Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 10 August 2023.

Interim delivery plan outlines 21 actions to improve understanding, research and care for those living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 August 2023.

Thirteen new community diagnostic centres are opening across the country to deliver more than 742,000 additional scans, tests and checks a year.

• The Elective Recovery Taskforce – formed last year to identify ways to cut waiting times – publishes plan to maximise independent sector capacity to treat NHS patients more quickly
• Measures include better use of data to help the NHS identify potential opportunities for the independent sector to support patient care, and expanding training opportunities for staff

Thirteen new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) – including 8 independently run CDCs – are being launched across the country as part of government plans to use the independent sector to cut NHS waiting lists, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay will announce today.

Five of these independent sector-led CDCs will operate in the South West of England, with permanent sites fully opening in 2024 in Redruth, Bristol, Torbay, Yeovil and Weston-super-Mare. Additional diagnostic testing capacity is already being rolled out in the region via the use of mobile diagnostic facilities, to provide additional diagnostic services while these sites are constructed.

Three others will open in Southend, Northampton and South Birmingham – with the former commencing activity from November and the latter 2 from December. These independently run CDCs will help to make it easier for patients to receive checks closer to home and will remain free at the point of use for patients. This adds to the 4 CDCs run by the independent sector that are already operational in Brighton, North Solihull, Oxford and Salford.

Five more NHS-run centres will also open across the country, delivering on our ambition to open up to 160 across the country by 2025, backed by £2.3 billion. These will be in Hornchurch, Skegness, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

We must use every available resource to deliver life-saving checks to ease pressure on the NHS.

By making use of the available capacity in the independent sector, and enabling patients to access this diagnostic capacity free at the point of need, we can offer patients a wider choice of venues to receive treatment and in doing so diagnose major illnesses quicker and start treatments sooner.

The Elective Recovery Taskforce has identified additional diagnostic capacity that is available in the independent sector which we will now use more widely to enable patients to access the care they need quicker.

As well as being more convenient for patients, CDCs drive efficiency across the NHS by shielding elective diagnostic services from wider hospital pressures.

The government has also set out a range of new measures to unlock spare capacity within the independent healthcare sector. This comes following actions from the Elective Recovery Taskforce which was established last December. Chaired by Health Minister Will Quince and made up of academics and experts from the NHS and independent sector, the taskforce looked for ways to go further to bust the COVID-19 backlogs and reduce waiting times for patients.

The measures include a commitment to using data on independent sector providers to identify where they have capacity to take on more NHS patients to help clear the backlog and increasing the use of the independent sector in training junior NHS staff.

These 13 new CDCs will provide capacity for more than 742,000 extra tests a year once all are fully operational, bolstering access to care.

Independent sector led centres will function like NHS-run CDCs, but staff will be employed by the independent sector, which also owns the buildings. The South West network will be run by InHealth, a specialist provider of diagnostic tests which has worked with hospitals and commissioners across the health service for more than 30 years. By utilising independent sector staff, the NHS will be able to keep pace with rising demand in the region and deliver a high number of tests for patients.

There are currently 114 CDCs open across the country, which have delivered an additional 4.6 million tests, checks and scans since July 2021. Alongside this, significant progress has already been made to cut waiting lists, with 18-month and 2-year waits virtually eliminated.

Health Minister and Elective Recovery Taskforce Chair, Will Quince, said:

We have already made significant progress in bringing down waiting lists, with 18 month waits virtually eliminated.

I chaired the Elective Recovery Taskforce to turbocharge these efforts and help patients get the treatment they need.

These actions will bolster capacity across the country and give patients more choice over where and when they are treated.

The taskforce aims to form strong local relationships between NHS organisations and the independent sector. This will help to support improved training opportunities for junior doctors through first-hand experience of procedures. This follows the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan which will deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history and recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.

The department has also published its response to a consultation on a new procurement system known as the Provider Selection Regime, which will give commissioners of healthcare services more flexibility when selecting NHS and independent sector healthcare providers. This is intended to remove unnecessary levels of competitive tendering and barriers to integrating care, which will help to promote collaboration across the NHS and wider healthcare system.

NHS England will evaluate the independent sector’s impact on healthcare capacity and has already begun publishing regular monthly data on independent sector use, showing its contribution to tackling the backlog.

NHS England National Clinical Director for Elective Care, Stella Vig, said:

Hardworking staff across the NHS have made significant progress towards recovering elective care, and it is testament to their efforts that widespread innovative measures are already being rolled out to transform our services and bring down the longest waits for patients.

Alongside this, we have increased our use of the independent sector by more than a third since April 2021 – carrying out 90,000 appointments and procedures every week, including more than 10,000 diagnostic tests – and independent providers will continue to play a key role as we work towards the next milestone in our recovery plan, as well as the additional one stop shops announced today as part of NHS England’s rollout of community diagnostic centres.

As this report details, we have already made significant progress in this area, including operating mutual aid systems across both the NHS and independent sector, and by expanding My Planned Care to make it easier for patients to choose where they receive care.

David Hare, Chief Executive of Independent Healthcare Providers Network, who sat on the taskforce, said:

The publication of this report is good news for patients. This is a real, significant step forward to unlocking more of the capital, capacity and capability of the independent sector.

Today’s report builds on the Prime Minister’s recent welcome announcements about how the government is committed to providing patients with better choice over who provides their NHS care, as well as positive changes in how services are procured, which can help add overall capacity and speed up waiting times for NHS patients.

The report’s commitment to open further independent sector-led community diagnostic centres is also good news for patients, deploying some of the private capital that is available to build new facilities and to help ensure that more NHS patients can get the tests and scans that they need.

Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said:

We are advocates of patients having choice and welcome today’s announcement. In particular, the news that GPs will tell patients, at the point of referral, of options for treatment other than the local hospital or clinic.

Patients in England already have a right to choose where they are treated but not all patients are aware of this right or exercise it. Our expectation is that once GPs offer patients a choice of where to receive treatment, more and more patients will choose to travel further to receive treatment if that means shorter waits.

Justin Ash, CEO of Spire Healthcare, said:

The best way to cut waiting times for patients is for the independent sector to be fully integrated as part of the solution, and to offer patient choice. We welcome the Elective Recovery Taskforce’s recognition of this and are pleased that it has recommended some bold and far-reaching steps to encourage collaboration, promote patient choice and engage the independent sector to help deliver the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The taskforce’s work will genuinely benefit patients, who’ll be able to choose where they can receive treatment most quickly, regardless of whether that’s at an NHS or an independent sector hospital.

This builds on previous work to give patients greater choice. At the point of referral (for example, at a GP appointment), patients will be actively offered a list of providers which are clinically appropriate for their condition. This will be a minimum of 5 providers where possible. And by October 2023, all patients waiting over 40 weeks who have not had a first outpatient appointment booked or where a decision to treat has been made but the patient does not have a date for their treatment will be able to initiate a request to transfer to another provider and receive treatment more quickly.

Last month, the Health and Social Care Secretary also convened ministers, clinical leaders and health experts for the NHS Recovery Summit to collaborate and drive forward ideas to help cut waiting lists and improve care for patients.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 22 July 2023.

A year on from its Women’s Health Strategy, the government has announced a package of new measures to boost the health and wellbeing of women and girls.

• First ever dedicated area for women and girls on NHS website, including new content on adenomyosis, periods and HRT
• Support for bereaved parents who have experienced pregnancy loss, with voluntary certificates and work to provide appropriate 24/7 care
• £25 million distributed nationwide to help create women’s health hubs

A year on from its flagship Women’s Health Strategy, the government is today announcing a significant package of new measures to boost the health and wellbeing of women and girls. A raft of actions are also being taken to support women and their families through the unbearable and devastating impacts of pregnancy loss.

Hundreds of thousands of women have already directly benefited from the strategy and, building on its success, the government has announced the launch of a women’s health area on the NHS website. To support women’s health at every stage of their lives, the new dedicated area will bring together over 100 topics on women’s health. It will sit alongside a brand new hormone replacement therapy (HRT) hub on the site, and will enable women and girls of all ages to access important information about their health easily. It will provide information for women on a range of health issues including periods, gynaecological conditions, fertility, pregnancy, heart health and cancers.

Acknowledging the work of BBC presenter Naga Munchetty and patient groups to raise awareness of the condition, the government has also ensured the NHS website now contains a page specifically on adenomyosis (which causes heavy or painful periods) – including information about symptoms and the treatment currently available.

The brand new hub for HRT has been launched on the NHS website to help women manage menopausal symptoms and it will also help those who need it to easily find information on different types of HRT and decide which medicine is most suited to them.

Alongside the new website, to further boost women’s and girls’ health and wellbeing, the government has announced:

• the development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify early risks in maternity units. The government will host an event where clinicians and data scientists will collaborate to harness the power of AI to analyse vast amounts of data, helping to identify any concerning trends in maternity units
• £25 million will be distributed across England so every area can create a women’s health hub, with each integrated care board (ICB) set to receive £595,000 to meet local women’s health and wellbeing needs
• greater IVF transparency through an accessible new tool on GOV.UK to allow people to look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatment in their area
• the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, has formed a new network of women’s health champions – made up of senior leadership in every local care system and co-chaired with NHS England – who will use their leadership and experience to drive forward wider work to improve women’s health.

Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said:

A year on from the launch of our women’s health strategy, we have much progress to celebrate. Over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper HRT, new women’s health hubs are popping up across the country and we’re adding a dedicated women’s health area to the NHS website. But there is plenty more to do.

Our work continues to support women through the agony of pregnancy loss. I’d like to thank all the brave and inspiring women who have campaigned tirelessly for change as well as the review leads Zoe Clark-Coates and Samantha Collinge, who carried out this really important review.

We will keep working and investing so girls and women across the country can benefit from the world-class healthcare they deserve.

The government has listened to women who have campaigned for greater action on pregnancy loss and will now go further to help them tackle the heartbreak, pain and devastation that it can cause.

In response to the independent Pregnancy Loss Review – carried out by Zoe Clark-Coates MBE (founder and CEO of The Mariposa Trust) and Samantha Collinge (Lead Bereavement Midwife at the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust) – into the care and support available to women when baby loss occurs before 24 weeks gestation, the government is taking action to support women and their families and to help them through the trauma of such an experience.

Review leads will continue to work with the government as it implements the recommendations.

A voluntary pregnancy loss certificate will be available to parents from Baby Loss Awareness Week (9 to 15 October 2023) to help parents through their pain and provide a form of comfort and acknowledgement. Given the importance of them feeling comfortable and respected over this summer, the certificate will be tested with 1,000 bereaved families who will be able to advise government on the application process. Those involved with testing this summer will be able to receive a certificate themselves.

The government is focused on ensuring that bereaved parents feel able to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system and will put an emphasis on supporting them through their grief, recognising their loss, acknowledging their pain and ensuring they feel heard.

Extensive work will also begin to explore more sensitive processes for women who experience the tragedy of pregnancy loss in their own home, at weekends or late in the evening. Finding somewhere to safely and respectfully keep fetal tissue should not add to an already difficult time.

NHS England will carry out an important review into the current provision of cold storage facilities at early pregnancy assessment units and A&E services. This will help government understand the level of funding needed to ensure women have 24/7 access to these units, so they aren’t expected to use their own refrigerators if they don’t want to, but have access to cold storage and clinical resources – even if it’s a weekend or evening.

Parents, clinicians and relevant design experts will also work together at speed to create a bespoke holder for storage and safekeeping that can be used by women and families when such tragic loss occurs. This will ensure the tissue can be placed and kept in something with due dignity and respect. The Human Tissue Authority will make any necessary updates to its guidance on the proper and respectful disposal of pregnancy tissue by March 2024.

Recurring miscarriage and pregnancy loss can also have a devastating impact. To ensure as few women as possible have to experience this heart-rending pain more than once, the charity Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital will now launch a 3-month pilot exploring a ‘graded model’ of miscarriage care. Women will receive testing and advice following a first, second or third miscarriage, so they can identify any medical conditions they may have, help prevent further loss, and inform other women. The government will evaluate the outcomes of the pilot at the end of this year.

Zoe Clark-Coates MBE BCAh, founder and CEO The Mariposa Trust, and co-chair of the Pregnancy Loss Review said:

Over the past 5 years, it has been my honour to co-chair and write the Pregnancy Loss Review. The 73 recommendations that Sam and I have submitted within the review offer a real opportunity to revolutionise baby loss care in England. My passion and long-term commitment is to help all bereaved families, and by the implementation of these recommendations, I believe we will make great strides in addressing the disparities in the care, support, education and training that currently exist.

I would like to thank the minister and government for their swift response, support and commitment to action all the recommendations over the short, medium and long-term. Change is not going to happen overnight, but I am reassured that there is the desire and commitment to provide compassionate care and clinical excellence.

I look forward to assisting the health minister with the implementation of the recommendations over the coming months and years, and ensuring that the work of this review, and the spirit of the recommendations are upheld.

Samantha Collinge, Bereavement Lead Midwife, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and co-chair of the Pregnancy Loss Review said:

The Pregnancy Loss Review and its recommendations offer a real opportunity to radically improve the care experience of parents and their families experiencing baby loss and I feel enormously privileged to have been able to co-lead this piece of work.

I would like to pay tribute to the courage of the bereaved parents who so freely shared with us their often harrowing stories of loss through their own desire to see and bring about change.

Similarly, Zoe and I are indebted to the countless passionate and dedicated healthcare professionals, organisations and charities who sacrifice their own psychological wellbeing on a daily basis in working with and striving to improve care for families experiencing baby loss.

I look forward to working with the government to drive these recommendations forward and ensure that that this vital learning from families and care providers is suitably implemented.

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador said:

A huge amount has been achieved in the strategy’s first year – from developing tools, identifying funding, piloting local health hubs, prioritising information on the NHS website and improving access to HRT – together we are making a real difference to the lives of so many women.

This is just the beginning, and every conversation about women’s health is a step towards closing the gender health gap.

The enthusiasm of all those involved makes it clear that everyone wants to get this right for women and girls, and I look forward to continuing to drive this forward in the coming years.

Charlotte McArdle, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:

For too long, too many women’s pain has been misunderstood or downplayed and the NHS is committed to finding new ways to ensure their health is prioritised.

Today, we will launch a new dedicated online health microsite, which brings all information on the NHS website about women’s health into one place, making it as easy as possible to access the latest advice.

New pages about adenomyosis and HRT have also been added to the NHS website to provide women with information on both issues, and we’ll continue to make updates to other content in the future to make sure it reflects the latest guidance from NICE and feedback from patients.

We will also work with the government to scope the recommendations from the Pregnancy Loss Review.

Since the launch of the NHS HRT prescription payment certificate in April this year, over 300,000 certificates for HRT have already been purchased – both via the website and in pharmacies. As a result of these new certificates, it’s been estimated women have saved over around £9 million in prescription charges for the year, with the average person saving £30 for a year’s supply.

The government has also invested £53 million into the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programmes to support women’s health, since April 2022 – including research on male violence against women and girls, and a call for further research into testosterone as a treatment for menopause symptoms.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 20 July 2023.

Measures to be taken on a national level to further improve safety standards in maternity care.

• Comes as government responds in full to the independent review into East Kent maternity services led by Dr Bill Kirkup
• It follows unprecedented levels of funding to grow the maternity workforce and boost neonatal services

Further action will be taken on a national level to improve safety for mothers and their babies within the NHS to ensure maternity and neonatal care everywhere is of the highest standard.

The government has published its full response to an independent review – led by former Regional Director of Public Health Dr Bill Kirkup CBE – into maternity failings at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust. The review was launched because of concerns about the quality of care being provided by the trust.

Minister for Women’s Health, Maria Caulfield, has announced she will now personally chair a new group overseeing maternity services nationwide.

The maternity and neonatal care national oversight group will bring together key people from the NHS and other organisations. It will look across work being carried out by a range of programmes set up to improve maternity and neonatal care, including the implementation of Dr Kirkup’s and other recommendations, to ensure they are joined up and effective.

Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said:

Every woman deserves to feel confident in the care they and their baby receive. I’d like to thank Dr Kirkup and all those involved in investigating the circumstances behind what’s happened in these horrendous cases.

In particular, I’d like to thank the women and their families, who have gone through so much pain, for engaging with the investigation and helping it reach its findings.

I’m determined to see safety standards in maternity and neonatal care improve across the country. While this invaluable report focuses on the situation in East Kent, I want to see its recommendations implemented nationwide.

This government will continue investing in the maternity workforce and working with the NHS to raise standards.

In East Kent in particular, the minister will chair a local forum bringing together local NHS representatives, the Care Quality Commission and local MPs to share information and updates on the improvements being made to maternity services.

The Minister for Women’s Health has also appointed Dr Kirkup to lead work with healthcare partners in response to 2 of the key recommendations, helping to ensure teams in maternity and neonatal care across England can work together more collaboratively so the best quality, compassionate care is provided.

Organisations from across the health and care system – including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) – have been asked by the government to support its efforts to promote and improve team-working in healthcare settings.

Royal colleges, professional regulators and employers have also been asked to investigate how they can improve workplace culture so standards of professional behaviour in maternity and neonatal settings are high. They’ll consider what appropriate action can be taken if high standards fail to be met.

Dr Bill Kirkup said:

I see the government’s response to ‘Reading the signals’ as an important step forward in addressing the issues that I identify.

I welcome the opportunity to lead this significant work. I look forward to drawing together an action group to advise me in doing so.

Following Dr Kirkup’s report, the below actions are being or have been taken:

• a special data taskforce has been set up by NHS England to better monitor patient safety in maternity and neonatal care nationwide
• relevant bodies will work with DHSC to investigate how teamwork in maternity and neonatal care spaces can be improved
• relevant bodies will work with DHSC to investigate how doctors in training can be better trained to improve teamworking and their own personal development
• trusts will have to ensure there is proper representation of maternity care on their boards
• the government will continue to work with NHS England on its approach to poorly performing trusts and their leadership
• East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust will continue working to address the problems identified and improve standards

Dr Matthew Jolly, National Clinical Director for Maternity Review and Women’s Health at NHS England, said:

We welcome the government’s response to Dr Bill Kirkup’s report – the failings in care for women, babies and their families using East Kent Hospital must not continue to be repeated.

NHS England has installed an improvement director at the trust alongside a senior advisor, and both are providing expert practical advice to the organisation on the actions it needs to implement to improve its maternity and neonate care, while senior national NHS clinical leaders are regularly visiting both maternity units to monitor progress.

In March, we published a delivery plan for maternity and neonatal care, which sets out what the NHS will do over the next 3 years to make care safer, more personalised and more equitable for all women, babies and families.

The government has taken steps to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies within the NHS, including £165 million of additional investment a year to improve maternity and neonatal services.

The NHS recently published the first ever Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion in government funding to deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history to help meet the challenges of a growing and ageing population by recruiting and retaining hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.

The government also continues to build on the Maternity Transformation Programme, and continues to work closely with NHS England to implement the 3 year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services that was published in March 2023. This plan looks to guide services towards safer and more personalised care for women, babies and families.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 July 2023.

Most eligible dentists and doctors will receive at least a 6% pay rise. Pay for junior doctors will be increased by an average of around 8.8%.

• Most eligible dentists and doctors will receive at least a 6% pay rise
• Pay for junior doctors will be increased by an average of around 8.8%. Pay will be uplifted by between 8.1% and 10.3% depending on where they are in their training
• Government accepts the independent pay review bodies’ pay recommendations in full, recognising the vital contribution that NHS staff make to our country
• This pay rise recognises the need to recognise, recruit and retain NHS staff while protecting the taxpayer and bringing down inflation
• Announcement follows nurses, paramedics and midwives also receiving a pay rise and one-off payments

Pay scales for most doctors and dentists to increase by at least a 6% this year after the government accepted the recommendations from the independent pay review bodies in full.

Around 130,000 full-time equivalent doctors and dentists, including junior doctors and consultants, will see their pay rise in line with the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s (DDRB) recommendations. Pay for junior doctors will be increased by 8.8% on average. The agreement means pay for a first year junior doctor will increase by 10.3%. Pay for the most experienced junior doctors will increase by 8.1%. For consultants, this means a rise of 6%.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

We hugely value the work of all NHS staff.

That’s why we’re giving junior doctors, consultants and senior NHS staff a fair and reasonable pay rise as recommended by the independent pay review bodies.

But it also balances the need to keep inflation in check while giving some staff significant pay increases.

We’ve made it clear this pay award is not up for negotiation and urge those unions still in dispute with the government to end their strikes immediately.

As recommended by the DDRB, most dentists and doctors will receive at least a 6% pay rise. Junior doctor pay will be increased by 6% plus £1,250.

Average basic pay for a first year junior doctor will increase from £29,300 to £32,300 and for a junior doctor in core training with 3 years’ experience it will increase from £40,200 to £43,900. For consultants and SAS doctors on pre-2021 contracts, this is on top of the 4.5% pay rise they received last year. Some staff will also benefit from performance pay, overtime, pay progression and pay rises from promotion, alongside the pay uplift.

The government has been clear about the need for pay awards to recognise the hard work of the public sector while meeting the Prime Minister’s priority to halve inflation and managing public spending effectively.

More borrowing would add pressures on inflation at exactly the wrong time, risking higher interest rates and higher mortgage rates. The government plans to increase the main rate of the immigration health surcharge – to ensure it covers the full healthcare costs of those who pay it, having been frozen for the last 3 years despite high inflation and wider pressures – to at least £1,035, and the discounted rate for students, their dependents, those on Youth Mobility Schemes and under-18s to £776. The government will fund this pay award through prioritisation within existing departmental budgets, with front line services being protected.

Last month one million NHS staff, including nurses and paramedics, received a 5% pay rise worth at least £1,065 to full-time staff as well as 2 one-off payments worth at least £1,655.

Today’s announcement comes weeks after the NHS published its first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion government funding, which will deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history and recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.

Background information

The pay review bodies considered a range of evidence from various organisations.

All pay awards will be backdated to 1 April 2023. This pay award is only applicable to NHS staff in England. The 2023 to 2024 pay uplift for NHS staff directly employed by NHS providers will be funded by NHS England through system allocations.

The government asked the DDRB and SSRB for recommendations for NHS staff not already in multi-year deals – this includes junior doctors, dentists in training, consultants, SAS doctors on old contracts, dentists and salaried GPs.

The full Pay Review Body reports can be found on GOV.UK. The Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (covering doctors and dentists not in multi-year deals) recommended a 6% increase for the majority of its remit group. Pay for junior doctors will increase by around 8.8% on average. This is because the DDRB recommended 6% plus £1,250 on a consolidated basis.

The Senior Salaries Review Body (covering very senior managers in the NHS and executive senior managers in DHSC’s arm’s length bodies) recommended a 5% increase, with a further 0.5% in each employing organisation used to address specific pay anomalies.

Following acceptance of the Agenda for Change (AfC) offer by the NHS Staff Council, the government confirmed it would no longer be seeking recommendations on the 2023 to 2024 pay award from the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) for non-medical staff on the AfC contract.

The government has since received the report from the NHSPRB with their observations on the pay deal in England which we welcome and we have published at the same time as the DDRB and SSRB reports.

Those already in multi-year deals were not in scope of the pay review body’s recommendations this year. The DDRB were not asked to make a pay recommendation for GP partners as they are subject to a 5-year investment agreement to 2023 to 2024, which was agreed with NHS England and the BMA in 2019. For salaried GPs, the 6% award will raise the minimum salary by around £3,900 and the maximum by around £5,900.

The GP contract will be uplifted to provide funding for salaried general practice staff. This funding will be backdated to April 2023 and it is our expectation this funding is passed on promptly to all salaried general practice staff. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.

The government is absolutely committed to ensuring the NHS has the funding it needs to deliver for patients.

The government is committed to living within its means and delivering value for the taxpayer, and therefore it’s prioritising within existing departmental funding to fund these uplifts.

The government is working in collaboration with the NHS Staff Council to implement the NHS pay deal.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 July 2023.

Health and Social Care Secretary will convene the next NHS Recovery Summit with health experts to help drive innovation across the NHS.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 July 2023.

The number of NHS Health Checks offered and carried out more than doubled in 2022 to 2023.

• 2.9 million NHS Health Checks offered and 1.1 million checks carried out in 2022 to 2023 – more than doubling activity in 2021 to 2022
• 1.1 million checks estimated to have prevented more than 400 heart attacks and strokes and identified 220,000 people who would benefit from statins
• Government announced last week the rollout of a new digital health check from spring which will deliver more than one million checks in 4 years

More than one million people had a face-to-face NHS Health Check last year – more than double the previous year – new data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) today shows.

The NHS Health Check helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes and is currently a face-to-face check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It can help spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia.

The new data published by OHID shows face-to-face health checks have recovered to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the efforts of local authorities and NHS staff, helping to prevent potentially deadly cardiovascular disease across the country.

OHID’s data for 2022 to 2023 shows:

• 2.9 million people were offered a check by local authorities – up from 1.3 million in 2021 to 2022
• 1.1 million checks were delivered in 2022 to 2023 – up from 500,000 in 2021 to 2022
• 10.2 million checks offered and 4.3 million carried out between April 2018 and March 2023, despite disruption caused by the pandemic

Cardiovascular disease is the second biggest killer in England and affects around 6.4 million people. It’s estimated that the 1.1 million checks delivered in 2022 to 2023 helped to avoid over 400 strokes and heart attacks, identified 220,000 people who would benefit from statin medication, and diagnosed 32,000 people with hypertension.

This follows the announcement last week of a new digital NHS Health Check which will be rolled out in England from spring. It will operate alongside the existing face-to-face scheme, and will deliver an additional one million checks over 4 years.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken action to understand their health and prevent potentially life-threatening conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

These mid-life MOTs are vitally important in preventing illnesses, easing pressure on the NHS and cutting waiting times – one of the government’s 5 priorities – and I want to encourage anyone who’s offered a check to come forward and take advantage of the offer.

On the eve of the NHS’s 75th birthday, it’s fantastic to see so many people had a health check last year – and even more will be achieved when the new digital check is rolled out from spring.

You can have an NHS Health Check if you’re aged 40 to 74 and you have not had a stroke, or do not already have a pre-existing health condition. If this applies to you, you can expect to receive an invite from a GP surgery or local authority for an NHS Health Check every 5 years.

Each new digital check could save an estimated 20 minutes of NHS time – potentially freeing up hundreds of thousands of appointments in primary care and helping cut NHS waiting times.

Patients will be able to access the check via a mobile phone, tablet or computer. They will complete an online questionnaire, enter height, weight, and blood pressure measurements, and the results of a blood test.

The results will be available online and direct people to personalised advice to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, as well as advice to stop smoking and weight management support where appropriate. Referrals to GPs will only be made if further tests and treatment are needed – helping to reduce demand on GP services.

OHID data on face-to-face NHS Health Checks

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 July 2023.

All secondary school pupils eligible for free flu vaccine as government expands vaccination programme.

• Over 3 million secondary school pupils to be offered nasal spray vaccine from 1 September
• Expansion provides direct protection to pupils and indirect protection to wider community
• Getting flu vaccine helps protect you and your loved ones, while reducing pressure on the NHS

All secondary school pupils in England will be offered a free flu vaccine from September for the 2023 to 2024 season, the government has confirmed.

An initial list of groups eligible for this year’s vaccine was first announced in May, with a note that a decision on secondary school pupils would follow at a later date.

Now, the government has confirmed it is expanding the programme to over 3 million pupils in secondary school years 7 to 11, who will be offered the vaccine as a nasal spray through their school’s vaccination programme from 1 September.

The expansion gives direct protection to pupils receiving the vaccine and provides indirect protection to more vulnerable groups by reducing the spread of the virus.

Health Minister, Maria Caulfield, said:

Expanding the offer of flu vaccination to all secondary school pupils this winter will provide millions of young people with extra protection.

Importantly, this will also reduce the risk of transmission to more vulnerable groups, including the elderly, reducing hospitalisations and freeing up bed capacity across the NHS.

Last winter we saw the devastating impact this illness can have, so it is important all pupils take up the offer of the flu vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones from falling unwell.

The decision to expand the programme is in line with a long-standing recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which highlights the benefits of directly protecting school aged children from flu, and the indirect benefits to the wider population.

NHS school age immunisation services (SAIS) will be undertaking the vaccinations from September during the autumn term.

All primary school children and infants aged 2 and 3 will also be offered the flu vaccine, as previously announced in May.

Eligible groups are urged to take up the offer from September before the flu season begins, to give themselves the best possible protection in winter.

NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening, Steve Russell, said:

Last winter we saw how quickly flu can spread within communities, so I’m pleased to see the flu vaccination offer being extended to secondary school children in the autumn term.

The vaccine offers vital protection against flu which can cause nasty symptoms, and I would urge all young people and parents to make sure they join millions of others who get vaccinated each year to take up the offer when they can – it’s quick, easy and offered in schools, so there’s really no reason to delay when you receive the offer.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

Getting the flu vaccine offers the best protection against the virus. It is important everyone eligible takes up the offer, including secondary school pupils as they can fall very sick. Last year we saw some teenagers hospitalised with flu.

Expanding the vaccination to secondary school pupils will help to reduce flu from being spread, protecting their friends and family and easing the burden on the NHS.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said:

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, it’s important that children are able to attend school as much as possible.

We know that school attendance levels drop over the winter months due to illness, which is why today’s announcement will not only protect children’s health but also their education.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 19 June 2023.

Free NHS sight tests will be made available within all special school settings, the government and NHS England confirmed today.

• NHS England and the government work together to make sight tests available for all pupils attending special schools
• Children with learning disabilities 28 times more likely to have serious sight issues
• Free NHS sight tests continue to be available for all children in opticians

Free NHS sight tests will be made available within all special school settings, the government and NHS England confirmed today.

Additional testing in special education day schools will be rolled out next year, adding to the commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to offer sight tests within residential special schools.

Pupils at special schools can face additional challenges in accessing sight testing services via opticians and a successful pilot scheme has proven the benefits of receiving tests and personalised advice in their familiar learning environments.

Backed by a more than £10 million investment, the testing extension is expected to help up to an estimated 165,000 more children and will begin from 2024 to 2025.

Minister Neil O’Brien said:

I am pleased we will be able to support sight testing for all pupils in special schools, an environment where they feel more comfortable.

We have worked closely with NHS England, stakeholders and charities to extend this important service and thousands of pupils will benefit as a result.

It’s vital for all children to have access to NHS sight tests and I’m grateful to all those who helped make this possible.

According to the charity Seeability, children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely to suffer from a serious sight problem.

NHS England introduced the pilot sight testing programme in special schools in 2021 with the aim of rolling these out in residential special schools. Following the pilot’s success, the provision will be extended to all day schools.

National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England Dr Amanda Doyle said:

I am delighted that the NHS will be able to offer free eye tests to around 165,000 pupils in special school settings in England from next year, meaning they will no longer need to travel to unfamiliar environments for healthcare.

In its 75th year, the NHS is determined to improve access to healthcare, with the health service also providing care in thousands of people’s homes through virtual wards, while pharmacists are offering almost one million blood pressure checks a year on people’s local high streets.

Minister for Children, Wellbeing and Families Claire Coutinho said:

From eye tests in the classroom to the £2.6 billion we’re spending on new special school places, we’re making sure that children with special educational needs and disabilities are supported in school.

We recently set out a wider special educational needs and disabilities improvement plan, with a particular focus on early intervention and consistent standards across the country.

NHS England will shortly begin a period of engagement with key stakeholders, special schools and the public, to further develop the scheme before it’s introduced from 2024 to 2025.

While this engagement takes place existing arrangements for testing will continue.

Dan Scorer, Head of Policy at Mencap, said:

Mencap welcomes this vital extension of the service to all children in special schools. Undiagnosed sight issues among children with a learning disability form major barriers to learning and development, and the extension of the service is a further important step towards improving access to eye care services for everyone with a learning disability.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 15 June 2023.

Everyone aged 60 and over will continue to receive free prescriptions, the government has confirmed today.

• Prescriptions will continue to be free for anyone aged 60 or older
• Decision follows consultation on the upper age limit at which prescriptions are paid for
• Free prescriptions remain available for those most in need

Everyone aged 60 and over will continue to receive free prescriptions, the government has confirmed today.

The announcement comes in response to a consultation launched by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2021 looking at whether the age free prescriptions become available should be aligned with the State Pension age, which is currently 66.

Taking into account a number of factors, including current cost of living and increased medical needs due to an ageing population, the government has decided to freeze the age at 60.

Minister for Health Neil O’Brien said:

This government recognises the pressures with the cost of living caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That’s why we are providing cost of living help worth £3,300 on average per household over last year and this, among the most generous help anywhere in Europe.

It’s also why we have decided to maintain the prescription exemption age where it is. Nine out of 10 prescriptions are already free at the point of use and on top of that we also provide financial help to others on low incomes who don’t automatically get prescriptions for free.

Prescription charge exemptions will also remain in place for those aged under 16 or aged 17 and 18 but in full time education, while those in receipt of certain benefits can also receive free prescriptions.

People on a low income who do not qualify for an automatic exemption can also seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

For those who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prepayment certificates (PPC) are available to help with frequent prescriptions should they be required.

The annual PPC can be paid for through 10 instalments. This means people can have as many prescription items as needed for just over £2 per week.