Thursday 23rd November

Thursday, 23 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The South Western Ambulance Service is asking people to use its services responsibly as it prepares for a challenging winter. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Yeovil Hospital, is contacting people after hospital records were inappropriately accessed. Chard Ladies Rugby team is taking on a new challenge, climbing to the top of the National Three Peaks for charity...and more.

The South Western Ambulance Service is asking people to use its services responsibly as it prepares for a challenging winter. South Western Ambulance says increased flu cases, colder temperatures, and higher numbers of 999 calls, will exacerbate the challenge this winter. People are being asked to only call 999 in life-threatening situations, and not call back unless things worsen or an ambulance is no longer needed. For non-life-threatening emergencies, they're asked to call 111, their GP or local pharmacies.

Police are advising people to be at home when parcels are delivered this Christmas, to avoid them being left outside the house. It follows figures showing that in the Avon and Somerset force area, police dealt with 489 thefts of parcels from outside properties between August 2022 and July this year. They say porch thefts are difficult crimes to solve, with the majority of cases going unsolved.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is contacting up to 200 people after some of its hospital records were inappropriately accessed by a member of staff.

Somerset Council has been recognised as a leader for the way it has responded to the climate emergency. The Council has been given an A rating by the environmental charity, CDP, for its contribution to mitigating climate change. The A-rating was based on the council’s climate-related projects including expanding Somerset’s network of electric vehicle charging points and encouraging the uptake of ‘retrofit’ home heating systems

Members of the Chard Ladies Rugby team are taking on a new challenge – climbing to the top of the National Three Peaks. The team will attempt to scale Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon in just 24 hours next year, helping to raise funds for grassroots rugby.

All designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Somerset have officially been renamed 'National Landscapes' from this week. The team who manage the Mendip Hills - now categorized as a National Landscape – have welcomed the change of name. They say it's a better reflection of the area’s national importance.

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Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
Thursday 6th March

Somerset Council has approved a seven-and-a-half percent increase in council tax. People are being asked to return boxes of paracetamol bought from Boots Chemists in Somerset. It’s been revealed that five members of staff at Somerset Council are being allowed to work from home outside the UK...and more
Wednesday 5th March

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.
Tuesday 4th March

The population of Somerset has reached record levels with nearly one in ten born outside the UK. Stanchester School in Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’. Experts have been called in to appraise a 15th-century piece of artwork in Sherborne...and more.
Monday 3rd March

A woman from Crewkerne has been fined £280 for assaulting two emergency workers. Plans have been announced to open new NHS dental surgeries in Chard and Crewkerne. A Yeovil man has been thanked for raising £10,000 for the cardiac charity Heartbeat...and more
Friday 28th February

A local man has been charged after allegedly driving a tractor while under the influence of alcohol. One hundred bikes, collected with household waste in Somerset, have been donated to charity. The junction of the A37 Ilchester Road and Stiby Road in Yeovil will again shut this evening for resurfacing...and more.
Thursday 27th February

Fourteen hundred people have added their names to a petition against Somerset Council's plans to scrap free car parks. St Margaret’s Hospice has won a share of £25 million of government funding. A man from Charlton Adam is preparing to visit Ukraine as an Aid Worker for a tenth time...and more
Wednesday 26th February

A local man has been charged with possessing an air weapon following an incident in Yeovil town centre. The Labour government has removed funding to the Amulet Theatre in Shepton Mallet that the previous Conservative government had allocated. Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K fun run with organisers aiming to exceed last year’s number of runners...and more.