Coastal Medical Partnership

05/02/2026

Life changes in an instant after a haemorrhagic stroke, and around half of people who are affected do not survive.

Thankfully, when it happened to Natalie's dad in 2025, he did survive.

'I'd been in the office all day,' Natalie remembers. She rang her parents to check in on them, 'We were scheduled to go on a trip that we were all excited about.'

Her parents explained that her dad had been feeling unwell throughout the day and was not quite himself. He was dizzy, frequently bumping into things, had a severe headache, and his blood pressure was very high when they tested it on a home monitor.

Because her dad did not have the three most common signs of stroke—face drooping, arm weakness, and speech problems, known as the FAST test—no one initially suspected a stroke.

At first, her parents were reluctant to contact a health professional, wanting to ‘avoid making a fuss’. But after some convincing, they rang 111.

An appointment was made for Urgent Care, which was quickly escalated to an A&E visit.

'When I arrived to pick them up,' Natalie said, 'they explained an ambulance had been offered but, not wanting to inconvenience anyone, they turned it down.' So Natalie drove her parents to a regional hospital further away.

Once there, after initial tests, the seriousness of the situation became clear. In a small consultation room in the early hours of the morning, Natalie was told her dad 'has a large and severe brain bleed'.

‘The news came as a huge shock and the effects will impact us forever as we navigate this new version of family life.’

Natalie admits that before it happened, she had ‘limited knowledge of strokes… but the parts I did know about, like FAST, were not relevant when my dad had a “massive brain bleed”.

'I felt compelled to create this sketchnote as I don’t think any of us could have predicted his stroke from his symptoms, because they didn't align with the traditional FAST signs.

‘Of course, a little cartoon in a sketchnote can’t fully convey everything we saw that day, or how my dad felt,’ she says, ‘but if it helps even one person become more aware of the lesser-known signs of stroke, then it will be worth it.’

05/02/2026

04/02/2026

Macmillan services

The Macmillan Support line is free to call on 0808 808 00 00, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. Or email the Macmillan Support Line https://www.macmillan.org.uk/forms/contact-us/ask-macmillan-form.html
Use the get support guide by answering some quick questions to get information tailored to you or your loved one's situation https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-support-guide
Macmillan can help you find support in your local area, so you can speak to people who understand what you or your loved are going through https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/in-your-area

03/02/2026

Raynaud's Awareness Month

This Raynaud’s Awareness Month, we are calling on the public to and we need your help.

Please share the online test with your own friends and family, and encourage them to take a minute, take the test and Be Part of the Answer, and join the many people already taking part in the largest ever study around Raynaud’s. https://www.sruk.co.uk/about-raynauds/diagnosing-raynauds/take-our-online-raynauds-test/

Share the content
Too many people just live with Raynaud’s without knowing what it is and how they can manage the symptoms better. For roughly 300,000 of them this is an early a sign of an underlying autoimmune condition. So, we don’t want people to ignore it anymore. Please help to keep on raising vital awareness https://www.sruk.co.uk/get-involved/awareness-campaigns/raynauds-awareness-month/

Help raise awareness
You can help by spreading the word by downloading and sharing these materials. There is a wide range of publications that are all available free of charge. https://www.sruk.co.uk/publications/
Alternatively please use this link if you would like some printed copies https://www.sruk.co.uk/about-us/contact/

02/02/2026

University Hospital Southampton remains in a major incident today following a fire in the West Wing of Southampton General Hospital on Sunday morning.

When the fire broke out approximately 200 patients were quickly moved to safe areas of the hospital including corridor spaces during the emergency. Following a considerable effort throughout yesterday in repurposing all available space in our hospitals, last night all of those patients were being cared for in beds and on wards. The majority remained in Southampton General Hospital, but some patients were transported to hospitals across the area last night in a coordinated mutual aid response with healthcare partners and supported by South Central Ambulance Service.

The situation has been extremely challenging and we are continuing to work with partners as we continue to prioritise safe patient care.

Our Emergency Department remains closed this morning unless your condition is life or limb threatening.

We have had to cancel a significant amount of planned elective surgery and some outpatient appointments today. All affected patients have been contacted directly. If you have an appointment and have not been contacted, you should attend the hospital as planned today.

Visiting has today resumed as usual – please check visiting hours with the ward.

More information on our website: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/news/major-incident-declared-following-fire-at-university-hospital-southampton

30/01/2026

Want to know more about Shingles?
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. This condition predominantly affects older adults and those with weakened immune systems, making it a significant health concern for these patients. Shingles can lead to severe complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), where nerve pain persists long after the rash has healed. This pain can be debilitating, significantly impacting quality of life. The vaccine is a critical preventive measure against shingles and its complications.
The Shingrix vaccine requires two doses to achieve complete protection against the virus. The first dose is followed by a second dose administered typically between 6 -12 months. Completing both doses is crucial to ensuring the vaccines maximum effectiveness. Shingrix has been shown to provide over 90% protection against shingles, even in older adults. If you have had a shingles infection before this does not give you immunity of having it in the future.
Please contact the surgery on 01425 201111 if you are eligible, if you are between 70 and 79 years old or have turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023.

29/01/2026

Have Your Say is a participation network for children and young people with SEND (aged 13+) across Hampshire. Members can engage with decision-makers, contribute to projects and influence local change.

28/01/2026

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

February is RSV vaccine month. NHS England will shortly be sending invites to book a vaccine appointment for eligible patients between the ages of 75-79 years old or pregnant women after 28 weeks.
This is a one-off vaccine which protects you against the main cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in our 75 to 79 year olds and will protect newborn patients against this virus
If you are eligible and wish to book an appointment, then please call us on 01425 201111 or use the link we have sent to you.
You can read more about the virus using the link below:

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28/01/2026

Pre-diabetic? Get set! The next local group is ready for New Milton.

Pre-diabetes: Do You Want to Receive Personalised Support and Guidance?!

The NHS prevention program offers tailored, evidence-based support through trained health coaches and peer support groups.

FREE: Education on healthy eating and how to build balanced meals that work for you.

FREE: Guidance on adding physical activity into your lifestyle in a sustainable way.

FREE: Strategies for weight management, as even modest weight loss can have a big impact.

❗️Help with managing stress and emotional wellbeing to tackle negative thought patterns and setbacks.

Our groups help provide: The skills and knowledge you acquire are designed to promote long-term behavior change, not just a temporary fix.

🥦 Sustain healthy habits that you can continue for years to come!

Feel healthier and more energetic in your daily life!

💪 Empowerment to take control of your own health and feel more confident in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 💙

Get set! Our next local group is ready for New Milton: Coastal Medical Partnership New Milton Pharmacy Daylewis Pharmacy New Milton New Forest District Council 💙

28/01/2026

Fantastic idea! Addresses an area of support we acknowledge is lacking in our local area. 👏

On Monday 2nd February we will be launching our weekly Parent Support Brunch - and it’s FREE!

Join us for a relaxed and welcoming space where parents and carers can connect with others, talk openly about the challenges young people are facing today and access advice and support from our Youth Workers.

We are also excited to be welcoming in guest speakers from local charities and organisations over the coming weeks!

Please drop us a message for more info 🧡
Volunteers needed to help with teas/coffees ☕️

28/01/2026

Do you experience episodes of eating with a loss of control, followed by distress, shame or guilt? Support is available.

27/01/2026

There is an open day on Wednesday 28th January for the new tenant at New Milton Hub called ‘Fast Falls Response’.

Mihai, manager of Fast Falls Response, welcomes all interested people to the open day – find out more about this new service operating from the Hub here

FAST FALLS RESPONSE LTD Fall Response Team In The BCP Area With our fall response service, you won’t be left waiting for hours. If you experience a fall, our trained first aiders will respond quickly, using specialist equipment to help you back on your feet. We guarantee arrival within one hour of...