An army of advisers will be recruited to help patients live fitter, healthier lives and combat anxiety, loneliness and depression under plans to ramp up social prescribing set to be launched by NHS England this week. Around half of GP appointments are not directly related to medical conditions, according to experts. Growing evidence shows that […]

GP practices in Luton have worked together to provide more than 3,000 extra appointments a year including halving the number of appointments lost due to patient non-attendance. As well as freeing up appointments, the Primary Care Network (PCNs) model has led to friends and family satisfaction with services being positive nine times out of ten, […]

All patients across England can now access general practice appointments in the evening and weekends, NHS England has announced today. The extended access means that patients will be able to see a doctor, nurse or other member of the practice team at a time convenient to them – providing an estimated nine million extra appointments […]

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 NHS has today announced that it will provide up to £50 million to fund long term screening and treatment for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said that a new screening service would be in place imminently to provide long term support and treatment for people with […]

NHS chief Simon Stevens today announced a new mental health support scheme to cover all doctors working in the NHS. Speaking at a conference on ‘Wounded Healers’, Simon Stevens announced national funding for a new scheme for all NHS doctors in England, covering approximately 110,000 more doctors, in addition to those already supported. This builds […]

NHS England is going to recruit doctors from ‘Down Under’ in the latest initiative to boost GP numbers. The international recruitment drive is being widened to Australia after the NHS successfully encouraged applications from more than 1,200 GPs in Europe. NHS England will target GPs who left the UK for Australia and are looking to […]

NHS England has today announced it will provide £10 million to GPs to support delivery of additional extended hours, out of hours and unscheduled care sessions over winter. The Winter Indemnity Scheme will be used to cover the costs of professional indemnity for the extra services provided by GPs, giving them the freedom to work extra […]

NHS England and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) are launching a nationwide campaign today (10 September) to help people understand their eligibility for free prescriptions. The ‘Check Before You Tick’ campaign will encourage patients to check whether they are entitled to free prescriptions before claiming them to help reduce the £256 million cost per […]

Health chiefs have drawn up new guidance to encourage doctors to place mental health therapists in practice surgeries – bringing more mental and physical health services under one roof. These new therapists will be integrated into primary care teams and focus on common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, particularly where this occurs […]