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, […]

Hardworking NHS staff boosted productivity by 3% in a single year, dramatically outstripping productivity growth in the rest of the economy new figures have revealed today. Data released today by the Office for National Statistics shows that NHS productivity for the financial year ending 2017 grew by 3% in England, more than treble the 0.8% […]

Issued at 6.31am on Sunday 6 January 2019 Temperatures/weather conditions are not expected to exceed Cold Weather Alert threshold criteria in any region from 6 January 6.00am until further notice. More details about this weather alert are available on the Met Office website.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published today, will save almost half a million more lives with practical action on major killer conditions and investment in world class, cutting edge treatments including genomic tests for every child with cancer. The blueprint to make the NHS fit for the future will use the latest technology, such as […]

Problem drinkers and smokers who end up in hospital will be helped by dedicated new services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. As part of new NHS prevention measures, people who are alcohol dependent will be helped by new Alcohol Care Teams, while more than half a million patients who smoke, including pregnant […]

Issued at 8.55am on Friday 4 January 2019 There is a 60 per cent probability of severe cold weather between 3.00pm on Thursday 3 January and 00:00am on Sunday 06 January in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying […]

Valid until 5 January 2019 There is a 60 per cent probability of severe cold weather between 9.00am on Thursday 3 January and 00:00am on Saturday 05 January in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying well this winter. […]

Patients urged to cancel appointments rather than just not show up. More than 15 million general practice appointments are being wasted each year because patients do not turn up and fail to warn surgeries that they will not be attending. There are around 307 million sessions scheduled with GPs, nurses, therapists and other practice staff […]

Making a New Year’s resolution to take up a free NHS health check could stop people developing dementia as well as catching physical conditions, a top doctor said today. The national health check – a 20-minute, pain-free assessment carried out by a GP or nurse and involving tests on blood pressure, weight and height – […]

In the NHS’s 70th year, dozens of NHS staff have been recognised in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list, including 15 leading nurses, an array of doctors, dentists, physiotherapists and other health professionals, and those who led the response to terror attacks and major incidents. The awards include OBEs for Dr Malik Ramadhan, who was […]