The NHS delivered 280,000 more diagnostic tests and checks in January compared to the same month last year, new figures show, as staff continue to work hard to tackle long waits and COVID-19 backlogs. Monthly performance data, published today, shows despite ongoing pressures on staff – including more than three million staff sick days in […]

A new study by health experts has shown that the productivity of the NHS has improved almost two and a half times as fast than the wider economy over the last 12 years, meaning more care and treatments for patients and better value for taxpayers. According to the University of York’s Centre for Health Economics, […]

A new digital portal is being introduced by the NHS and councils which allows health and social care staff to see how many vacancies there are in local care homes, saving hours of time phoning around to check availability and helping people to get the right care or return home as quickly as possible. People […]

NHS England will today consider guidance to GPs about a ban on gluten free pizzas, cakes and biscuits and set out plans to curb other low priority items such as silk garments and bath oils in moves that could save almost £70 million a year. NHS England has already ordered an end to the routine […]

Trusts across England saved £288 million in the last financial year by securing the best deals for commonly bought items, such as syringes, disposable gloves, loo roll and shoe covers. The money freed up can be reinvested into other services and equipment. Savings so far Trusts are able to compare how much their neighbours have […]

Health chief Simon Stevens has today asked NHS hospitals to ensure they are ready to realise savings of up to £150 million a year to reinvest in frontline care after the patent on the NHS’s most costly drug ends this week. Adalimumab is the single medicine on which hospitals spend the most, at a cost […]

NHS England has today set out plans to curb ineffective or risky medical treatments given to hundreds of thousands of patients each year. NHS England’s board of directors will meet next week to discuss proposals to stop or reduce routine commissioning of 17 interventions, including breast reductions and snoring surgery, where less invasive, safer treatments […]

Doctors have freed up millions of pounds to fund frontline care by banding together to create a pioneering ‘price match’ scheme that drives down the cost of simple items such as anti-embolism stockings and surgical gloves. The clinician-led scheme in Sheffield saw staff and patients work closely across seven hospitals to agree on the best […]

Following today’s announcement that Carillion plc would be declaring insolvency, the NHS put into place contingency plans that have seen services for patients maintained without interruption. These contigency plans, held at a national level by NHS England and NHS Improvement and locally by individual trusts and private sector partners, have been in preparation for some […]

NHS England has today published detailed plans – drawn up with family doctors and pharmacists – to cut out prescriptions for ineffective, over-priced and low value treatments. Helping to trim hundreds of millions from the nation’s rapidly growing drugs bill will create headroom to reinvest all savings in newer and more effective NHS medicines and […]