Local News Wednesday 2nd November

Wednesday, 2 November 2022 06:00

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.

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Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more