In its response to NHS England's consultation on 'the future of vaccination services', the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has suggested
that a wider range of NHS vaccinations being available from community pharmacies could support the achievement of increased vaccination levels.
PSNC said: "Any additional services that contractors could provide can only be considered with additional remuneration above the current global sum in the community
pharmacy contractual framework to ensure that the services are adequately resourced."
Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at PSNC, said: "We've always known, and the evidence supports this, that community pharmacies are one of the most popular
and accessible places for people to receive a range of vaccinations.
"The NHS was slow to take advantage of this at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, so we welcome this consultation from them to bring together a wide range of views
on the topic.
"In the longer-term, if the right funding and support is in place, many pharmacies could help deliver a much wider range of NHS vaccination programmes - giving the
public the convenience and service that they want, and taking pressure off our general practice colleagues. It makes perfect sense, and we look forward to the NHS
response to this consultation."
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has reminded community pharmacies (its members) to update their NHS Profile Manager information.
Ahead of the NHS contract quarter deadline- 30th June 2023, the committee has urged its members to ensure that their pharmacy's NHS website and Directory of
Services (DoS) profile information is kept up-to-date.
The Pharmacy Terms of Service requires pharmacy owners to verify profile information at least once per quarter, however the new NHS Profile Manager has been
introduced to make the process as quick as possible and it can be done on either a smartphone or computer.
PSNC said: "We continue to work with NHS England and the NHS Profile Manager team to make the process as easy as possible and to improve the management tool. Our
feedback has led NHS England to automatically set pharmacy opening hours to 'closed' for many bank holidays (however these can be reset to 'open' if required)."
The National Health Service (NHS) retention programme has benefitted 23 NHS Trusts since it launched in April 2022, with thousands fewer staff leaving
frontline roles.
NHS data showed that 14,000 fewer staff left the service in the 12 months up to August 2023 (108,890) compared to 122,970 the year before.
In a statement released on Thursday, the NHS England said it is expanding the pilot programme across the country to benefit 42 more NHS trusts.
The programme is part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan ambition to retain up to 128,000 more staff over the next 15 years in addition to training record
numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Under this new initiative, NHS staff are being offered extra flexibility with working hours, clinical 'support squads' have been introduced to help menopausal
women at work, and HR 'stay advocates' are designated to identify ways to keep staff on the brink of leaving.
The National Health Service said that over 425,000 patients have utilised its new national online service to complete GP registration within its inaugural year.
The GP surgery registration service, managed by NHS England, has granted NHS patients efficient and user-friendly access to GP registration since its inception in
August 2022.
According to the NHS, more than 1,400 GP surgeries, a fifth of the national count, have joined the NHS online registration service as part of a new plan to improve
access to primary care. "This aligns with a new strategy to enhance primary care access, with a target of enrolling 2,000 practices in the Register with a GP
surgery service by December 2023."
Many GP surgeries still use paper forms, requiring patients to visit surgeries to collect paperwork. However, the new online service has been shown to save GP
surgery staff up to 15 minutes per registration by helping to reduce paperwork and admin time, the NHS said.
The NHS said that this service enables patients to register with a local GP online at any time, eliminating the need for in-person visits and simplifying the
process for both patients and GP surgeries.
The NHS has made major improvements across long waits, urgent and emergency services, and cancer care, latest performance figures published on Thursday (11)
have shown.
The number of patients waiting more than 18 months fell to 10,737 by April - down by more than 90 per cent from 124,911 in September 2021 and by more than four-fifths
since the start of January when there were 54,882.
Around half of NHS trusts in England have no patients on their elective care waiting lists apart from those who have chosen to wait longer. More than one in
five (21%) trusts had completely eliminated 18-month waits.
However, the overall waiting list has risen to over 7.3 million entries in England.
"I promised I would cut NHS waiting lists and we are delivering," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. "Reducing 18-month waits by over 90 per cent is huge progress,
and it is testament to the hard work of NHS staff who have achieved this despite one of the busiest winters on record.
"We still have work to do, but backed by record government investment and the ongoing efforts of the NHS, I am confident we will get patients the care they need
more quickly."
Ambulance response rates have improved to their fastest in two years, with average category two response times now at 28.5 minutes and category one at 8 mins.
The 62-day cancer backlog has fallen for the first time since before the pandemic, with those waiting two months or more down from 21,823 at the end of the last
financial year (March 2022) to 19,248 at the end of this March (2023). This is down almost 15,000 from a peak of 34,000 in July 2022.
The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) has been running as a national advanced service since October 2019 to relieve pressure on the National
Health Service which aims to help with on the day demand in relation to minor illness and medicines.
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service CPCS (NHS CPCS) aims to meet the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan to use community pharmacists' skills to
advise patients, and to build relationships with GP surgeries, primary care teams and wider NHS providers and to assist with urgent care system repeat prescription
requests. Referrals from the GP referral pathway and urgent care systems and urgent treatment centres are digitally routed to community pharmacies so that patients
can receive same-day appointments and have their queries resolved.
The numbers
Based on the estimated annual number of minor ailment GP appointments, the service was expected to save the NHS up to £640 million per year . Three years later, the
nation has weathered the Covid 19 pandemic, which had widespread effects and put further strain on already overstretched NHS staff.
The pandemic impact has resulted in higher numbers of GP appointments than initially anticipated. Nevertheless, this may offer an opportunity to proactively engage
pharmacy teams in patient contact help ease strain across the wider NHS.
The new data from NHS England has revealed that more than 100,000 patients were treated for minor illness by their high street pharmacist in just one month.
According to new NHS figures, in June, 118,123 people with minor illnesses such as a sore throat or constipation, or those in need of medicine urgently, received
a same-day consultation with their local pharmacist after calling NHS 111 or their GP practice - an increase of more than four-fifths (83%) on the number in the same
month last year (64,512).
The data comes alongside expanded roles for community pharmacies ahead of winter, announced at the NHS England board meeting today.
"From this week, NHS 111 online can directly refer people to their high street pharmacist for a same-day consultation, rather than patients needing to call the
phone line," said NHS England.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: "Our local pharmacies ensure hundreds of thousands of people every week get the support and medication they need and
today's figures show that in just one month, over 100,000 patients have also had consultations with their local pharmacist for minor illnesses - this means patients
are getting the care they need quickly but also in a convenient way that can fit in with their busy lives.
The government has earmarked £200 million to enhance NHS resilience and expedite patient care during the upcoming winter season. This extra amount will
bolster the health service during its busiest period, while protecting elective care so we can keep cutting waiting lists, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.
On August 13, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary met with clinical leaders and NHS Chiefs to strategise and refine planning for urgent and
emergency care, while prioritising the preservation of waiting list targets for the upcoming winter season.
"Patients can be reassured that I will always back the NHS, so that those who most need help and support will get the care they need," Sunak said. "Winter is
the most challenging time for the health service, which is why we've been planning for it all year - with huge government investment to fund new ambulances, beds
and virtual wards."
"This £200 million investment, assured by the Department of Health and Social Care as new and additional funding, should aid NHS leaders in their preparations and
mitigation for what will be a seriously difficult winter period," said Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of NHS Confederation. "The priority now is swift allocation
of funding to local systems for optimal utilisation."
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting reiterated his commitment to reducing NHS waiting lists during his visit to Frimley Health NHS Foundation
Trust's Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot on Friday.
Streeting toured the Berkshire hospital, which is helping tackle backlogs of planned operations with dedicated surgical services, thereby cutting local waiting lists.
The health secretary spoke to staff and patients at the hospital before meeting regional health representatives to discuss the issues facing services at a town
hall event.
His visit follows his recent call for an independent investigation into the NHS, pledging to be honest about the state of the health service and serious about
fixing it.
"The NHS is broken. Millions of patients are waiting too long for treatment, often in pain and discomfort," Streeting said.
The National Health Service (NHS) has said that the roll-out of blood-thinning drugs has helped save thousands of lives.
In January 2022, the NHS launched a drive to rapidly expand the use of life-saving direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in people who are at increased risk of strokes.
Since then, more than 24 million prescriptions have been given to such patients and around 460,000 more people have started taking the drugs.
This prevented an estimated 17,000 strokes and 4,000 deaths in the last 18 months, as revealed by the new NHS data.
Amanda Pritchard, the NHS chief executive, hailed the "lifesaving NHS rollout" at the King's Fund annual conference.
It is part of a major NHS drive on "prevention" - to catch more killer conditions earlier and save more lives.
The latest NHS data showed that 487,432 individuals in England were diagnosed with dementia in June, the highest since the start of the pandemic.
Although dementia diagnosis rates have reached 65 per cent, the NHS still aims to meet its target of diagnosing 66.7 per cent of the estimated total number of
people living with a form of the disease.
NHS stated that their staff across the country are actively assessing care home residents to identify more individuals who may have dementia.
Dr. Jeremy Isaacs, National Clinical Director for Dementia at NHS England, praised the efforts of NHS staff in increasing diagnosis rates but acknowledged that
more work is needed.
"Getting a diagnosis of dementia is the first step in supporting people, with a wide range of NHS services able to help.
NHS cancer check has set a new record, despite pressures on hospitals due to Covid-19, the number of people being treated for the cancer remained higher than
before the pandemic, revealed NHS.
Over the last 12 months almost three million people were referred for cancer checks which is up by over a tenth on the 2.4 million people referred before the
pandemic.
"Even at the peak of the Omicron wave, referrals for suspected cancer were at 116 per cent of pre-pandemic levels with around 11,000 people getting checked every
day over the last year," said NHS.
In order to meet increasing demand for cancer checks, NHS services across the country are expanding their diagnostic capabilities through one stop shops for tests,
mobile clinics and cancer symptom hotlines, ensuring people are diagnosed and treated as early as possible to give them a much better chance of beating the disease.
More than 30,000 people every month are being invited for lung cancer checks through NHS mobile trucks visiting at risk communities across the country, as part of
the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history.
The National Health Service (NHS) is embracing new technology and innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the number of missed hospital
appointments and improve waiting times for elective care.
Following a successful pilot in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, the health service is set to roll out AI software to 10 more trusts across England in
the coming months.
The software, developed by Deep Medical in collaboration with a frontline worker and NHS clinical fellow, helps reduce the number of missed appointments by
offering patients convenient time slots and backup booking options.
Since the AI programme was piloted six months ago, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has seen a 30 per cent fall in non-attendances.
During the pilot period, a total of 377 did not attends (DNAs) were prevented and an additional 1,910 patients were attended.
In what could be the longest consecutive strike action ever taken in the history of the National Health Service (NHS), junior doctors are set to begin their
six-day walkout from tomorrow (Wednesday 3 January) at 7am, until 7am on Tuesday 9 January.
As the record industrial action has come in the middle of growing winter pressures, the NHS England has warned that this week could be one of "the most difficult
starts to the year" for health services across the country.
With consultant busy covering urgent and emergency cases, the strikes could have a significant impact on almost all routine care.
NHS National Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis said: "This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced.
The new NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard acknowledged and thanked health service staff and volunteers for their "extraordinary team effort" while the country fights Omicron.
Pritchard, who took up the post in July, praised the efforts of doctors, nurses, therapists, porters and other staff who have worked hard to recover services impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In her first Christmas message as the NHS chief, she praised all those involved in the NHS Covid vaccination programme which delivered more than 7 million jabs,
including boosters, in the last 10 days alone.
She said: "We've had another extraordinary 12 months.
"From January when hospitals admitted 100,000 patients with Covid in a single month, while also delivering the world-class NHS covid vaccination programme; to receiving the George Cross during the summer, marked by a service at St Paul's, pulling out all the stops to make progress on recovering backlogs of care; and now facing the uncertainty of Omicron and winter pressures.
A groundbreaking research project has revealed that the public is urging the government to prioritise primary and community care over hospitals.
The study also found a strong public willingness to pay higher taxes to enhance NHS services.
The Health Foundation and Ipsos UK conducted the research, combining nationwide polling with in-depth public deliberative workshops.
These workshops, held in King's Lynn, Leeds, and London, constitute one of the most comprehensive public consultations about the future of the NHS in England.
The study published on 16 May underscores the public's desire for a redistribution of NHS resources. If the NHS budget remains unchanged, 60 per cent of those
polled believe the government should focus on improving access to community-based services like general practice and dentistry.
The government, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has begun the negotiations for a new voluntary scheme for
branded medicines pricing on Thursday (4 May).
A new voluntary scheme is expected to take effect from 1 January 2024, replacing the current scheme which came into force in 2019 and ends on 31 December 2023
In their first meeting, the government, NHS England and industry - represented by the ABPI -expected to agree to a shared negotiation aim of working toward a
mutually beneficial agreement that supports better patient outcomes and a healthier population, a financially sustainable NHS, and UK economic growth.
Health Minister, Will Quince, said: "These negotiations will ensure a new scheme continues to deliver value for money by providing significant savings for our
health services, securing access to innovative lifesaving drugs for NHS patients, and helping to reduce waiting times - one of the Prime Minister's 5 priorities.
The current voluntary scheme supports investment in NHS services and saves billions of pounds for the NHS, while also promoting innovations and a successful life
sciences sector.
In a remarkable turn of events, the NHS App has emerged as a financial saviour for the National Health Service, slashing costs by over £1 million in the
last year alone.
The revelation comes as a testament to the app's growing significance in streamlining patient communication and service delivery.
Throughout the fiscal year 2023/24, a staggering 22.5 million messages traversed the NHS App, a feat previously reliant on traditional methods like text messages
or letters.
This monumental shift not only signifies a boon for efficiency but also heralds substantial savings, with each text message costing an average of 5p.
Drastically reducing these expenses has amounted to a commendable £1.1 million in savings, marking a pivotal milestone in NHS expenditure management.
In continuation of the NHS Covid vaccine programme, Covid jabs for five and six-year olds will be available at the local vaccination centres or community pharmacies outside of school hours.
Following the recent JCVI guidance that recommended all children between 5 and 11 would benefit from a non-urgent offer of the COVID vaccine, the NHS will send
invitations to one million families with five and six-year-olds this week.
"Invitations being sent to families this week will set out how easy and convenient it is to take up the offer of a vaccine as part of the NHS COVID vaccination
programme by booking through the National Booking Service, or visiting their nearest walk-in site," NHS said.
Between April 25 and May 1, there are already more than 33,500 children aged five to 11 booked in for their dose of the life-saving vaccine, with a further 50,000 slots still available.
Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and Deputy Lead for the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme, said: "It is great to see so many families already booked in for their children to receive their Covid vaccine this week, helping to protect themselves against potential future waves of the virus.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has raised concerns over the NHS ad campaign highlighting how community pharmacies can support patients
with non-health advice amidst the growing pressure on pharmacies.
It believes the campaign will only 'worsen' the pressure on pharmacies.
"It is always deeply concerning to see campaigns directing people to pharmacies without any regard for the pressures they are under: it is irresponsible and extremely
unhelpful," said PSNC Chief Executive Janet Morrison.
She called the campaign 'particularly irritating' just weeks after the committee rejected a series of proposals from NHS England and DHSC on relief measures to ease
pressure on pharmacies as being totally inadequate.
"NHS England Board Members have noted the pressure on pharmacies - so why are their teams so often acting to make these pressures worse? We need to see a radical
change in how NHS England treats pharmacies and we're continuing to press for that via our influencing and campaigning work," she added.
The NHS launched the new campaign on Monday (27 February) to highlight how high-street pharmacies can support patients with non-urgent health advice for minor
conditions including coughs, aches and colds.