NHS

World No To***co Day is a good reminder that quitting smoking is always worth it – no matter how many times you've tried before.

When you stop, you’ll experience health benefits more quickly than you might think! 💪

‘When you see him now, it’s hard to think that just a few years ago his lungs were barely working.’

At just 11 months old, Lennie was admitted to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, where staff discovered he had a collapsed lung, pneumonia, and over a pint of fluid in his lungs. He needed immediate surgery and breathing support in intensive care.

For his parents, it was terrifying. Charlie, his dad, said:
‘We knew something was wrong, but no one could tell us what we could do to help him. Going from having a healthy, happy baby boy to being in intensive care is any parent’s worst nightmare.’

Now, aged 4 and fully recovered, Lennie is running around with his little brother Louie – keeping mum and dad busy on their feet.

‘Everyone at the Evelina were unbelievable. We owe everything to them.’

Amazing work, team! 💙

‘We wanted to make sure that her illness didn’t stop her from marking such a special occasion in life.’

Lilli was just about to graduate when she received the devastating news that she had acute myeloid leukaemia – a rare form of cancer.

During her treatment, she met Charlene, a Youth Support Coordinator at NHS Humber Health Partnership's Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Service cancer team, which supports young cancer patients, from diagnosis to recovery.

For Lilli, this meant organising a graduation ceremony she would have otherwise missed.

Thanks to Charlene and the team, Lilli was able to put on a cap and gown, celebrate with loved ones and join her university’s ceremony online.

‘What Charlene and the hospital team have done for me is nothing short of amazing. It’s changed my life in ways that I will carry with me forever.’

But that’s not all the team has done for Lilli, or other patients.

From arranging an end-of-treatment celebration for Lilli and helping a patient with agoraphobia (a fear of situations where escape might be difficult) visit a restaurant for the first time, to recording a mother’s voice into a teddy bear for her daughter to keep forever; their work goes beyond treatment.

Thank you Charlene and our cancer care teams across the country who improve the lives of cancer patients everyday 💙

5 common mistakes when using sunscreen ☀️

Take care when going out in the sun and don’t forget your sunscreen.

For more information, visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

➡ Swipe to see how easy it is to check your risk of type 2 diabetes, with Diabetes UK.

If your risk is high or very high, you can contact your GP – there’s even a template letter to help you.

Find out your risk today: https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk

With hot weather across the country this week, make sure you keep hydrated.

Babies, children and older adults are more at risk of dehydration.

If it's not treated, it can become a serious problem.

Find out more information ➡️ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/

A big thank you to each and every member of staff working across the NHS this bank holiday! 💙

To the public, if you need medical help today, use NHS 111, or for a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999.

There are heat health alerts across a lot of the country.

Consider this your bank holiday weekend checklist…

🔲 Sunscreen
🔲 Hat
🔲 Water
🔲 Read advice on the NHS website

➡️ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/

This bank holiday weekend, some NHS services may have different opening hours.

If you need urgent help, access NHS 111.

➡️ https://111.nhs.uk/