GP practices in Gloucestershire are working together to provide 100,000 more appointments for patients. The extra appointments, across the county’s 75 practices, will be mainly provided by GPs and nurses over the next year; and clinical pharmacists, paramedics, mental health workers and physiotherapists are also now working in local surgeries, offering a greater range of […]

An programme in Somerset has helped patients avoid 7,500 nights in hospital and freed up at least £2 million for other services. Somerset’s pioneering ‘Homefirst’ scheme offers patients who are healthy enough, and their families, tailored help to finish therapy at home, with personalised care reducing stays in hospital by up to ten days. Described […]

England’s top doctor is calling on the NHS to enlist the power of tech and innovation to reduce the thousands of unnecessary outpatient appointments carried out every day. In his foreword to the Royal College of Physicians report published today, NHS England Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis, says it’s time to ‘grasp the nettle’ to […]

A neurology hotline for GPs in the north west has spared patients unnecessary worry and travel time, while £100,000 a year has been reinvested back into the NHS. The advice line, run by the Walton Centre in Liverpool, means GPs in the Cheshire and Merseyside area can call neuro consultants for fast advice any weekday […]

The families of over 300 children with epilepsy and other neurological diagnoses have avoided having to travel nearly 30,000 miles of hospital trips after two hospitals joined forces to provide care closer to home. The new partnership between two hospital trusts has reduced the need for children to miss school for medical appointments, minimised days […]

A windfall of £450,000 to support practical and innovative ways to help patients improve health services has been announced. The Building Health Partnerships programme has been awarded the money from NHS England and the National Lottery – through the Big Lottery Fund. The funding will provide tailored support for co-production to 10 areas, helping to […]

A specialist GP has been appointed to help spread NHS innovations which integrate health and social care throughout England. Dr Karen Kirkham, who runs a practice in Dorset and specialises in women’s health, will work with the wider GP community to spread tried and tested innovation and transformation techniques across the country. Dr Kirkham has […]

Innovative ‘red bags’ that help care home residents admitted to hospital be discharged quicker are being rolled out across the country. The bags, which contain key paperwork, medication and personal items like glasses, slippers and dentures, are handed to ambulance crews by carers and travel with patients to hospital where they are then handed to […]

Over 12 million people will soon benefit from better joined up NHS and social care as four more areas, covering four and a half million extra people, are today (Thurs) given more control to improve local services. NHS England chief Simon Stevens and Ian Dalton, head of NHS Improvement, have called on the NHS to […]

Doctors and nurses will be able to reduce unnecessary patient tests and improve safety through better working between hospitals and GPs and social care. New partnerships will be introduced giving health and care staff better and faster access to vital information about the person in their care, so they can determine the right action as […]