Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

Patients will be able to contact their general practice more easily and quickly – and find out exactly how their request will be handled on the day they call – as part of a major multi-million pound overhaul of primary care, the government and NHS will announce this week.

Practices across England will also be given £240 million this year to embrace the latest technology, replacing old analogue phones with modern systems so patients never get engaged tones and easy-to-use online tools to ensure patients get the care they need as soon as possible.

This will mean that when patients contact their practice online or over the phone they will know on the day they make contact how their query will be managed, rather than being told to call back later. If their need is urgent, they will be assessed and given appointments on the same day. If it is not urgent, appointments should be offered within 2 weeks, or patients will be referred to NHS 111 or a local pharmacy.

Primary care is the way most people access the NHS and the government is committed to modernising the way patients contact their GP surgeries – improving satisfaction and delivering on the Prime Minister’s promise to cut waiting lists.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, will announce a major expansion of the role of receptionists to become expert ‘care navigators’, whose job it is to gather information, to make sure patients are directed to the most suitable healthcare professional and to simplify and streamline the process.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

We are already making real progress with 10% more GP appointments happening every month compared to before the pandemic.

I want to make sure people receive the right support when they contact their general practice and bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.

To do this we are improving technology and reducing bureaucracy, increasing staffing and changing the way primary care services are provided, which are all helping to deliver on the government’s promise to cut waiting lists.

Minister for Health, Neil O’Brien, said:

Where GPs have already moved over to these new technologies we see they free up the phones, making it much easier for people to get through to their general practice team.

As well as being more convenient for patients, these really easy to use digital tools allow a lot of patients to get the help they need without ever needing to go in for an appointment, which will help cut waiting lists.

Investing £240 million in these modern tools and the help GPs need to move onto them will make things more convenient for patients, but also make the workload more manageable for general practice teams.

An average sized practice of 10,000 patients often receives more than 100 calls in the first hour every Monday.

With advanced digital telephony, rather than an engaged tone, patients will receive a queue position, a call back option and their call can be directly routed to the right professional. The phone system will also be integrated with the clinical systems so practice staff can quickly identify patients and their information from phone numbers.

Practices that have invested in modern online booking and messaging systems find they help free up phones for those who prefer to call, while giving patients a convenient way to get the help they need.

As well as helping patients to make contact, the government is supporting staff in dealing with the calls. Working with NHS England the government will fund 6,500 care navigator training places – that is one member of staff per practice who can then pass on the training to colleagues.

Care navigators will help assess, prioritise, respond and assist. They can help make sure those who want to see a named GP or preferred member of staff can do so while those who are happy to see a duty doctor can also do so.

Care navigators will direct patients to other professionals within the general practice or other medical professionals such as community pharmacists who can best meet the needs of the patients. Successful care navigation can help direct 40% of requests more effectively and speeds up appointments for those who need them.

The government will provide primary care networks and GP practices with the funding and support required to make the changes, including through integrated care boards.

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

Produced by the NHS, this plan will make it easier for patients to access the care they need.

GPs and their teams are already delivering half a million more appointments a week than before the COVID pandemic.

However, we know staffing needs to be put on a sustainable footing so we are also working with government to publish a long term workforce plan.

• Negotiations for a new voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing to open between the government, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) today
• Parties are negotiating an agreement that supports better patient outcomes and a healthier population, a financially sustainable NHS, while also supporting economic growth
• A new voluntary scheme is expected to take effect from 1 January 2024, replacing the current scheme which ends on 31 December 2023

Negotiations for the successor to the voluntary scheme for branded medicines, pricing and access (VPAS) will begin today [Thursday 4 May] between the government, NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry.

For over 65 years the government and the pharmaceutical industry have worked together to help manage the affordability of medicines for the NHS and ensure rapid access and uptake of new medicines for patients, while also supporting the UK’s life sciences sector so that it can continue to deliver new innovations and economic growth.

In their first meeting, the government, NHS England and industry – represented by the ABPI – are expected to agree to a shared negotiation aim of working toward a mutually beneficial agreement that supports better patient outcomes and a healthier population, a financially sustainable NHS, and UK economic growth.

The success of the negotiations will be determined through securing a new voluntary scheme that:

• promotes better patient outcomes and a healthier population, by:
  • securing NHS patients rapid access to new clinically and cost-effective medicines, through streamlined approvals and better commercial and funding arrangements which reward innovation, so that the UK is an internationally competitive location for launching new medicines
  • tackling unwarranted variation in the use, and patient access to, approved medicines across the country
  • encouraging the development of the innovative and cost-effective medicines
• supports UK economic growth, by:
  • supporting the UK’s life sciences industry to help drive economic growth, particularly through its investment in research and development and clinical research
  • ensuring that the commercial environment for branded medicine suppliers to the NHS helps make the UK an internationally competitive place to invest
  • delivering a net benefit to the UK economy overall
• contributes to a financially sustainable NHS by:
  • keeping the price of branded medicines affordable for the NHS
  • supporting the NHS and industry to develop sustainable financial and investment strategies
  • delivering value for money for the taxpayer and the NHS by securing resilient provision of safe and effective medicines at reasonable prices, and encouraging efficient competition in medicines supply

Health Minister, Will Quince, said:

These negotiations will ensure a new scheme continues to deliver value for money by providing significant savings for our health services, securing access to innovative lifesaving drugs for NHS patients, and helping to reduce waiting times – one of the Prime Minister’s 5 priorities.

The current voluntary scheme supports investment in NHS services and saves billions of pounds for the NHS, while also promoting innovations and a successful life sciences sector.

It’s vitally important that the successor to the current scheme delivers for the taxpayer, patients, the NHS, and life sciences.

Richard Torbett, Chief Executive at the ABPI, said:

These negotiations provide an opportunity to secure the UK’s place as a global leader in life science research and medical innovation while also ensuring the best outcomes for UK patients and a thriving economy.

Working together, we can boost UK science and create the conditions for innovative medicines to deliver their true value as an investment in the nation’s health, wealth, and productivity.

Sir Hugh Taylor, who chaired the Accelerated Access Review in 2014 to bring innovative technologies to the NHS, was appointed last month as Chief Negotiations Advisor for the VPAS scheme.

Sir Hugh Taylor, said:

The future voluntary scheme must continue to benefit the NHS and give its patients access to the best medicines, while supporting our life sciences sector.

I’m looking forward to reaching an agreement which not only benefits the NHS but will also encourage the pharmaceutical sector to continue investing in the UK.

The current scheme – which came into force in 2019 – is due to expire at the end of 2023. Negotiations are due to conclude in the autumn ahead of the new scheme starting on 1 January 2024.

• More doctors, nurses and staff than ever before working in the NHS
• Data also shows 440 more doctors working in general practice and face-to-face appointments on the rise
• Government on track to deliver on commitments for 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 more primary care staff by 2024

There are record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and tackle the Covid backlog, according to data published today by NHS England.

There are over 1.27 million full-time equivalent staff working in NHS trusts and commissioning bodies in England – over 51,500 more people compared to a year ago which is an increase of 4.2%.

Elsewhere, additional data shows there are more than 25,000 additional primary care staff as the government remains on course to reach its target of 26,000 more staff in primary care by March 2024.

As of March 2023, 440 more full-time equivalent doctors were working in general practice compared to a year ago and they continue to deliver more face-to-face appointments.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

Today’s figures demonstrate the clear progress being made to train and recruit record numbers of staff across the NHS and in primary care. Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for this government and we are committed to ensuring we have the workforce in place to achieve that.

We will soon be publishing a long term workforce plan focused on recruiting and retraining more staff – to help tackle the backlogs and improve patient care. We will also be publishing a plan outlining further support for primary care.

The latest data also shows there are over 5,300 more doctors and over 12,300 more nurses working in the NHS compared to February 2022. Since 2010, there are now over 37,800 more doctors and over 53,700 more nurses.

At the same time, almost two million more GP appointments were delivered in March 2023 compared to a year ago – that is 83,500 more appointments each working day.

Last year, a record breaking 4,032 doctors accepted a place on GP training. Just as in hospitals, trainees deliver direct patient care while being safely supervised and support fully-qualified GPs, helping to ease workloads and increase capacity in general practice.

Three in every four people survive their cancer the first year after being diagnosed, with rates of survival for some cancers even higher, according to figures out today.

NHS England has published a one-year cancer survival index which looks at survival rates in 2020 compared to 2005. The index also breaks down the figures by types of cancer and where patients live.

The index shows the overall first-year survival rate has risen 9% to 74.6%. The one-year breast cancer survival index is now about 97% and for bowel cancer the survival rate is now above 80%.

These statistics focus on year-one survival, and support statistics released in February which revealed 5-year survival rates have also improved for most types of cancer, and child cancer survival rates were up to more than 86%.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment remained a top priority throughout the pandemic, with more than 7.3 million urgent referrals and over 1.6 million people receiving cancer treatment between March 2020 and January 2023.

Since the pandemic NHS England has continued to prioritise those waiting longer than 62 days for first treatment.

We are making real progress in getting people the care they need more quickly and since July 2021 have opened 94 community diagnostic centres that have delivered 3.3 million checks, tests and scans.

Health Minister Helen Whately said:

These figures are highly encouraging and support those released earlier this year which show improved survival rates across almost all types of cancer. They are evidence of the great strides being made by the NHS, scientists and our incredible cancer charities.

We are laser focused on fighting cancer on all fronts – prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research and funding – and have opened over 94 ‘one stop shops’ so people can have quicker access to tests, scans and checks. We are also taking a vaccine taskforce style approach to cancer research to develop new immune-based cancer therapies, including cancer vaccines, as well as producing a major conditions strategy.

We know there is more to do and early diagnosis is crucial to improving survival rates even further. Our ambition is to diagnose 75% of cancer at an early stage by 2028 which will help save tens of thousands of lives for longer.

NHS England’s early diagnosis strategy has 6 core elements including raising awareness of cancer symptoms and encouraging people to come forward as well as implementing targeted interventions for particular cancer types which are traditionally difficult to diagnose.

More people are also taking up screening opportunities with 15 million invites in the past year.

Background

These statistics refer to survival rates from cancer specifically.

The index compares the survival rate of people with cancer to the survival rate of the general population. The survival rate of people with cancer in the first year after diagnosis is 74.6% of the general population.

These figures are based on net figures.

Source: Cancer survival: index for sub-integrated care boards, 2005 to 2020

One million smokers will be encouraged to swap cigarettes for vapes under a pioneering new “swap to stop” scheme designed to improve the health of the nation and cut smoking rates.

As part of the world-first national scheme, almost one in five of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit as part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of being smokefree by 2030 – reducing smoking rates to 5% or less. Local authorities will be invited to take part in the scheme later this year and will design a scheme which suits its needs, including deciding which populations to prioritise.

In a speech today, Health Minister Neil O’Brien will also announce that following the success of local schemes, pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to help them stop smoking. This will involve offering vouchers, alongside behavioural support, to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of next year.

The government will also consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts with positive messages and information to help people to quit smoking.

Additionally, there will be a crackdown on illicit vape sales as part of measures to stop children and non-smokers take up the habit – which is growing in popularity among young people.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien will say:

Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly.

We will offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will be funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme – the first of its kind in the world. We will work with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit.

The new policies will deliver the government’s three aims to help more adults quit smoking, stop children and non-smokers from taking up vaping, and using vaping as a tool for established adult smokers to quit.

For those who quit, the risk of heart attack is halved after one year of quitting, ultimately halving the likelihood of ending up in a hospital bed or worse.

Supporting more women to have a smokefree pregnancy will reduce the number of babies born underweight or underdeveloped with health problems requiring neonatal and ongoing care. It will also reduce the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Cutting smoking rates reduces the number of smoking-related illnesses needing to be treated, in turn reducing the pressure on the NHS, helping to deliver on our priority to cut NHS waiting lists.

NHS figures for 2021 showed that 9% of 11- to 15-year-old children used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018.

In recognition of the sharp increase, Minister O’Brien will launch a Call for Evidence on youth vaping to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products – and explore where government can go further.

Working with enforcement agencies and learning from the government’s work with Trading Standards on illicit tobacco, £3 million of new funding will also be provided to create a specialised ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

As part of the measures, HMRC and Border Force will also be publishing an updated strategy this year to tackle illicit tobacco. It will lay out strategically how we continue to target, catch and punish those involved in the illicit tobacco market.

Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13% – the lowest on record thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services

In 2021-22, £68 million of public health grant funded was spent on stop smoking services by local authorities and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop smoking service.

In addition, £35 million has been committed to the NHS this year so that all smokers admitted to hospital will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services.

However, 5.4 million people in England smoke tobacco which remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death. Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking and recent data shows one in four deaths from all cancers were estimated to be from smoking.

Last year an independent smoking review led by Javed Khan proposed a range of measures to help people stub out the addiction, which has informed the measures set out today.