Spotlight newsletter - 2 October 2026
Leading doctors urge people across Surrey and Sussex to get “winter ready”
NHS leaders are encouraging people across Surrey and Sussex to take simple steps now to protect their health and prepare for winter, as the NHS sets out its plans to keep people well and services safe during the colder months.
The call follows agreement by the NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board of its Winter Plan for 2026/27 on Wednesday 30 September.
The plan focuses on helping people to stay well, ensuring they can get the right help when they need it and making the best possible use of health and care services during periods of increased winter pressure.
Leading doctors are asking people to play their part by getting “winter ready”, including:
- making sure they receive a flu and COVID-19 vaccination if eligible,
- making sure repeat prescriptions and regular medicines are ordered in good time,
- seeking advice early if an existing health condition is getting worse, keeping warm, active and hydrated, and
- knowing where to go for help.
As listed above a key part of our approach this year, the seasonal flu and covid-19 vaccination programme, began yesterday.
You can get the free flu vaccine if you:
- are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2027)
- are aged 18 to 64 and have certain long-term health conditions
- are pregnant
- live in a care home
- are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
- live with someone who has a weakened immune system
- are experiencing homelessness or staying in a homeless hostel or night shelter
- Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
You can get the Covid-19 vaccine if you:
- are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2027)
- are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
- live in a care home for older adults
This year, the flu programme has expanded to include, for the first time as part of the national programme, people aged 16 and over who are sleeping rough or using homeless hostels or night shelters.
Pregnant women, children aged two and three, school-aged children and children in clinical risk groups have already been offered flu vaccination since 1 September.
If you are eligible please visit the NHS website to book your appointment.
NHS urges university students to get HPV vaccine
Students across Surrey and Sussex are being encouraged to check their HPV vaccination status as a successful NHS campaign returns this autumn to help prevent future cancers.
The Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance, working with NHS partners, is relaunching a campaign targeting university students who may have missed their HPV vaccination at school.
HPV (human papillomavirus) is a common infection that can cause several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, penile, vulval, vaginal, mouth and throat cancers. The NHS HPV vaccination programme is a key part of the ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
Two-thirds of eligible school age children across Surrey and Sussex have received their HPV vaccination in the last 12 months. However, the uptake of the HPV vaccine has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. This campaign aims to encourage those who missed their vaccination, particularly during the pandemic, to take it up.
It follows encouraging results from a similar initiative delivered across Surrey and Sussex last year.
Read the full story
National data shows more people accessing NHS dental care across Surrey and Sussex
Thousands more people across Surrey and Sussex are benefiting from NHS dental care, with new data showing significant increases in the amount of treatment and urgent care delivered to patients.
The latest national figures show that NHS dental practices across Surrey and Sussex delivered more than 1.74 million courses of treatment during 2025/26, an increase of over 134,000 compared with the previous year. Urgent dental care activity also increased, with more than 156,000 urgent treatments provided, around 17,000 more than in 2024/25.
The increase reflects continued work across Surrey and Sussex to improve access to NHS dentistry and ensure more patients can receive the care they need, through routine appointments or urgent treatments.
Read the full story
CVD Prevention Team shortlisted for national General Practice Award
We're delighted to share that the CVD Prevention Team at NHS Surrey and Sussex has been shortlisted for the Clinical Improvement - Public Health and Prevention Award at this year's General Practice Awards. The awards celebrate people and teams across primary care who are going above and beyond to improve patient care.
Cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes, remains one of the biggest causes of early death and health inequality in England. One of the best ways to prevent it is through Lipid lowering therapy (LLT), offered to people identified as being at higher risk.
To improve LLT uptake, the team worked with all 156 GP practices across Sussex on a programme to identify more patients who could benefit from cholesterol-lowering treatment, and to support them in starting it.
Read the full story
Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service wins HSJ Patient Safety Award
Alliance for Better Care’s (ABC) Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service (RASS) has won the Improving Safety and Outcomes for Minority Ethnic Communities category at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
The national award recognises organisations taking a concerted, systematic approach to tackling disparities in patient safety, reducing health inequalities and addressing unwarranted variation in care for minority ethnic communities. It particularly recognises evidence-based, data-driven interventions that demonstrate impact and the potential to be replicated at scale.
Read the full story
First Community CEO contributes to national AI and proactive care summit
Sarah Tomkins, Chief Executive of First Community and First Community's Chair, Lorcan Woods, joined healthcare leaders, innovators and technology experts at the AI-Powered Proactive Care Summit hosted by Doccla and Sword, Europe's leading virtual care providers.
The summit highlighted the growing role that digital technology, population health intelligence, and neighbourhood-based care models will play in transforming health and care services. Through partnerships such as its work with Doccla, including supporting patients to safely monitor heart conditions at home, First Community continues to explore innovative approaches that help people stay well, live independently, and receive care closer to home.
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Improving maternity care through Leadership and lived experience
Across Sussex, maternity services are being strengthened through exceptional leadership and by ensuring the voices and experiences of women and families are heard and shared.
Recognising exceptional leadership in Maternity Services
Three senior leaders from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust maternity service have been recognised with the prestigious Cavell Star Award, celebrating their exceptional leadership, compassion and dedication during a prolonged period of significant staffing challenges.
Alice, Sam and Claire received the award in recognition of the outstanding support they provided to colleagues while helping to maintain safe, high-quality care for women, babies and families across our trust during a particularly demanding time.
Read the full story
Sussex MNVPs create series of lived experience films around perinatal mental health
Sussex Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnerships have been busy working on something really special. They have come together with service users to create a series of lived experience films exploring perinatal mental health.
In these films, we hear directly from women about their experiences of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period — their mental health journeys, what helped them, what they found difficult, and what they wish others had known
Find more information and watch the videos
Share your views on SEND support in Surrey
Families, children and young people, and professionals across Surrey are being encouraged to share their experiences of local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services as part of an upcoming inspection of the Surrey Local Area Partnership by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspection, taking place from 21 September until 9 October 2026, will assess how effectively organisations across education, health and care work together to support families.
As part of the inspection, Ofsted and the CQC want to hear directly from children and young people, families, carers and the professionals who support them.
Find more information