Last year saw an increase in measles cases, taking the number of cases to the highest it has been in decades. Vaccination is important to ensure the long-term health of your child, and of the nation as a whole.

From 1 January 2026, all children will be offered the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age. This adds protection against chickenpox to the existing provision of protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.

This guidance for healthcare professionals describes eligibility, administration and safety, and answers frequently asked questions about the new vaccination programme.

To learn more about the MMRV vaccine vist the NHS webpage https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/mmrv-vaccine/ 

Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious illnesses, with potentially life-changing complications, that can easily spread between unvaccinated people. Mumps outbreaks are currently occurring across England. Children need two doses of the safe and effective MMR vaccine. Both doses are needed to ensure full and lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

If your child has missed either of these two doses, please contact us for an appointment with Nurse Jo. It’s never too late to catch up and protect those around you.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. It mainly affects women, but men can get it too. There are a number of symptoms to look out for, if you notice one or more of the symptoms, it doesn’t mean you definitely have cancer, as they can all be caused by other things, but you should go to your GP to get checked, as the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and cure. Symptoms include:

• A lump in your breast
• A lump or swelling in your armpit
• Changes in the size, shape or feel of your breast
• Skin changes, including puckering, dimpling, a rash, redness or a new sore
• Fluid leaking from your nipple when you’re not pregnant or breastfeeding
• A change in the position of your nipple
• Breast pain
• Breast pain is common and it’s not normally due to cancer.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a global campaign held every October to raise awareness of breast cancer, promote earlier diagnosis, and support those affected. Many people take part through fundraising events and education activities

There are lots of ways you can take part. We are asked to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, perhaps by holding an awareness event, or encouraging friends, family and colleagues to check their breasts regularly. You can also run or join fundraising activities and ‘Wear it pink’ in October to show support.

The Breast Cancer Now website has lots of ideas and resources to help you get involved, visit https://breastcancernow.org/get-involved/breast-cancer-awareness-month to find out more.

Sober October is a fundraising challenge that asks people to go alcohol-free for the month of October. It is an opportunity to make a healthy lifestyle change while raising vital funds to support all those affected by alcohol harm.

Alcohol is a part of many of our lives. It is legal and socially acceptable, and sometimes even encouraged, so we use it for celebration, for comfort, to socialise, to wind down and sometimes to cope. But in the UK, one person dies every hour as a result of their drinking, leaving behind grieving families and friends. Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of:

• Mouth cancer, throat cancer and breast cancer
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Brain damage
• Damage to the nervous system
• Mental health issues

You can find out more about the risks associated with drinking alcohol at https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much/.
Taking a month off alcohol has many benefits, including a better general sense of wellbeing, having a clearer head and more energy, getting better quality sleep, and a sense of achievement. It can also help break the cycle of regular drinking which can lead to alcohol dependency. If you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, visit https://alcoholchange.org.uk for support and advice.

Sober October use the funds raised to help people reduce their alcohol intake by providing advice and support and helpful apps, as well as campaigning for better education and policies on alcohol consumption and availability. You can find more information and sign up for the challenge at https://www.soberoctober.org.uk/about.

Almost half of UK adults have raised cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. We need cholesterol in our blood to stay healthy, it's when it gets too high that it's a problem. Anyone can have high cholesterol, even young, slim people who eat well and exercise, because although high cholesterol can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, it can also be genetic.

The only way to find out whether you have high cholesterol is to get it tested. This involves a simple blood test, and you can arrange to have one by speaking to your GP or pharmacist, or by getting an NHS health check. You can find out more about cholesterol and how to get tested at https://www.heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol/overview.

National Cholesterol Month is an annual initiative to increase awareness of the dangers of high cholesterol and its effect on heart health.

You can find examples of healthy choices to make in your daily life at https://www.heartuk.org.uk/national-cholesterol-month/ncm26.

The overall objective of the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.

Nearly 1.2 billion, or about 1 in 7 people worldwide live with a mental disorder. Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions globally and women are more likely to be affected than men. Mental health issues cost the global economy trillions of dollars in lost work and medical care.

In the UK, about 1 in 4 adults face a mental health issue each year, according to data from the charity Mind, with about 1 in 5 people experiencing a common problem like anxiety or depression in any given week. The highest-risk group is young women aged 16 to 24, with over 28% affected by a common mental disorder. If you, or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there is information and support available at https://www.mind.org.uk.

World Mental Health Day is an opportunity for everyone working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and discuss what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. You can learn more about events and opportunities associated with this awareness day at https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day.

Around 10 million people in the UK are thought to have arthritis, which is a name used to describe pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint or joints. We don’t know exactly what causes arthritis in many cases, although there is a genetic factor, and there is no cure. Arthritis can make it harder to get about or perform certain tasks, but with the right treatment and approach, the condition can be managed.

Many forms of arthritis are long-term conditions, but there are more treatments available now than every before, and many of them work better if they are started early, so if you experience pain in and around your joints that doesn’t go away after a few days, you should see your GP to check whether it might be arthritis.

Key facts about arthritis:

• Arthritis isn’t a single condition – there are several different types
• It can affect people of all ages – including children and teenagers
• Some types of arthritis are more common in older people
• Arthritis symptoms can vary from week to week, and even from day to day

World Arthritis Day aims to highlight the impact of arthritis by increasing understanding of conditions and symptoms, healthcare challenges, and treatment options, so that one day arthritis becomes preventable, more manageable and treatable.

Information about the different types of arthritis, symptoms, treatment and support are available on the Arthritis UK website: https://www.arthritis-uk.org/get-involved/world-arthritis-day/.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory condition in which the immune system is overactive. It causes symptoms which can be seen on the skin and can sometimes also affect the joints. There is no cure for psoriasis, but it can be managed with the right treatment and advice.

Psoriasis causes a person’s skin replacement process to speed up, so that it takes just a few days to replace skin cells, when it usually takes 21-28 days. This results in a build-up of immature skin cells, which are visible as raised patches of flaky skin covered with silvery scales (known as ‘plaques’), which can also be itchy. Psoriasis can occur on any area of the body, including the scalp, hands, feet and genitals, although different types tend to occur on different areas.

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are complex conditions, and there are many aspects which are misunderstood, under-treated and under-appreciated. There is also a lot of 'information' available which is inaccurate, incorrect, or doesn't give the full picture. World Psoriasis Day aims to get accurate information to a wider audience.

The Psoriasis UK website contains more information about psoriasis and this year’s event, as well as volunteer opportunities, fundraising ideas, and opportunities to share your experiences. Visit https://psoriasisuk.org.uk/raising-awareness/default.aspx.

If you’re caring for someone at risk of going missing, you might want to have a look at the Herbert Protocol. Named after a war veteran called George Herbert, the Herbert Protocol helps you to establish information about someone who’s at risk before they go missing.

In the event that they later do go missing, you’re able to quickly share the information with the police force.

We’ve linked some national information below, but you’ll be able to find the information for your local police force and their forms by carrying out an internet search. The police will ask additional questions about what happened if/when the individual goes missing, but having the protocol ready helps you to think about important information beforehand when you’re not in a moment of intense stress.

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-s...gether-magazine/scheme-support-missing-people

The safety initiative ‘Ask for Angela’ has being rolled out to bars, clubs and other licensed businesses across England. 

People who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened can discreetly seek help by approaching venue staff and asking them for ‘Angela’. This code-phrase will indicate to staff that they require help with their situation and a trained member of staff will then look to support and assist them. This might be through reuniting them with a friend, seeing them to a taxi, or by calling venue security and/or the police. 

Venues that support ‘Ask for Angela’ have been given Welfare And Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training. Delivered by the Met’s licensing officers and Safer Sounds partnership, it gives staff the ability to help customers who may be in a situation that makes them vulnerable or unsafe.

For more information about the scheme, visit: https://askforangela.co.uk/

Aged 17 to 65?

Generally fit and well?

Weigh more than 7st 12lbs (50kg) and less than 25st (158kg)?

You could help by donating blood as stocks are critically low.

Giving blood

You can give blood at thousands of donation venues across England, from permanent donor centres to pop-up community venues.

More about giving blood

Giving plasma

You can give plasma (part of your blood that can make life-saving medicines) at 3 donation venues in England:

• Birmingham
• Reading
• Twickenham

More about giving plasma

Information: 

Note that you can't donate blood and plasma at the same appointment.

If you have a baby under six months of age, it can be really difficult to know whether you need to make a medical appointment, or whether you can safely look after your baby at home.

The Lullaby Trust have built an app to help parents of young babies to know the difference:
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/baby-check-app/

But don't forget we are here for you if you have any doubts, worries or concerns. 

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Babies are usually ready to start trying their first solid foods when they reach six months of age.

Giving your baby a wide variety of normal family foods can encourage habits for life, but we do need to make sure we’re careful as some foods such as salt and honey aren’t suitable for very young children.
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/weaning/how-to-start-weaning-your-baby/