Practice News – April 2026
Stress Awareness Month, 1st– 30th April
Stress is not always a ‘bad’ thing, it is meant to help us survive dangerous situations by putting us into ‘fight-or-flight’ mode, and can improve focus on a task. However, when we experience stress in our workplace or everyday lives, it can make our brains over-react and stop us ‘thinking straight’ overall. If we are kept in a state of stress for long periods, the excess chemicals released by our brain can also harm our health.
The Stress Management Society says that workplace stress is reaching record levels worldwide:
- 1 in 4 workers report feeling unable to cope with stress at work
- 91% of employees have faced high stress or workplace pressure in the past year
- Over 50% of workers show signs of burnout, like exhaustion and disengagement
- Work-related stress contributes to lost productivity and days off
Stress Awareness Month gives organisations a chance to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and actively support employee wellbeing before issues escalate.
This year, the theme is #BeTheChange, inspired by Gandhi’s ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’ Learn how your workplace or personal life can embrace this theme on their website: https://www.stress.org.uk/stress-awareness-month-2026/
Allergy Awareness Week, 22nd–28th April
An allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts inappropriately to normally harmless substances such as food, pollen, animal products, insect stings or medicines. This can be minor, such as localised itching, but in more severe cases it can cause anaphylaxis, a condition which can lead to upper respiratory obstruction and collapse and can be fatal.
Allergy affects more than a quarter of the UK population, yet many people still struggle to recognise the symptoms or access the support they need. So this year, Allergy Awareness Week continues the ‘I Wish I Knew’ campaign, highlighting ‘Diagnosis Matters’.
You can find out more about the campaign and learn about allergy symptoms, next steps and anaphylaxis on the Allergy UK website: https://www.allergyuk.org/allergy-awareness-weeks/
Staffing updates
Our physiotherapist Victoria has now left the surgery, please welcome Areeba Siddiqui who has joined us as her replacement.
We have a new practice nurse joining us after Amanda Simms moved on, please welcome Kristen Sweeney who will be starting towards the end of the month.
