Reliable, relevant, accurate and easy to read information on the internet – is there such a thing?
Yes, there is, but it is not always easy to find!
Some sources look legitimate, but may not be. The NHS App and website are key sources of information you can trust about health & wellbeing. For locally produced information, try this website which has been developed by NHS Dietitians in Somerset. There are webinars providing information on some health conditions, mainly related to nutrition. Patient Webinars | Access to reliable nutrition information.
Also I have recently found this source of reliable information – Patient.info. It is also available in an App – Patient Access. If you use the NHS App and have a login, you can link the two Apps. Patient Access states that it has ‘Health information you can trust. Our clinical information meets NHS England’s Information Standard’. For example, you can check whether you are eligible for a Flu and/or COVID vaccination this Autumn and then book with you GP Practice (if your Practice is linked), all on the same App – very easy! The range of information is infinite, from menopause to meningitis, pleurisy to pacemakers. It is written in an easy-to-read accessible format. One of the benefits of this App and website is that it is up to date and provides the latest health news, for example, tips on how to increase your Vitamin D intake during the winter months when the sun is illusive.
How to boost your vitamin D levels this winter Also it recently reported about the change in NICE Guidance for treating Type 2 Diabetes. NICE announce changes in type 2 diabetes treatment The change in approach is as follows:- “We’re moving beyond simply managing blood sugar to taking a holistic view of a person’s health, particularly their cardiovascular and kidney health.”
The App and website also have a number of trusted tools and calculators to help you assess your health status, for example, a Symptom Checker and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. These tools are designed to ‘support your health journey’. According to Patient Access ‘Exercise should form part of our day-to-day lives’. This is not a new message! There is also good evidence to show that making a change in your regular exercise type can be beneficial.
Why It’s Important to Switch up Your Exercise. Maybe you take your exercise alone, but how about taking part in a group and socialise with like-minded people for an added dimension? For example, there is the Sharpham Road Playing Fields Park Run every Saturday at 9am. For more information go to:- Sharpham Road Playing Fields parkrun. This is ‘A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it’s up to you!’ The report of the August Bank Holiday run talked of participants ‘kicking up dust’. As we go into the Autumn, with cooler and wetter weather, I guess there may be mud to be ‘kicked up’, but I’m sure the sense of achievement will still be as great at the end of 5K, the benefit of the exercise will still be felt and you may have made some new friends!
Support for people with dementia and their carers in Wedmore
Carer’s Group
Do you care for or support a person living with dementia? Then this friendly informative group is for you! Come along on the first Friday of the month to The Swan Hotel, Wedmore between 10am and 12md, next meeting on 3rd October 2025. If you want to find out more about the Memories Workshops and Carers’ Group, phone HeadsUp on 01749 670667 or email wedmorecarers@yahoo.com If you need help with funding for attending HeadsUp, just ask, help may be available.
Coffee and a Chat
For general support with mental wellbeing Somewhere House, a charity based in Burnham, visits The Bluebird Café in Wedmore on the first Wednesday of the month, from 10-12md. They offer an opportunity to meet and chat. For more information contact them on 01278 780769
Cathy Butterworth
Wedmore Health & Wellbeing Project
01934 806266