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Healthwatch Southend is inviting Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) to take part in a focus group about their experiences of using general practice (GP services). We want to hear directly from Deaf people about what works well, what does not, and what needs to improve when accessing GP services. Why are we doing this? In 2023, Healthwatch Southend held focus groups with Deaf people and found significant inequalities in access to GP services. These included: Lack

Cervical Screening Week is a good time to talk about how cervical screening can help stop cervical cancer before it starts. Cervical screening is also called a smear test. It is not a test for cancer. The test checks for HPV (human papillomavirus). Some types of HPV can cause changes to the cells of the cervix. If these changes are found early, they can be treated and it can prevent cancer. In England, women and people with a cervix aged 25–64 are eligible for cervical screen

The NHS is planning to launch a new service, offering adult patients the chance to have an online outpatient appointment with a consultant in another part of the country. This should mean shorter waiting times and less travel. It is hoped the new NHS Online NHS Trust will be up and running from 2027. It forms part of the NHS 10 Year Plan and it is hoped that some 8 million appointments will be offered in the first three years. Starting with gynaecology, urology, gastroenter