In a statement to the House of Commons on 22nd September, Ms Coffey outlined her department\u2019s \u201cA-B-C-D” of priorities, addressing challenges around ambulances, backlogs, social care and doctors and dentists. The NHS is under renewed pressure amid a soaring cost-of-living crisis, an elective care backlog currently estimated at 7 million, a record-high vacancy rate of 10 per cent, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter for health and care services.<\/p>\n
The plans were lambasted by Labour\u2019s Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, who said they show that the Conservative government is \u201cout of ideas as to scale of the challenge\u201d.<\/p>\n
Among new measures announced were the intention to ensure “that everyone who needs an appointment with their practice within two weeks can get one”, as well as \u00a3500 million of additional funding to help with hospital discharge into social care<\/p>\n
Outlining the new commitments detailed in Our Plan for Patients<\/a><\/em>, Ms Coffey declared her intention to improve patient access to NHS services, saying that “patients are my top priority, and I will be their champion.\u201d Ms Coffey cited \u201ctoo much variation in access to care across the country,\u201d and announced a renewed “intensive focus on primary care [as] the gateway\u201d to accessing healthcare for most of the population.<\/p>\n Accused of taking a \u201cSesame Street\u201d approach to policy by Wes Streeting, Ms Coffey outlined the various measures in the government’s latest plan for healthcare. On ambulances, the ambition is to \u201creduce waiting times and reduce handover delays\u201d that contribute to pressures elsewhere in acute care.<\/p>\n With 45 per cent of delays in patient transfer from ambulances occurring in just 15 NHS Trusts, Ms Coffey assured the House that the Department of Health and Social Care would be working with these Trusts to ensure fewer handover delays. Also reiterated was the aim to have more patients seen in home settings, with the NHS England\u2019s recently announced Virtual Wards<\/a> plan aimed at relieving acute care capacity.<\/p>\n There are also plans to increase numbers of 999 and 111 call handlers, and the potential creation of an auxiliary ambulance service, although few further details were provided.<\/p>\n Addressing backlogs, Ms Coffey again cited existing policies, with \u201cnew\u201d hospitals and more private sector involvement all cited as part of the plan to reduce the numbers waiting for care. The waiting list for elective care in England stood at 6.84 million in July 2022 and the National Audit Office has warned that this could reach 12 million by 2025<\/a> if capacity is not urgently increased.<\/p>\n It is also hoped that the new community diagnostic centres will also relieve some pressure on hospitals, as well as surgical hubs<\/p>\n The government\u2019s policy paper detailing Our Plan for Patients<\/em> also mentions commitments to expand hospital capacity through 62 hospital upgrade schemes, maximising the use of the private sector and changing elements of the NHS pension scheme to increase retention of doctors, nurses and other senior NHS staff.<\/p>\n On social care, the Secretary of State announced the new \u00a3500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund. This money will be made available to local health and care systems to target the \u201cgreatest challenges\u201d in their area, with the local NHS and local authorities ultimately accountable for its implementation.<\/p>\n To address the social care workforce shortfall, currently estimated at 100,000<\/a>, Ms Coffey announced a \u00a315 million investment to help boost the international recruitment of care workers. This comes on top of the \u00a3500 million announced in April<\/a> to develop, train and retain the social care workforce. Another previously announced measure mentioned by Ms Coffey is the push to digitise social care records, which is hoped to reduce bureaucracy and free up time to provide vital care.<\/p>\n A key plank of the government\u2019s plans for primary care is the new expectation that patients receive a GP appointment within two weeks. This is hoped to be supported by a new role for community pharmacies, in which pharmacists will be able to manage and supply more medicines without the need for a GP\u2019s prescription and is hoped to free up two million GP appointments annually.<\/p>\n National Pharmacy Association Chair, Andrew Lane, said: \u201cAs dedicated health care professionals, community pharmacists can certainly do more to help patients access primary care, but our sector is critically short of money to deliver new clinical services on behalf of the NHS.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the right level of investment, we are more than capable of new roles in sexual and reproductive health, and have a long track record in this sphere. As medicines experts, we are also well positioned to take on more prescribing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe NPA is wary of incentives to employ pharmacists and other practitioners in GP practices; this has already resulted in many community pharmacists in patient-facing roles being drawn away, adding to our workforce challenges and failing to add genuinely new capacity across the NHS system as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n The Department of Health and Social Care’s new “expectation” that all patients receive a GP appointment within two weeks was given a mixed reception, with Wes Streeting reminding the House that the two-day target that existed under the last Labour government was scrapped by the Conservatives in 2010<\/a>.<\/p>\n Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a shame that the health secretary didn\u2019t talk to the college and to our members on the frontline before making her announcement because we could have informed her of what is really needed to ensure a GP service that meets the needs of patients and is fit for the future.<\/p>\n \u201cLumbering a struggling service with more expectations, without a plan as to how to deliver them, will only serve to add to the intense workload and workforce pressures GPs and our teams are facing, whilst having minimal impact on the care our patients receive.\u201d<\/p>\n Also announced were the introduction of new digital tools and improving IT systems to ease administrative burdens on primary care. It is hoped that the introduction of new cloud-based telephone software will create an extra 31,000 phone lines for GP practices, making it easier for patients to contact their practices and book appointments. The government has also committed to publishing GP appointment data online to help patients decide which GP practices can best meet their needs.<\/p>\n On dentists, Ms Coffey decried the existence of \u2018dental deserts\u2019, and stated that the government has already changed dental contracts to incentivise dentists to take on more NHS patients, as well as more difficult cases. The recently established integrated care boards will have accountability over the provision of dentistry in their areas and from November, dental surgeries will be contractually obliged to share on the NHS website whether or not they are accepting new patients.<\/p>\n
\nA “Sesame Street” approach<\/h3>\n
\nCommunity pharmacy and ‘dental deserts’<\/h3>\n
\n“Targets don’t create any more doctors”<\/h3>\n