Local News Wednesday 2nd November

    GPs in Somerset need to make their websites easier to use. NHS data shows cases of type-2 diabetes, generally associated with older people, are now rising at a faster rate among people aged under 40. A Somerset woman has received a Master's Degree for referees and umpires. A new report has shown a big increase in people referring to the Salvation Army as victims of modern slavery. A woman from Merriot has been banned from driving for fifteen months after pleading guilty to a drink and driving charge. ..and more.

    GPs in Somerset need to make their websites easier to use. That's one of the findings of a new report into patient experiences by Healthwatch Somerset. It says more help is needed with using GP websites for people booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions and that websites need to be made simpler to navigate. 

    NHS data shows cases of type-2 diabetes, generally associated with older people, are now rising at a faster rate among people aged under 40. Head of Long-Term Conditions at NHS Somerset, Rachael Rowe is urging people to check their risk levels more often.

    A Somerset woman has received a Master's Degree for referees and umpires. Clare Daniels, who works for England Rugby, as part of the match official’s team, says she would like to see more women trying their hand at refereeing. 

    A new report has shown a big increase in people referring to the Salvation Army as victims of modern slavery. Last year, 150 people in the South West region were taken out of situations in which they were working against their will or being coerced into sex work. 

    A woman from Merriot has been banned from driving for 15 months after pleading guilty to a drink and driving charge. Magistrates in Yeovil were told that Sam Elliot gave a positive breathalyser result after crashing her car into a telegraph pole on Holloway Road in Lopen in September.

    Entries are now open for the annual spoof art prize - the Turnip Prize. Organisers say entries should be creative and look ridiculous but take as little time and effort as possible to make. The Turnip Prize is run by The New Inn, at Wedmore, and the closing date for entries is November 19th.

    More from News

    • Friday 12th June

      It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more

    • Thursday 11th June

      Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more

    • Wednesday 10th June

      The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more

    • Tuesday 9th June

      The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more

    • Monday 8th June

      Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.

    • Friday 5th June

      A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more

    • Thursday 4th June

      An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more

    • Wednesday 3rd June

      A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 22°C | Low: 13°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 24°C | Low: 13°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain shower

      High: 23°C | Low: 13°C

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