Tuesday 26th September

Tuesday, 26 September 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Somerset woman, who has Multiple Sclerosis, is calling on the government to overhaul the assessment process for claiming disability benefits. Somerset Council has been fined £1,000 after a stroke patient was left without care for long periods. A Consultant Urologist in Somerset says men need to be made more aware of the early signs of prostate cancer...and more.

A Somerset woman, who has Multiple Sclerosis, is calling on the government to overhaul the assessment process for claiming disability benefits. Ten years after the government brought in Personal Independence Payments or 'PIP' as it is better known. A survey conducted by the MS Society shows that nearly two-thirds of people think going through the PIP process has a negative or very negative impact on them.

Somerset Council has been fined £1,000 after a stroke patient was left without care for long periods. The patient went without care on various dates between May and December 2021 after his provider missed visits and subsequently withdrew their support. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman have ordered Somerset Council to apologise and compensate the man for the distress caused.

A Consultant Urologist in Somerset says men need to be more aware of the early signs of prostate cancer. Over 52,000 males are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year. Doctor Jon McFarlane says men who show early signs need to get checked quickly.

Highways officials say repairs to a road connecting Somerset with Devon will be completed before Christmas. Since July 2021, motorists traveling on the A30 between Chard and Yarcombe have been delayed by temporary lights at Crawley Farm. The lights were installed following damage to an embankment caused by a landslip. Work to repair the embankment begins on October 14th with the road reopening at the end of November.

A Chard author has had his first novel published. Garry Sweetland’s book ‘Narcissus’ tells the story of deadly happenings in the world of art. Garry is launching his new book with a party in Chard on Friday, October 6th when an auction will be held to raise money for the Alzheimers Society.

More from News

Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more
Friday 11th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Yeovil in which a man riding an e-bike was injured and later died in hospital. Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says the number of false alarm calls it receives is on the increase. A new micro-pub opens in Chard next week...and more
Thursday 10th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for more targeted support for schools in Somerset. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident near Wells in which a cyclist died. Plans have been approved to convert a former care home in Yeovil into a house of multiple occupation...and more
Wednesday 9th April

A man from Yeovil has been jailed for stabbing another man in a pub in the town. Work is underway to help minimize the flood risk at Chard Reservoir. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-six new homes at Sparkford. A new Town Crier is needed in Glastonbury...and more
Tuesday 8th April

Work is underway to demolish the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with drink driving for a third time. Somerset Council has paid £35,000 in compensation for failing to deliver the right support to children with special educational needs. Another shop in Yeovil town centre is closing for good today...and more