Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 27 April 2025.

Thousands of patients are seeing tangible benefits from the government’s Plan for Change, with the latest health data showing significant improvements in access to care.

Tens of thousands of patients up and down the country are already getting their appointments more quickly thanks to the government’s Plan for Change to reform the NHS and drive forward national renewal.

By slashing waiting lists and delivering improvements across the NHS in record time—including delivering three million additional appointments six months early—the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at a rapid pace. This has resulted in a six-month decline and a 219,000 reduction since July.

Around 4.5 million tests, checks and scans were carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs)—many of which are conveniently located on local high streets—between July and February, a 50% increase on the previous year.

This equates to 18,000 more checks being delivered every day for patients to diagnose some of the biggest killers, including cancer and heart disease.

As well as opening more CDCs to bring care closer to people’s homes, the government is going further and faster by significantly expanding the number of CDCs open 12 hours a day, seven days a week—making it easier for people to get their tests and appointments done at a time that suits them.

Backed by almost £26 billion investment at the Budget, the Plan for Change is driving forward reform of the NHS to put an end to the misery for many people who have had to put their lives on hold while stuck on waiting lists, delivering the change people voted for.

Alongside action to rebuild the NHS, the Plan for Change is also focused on growing the economy to improve living standards across the country.

The government is already putting more pounds in people’s pockets by freezing fuel duty, boosting the minimum wage by up to £1,400 a year, and protecting working people with no rise in their national insurance, income tax, or VAT. Living standards are growing at their fastest rate in two years, and the Spring Statement showed people will be, on average, over £500 a year better off.

Earlier this month, we outlined plans for a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which aims to put 13,000 more officers into neighbourhood policing roles by 2029—an increase of more than 50%. This will help restore people’s trust in local policing.

To ensure that working people can benefit from clean, secure, homegrown energy, we have set up Great British Energy in Aberdeen to catalyse private investment and announced its first major project: installing solar panels on 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, which will cut energy bills.

Through the Plan for Change, we are working to give every child the best start in life and break down barriers to opportunity. This week, thousands of children started attending the first 750 free breakfast clubs, providing them with a healthy start to the day, giving parents 30 minutes of free childcare, and helping them save up to £450 a year.

Restoring economic stability and driving growth is fundamental to the Plan for Change. The OBR has confirmed that the economy will grow every year from 2026 and that our planning reforms will lead to a 0.2% increase in GDP, worth £6.8 billion.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said:

Through our Plan for Change, we are getting on with the job of rebuilding our country and improving the public services we all rely on.

It’s already making a difference in people’s lives as we put police back on the beat, get more teachers in classrooms, and this week launched free breakfast clubs in hundreds of schools.

The latest data shows our approach is delivering real change, with tens of thousands more patients getting the right care and waiting lists falling faster in areas where there are higher numbers of people out of work. And this is just the start.

The government is also working at pace to slash NHS waiting lists in areas with the highest economic inactivity. The scheme, known as the Further Faster 20 programme, is part of plans to reduce the number of people unable to work due to long-term sickness, which is at its highest level since the 1990s.

The programme sees teams made up of clinical leads from across trusts, as well as national specialists, driving innovative practices. It has resulted in a total of almost 50,000 cases being removed from waiting lists in these areas since October. 35% of the national reduction in the overall waiting list has come from the 20 hospitals involved in the scheme, which has fallen faster than the national average.

Minister for Elective Care Karin Smyth said:

This government made a promise to the British public to reverse more than a decade of soaring waiting times and poor access to patient care—and through our Plan for Change, we are starting to turn the tide across every part of the country—with our crack teams already having a transformative impact.

This is a long road, but with tens of thousands more patients getting care that works for them and waiting lists falling faster in areas of high joblessness, we are getting the NHS back on its feet so it delivers for patients once again.

This is only the start. From bringing patient care closer to home, to ending the 8 am scramble for a GP appointment, this government is determined to transform our NHS to make it fit for the future.

One example of the Future Faster 20 programme is the Trafford Elective Hub, where the team have been running super-charged theatre lists that see almost twice the number of patients seen as standard theatre lists.

The hub also runs super clinics at weekends, providing one-stop shops to treat 100 patients at a time. The hub also has employment advisers on hand to help patients get back to work faster.

Miss Toli Onon, Joint Chief Medical Officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said:

The Trafford Elective Hub exemplifies innovative approaches to reducing waiting lists, such as High Performance theatre lists which are designed to optimise surgical productivity by refining the surgical pathway and minimising inefficiencies.

By enhancing the productivity and efficiency of our elective services, we are demonstrating a sustainable and effective model for the future that benefits more patients.

Other initiatives include Super Clinics. These Super Clinics, which can serve up to 100 patients over weekends, streamline care by providing multiple services in one visit and include employment advisers to help patients return to work faster.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 27 April 2025.

• Government drives forward use of innovative artificial intelligence in hospitals to improve patient care
• New government guidance set out today will encourage its use across health service while protecting patient data and privacy
• Trials show dramatic reduction in admin and more time for direct patient care, as Plan for Change delivers seismic shift in care to digital

NHS clinicians will be supported to use groundbreaking artificial intelligence tools that bulldoze bureaucracy and take notes to free up staff time and deliver better care to patients thanks to guidance published today.

Interim trial data shows that the revolutionary tech has dramatically reduced admin, and meant more people could be seen in A&E, clinicians could spend more time during an appointment focusing on the patient, and appointments were shorter.

Through its Plan for Change the government is getting the NHS back on its feet and slashing waiting lists. Guidance published today will encourage the use of these products – which use speech technologies and generative AI to convert spoken words into structured medical notes and letters – across a range of primary and secondary care settings, including hospitals and GP surgeries.

The government’s mission-led approach is driving forward the use of innovative tech and new approaches to reform the health system and improve care for patients – offering them quicker and smarter care.

One of the tools – ambient voice technologies (AVTs) – can transcribe patient-clinician conversations, create structured medical notes, and even draft patient letters.

Patient safety and privacy will be paramount. This is why the guidance will focus on data compliance and security, risk identification and assessment, while ensuring that staff are properly trained before using the technology.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

“AI is the catalyst that will revolutionise healthcare and drive efficiencies across the NHS, as we deliver our Plan for Change and shift care from analogue to digital.

“I am determined we embrace this kind of technology, so clinicians don’t have to spend so much time pushing pens and can focus on their patients.

“This government made the difficult but necessary decision at the Budget to put a record £26 billion into our NHS and social care including cash to roll out more pioneering tech.”

The NHS England funded, London-wide AVT work, led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, has evaluated AVT capabilities across a range of clinical settings – Adult Outpatients, Primary Care, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Community care, A+E and across London Ambulance Service.

This multi-site evaluation involving over 7000 patients has demonstrated widespread benefits. Interim data shows:

• Increase in direct care – clinicians spending more time spent with patients rather than typing on a computer
• Increase in productivity in A&E – the technology has supported more patients to be seen in emergency departments by carrying out admin for A&E staff

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

“This technology has the power to free up doctors to do the thing they all want to – spend more time treating their patients. That is good for them, good for anyone receiving healthcare, and a shot in the arm for our efforts to overhaul the NHS as part of the Plan for Change.

“It’s a prime example of why we are embracing the benefits of AI, to make our public services fit for the 21st century and fire up our economy.”

At GOSH, AVTs have listened to consultations and drafted clinic notes and letters. These were then edited and authorised by the clinician before being uploaded to the secure electronic health record system and sent on to patients and their families. Clinicians agreed the AI helped them offer more attention to their patients without affecting the quality of the clinic note or letter.

Dr Maaike Kusters, Paediatric Immunology Consultant at GOSH, says:

“The patients I see in my clinics have very complex medical conditions and it’s so important to make sure I capture what we discuss in our appointments accurately, but often this means I am typing rather than looking directly at my patient and their family.

“Using the AI tool during the trial meant I could sit closer to them face-to-face and really focus on what they were sharing with me, without compromising on the quality of documentation.”

As it stands, clinicians in hospitals and GP surgeries are forced to spend much of their consultations recording information into a computer instead of focusing on the patient in front of them.

Once the patient has left, they are often required to take that information and summarise it in documents like referral letters. The government is determined to reform these outdated ways of working and revolutionise care, and this innovative tech will do that work for them, so they can see their next patient.

The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in East Hull (part of City Health Care Partnership) has introduced an ambient scribing product to make their documentation process faster and better support their work to care for people living with frailty.

By converting a conversation with a patient into a clinical note, the ambient scribing product is freeing up time for a range of staff including GPs, consultants, nurses, and physiotherapists.

Thanks to government action, GP surgeries delivered 31.4 million appointments last month– a 6.1% increase on the previous year – and waiting lists have fallen by 219,000 patients. This technology will help consolidate this progress.

The government is already using AI to speed up diagnosis and treatment for a range of health issues – spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker.

Notes to editors

Dr Andrew Noble, a doctor working at a care centre in Hull, says:

“By embracing this innovative technology, we’ve optimised our resources and empowered our clinicians and entire multidisciplinary team.

“The positive feedback from both staff and patients shows just how valuable this project has been.

“We’re excited to keep exploring what AI can do for us and to continue enhancing patient care and clinical efficiency.”

Dr Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, said:
“This exciting technology can reduce the burden of administration, allowing patients more quality time with their clinician, and our new guidance shows the NHS’s ability to rapidly and safely harness the very latest innovations to transform healthcare and bring benefits for our hardworking staff and our patients.”

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 26 April 2025.

Interim trial data shows that the revolutionary tech has dramatically reduced admin.

• Government drives forward use of innovative artificial intelligence in hospitals to improve patient care
• New government guidance set out today will encourage its use across health service while protecting patient data and privacy
• Trials show dramatic reduction in admin and more time for direct patient care, as Plan for Change delivers seismic shift in care to digital

NHS clinicians will be supported to use groundbreaking artificial intelligence tools that bulldoze bureaucracy and take notes to free up staff time and deliver better care to patients thanks to guidance published today.

Interim trial data shows that the revolutionary tech has dramatically reduced admin, and meant more people could be seen in A&E, clinicians could spend more time during an appointment focusing on the patient, and appointments were shorter.

Through its Plan for Change the government is getting the NHS back on its feet and slashing waiting lists. Guidance published today will encourage the use of these products – which use speech technologies and generative AI to convert spoken words into structured medical notes and letters – across a range of primary and secondary care settings, including hospitals and GP surgeries.

The government’s mission-led approach is driving forward the use of innovative tech and new approaches to reform the health system and improve care for patients – offering them quicker and smarter care.

One of the tools – ambient voice technologies (AVTs) – can transcribe patient-clinician conversations, create structured medical notes, and even draft patient letters.

Patient safety and privacy will be paramount. This is why the guidance will focus on data compliance and security, risk identification and assessment, while ensuring that staff are properly trained before using the technology.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

AI is the catalyst that will revolutionise healthcare and drive efficiencies across the NHS, as we deliver our Plan for Change and shift care from analogue to digital.

I am determined we embrace this kind of technology, so clinicians don’t have to spend so much time pushing pens and can focus on their patients.

This government made the difficult but necessary decision at the Budget to put a record £26 billion into our NHS and social care including cash to roll out more pioneering tech.

The NHS England funded, London-wide AVT work, led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, has evaluated AVT capabilities across a range of clinical settings – Adult Outpatients, Primary Care, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Community care, A+E and across London Ambulance Service.

This multi-site evaluation involving over 7000 patients has demonstrated widespread benefits. Interim data shows:

• Increase in direct care – clinicians spending more time spent with patients rather than typing on a computer
• Increase in productivity in A&E – the technology has supported more patients to be seen in emergency departments by carrying out admin for A&E staff

At GOSH, AVTs have listened to consultations and drafted clinic notes and letters. These were then edited and authorised by the clinician before being uploaded to the secure electronic health record system and sent on to patients and their families. Clinicians agreed the AI helped them offer more attention to their patients without affecting the quality of the clinic note or letter.

Dr Maaike Kusters, Paediatric Immunology Consultant at GOSH, says:

The patients I see in my clinics have very complex medical conditions and it’s so important to make sure I capture what we discuss in our appointments accurately, but often this means I am typing rather than looking directly at my patient and their family.

Using the AI tool during the trial meant I could sit closer to them face-to-face and really focus on what they were sharing with me, without compromising on the quality of documentation.

As it stands, clinicians in hospitals and GP surgeries are forced to spend much of their consultations recording information into a computer instead of focusing on the patient in front of them.

Once the patient has left, they are often required to take that information and summarise it in documents like referral letters. The government is determined to reform these outdated ways of working and revolutionise care, and this innovative tech will do that work for them, so they can see their next patient.

The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in East Hull (part of City Health Care Partnership) has introduced an ambient scribing product to make their documentation process faster and better support their work to care for people living with frailty.

By converting a conversation with a patient into a clinical note, the ambient scribing product is freeing up time for a range of staff including GPs, consultants, nurses, and physiotherapists.

Thanks to government action, GP surgeries delivered 31.4 million appointments last month– a 6.1% increase on the previous year – and waiting lists have fallen by 219,000 patients. This technology will help consolidate this progress.

The government is already using AI to speed up diagnosis and treatment for a range of health issues – spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker.

Notes to editors

Dr Andrew Noble, a doctor working at a care centre in Hull, says:

By embracing this innovative technology, we’ve optimised our resources and empowered our clinicians and entire multidisciplinary team.

The positive feedback from both staff and patients shows just how valuable this project has been.

We’re excited to keep exploring what AI can do for us and to continue enhancing patient care and clinical efficiency.

Dr Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, said:

This exciting technology can reduce the burden of administration, allowing patients more quality time with their clinician, and our new guidance shows the NHS’s ability to rapidly and safely harness the very latest innovations to transform healthcare and bring benefits for our hardworking staff and our patients.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 24 April 2025.

It will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy to tackle the life expectancy gap.

• Call for evidence will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy to tackle life expectancy gap
• Members of the public and healthcare experts will get their say on ways to tackle biggest health problems facing men as part of Plan for Change to improve health care for everyone
• This follows government’s first ever Men’s Health Summit held in partnership with Movember, co-hosted by Arsenal and Premier League

The government is today (Thursday 24 April) calling for men of all ages to come forward and feed into England’s first ever men’s health strategy.

The 12-week call for evidence will gather vital insights from the public, health and social care professionals, academics and employers so the government can properly consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest issues facing men from all backgrounds.

It will ask for their views on what is working and what more needs to be done to close the life expectancy gap between men and women, as men in England die nearly four years earlier than women on average.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.

Our Plan for Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men’s health strategy, and today’s call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how we can design services men will actually use. I urge people to come forward to share their views.

The call for evidence will seek responses on how the government’s Plan for Change can work across the board to improve the health and wellbeing of men, through:

• Prevention – finding the right areas and the right ways to promote healthier behaviours
• Diagnosis and treatment – improving outcomes for health conditions that hit men harder
• Encouragement to come forward – improving men’s access to, engagement with and experience of the health service

This government is committed to fixing the NHS and getting a grip on the stark health inequalities that exist across the country through the Plan for Change, which will rebuild the health service and deliver better care for everyone. With a clearer, more tailored approach for both men and women, their distinct health needs will be met better.

In women’s health, we’re turning the commitments in the women’s health strategy into tangible actions – taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan, investing in a major AI breast cancer screening trial, and implementing key priority areas outlines in our strategy – alongside taking wider government action to tackle violence against women and girls.

Amy O’Connor, Global Lead, Policy and Advocacy at Movember, said:

Too many men are dying too young, the men’s health strategy is a once in a generation opportunity to invest in positive change for men and their loved ones. Share your solutions – whether it’s more community support groups, improved education, or enhancing clinical training, to create a lasting impact on the future of men’s health.

Julie Bentley, Samaritans CEO, said:

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 so it’s critical that suicide prevention is front and centre of this strategy. With men making up 75 percent of all suicides, this strategy is a real opportunity to prevent thousands of deaths.

Recognising what works for different groups of men, focusing on key risk factors and providing evidenced based support will be crucial and we’d encourage everyone to submit evidence to this important consultation. We look forward to working with Government on meaningful ways to cut suicide rates and save lives.

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community and Wellbeing Board, said:

We are pleased that the Government has announced plans to launch the first-ever Men’s Health Strategy with a call for evidence. It’s a significant step towards improving men’s health outcomes and ensuring that men can live healthier, longer, happier lives.

The call for evidence will be open for views on the Department of Health and Social Care website until 17 July. The government aims to launch the men’s health strategy later this year.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 23 April 2025.

Government backs world-leading trial of cutting-edge technology to diagnose bowel cancer earlier, harnessing the power of technology to treat patients.

Patients could soon benefit from world-leading technology to diagnose bowel cancer earlier, faster and cheaper, reducing the need for invasive colonoscopies and biopsies, and potentially saving valuable time and resource for the NHS, the government has announced today (Wednesday 23rd April).

The technology, made on British soil by Xgenera, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, has the potential to detect bowel cancer earlier, improving diagnosis rates, and offering patients valuable time back to treat the disease faster and more effectively.

Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer, with over 42,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial, with 9 in 10 people surviving bowel cancer when it’s detected at stage 1, compared to just 1 in 10 when diagnosed at stage 4.

This government is driving forward improvements to cancer care through the Plan for Change to fix our NHS – including by improving waiting times for lower gastrointestinal diagnosis. From July 2024 to February 2025, 76.6% of patients have received their cancer diagnosis or all clear within 28 days, an increase of 4ppt compared to the previous year.

Today’s announcement comes as the Health and Social Care Secretary is set to visit a research lab funded by Cancer Research UK, which has been renamed in memory of campaigner Dame Deborah James.

The BowelBabe Laboratory will bring together leading scientists to advance our understanding of bowel cancer. It will conduct cutting-edge research and will aid in the development of new treatments for bowel cancer.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

From my own experience, I know the devastating toll cancer can take on patients and families, and how many of them have been faced with long waiting lists to get the diagnosis and treatment they deserve.

We know that the key to surviving cancer is catching it as early as possible, so this government is taking the urgent action needed to make sure that happens through our Plan for Change, from developing world leading technology to detect bowel cancer earlier, through to setting up hubs for the UK’s top scientists to research and treat the disease.

Dame Deborah James dedicated her life to raising awareness for cancer and finding ways that we can beat it, so it is only right that we honour her legacy by investing in research to help stop one of the country’s biggest killers.

And research is only one part of the work we’re doing. Our National Cancer Plan will transform cancer so patients can get the latest treatments and technology, ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to some of the best in the world.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:

Innovations such as the mIONCO-Dx blood test offer an exciting new era in cancer detection with the potential for quicker, easier and more effective ways to detect cancers before they become more difficult to treat.

The NIHR is supporting initiatives such as these, utilising the latest technologies such as AI, to provide patients and the public with timely, accurate and easily accessible options. Supporting the UK’s thriving life sciences sector is key to seeing these strides in diagnosis and early prevention.

In collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the government has awarded £2.4m to progress the development of the AI-driven blood test, known as miONCO-Dx. The test was developed on data from over 20,000 patients and has since been translated into a cheaper, faster and more scalable solution, marking a significant step forward. This new solution will be assessed in a clinical trial of 8,000 patients, giving a formal and significant step towards bringing the test closer to patients by ensuring it is fit for purpose in the NHS.

The test works by measuring the microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and if so, where it is located in the body.  Initial tests have produced promising results, having shown that it is able to detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers, including bowel cancer, at an early stage, with over 99% accuracy. With no other trial currently working in the same way, this a world-leader and will support in placing Britain at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare.

The simple blood test will be able to identify cancer earlier, where treatment is not only more effective, but also cheaper and easier, potentially freeing up valuable NHS resources and staffing time in the long run.

Bowel cancer can be difficult to detect in the early stages, and survivability drops significantly as the disease progresses, as treatment options become more limited. Investing in technologies that can support experts to detect cancer early, such as the miONCO-Dx, is an essential first step in reducing the lives lost by cancer.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in the UK. I’m delighted to welcome the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to the Bowelbabe Laboratory and show him the cutting-edge research being carried out in the name of the inspirational Dame Deborah James. She touched the lives of so many, and her legacy is supporting people affected by bowel cancer across the country.

This NIHR trial shows the importance of research and the impact new technology and developments could have. The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England is an opportunity for the UK Government to improve the lives of not just bowel cancer patients, but all cancer patients. We will continue to work with them on this.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said:

This blood test has the potential to help us detect bowel cancer earlier and reduce the need for invasive tests, and the next step in this trial will now be vital in gathering further evidence on its effectiveness and how it could work in practice.

Dame Deborah James was a tireless and inspirational campaigner who helped change the national conversation on bowel cancer – it’s fitting that this lab in her name will drive forward research that could help thousands more people survive the disease.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Bowel cancer has brought heartbreak to too many families across the country. But working in partnership with the NHS, researchers, and business, we can harness AI to overhaul how we detect and treat this horrendous disease. This new method is less invasive and will help with earlier detection which means keeping more families together for longer.

Our support for cancer research will unlock more innovation and make vital work like that of the BowelBabe Research Lab possible. All of this will help us build a better NHS as part of our Plan for Change.

Fighting cancer on all fronts, from diagnosis, research, prevention and treatment, is a key commitment made by the government. Earlier this year, the government launched a call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan, designed to improve patient experience to fight cancer.

This forms part of the wider strategy to reduce lives lost to the biggest killers across the UK, with investment in AI and innovative technologies helping to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment.

As part of its Plan for Change, the government will transform the NHS and is already seeing results – with waiting lists falling by over 200,000 since July last year.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 17 April 2025.

Government confirms expansion of Advice and Guidance scheme, with more patients now receiving their care closer to home.

• More patients to get care in the community thanks to roll out of expanded scheme to keep patients off waiting lists
• £80m available to support GPs in getting patients care in the right place, rather than being sent to hospitals
• Expanded scheme marks latest step to deliver government’s Plan for Change to cut waiting lists after data shows 3 million extra appointments created since July

Tens of thousands of patients are receiving care closer to home, so they don’t have to be added to lengthy NHS waiting lists, as the government confirms the expansion of a GP scheme to shift care from hospital to community.

The scheme named “Advice and Guidance” sees GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice quickly and speed their patients through the system, so they get care in the right place as soon as possible.

That means patients are being directed to more appropriate care – such as being prescribed medication, accessing blood tests or scans via their GP, or receiving care in a local women’s health hub or community physio service, rather than being put on long NHS waiting lists.

And new data shows that, between July and December 2024, around 660,000 treatments were diverted from hospitals and into the community thanks to the scheme – a 60,000 increase on the same period the previous year.

The government has pledged to expand the use of the system, with an ambition to increase diversions from the elective waiting list to up to 2 million by the end of 2025/26 – meaning that more patients will benefit from faster and more convenient care. The NHS is now rolling out payments to GPs across the country, replacing the previous approach which led to patchy provision and meant a postcode lottery for patients.

As a result of tough but necessary decisions made at the Budget, the government has been able to put £26 billion of investment into the NHS, which is funding the £80 million expansion of this efficient and effective “Advice and Guidance” service – alongside driving forward work to cut waiting lists and improve care for patients through the Plan for Change.

Thanks to the scheme, patients suffering from something as common as irritable bowel syndrome – which is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 people – can avoid being added to already long waiting lists, which stand at almost 400,000 for digestive conditions. Instead, after an initial consultation with their family doctor, the GP can seek expert advice and refer the patient directly to dieticians to provide quicker care, closer to home – all without the patient having to set foot inside a hospital.

Health Minister Karin Smyth said:

By caring for patients closer to home, we save time and stop masses of people having to head to hospital for unnecessary appointments in the first place.

We are rewiring the NHS so that we are doing things differently, more efficiently and delivering better outcomes for patients. This scheme is a perfect example of how we are saving patients time and reducing pressure on key NHS services in the process.

It will take time to reverse the damaging neglect the NHS has suffered in recent years, but our Plan for Change is starting to deliver benefits for patients, with waiting lists cut by 219,000 since July, and 1,500 new GPs in post.

Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said:

GPs have been working closely with specialist hospital teams to make sure patients get the right care and treatment.

Expanding this service with this new funding will help even more patients access the right support, closer to their home while reducing unnecessary waits for hospital care.

“Advice and Guidance” opens a channel between GPs and hospital specialists before patients are referred onto waiting lists for hospital care. It enables patients to get the right tests and treatment via their GP or local services within their community.

From April, GP practices can now claim for every request raised via the scheme in recognition of their vital role in helping to deliver the shift from hospital to community. The expansion of the scheme aims to standardise its use across the country and ensure it is being deployed consistently to get patients treated in the right place.

Many patients suffering from certain conditions, can and should be safely and effectively managed in an out-of-hospital setting. This means people can take more power over decision making, which can help to improve overall wellbeing and potentially even reduce healthcare costs.

Other examples of patients who stand to benefit from the expansion include:

• Women seeking gynaecological care, including treatment for menopause symptoms where GPs may need specialist advice on which types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prescribe. Providing this treatment in the community saves patients being added to the waiting list for gynaecological care, which stands at more than 580,000.
• Patients with ear, nose and throat (ENT) issues – 30 per cent of referrals to secondary care currently include many conditions which can and should be managed in an out-of-hospital setting, including tinnitus, ear wax removal, and simple ear infections. As of February 2025, the waiting list for ENT services is 634,000.

Professor Sir Sam Everington OBE, GP in Tower Hamlets since 1989, said:

Advice and guidance enables patients and GPs to get advice direct from a specialist, typically within a week for routine cases. This means that patients get their health problems sorted rapidly, preventing health deterioration and avoiding long waits to be seen. In my experience, over two-thirds of patients with kidney disease can be managed in this way with advice from a consultant and treatment by the GP, removing the enormous stress and uncertainty of waiting a long time.

Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:

Advice and Guidance, if implemented effectively, can support improved patient care, streamlined referrals processes, and efficient use of resources. It can give the patient and their GP more control over their treatment options and support care closer to home.

For many conditions, we know that hospital treatment isn’t the best option so this measure will support a greater drive to provision of out of hospital services in line with the government’s priorities, and deliver more investment in primary and community services to provide more cost-effective support to patients.

Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Voices, said:

If genuine shared decision-making sits at the centre of the advice and guidance service it has the potential to ensure, where appropriate, patients receive the most suitable care closer to home without having to anxiously sit on consultant waiting lists. To make sure patient develop trust in this new service, we must see real choice offered to patients about what best treatment routes are, and strong communication about what the service is and what it means in practical terms for patient care.

The government has set out its plan to reform and rebuild the NHS, with the ambition that 92% of patients will be waiting less than 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

The Plan for Change is already delivering tangible impacts for patients – with industrial action ended, NHS waiting lists falling, and over 3 million additional appointments delivered since July 2024.

We have also begun fixing the front door of the NHS, hiring an extra 1,500 GPs since October and changing the GP contract to help bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 14 April 2025.

Dr Camilla Kingdon has been appointed by the Secretary of State to chair an independent review of children’s hearing services.

• Dr Camilla Kingdon has accepted a direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
• As a consultant neonatologist and former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), Dr Kingdon brings extensive expertise to the review

The Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, has commissioned an independent review of children’s hearing services and has appointed Dr Camilla Kingdon as its independent chair.

The review will consider:

• the NHS England response to the service failures in paediatric audiology
• how the relevant governance arrangements between NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) could be improved and identify lessons learned
• how NHS England’s handling of any future service failures in similar services could be improved and identify lessons learned

Dr Kingdon brings extensive expertise to the review. She has been a consultant neonatologist at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital for over 20 years and until March last year she was President of RCPCH. She has an MA in Medical Careers Management and was Head of the London School of Paediatrics and Child Health for 5 years from 2014.

Dr Kingdon is also the independent chair of the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service National Provider Network for England, tasked with implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review (the independent review of gender identity services for children and young people) in England. She has been a non-executive director on the board at Great Ormond Street Hospital since January 2025, is chair of the UK Healthy Air Coalition, a coalition of charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to tackle air pollution, and is a member of the NHS Assembly.

Background to the review

In December 2021, a report was published into service issues in paediatric audiology in NHS Lothian, which focused on whether children’s hearing tests were being conducted properly and effectively followed up.

Further issues with the diagnosis of hearing issues in newborns and children were identified in other Scottish NHS trusts in 2023. Subsequent assessment of NHS audiology services in paediatric departments across England in 2023 and 2024 identified similar problems. NHS England established the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme in 2023 to address the issues and oversee remedial action.

The press release issued by the Department for Health and Social Care on 9 April 2025.

Government delivers on promise to support frontline staff with new action to tackle violence, improve working lives and enhance career progression.

• Measures include improved reporting and prevention of violence and aggression in the workplace as incidents against healthcare workers reach alarming levels
• New measures will make sure staff are paid correctly for the work they are asked to deliver

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, will today announce a comprehensive support package to tackle violence and improve the working lives of NHS staff.

The measures are part of a range of recommendations accepted by the government under the Agenda for Change contract – which covers over a million frontline NHS workers – following the agreement of the 2023 pay deal.

Violence against healthcare workers has become a critical issue, with the 2024 NHS Staff Survey revealing that one in seven experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public.

A quarter of NHS staff experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months. Many incidents currently go unreported, hampering efforts to address the problem systematically.

New measures will be put in place to encourage staff to report incidents of violence or aggression towards them, and to ensure this information is collected at national level. Data will also be analysed to better understand if certain staff groups – whether by race, gender, disability status, or role – face disproportionate risks, allowing trusts to protect the most vulnerable workers.

In a keynote speech to UNISON’s National Health Care Service Group Conference in Liverpool, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

No one should go to work fearing violence. Yet one in every seven people employed by the NHS have suffered violence at the hands of patients, their relatives, or other members of the public.

Protecting staff from violence is not an optional extra. Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff. It’s a commitment to make sure healthcare workers can focus on saving lives without fear for their own safety.

I owe my life to the NHS staff who cared for me through kidney cancer. I owe a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay, but I certainly intend to try. You were there for me, and I’ll be there for you.

The package of measures will also address longstanding issues around ensuring staff are paid correctly for the work they deliver. Staff being routinely required to work beyond their job description with no compensation has led to a number of local disputes, such as those relating to clinical support worker roles in the Midlands at Kettering General Hospital and University Hospitals of Leicester.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with NHS England, NHS Employers and the Staff Council to implement a national digital system to support the fair and consistent application of the Job Evaluation Scheme.

This will ensure staff are placed in the appropriate pay band recognising the skills and knowledge required for the role.

Further measures include:

• enhanced career progression support for nurses such as more learning and development, leadership training and career coaching for managers
• new guidance for employers on how to recognise overseas experience on appointment into the NHS and share best practice on recruitment and selection processes
• steps to reduce reliance on expensive agency workers by making it easier for NHS staff to take up flexible working and developing good practice guidance on working patterns for existing staff
• encouraging six-month career reviews tailored specifically for ethnic minority nurses to identify progression pathways and provide targeted interview preparation support

In total, 36 recommendations have been accepted by ministers. These measures are expected to have a considerable and positive impact on the NHS workforce, improve staff morale and enhance recruitment and retention.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 April 2025.

Care leaders will be trained to use the latest cutting-edge technology to improve patient care, free up staff time and help people live independently in their own homes for longer.

In a bid to shift adult social care from analogue to digital as part of the Plan for Change, the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a new qualification that will equip care leaders with the skills to use and rapidly deploy technology across care homes and other settings.

The training will focus on tools which have been shown to improve the quality of care and reduce pressure on staff. This includes motion sensors that can detect and alert staff when a patient has had a fall; video telecare to allow remote appointments with doctors and carers to reduce the need to travel; and artificial intelligence which can automate routine tasks like note taking or predict when a patient might need additional care.

Care technologies like these will help people to receive the best possible care in the community and prevent avoidable trips to the hospital, reducing pressure on the NHS.  It supports the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to make health and social care fit for the future.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

We will harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to transform social care, helping people to live independently in their own homes and improving the quality of care.

By investing in skills training for care workers, introducing a Fair Pay Agreement, and providing more opportunities for career progression, we will help retain the incredible professionals we need.

Our Plan for Change will make sure we have the people and the skills needed to build a National Care Service.

Speaking at Unison’s 2025 National Health Care Conference, the Health and Social Care Secretary also outlined a series of wider measures to boost the recruitment and retention of care staff. The plans will professionalise the adult social care workforce and help staff progress in their careers, leading to better pay and recognition.

This includes:

• Setting up new job roles – like deputy managers, registered managers, personal assistants and a new enhanced care worker role – in recognition of increasingly complex care requirements. It will mean their skills will be recognised across the health service, so that GPs, doctors and other health professionals understand their expertise.
• £12 million to fund courses and qualifications for carers to develop new skills, build expertise and advance in their careers.

The boost for social care careers will support the 1.59 million strong workforce which provides vital care and support to people of all ages and with diverse, complex needs and is in recognition of the vital work they do.

The measures come as unpaid carers’ see the biggest rise in their earnings limit since the 1970s this month, and the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for the sector continues to progress through Parliament.

Baroness Louise Casey will soon begin her independent commission into adult social care which will look at how we recruit, retain and support the workforce as part of its focus on building a social care system fit for the future.

Background

Care Workforce Pathway

• The Care Workforce Pathway is the first universal career structure for the adult social care workforce. It focuses on direct care and support roles. The second part of the Pathway includes four further role categories to continue to match the breadth of careers in adult social care.
• The Pathway provides clear guidance for progression and development for professionals in the adult social care sector by outlining the necessary knowledge, skills, values and behaviours they will need in their work/practice. 8 It sets out how people can develop across a long-term career in adult social care with support and training; attracting people to join and remain in the sector and supporting sustainable workforce growth.

Level 5 Digital Leadership Qualification

• This new qualification will ensure adult social care leaders and managers have the skills they need to adopt digital innovations and new technology to help transform the sector.
• This supports the fundamental shift from analogue to digital in adult social care will support high quality, safe, efficient and person-centred care. This shift is dependent on the adult social care workforce feeling confident, skilled and supported to embed digital ways of working.
• Awarding Organisations can decide which technologies to focus on and these are included, but not limited to: smart home technologies, assistive technologies, technologies worn by staff, telecare, diagnostic tools, digital social care records, business software and AI and robotics technology. Further information can be found in the Level 5 Award in Understanding Digital Leadership in Adult Social Care Qualification Specification.

Publication of updated care certificate standards

• The Care Certificate standards have been refreshed to bring the contents up to date and in line with the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification that was launched in June 2024.
• The Care Certificate Standards were developed for use in England and are the recommended minimum training, supervision and assessment that staff new to care (health and adult social care) should receive as part of induction and before they start to deliver care. It provides a foundation for healthcare support and social care worker roles, ensuring that the new worker can provide a compassionate and caring service.

International Recruitment Fund

• Additionally, the government will also reduce reliance on overseas recruitment for social care. £12.5 million has been made available for the international recruitment fund to tackle the exploitation of international care workers. This will help find new employment for displaced overseas care workers, prioritising those already in the UK before hiring internationally.

Learning and Development Support Scheme

• The Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) will continue in financial year 2025 to 2026, backed by up to £12 million. This scheme supports adult social care employers to invest in their workforce through funded training opportunities. Updated information has been published on GOV.UK: Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme – GOV.UK
• The Level 5 Digital Leadership qualification is eligible for funding under the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS).

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 8 April 2025.

More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued to parents who have lost a pregnancy, allowing them to formally recognise their loss.

• Thousands more parents have benefited from the scheme since it was extended in October 2024
• Over 100,000 certificates have now been issued, helping parents formally recognise the loss of baby during pregnancy
• The government remains committed to improving healthcare services and strengthening support for women and their families

More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued to parents who have lost a pregnancy, allowing them to formally recognise their loss.

Baby loss certificates offer a way of providing comfort and support to bereaved parents, who have gone through an unimaginable loss. They provide acknowledgement that their baby existed and mattered.

Support groups have long campaigned for these certificates and have welcomed this news.

The government is also committed to ensuring bereaved parents are better supported, and that the impact and importance of their loss is recognised.

Work to improve women’s health services and maternity outcomes in ongoing with thousands more midwives trained, and we are committed fulfilling our commitment to closing the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap.

We are making progress already – cutting gynaecology waiting lists through our Plan for Change, boosting menopause support in the workplace, and revolutionising AI cancer screening for breast cancer through our £11 million AI EDITH cancer trial.  We are also utilising the independent sector to cut down waiting lists and provide more appointments – this includes for women’s health conditions such as endometriosis and breast cancer.

Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:

Losing a pregnancy can be devastating, and it is important that bereaved parents have the option to formally recognise the existence of their babies.

I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of countless women who have spoken up about their experiences, and to campaigners for their perseverance and great work promoting this service. From meeting with them, I know there is much to do to improve services on the ground.

We will always listen to women and families as we reform our NHS and maternity services, to make sure everyone gets the care and compassion they deserve.

Baby loss certificates were first launched in February 2024 but were only available to those who had experienced a loss since September 2018.

The voluntary service was extended by this government in October 2024 to allow all parents to apply, no matter when they lost their baby.

Sands’ Chief Executive Clea Harmer said:

It’s wonderful that baby loss certificates have enabled so many bereaved parents in England whose lives have been touched by pregnancy loss to get official recognition that their babies existed and matter.

The certificates are an important part of many people’s bereavement journey, and while we recognise they are not something everyone wants, we would like all bereaved parents to have that choice. Sands is here to offer understanding and emotional support for every bereaved parent and family, for as long as they need this.

Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE said:

The success of ‘Certificates of Loss’ is heartwarming as this was the vision of  Zoe Clark-Coates, founder of the Saying Goodbye charity, almost a decade ago. In parliament I was proud to work with her during those years as I personally knew what it was like to suffer several miscarriages. So applying for my certificates, like thousands of others, brought a great sense of comfort and formal recognition of our babies and I encourage others to so.

I hope this successful initiative will continue to provide solace to millions of parents long into the future.

Lead Bereavement Midwife, George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton and Co-lead and co-author of the ‘Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’, Samantha Collinge said:

The announcement today that 100,000 baby loss certificates have been issued to parents is a significant milestone, not just for Zoe and myself, the co-chairs and co-authors of the ‘Independent Pregnancy Loss Review’ which recommended this scheme to the government but for the millions of people who have experienced pre-24 weeks baby loss.

The huge number of certificates issued serves to demonstrate the real need for bereaved parents to have official recognition that their babies did exist and that their lives, however brief really do matter.

Being able to signpost families in our care to the certification scheme is a huge step forward for myself and my colleagues in the care that we deliver along the pre -24 week loss pathway and it is truly heartwarming when parents tell me how receiving a certificate in recognition of their precious baby has really helped them in their grief journey.

Zoe Clark-Coates MBE, Co-Chair & Author of The Pregnancy Loss Review

I am deeply moved by the overwhelmingly positive response from bereaved families to the new certificates of loss.

After nearly a decade of leading the campaign for their introduction with Mariposa International (sayinggoodbye.org) and dedicating 5.5 years to co-chairing and authoring the pregnancy loss review where we were able to bring them to pass, I am profoundly relieved and honoured that this vital recognition is now in the hands of those who need it most.

It is heartening to see that our efforts have provided comfort and acknowledgment during the most challenging times, and knowing these certificates will offer solace for decades to come is incredibly moving. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting every family on their grief journey.

Vicki Robinson, Chief Executive of the Miscarriage Association, said:

This is an important milestone and one that shows the vital role that recognition, support and understanding play in helping bereaved parents cope with their loss.

However early a pregnancy is lost, it can be felt as a bereavement like any other as people try to come to terms with the end of a very special set of hopes, dreams, and plans for the future.

These certificates provide official recognition that their baby existed, mattered, and will never be forgotten. The positive difference that makes to so many at an extremely distressing time cannot be overstated.

In November, the government announced new regulations which will fortify bread with folic acid, reducing neural tube defects by 20% in the UK. Alongside this, an extra £57 million has been allocated for Start for Life services to help expectant and new mothers with a range of services, from breastfeeding and mental health support.
Background information

Any parent can apply for a certificate following a loss before 24 weeks, or 28 weeks for a loss that happened before October 1992. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and live in England.

Request a baby loss certificate