More than 40 healthcare ‘traffic control centres’ are now live across England, helping to get patients into beds as quickly as possible. The pioneering centres use data to respond to emerging challenges and can divert ambulances to another nearby hospital with more capacity, or identify hospitals that need extra support. The move is part of […]

Tens of thousands of cancers could be detected sooner each year thanks to a national roll out of fast-track testing, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard will announce today. NHS England is expanding direct access to diagnostic scans across all GP practices, helping cut waiting times and speeding up a cancer diagnosis or all-clear for patients. […]

Rapid response teams to help people who have fallen at home and 24/7 ‘care traffic control centres’ are among new NHS plans to prepare for winter, being set out today. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the additional measures would build on the extensive work already underway to prepare for what will be a “very […]

Dedicated mental health staff to help children and young people in GP practices, and blood pressure checks in betting shops, are among initiatives devised and delivered by new integrated care systems that come fully into force today. Boosting health checks in the community to find people with health problems before they become seriously unwell is […]

Patients are being offered faster treatment in different parts of the country as part of an NHS ‘final push’ to virtually eliminate the number waiting two years or more. The NHS Elective Recovery Plan, published earlier this year, set out how the health service would address COVID-19 backlogs in treatment, initially focusing on the longest […]

Neighbourhood teams must be central to improving access to primary care for patients, a new review has said today. The teams, evolving from Primary Care Networks, should bring together general practice with other parts of the health and care system to improve access and offer regular support to those with complex needs such as elderly […]

The NHS has today set out new ambitions for patients to have timely access to community mental healthcare, following a consultation on proposed new standards, as it faces record demand following the pandemic. Patients, clinicians, and the public have welcomed the proposed mental health access standards which include ensuring people in the community receive help […]

The NHS will set out the next steps for how primary care networks will work with partners across newly formed integrated care systems to meet the health needs of people in their local areas. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard has asked Dr Claire Fuller, senior responsible officer of the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System, to […]

Patients will have better, more joined up care as Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), which require all parts of the NHS to work with each other and their partners, are rolled out across the country from next month. NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens today confirmed that the final 13 areas, serving 14.9 million people, will […]

NHS organisations will need to intensify partnership working with local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle health inequalities resulting from COVID-19, the head of the NHS has said. Sir Simon Stevens confirmed 11 more parts of the country will be formally designated “integrated care systems” (ICS) from December 2020 serving a combined population of […]