Health & Wellbeing

The leadership of the Nishkam Group had a vision, a dream, a passion to make health more equitable in a deprived inner-city area of Birmingham. So, 10 years ago the Nishkam Healthcare Trust (NHT), based on Soho Road, Birmingham was launched.

The NHT’s proposition is unique – it was not vying to compete with the NHS, but to compassionately complement it and enable services to be more accessible to so many disenfranchised residents who feel out of touch.

The leadership of the Nishkam Group had a vision, a dream, a passion to make health more equitable in a deprived inner-city area of Birmingham.  So, 10 years ago the Nishkam Healthcare Trust (NHT), based on Soho Road, Birmingham was launched.

The NHT’s proposition is unique – it was not vying to compete with the NHS, but to compassionately complement it and enable services to be more accessible to so many disenfranchised residents who feel out of touch.

Primrose Granville is a name known by many across a number of communities, especially listeners to her on BBC Radio Bristol, but like all people living with an underlying health condition, what you see on the surface isn’t always the whole truth.

Primrose has been living with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which is a degenerative disease, so you’re born with it and there isn’t anything that can be done about it.

Medical tourism is on the rise. Every year millions of Americans save between 40-80% in medical fees by crossing the border or taking a short plane ride to receive the care they need. Even after the pandemic slowed international travel, more people looked abroad for shorter wait times, better service, and lower fees.

There is good news from the medical community for long-time sufferers of acid reflux disease, which is the most common gastrointestinal disease in the Caribbean and across the globe. Gastroenterologist Dr. Sunil K. Mathai of Health City Cayman Islands says the Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF) is now available to treat acid reflux and other symptoms associated with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in patients who do not respond to lifestyle modifications and medication.

Age UK members in Solihull were recently welcomed to McCarthy Stone’s Wheatley Place Retirement Living Plus development to host their annual Christmas party celebration.

Age UK got to enjoy Wheatley Place’s stylish communal lounge and Bistro and McCarthy Stone also put on a two-course meal for them to indulge in. They also managed to finish off their festive celebrations with a glass or two of fizz.

Alzheimer’s Society has partnered with the Birmingham County FA to offer help and hope to anyone who has been diagnosed with dementia or caring for a loved one in the county. The new referral pathways into Alzheimer’s Society services make it easier and quicker for players, coaches, referees and support staff across the West Midlands to access support or guidance needed when concerns arise about themselves or a loved one.

Making those all-important New Year’s resolutions is easy – but sticking to them can be a different story. Whether it’s embarking on a new career goal, changing a behaviour, or setting out to achieve an exciting new challenge, resolving to make changes at the start of the New Year is simple, but there can be lots of reasons why our good intentions don’t last beyond January.

Dr. Ravi Kishore, Chief Interventional Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Health City Cayman Islands, says there is hope for cardiac patients who do not respond to conventional hypertension therapy. Over the past eight years, Dr. Kishore has introduced new interventions to the Caribbean for the management of patients with refractory or resistant high blood pressure or hypertension.

With Christmas just around the corner and concerns about the cost of living and affordability of the festive season being a worry for many, the rituals associated with Christmas can still provide psychological comfort and joy, says the British Psychological Society.

From decorating the tree, to attending a carol service or listening to Christmas songs, the activities and milestones we associate with the festive period can help lift spirits and provide solace when times are tough.

With prices rising and temperatures plunging, people affected by dementia are facing especially challenging times over the festive season and beyond.

Alzheimer’s Society has warned that, as the scale of the cost-of-living crisis widens, there is growing evidence that the over 84,000 people with dementia in the West Midlands, are being hit hard.

Warwickshire treated a brave youngster to a VIP day at Edgbaston Stadium after teaming up with Birmingham Children’s Hospital to lay on a Christmas treat.

Little Elliott McNaughton was guest of honour and given a behind-the-scenes tour with his family by players Jake Lintott and Olly Hannon-Dalby. They also laid on a fun cricket session at our indoor centre and handed over Bears goodies, including shirts for Elliott and cousin Jay signed by Chris Woakes.

A much-loved former City of Wolverhampton councillor is to have a new centre supporting the city’s vulnerable people named in his memory. The vacant Council-owned city centre building, Bond House, in Bond Street, will become known as Peter Bilson House - and is set to open its doors in spring 2023.

As the holiday season approaches, for many families their celebrations could be looking very different this year due to the cost-of-living crisis, increasing fuel bills and squeezes on household budgets. Educational and Child Psychologists from the British Psychological Society (BPS) have offered their expert advice to manage children’s expectations this festive season, and how to focus on the smaller things that can mean a lot.

Always renowned to being the most noble of professions, nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are on strike today, in the largest action of its kind in NHS history, all though, as they say, they will continue to provide "life-preserving" and some urgent care. Routine surgery, however, and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted.

A dedicated and passionate pilot, who spent 18 years flying the lifesaving aircrew of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity to some of the most critical incidents across the region, has won a prestigious national award.

Captain Matt Wood from Stafford was nominated, shortlisted and named winner for the Pilot of the Year Award at this year’s Air Ambulances UK (AAUK) Awards of Excellence.