One of the North West’s leading GPs is encouraging people to ‘keep health services in their pocket’ this summer by using the NHS App to stay well and get any medical help they need.

As meteorological summer gets underway following the summer solstice on 21 June, Dr Paula Cowan, GP and Regional Medical Director for Primary Care for NHS England in the North West, said the App is one of the easiest and most convenient ways for people to find local health services if they need medical help or advice while on holiday or taking a day trip in England.

People can also use the NHS App this summer to:

• Access NHS 111 online to access help and advice for symptoms or injury
• Order any repeat prescriptions that are due before going on holiday to ensure they don’t run out of vital medication
• Easily access their GP health records and any test results.

Dr Cowan said:

Almost four million patients (3,980,160) aged 13+ in the North West have already registered for the NHS App (as of 23 June, 2025), with around six and a half million patient log-ins each month and over 48,000 appointments being managed on the App monthly.

The NHS App helps people to get well, stay well and manage their health care. It’s a simple and secure way to:

• order repeat prescriptions
• find NHS services
• view your GP health record
• get reminders and messages
• and much more … 

It’s free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can download the NHS App or find the same services on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app.

This World Hypertension Day and during May Measure Month, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is encouraging people over 40 to get their blood pressure checked. 

The NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check service helps to identify people over the age of 40 who have previously not been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) and if found or suspected, refers them for appropriate management.

It also helps promote healthy behaviours to service users and, where required, allows for ad hoc clinic and ambulatory blood pressure measurements at the request of general practice.

Since October 2021, pharmacies across the North West have provided over 867,000 blood pressure checks, identifying over 93,000 people with high or very high blood pressure. Those patients have been supported to receive appropriate onward care, testing and diagnosis, helping to prevent potential strokes and heart attacks.

Professor Ian Ashworth, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Director of Population Health, said: 

Every year in May, there is a worldwide initiative to increase the number of blood pressure checks called May Measure Month. 

World Hypertension Day is also observed on May 17 every year to raise awareness about hypertension, the risks, and the importance of prevention and control.

It was created to raise awareness about high blood pressure, especially since many people with the condition don’t have enough information about it.

Each year, World Hypertension Day is celebrated with a theme and the theme for 2025 is “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!”

For more information visit: www.happy-hearts.co.uk or to find your nearest local pharmacy that offers this service, visit the NHS website.

Is your bowel cancer screening kit sitting at the back of a drawer?

If you’re 54 to 74, you should have received your NHS bowel cancer screening (FIT) kit through the post. That’s because the NHS automatically sends a kit every two years to everyone in that age range and is gradually including people aged 50 to 53 too.

Out of every 5,000 people who use their test kit, nine turn out to have cancer. But if it’s spotted earlier, the chances of recovering from bowel cancer are higher.

The test can be done in the comfort of your home and only needs a tiny sample of poo to test for signs of cancer.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month so there’s no better time to dig out the bowel cancer testing kit that you hid in that bottom drawer or look out for it in the post. And then put it by the loo. Don’t put it off.

Find out more about bowel cancer screening at nhs.uk/bowel.

On No Smoking Day 2025 (12 March), Directors of Public and Population Health in Cheshire and Merseyside have come together to launch ‘Smoking Ends Here’ a bold new initiative to create a smoke-free future for the sub-region. 

The campaign, part of a commitment to reduce smoking rates, shines a spotlight on the benefits of quitting smoking while supporting residents to take the first step towards a healthier life. 

To officially launch the campaign, Liverpool’s iconic St John’s Beacon was transformed into a striking 480ft cigarette, serving as a powerful visual symbol of the harmful effects of smoking across the city. Messages highlighting the benefits of stopping smoking are displayed on the structure, visible for miles around, such as:

• Quitters will have more energy in just 12 weeks, plus better circulation and lower blood pressure.
• Their bodies will start to repair just 20 minutes after stopping smoking.
• Breathing will improve in just three months. Lung function will also increase by up to 10%.
• Their risk of a heart attack lowers after just one year, as does the risk of having a stroke and angina.
• Taste and smell improve in just 48 hours.

In Cheshire, a No Smoking Day event will be held in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Chester city centre, offering free information and support to anybody who is interested in stopping smoking. This is one of a series of community engagement initiatives alongside Healthwatch in Cheshire and Merseyside throughout March, bringing tailored support and information directly to local communities.

Three Chester landmarks will also be lit up red to signify No Smoking Day courtesy of Cheshire West and Chester Council, including Chester Town Hall, Eastgate Clock and Chester Newgate Arch.

Alongside this awareness-raising activity, a brand-new website will be launched, smokingendshere.com, offering expert advice, access to free support, and practical tools to help people quit smoking for good. 

Professor Ian Ashworth, Director of Population Health for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

The campaign comes as The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009, is shortly expected to have its Third Reading in Parliament. There is broad public and cross party support for the measures in the Bill which will radically reduce smoking related deaths and disease by ending smoking for the next generation. 

Dr Sarah McNulty, Lead Director of Public Health for All Together Smoke-Free Cheshire and Merseyside and local Director of Public Health for Knowsley, added:

Key provisions of the Bill include: 

• Tightening controls on vape product design, marketing and advertising, preventing the targeting of young people. 
• Licensing for tobacco and vape sales, ensuring responsible retailing and limiting access to young people. 
• Powers to extending smoke-free areas to outdoor public spaces, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and to consult on vape-free places. 

Councillor Louise Gittins, Chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership said: 

A new awareness campaign has launched today to highlight how health data is starting to be used to improve patient care and advance medical research across Cheshire and Merseyside through the region’s Secure Data Environment (SDE).

The Cheshire and Merseyside SDE is an online platform that will securely bring together health and care information (data), enabling researchers and healthcare planners to better understand local health needs and improve healthcare now and for future generations.

Professor Sarah Rodgers, from the Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems at the University of Liverpool, said: 

The Secure Data Environment only uses de-identified data from providers that have signed a Data Sharing Agreement. That means researchers never see your name, address, or other personal information. The Cheshire and Merseyside SDE protects your data by following the Five Safes framework – a set of principles developed by the Office for National Statistics.

• Safe data: The NHS only allows researchers to access de-identified versions of your data. That means researchers never see your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, address, or NHS number.  
• Safe projects: Researchers are only given access if their research projects can deliver benefits for the public. The Cheshire and Merseyside Secure Data Environment is about using data for the greater good.
• Safe people: All researchers must be trained and authorised to use data safely before they can access the Secure Data Environment.
• Safe settings: The Secure Data Environment acts like a “digital laboratory”, with the highest possible levels of cyber security. Approved researchers can use it to analyse data.  
• Safe outputs: Research findings must be checked and approved by the NHS before they are published.

Leigh Walmsley, Long COVID Support Service Lead for Warrington Disability Partnership, said:

Patient data is already used in research, but Secure Data Environments will standardise this process to make it more efficient and to improve data security.

Dr Greg Irving, GP and Professor of Primary Care for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

The Cheshire and Merseyside SDE is part of a wider regional and national NHS Secure Data Environment, and it will support the new North West Secure Data Environment.

To find out how health data is used for care and research, as well as how you can opt out of your data being used, visit the Data into Action website.

Pharmacists and GPs across Cheshire and Merseyside are urging people to only order the medication they need from their repeat prescriptions.

A report by the Department of Health estimates that unused medicines cost the NHS around £300 million every year and a large amount of medicine items are wasted unnecessarily in Cheshire and Merseyside each year. We need your help to reduce this.

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside along with NHS England – North West, NHS Greater Manchester and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria have launched a new campaign asking people to check their order to help reduce waste and save on cost. 

Susanne Lynch MBE, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said:

Helen Murphy, Chief Officer of Halton St Helens and Knowsley Local Pharmaceutical Committee, said: 

Helen shares some tips on how everyone can to do this:

• Only order the medication if you need it – repeat items still remain on your prescription if you don’t order it every month.
• Try keeping all medication in one safe place at home, so you can see what you have left and what you need to reorder.
• For each prescription, take medication from one pill packet at a time, so that you can keep a track of what you’ve taken and what you have left
• Make a note on your calendar 7 to 10 days before your prescription due date, to go through your medication and see what is left.  Being organised in this way means that if bank holidays or weekends are coming up, you will have planned enough for these dates too.

Helen adds:

If you have questions about your prescription or need some support, speak to your pharmacy team.  Unused or out of date medicines and inhalers should always be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal.

Karen O’Brien MBE, Regional Chief Pharmacist, NHS England – North West said:

In addition to asking the public to only order the medication that they need, the NHS is also encouraging the people to take medication into hospital should they be admitted, whether it’s planned or unplanned. This helps staff in hospitals to have a complete record of medicines and means the hospital won’t need to dispense more of the same medication and can speed up care.

To see the campaign and for more information visit: www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/medicines-waste 

As children return to schools and nurseries after the autumn half term, the NHS in Cheshire and Merseyside are sharing guidance for parents and carers on common winter illnesses that often start circulating at this time of year.

Illnesses like coughs, sore throats and ear ache are extremely common in young children, but healthcare leaders are asking parents and carers to think twice before treating them with antibiotics, as they rarely speed up recovery for these conditions, which are most often caused by viral infections.

Instead, the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ‘Super Bodies’ campaign is sharing a guide for parents and carers on the simple things they can do to treat these common ailments at home, as well as helping them to spot the signs of a more serious illness, and knowing when and where to go for medical help.

Dr Fiona Lemmens, GP and Deputy Medical Director at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

Susanne Lynch MBE, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, added:

Parents and carers of young children can find information on treating coughs, ear aches and sore throats at home, on the ‘Super Bodies’ website page, as well as finding a list of more serious signs and symptoms to look out for.

They can find out when they need to stay home, visit their GP, call NHS 111, or when to call 999 or attend A&E.

Visit: www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/super-bodies to find out more.

For more information and support when your child is unwell, you can also:

• Visit the Alder Hey symptom checker online: alderhey.nhs.uk/conditions/symptoms-checker
• Download the Healthier Together App: healthiertogether.app

Even if it doesn’t seem like much, at the first sign of a stroke call 999.

A stroke strikes every five minutes. Every year in the UK, there are around 100,000 strokes, causing 38,000 stroke-related deaths, and it is a leading cause of disability.1,

The first sign of a stroke might not seem serious. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak.

Stroke symptoms can be less dramatic, painful or obvious than you might expect. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom.

A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. Acting FAST on any sign of a stroke gives stroke patients quicker access to specialist treatment that can be life-saving and could reduce the long-term effects such as a disability.

Whether it is a friend, loved one or even a passer-by, dialling 999 quickly saves lives.

Face or Arm or Speech, at the first sign, it’s Time to call 999.

Visit www.nhs.uk/ActFAST for more information.

BSL (British Sign Language) users can make a BSL video relay call to 999 using the 999 BSL website or app. Visit 999BSL.co.uk.

Text relay users can call 18000 to contact 999.

If you are a BSL user, deaf, have hearing loss or communication difficulties you can text 999 by registering your phone in advance. Visit www.emergencysms.co.uk.

NHS, Local Authority and third sector staff are working harder than ever to get services back on track, to get waiting lists down and consistently deliver the best care.

We know change is needed. But we also know that many of the solutions we need are already here, working somewhere in the NHS today.

We also know there is much more to do, which is why we are playing our part in the launch the consultation for the 10-Year Health Plan alongside the government, and we want to hear from you – patients, their families and the wider public – about your NHS story.

Whether you have a little to say or a lot, your views, experiences and ideas will shape immediate steps and long-term changes: a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to make the NHS fit for the future. Together we can fix it. We need your voice.

Go to change.nhs.uk to find out how you can take part.

This World Mental Health Day (10 October) the NHS in Cheshire and Merseyside is shining light on ‘burnout’, one of the most pressing issues affecting modern workplaces, by asking people to look after their mental health and ask for help if needed.

With the theme for the day this year being ‘it is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace’, the NHS is signposting people across Cheshire and Merseyside to access free NHS talking therapy services.

With ever-increasing pressures, including the cost-of-living crisis, people are being urged to take the time to look after their mental health and prioritise their wellbeing.

Dr Fiona Lemmens, Deputy Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said:

Burnout does not happen overnight. It is gradual and, along with individuals, it has far-reaching consequences for organisations also.

Dr Lemmens added:

Mental health is just as essential as physical health and talking openly about mental health issues in the workplace can help break down barriers and help people understand just how common mental illness is. Normalising these sometimes-difficult conversations provides opportunities to correct misconceptions and empower individuals to ask for help when they need it.

According to research carried out by YouGov on behalf of Mental Health UK, nine in 10 UK adults experienced high or extreme stress in the past year, almost a quarter of UK adults feel unable to manage stress and pressure levels in their lives, and one in five workers needed to take time off work in the past year due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress.

Members of the public can access NHS talking therapies for free on the NHS by referring themselves directly with or without a referral from a GP.

There are also simple steps you can take to look after your mental health.

The Every Mind Matters website offers expert advice to help improve your wellbeing, as well as practical tips on sleep, coping with money worries and self-care.