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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

As the NHS treats more patients than ever before, a new nationwide survey shows the vast majority of people are positive about their GP care – with eight out of ten patients rating their overall experience of their GP surgery as good. The survey also found that confidence and trust in GPs and healthcare professionals […]

“I am passionately committed to general practice and primary care in England. This is why I accepted a three year secondment from my GP practice to NHS England as Director of Primary Care and Deputy Medical Director. “That secondment comes to an end later this year, but it is clear to me that, sadly, I […]

GPs are signing up to become ‘veteran friendly’ under a new national scheme to improve medical care and treatment for former members of the armed services that has been backed by NHS England and the Royal College of GPs. Practices can qualify for veteran friendly status by offering extra support for ex-military personnel who may […]