THE therapeutic benefits of robot pets are being explored as part of a pilot project led by Essex County Council’s adult social care team in mid Essex. For people with dementia or a learning disability, the robotic companion “pets” provide many benefits, including: helping to…

CANCER Compass is a new tool that allows anyone living with or beyond cancer to check their emotional wellbeing and, in just a few seconds to find the right support. One in two people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime (three million…

ST Elizabeth’s Supported Living Service are celebrating as the service has official been rated ‘Good’ by Hertfordshire Monitoring Officers who carried out their full PAMMS inspection in January. St Elizabeth’s have also had confirmation that they are no longer in the Quality Assurance Monitoring process…

Dear Editor, APRIL is Stress Awareness Month, and a perfect opportunity to remind any young person experiencing stress or anxiety that Childline is here for them. Last year, Childline councillors across the country oversaw over 105,000 sessions with children suffering from mental and emotional health…

ST Clare Hospice held its first-ever Shimmer Ball in March and it was a roaring success with over £18,000 being raised on the evening. Over 100 guests came along for an evening of dazzling entertainment and fine dining at the beautiful Down Hall Hotel &…

ANN Nutt, chair of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust’s (PAHT) Patient Panel, has won an NHS Unsung Hero Award in the category of Individual Volunteer of the Year. The awards aim to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary contributions of non-clinical and non-medical NHS…

GREATER Anglia staff and passengers made an eggs-tra effort to make Easter special for sick children at Princess Alexandra Hospital. More than 600 chocolate eggs, sweet treats including Lindt bunnies and Haribo gums plus books were delivered to Dolphin Ward and the paediatric emergency department…

LITTLE ones who have lost someone special to them are invited to come along to St Clare Hospice for a morning of crafts, games and activities designed to support bereaved children. The end-of-life care charity, based in Hastingwood, is hosting its second Storytime Picnic on…

AN experienced manager has returned to her “first love” by taking the reins at an environmental education centre in London. Jo Vere worked in the NHS for 15 years but has now taken over as manager at the Field Studies Council’s Epping Forest and London…

APRIL 1st marks one year since the launch of the Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC). More than 500,000 HRT PPCs have been purchased over the past 12 months, saving patients millions of pounds in prescription charges. Patients who purchased an HRT PPC…

THE Labour candidate for the constituency of Harlow at the next General Election has commented on the recent report into Church Langley Medical Centre and as reflected on the present state of the NHS. Chris Vince said: “The recent report into Church Langley Medical Practice…

GENERATION Circus is delighted to have received £14,800 of National Lottery funding to run CAN DO CIRCUS: 
It is a free aerial circus and performance training for anyone over 50 for one year – ending in a circus show! CAN DO CIRCUS will start in…

THE third annual Safer, Greener, Healthier walking challenge launches on Monday (1 April). The Step into Spring challenge will run for six weeks to Sunday 12 May and is being run in collaboration with the free wayfaring and walking app, Go Jauntly. Many Essex residents…

PUBLIC satisfaction with the NHS has dropped again, setting a new low recorded by the long-running British Social Attitudes survey reports the BBC. Just 24% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2023, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns. That is…