

Partners across Our Somerset are currently
developing a ‘Linked Data Platform’, a secure system that will anonymously link
health and social care data to support ‘population health management’.

Population health management involves taking action to reduce ill health, deliver
tailored health and care services and addressing other factors that impact on health,
such as housing or employment status.

To make sure your voice is included, please take a moment to complete the survey and share your views on the future use of health and care data in Somerset.

For more information on the Somerset Linked Data Platform and to take the survey, please click here.

A new self-referral pathway for people with symptoms of breast cancer is giving patients in Somerset faster access to specialist care, while reducing pressure on GP services.

Since its launch a year ago (23 January 2025), 866 people have self-referred directly to Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s breast diagnostic clinic, without the need for a GP appointment.

As of 2 February 2026, 48 of those patients have been diagnosed with cancer, demonstrating the strength of the clinically led digital triage in directing higher-risk patients into urgent specialist care, and reassuring those at lower risk.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust was the first NHS trust in England to introduce this pathway, which is accessed via NHS 111 online or the NHS App. It allows eligible patients with worrying symptoms, such as a breast lump, to be referred straight to a breast diagnostic clinic, speeding up cancer diagnosis and freeing up valuable GP appointments.

It’s also in line with the recently published NHS 10 Year Plan, which focuses on earlier diagnosis and prevention.

Read more here

Patients who need surgery are now able to have their pre-operative checks done in a calmer, more spacious setting.

Musgrove Park Hospital’s Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic (POAC) has moved across to Dene Barton Community Hospital in Cotford St Luke, which has a large waiting area for patients and free parking. The change means most patients no longer need to travel to Musgrove before their surgery.

The POAC service has seen increasing demand over the years, mainly because more patients than ever need surgery. The new location has dedicated rooms for anaesthetists to have conversations with their patients, healthcare assistants to run their clinics, and nurses to carry out their assessments.

Read more here

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is relaunching its public engagement forum with a refreshed name and renewed focus, and is inviting people from across the South West to help shape the future of their local ambulance service.

Formerly known as the Patient Participation Panel, the newly re-named Community Feedback Forum reflects a more inclusive approach to engagement - recognising that valuable feedback comes not only from patients, but also from carers, families, and the wider community.

The first Community Feedback Forum (CFF) will take place on Friday 13 March 2026 from 4-5.30pm via Microsoft Teams. Further quarterly sessions will be held on Wednesday 17 June from 11am-12.30pm, Tuesday 8 September from 5-6pm and Thursday 10 December from 12-1.30pm.

The refreshed forum aims to create an open, inclusive, and collaborative space where people can have honest conversations about their experiences with the Trust and help shape how services develop in the future.

Read more here and for more information about the Community Feedback Forum or to find out how to join the next meeting, visit: Community Feedback Forum | SWAST Website

Fostering in Somerset is hosting a relaxed information session in Burnham on Tuesday 3 March. Drop in for a free coffee and cake, meet local foster carers and learn about the challenges and rewards of fostering.

Click here to book

There is no commitment, and your friends and family are welcome to join you. The team will be happy to answer any questions about support, payments and applying.

Visit www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk or call 0800 587 9900 to learn more.

A nurse leader at Symphony Healthcare Services has won a prestigious award from NHS England’s Chief Nursing Officer for the south west.

Kate Williams, Nursing and Allied Health Professions Director for Symphony Healthcare Services, was announced as the winner of the Primary Care Nurse Leadership award at the Community and Primary Care Nursing Awards.

When announcing Kate as the winner, the judges said they were blown away by her tireless commitment to improving patient outcomes and supporting her workforce, and that she embodies the qualities of a transformative leader in healthcare.

Read more here