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The government has received thousands of ideas to fix the NHS as the biggest ever conversation about the future of the health service reached the Midlands last week. More than 100 people from across the Midlands participated in the public debate in Wigston in Leicestershire on Saturday (23 November), sharing their experiences, views and suggestions for delivering an NHS fit for the future. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne and NHS England's national director for urgent and emergency care Sarah-Jane Marsh attended the debate, inviting attendees' opinions on NHS reform and how the government's 10 Year Health Plan can help tackle disparities in the region. Addressing the event, Gwynne said: "We can't change the NHS and make it better without you." "When we say that the NHS is broken but not beaten, it's not beaten because the staff are incredible, it is because the NHS is not where we need it to be."

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."

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.

In a strategic move to enhance healthcare delivery, the NHS has announced plans to intensify the utilisation of virtual wards under the the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan. The NHS virtual wards are aimed to reduce avoidable hospital admissions across England. This follows a comprehensive analysis revealing significant benefits from virtual wards over the past year. "Virtual wards offer a transformative approach to healthcare delivery, allowing patients to receive medical care from the comfort of their own homes," remarked NHS national director for urgent and emergency care, Sarah-Jane Marsh. "This initiative not only reduces the burden on hospital resources but also ensures that patients receive timely and personalised care."

The Self-Care Strategy Group (SCSG), comprising of leading pharmacy groups, professional organisations, trade associations and charities committed to self-care, has written to Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging the government to fully realise the benefits of self-care and work collaboratively to build an NHS fit for the future. In its letter, the SCSG has outlined several key proposals including: Expansion of prescribing rights. Optimisation of digital health tools such as the NHS App. Enabling direct referrals between primary, diagnostic and specialist care services Widening access to self-care medicines in pharmacies. Training Primary Care Network (PCN) staff to support patients in navigating the care system. Promoting credible health information on self-care and expanding public awareness campaigns Dr Graham Jackson, a GP and Chair of SCSG, expressed concerns over the unprecedented pressures on the NHS and primary care, cautioning that these challenges are likely to increase without urgent action.

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.

Dr Amanda Doyle has been appointed as NHS England as director of primary and community care. Prior to her new role, Amanda had joined NHS England and NHS Improvement as North West Regional Director on 2 August 2021 and previously she was the Chief Clinical Officer for West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Blackpool CCG and Fylde and Wyre CCG. Amanda was also the Integrated Care System Lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria, leading a large health and care transformation programme across the patch. She has been a GP for more than 20 years, practising in a large practice in a deprived area of Blackpool, which, in addition to primary medical services, provides a range of urgent care services for patients across the Fylde Coast. Amanda was the Co-Chair of NHS Clinical Commissioners from 2013 to 2018. She was Senior Responsible Officer for the primary care component of the Long Term Plan and was involved in the leadership of the health inequalities, prevention and personalisation elements.

A new report from the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) is calling on NHS England to commission a community pharmacy-based national Type 2 diabetes screening service, which could save the NHS £50m each year. The CCA report, titled 'Increasing Access to Diabetes Screening and Prevention Through Community Pharmacy', highlights the urgent need for a national patient pathway for diabetes detection and management. It outlines how NHS-commissioned diabetes screening in community pharmacies across England could deliver numerous health benefits each year, including: Screening 1.5 million adults and identifying 180,000 prediabetics; Detecting 45,000 undiagnosed cases of diabetes and preventing them from developing serious complications Preventing nearly 7,000 heart attacks and strokes, and thus improving patients' quality of life Avoiding severe sight loss in around 15,000 people over their lifetime Saving the NHS £50 million annually by reducing diabetes-related costs. Type 2 diabetes and its complications are currently estimated to account for 10 per cent of the NHS annual budget, and this figure is projected to rise to 17 per cent by 2035/36.

Most people in Great Britain believe that new junior doctors, nurses and health care assistants are underpaid, senior doctors and matrons are paid about right, and NHS CEOs are paid too much, according to a new study. About half the people surveyed indicated that newly qualified junior doctors are paid too little, with this sentiment increasing to three in five (60 per cent) among Labour voters. The research conducted by the Policy Institute at King's College London, King's Business School, and Ipsos also showed that more people believe NHS staff overall were badly paid than well paid. Dr Nick Krachler, senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at King's Business School, said: "Our survey shows considerable alignment between public perception of NHS pay levels and the claims of trade unions and professional associations that pay levels - which are determined by government after consultation from a Pay Review Body - ​are unsatisfactory for frontline NHS roles." He highlighted the urgent need to address healthcare workers' economic wellbeing, hoping that the new government will consider it in its upcoming negotiations with junior doctors this week.

In a significant move aimed at improving patient care and alleviating hospital pressures, the National Health Services (NHS) has expanded its same day emergency care services across the UK. This has resulted in thousands more individuals receiving rapid tests and treatment, effectively avoiding overnight hospital stays. Recent data paints a promising picture, revealing an 11 per cent increase in the number of patients discharged on the same day they were admitted as emergencies. This advancement translates to several patients receiving urgent care within hours, subsequently freeing up beds for others in need. Over the past year alone, an impressive 206,446 more patients have been discharged on the same day, amounting to 2,024,129 individuals in the year leading up to January 2024, compared to 1,817,683 in the preceding year. The successful rollout of same day emergency care to every hospital in England has played a pivotal role in easing bed congestion and reducing hospital admissions by up to 30 per cent in certain NHS Trusts.

Community pharmacy contractors are likely to receive more referrals from NHS 111 for the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) following a review of the NHS Pathway algorithms, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) announced on Friday (January 14). The review, conducted by an expert group of Integrated Urgent Care clinicians and pharmacists, led to inclusion of more minor illness symptoms for referral to the CPCS from NHS 111. The reviews based on data from 2021, showed it could generate 275,000 additional referral opportunities annually. With the introduction of changes, three new condition types (scratches and grazes, teething, sinusitis) and general health information requests will be added.

Expressing apprehension over the concerning decline in the nursing workforce, Sir Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, urged the forthcoming government to bolster investment in nursing education and enhance support for student nurses. Recent analysis from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has projected that the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will fall short by 10,000 new nurses by 2025. Commenting on the RCN analysis, Sir Hartley underscored the critical importance of having an adequate number of nurses to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care. "Without enough nurses, the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care is compromised," he said. He cautioned that the predicted shortfall in nurses would exacerbate existing pressures on the NHS, resulting in long waiting times, delayed treatments and staff burnout.

The Company Chemists Association (CCA) has published a report highlighting the key findings of a roundtable it hosted earlier this month. The CCA convened the virtual roundtable to examine the best practice undertaken by a cross-section of LPCs to promote the delivery of the Pharmacy First service. Key recommendations for how LPCs can help support pharmacy contractors to deliver the Pharmacy First service include: Direct engagement with NHS regions who can supply funding to drive Pharmacy First engagement and promotional activity. Engagement with a variety of staff within GP surgeries, ranging from reception staff to GP partners, to drive referrals, as well as build understanding and awareness of the benefits to General Practice. Harnessing data to inform GP surgeries how they are performing locally Using data to ensure pharmacies close any open referrals promptly. Using multiple channels to promote the service, including the sharing of best practice, myth busting, use of data and creating tools which can be readily used by pharmacies and GPs. Encouraging pharmacy staff to highlight the Pharmacy First service to customers - with specific emphasis on the provision of NHS-funded care, timely access and convenience the service provides. The CCA said the report is intended to support all LPCs and pharmacy contractors as they work together to care for patients requiring urgent NHS care in their community.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published on May 26 the findings of the Fuller 'stocktake' - setting out how primary care can work with partners across health and care to best meet the needs of their local communities. Dr Claire Fuller's report lays emphasis on the essential role of primary care and the potential of integrated neighbourhood teams in reducing the burden of ill health and tackling health inequities. It commends community pharmacy for keeping "its doors open to the public throughout" the pandemic whilst being "among the most recognisable of a multitude of dedicated staff delivering care around the clock in every neighbourhood in the country". The report highlights "recruitment and retention challenges across the wider primary care workforce" including in community pharmacy. Stressing the importance of community pharmacy teams in urgent care and prevention, including early diagnosis of cancers, the report points out that pharmacists could play "a more active role in signposting eligible people to screening and supporting early diagnosis, building on a number of successful pilots such as those from the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme".

A policy brief, developed by researchers from the University of Bath and University of Strathclyde with funding from Sigma Pharmaceuticals, has recommended the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS to increase community pharmacy funding to avoid damaging closures and diminution of quality. The report launched on Wednesday (12 June) at an event in the House of Commons, attended by Members of Parliament, senior policymakers and the pharmacy industry, analysed community pharmacy policies and spoke to stakeholders to explore their opinions of the future of community pharmacy. It was found that patients value their community pharmacies, but staff feel demotivated, insecure and undervalued. Stakeholders and policies suggested that in the future, medicines should be supplied by automated 'hub and spoke' dispensing, enabling community pharmacy staff to provide services that relieve pressure on GP surgeries, such as long-term conditions management, urgent care and public health.

NHS England has confirmed the initial sites that will test and implement Martha's Rule in the first phase of the programme. This follows the announcement in February regarding NHSE funding for the major patient safety initiative for this financial year. The scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died from sepsis at the age of 13 in 2021. She had been treated at King's College Hospital, London, where a failure to escalate her to intensive care and a lack of response to her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition contributed to her death. Martha's Rule aims to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one's condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to. NHS England on Monday (27 May) announced that the scheme will be implemented at 143 hospital sites across the country by March 2025.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined his plans for NHS reform on Friday (21 April), where he also mentioned a desire to see pharmacies take on more workload and pharmacists' clinical skills to be better utilised. In his speech, he also expressed concern at warnings from the pharmacy sector and pharmacy closures. The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) appreciated Shadow Health Secretary's desire to enhance pharmacies' role in primary care reform but also stated that the sector is in urgently needs a funding injection. Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) comment: "We are pleased to see the Shadow Health Secretary recognise the enhanced role that pharmacies should play in primary care reform. Mr Streeting wants to see care brought closer to people's homes and more front doors into the NHS. With 89.2% of the population located within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, pharmacies do just that. They are essential to realising his vision of a 'neighbourhood health service'. Pharmacies could free up over 42m GP appointments annually, including 10m vaccination appointments. Urgent same-day appointments for minor conditions in pharmacies will immediately benefit patients by increasing GP access. The first step is for the Government to immediately commission a fully-funded Pharmacy First service in England.

The Company Chemists Association (CCA)'s workforce finding showed that by 2024 eight years' worth of growth of the pharmacist workforce will have been funnelled away from community pharmacies. "In 2019, when NHS leaders realised they were unable to find enough GPs to meet the public's needs, they hastily decided to recruit pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to fill the gaps. This was implemented without any corresponding efforts to increase the supply of pharmacists, creating huge shortages," said CCA. "The bulk of the NHS's recruitment drive was paid for using additional money ringfenced by the NHS - the £2.4bn Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). We estimate over the life course of ARRS funding (2019-2024), the equivalent of eight years of growth in the number of pharmacists in England will have been funnelled directly into primary care at the expense of other sectors. At the current rate, CCA estimate that community pharmacy will have experienced the equivalent of three fallow years by 2024. To ensure the pharmacy network is protected and able to take pressure off other parts of the NHS, there are several urgent measures which must be implemented. Countering the impact of primary care recruitment: Community pharmacists should be commissioned to provide 'packages of care' on behalf of GPs, rather than taking pharmacists away from accessible high street settings.