For practical reasons, we are increasing capacity incrementally up to 2031, rather than dividing the additional 7,500 evenly over the years – and the workforce plan sets out the planned trajectories for training intakes.
There are now more doctors in training than at any time in the history of the NHS. We have already expanded the number of medical school places in England to 7,500 per year, a 25 per cent increase completed in 2020 which delivered five new medical schools. We have now accelerated this expansion by allocating 205 additional medical school places for 2024/25, a year ahead of our target.
Have you rolled back on your commitment to deliver 15,000 medical school places by 2031?
Did you ever commit to allocating 1,500 per year?
Why have only 205 and 350 been allocated?
How many places are you set to allocate year by year?
Dentists are going to be supported to take on new NHS patients in the new dental recovery plan.
The plan aims to make sure everyone who needs to see a dentist, particularly those who have been unable to access care in the past two years, will be able to do so, making access to care faster and fairer.
We will also drive a major new focus on prevention and good oral health in young children and deliver an expanded NHS dental workforce.
But how will this affect those currently waiting for a dentist? Here’s everything you need to know.
How will this plan increase the number of NHS dental appointments?
Dentists will be offered a ‘bonus’ to take on more NHS patients which will create more than 2.5 million new appointments in the next year.
We’ll also be offering ‘golden hello’ cash incentives for dentists to come and work in areas that are under-served.
This will allow around 1 million new patients access to NHS dental treatment, who may previously have been unable to access the dental care they need.
How much funding are you providing to implement this plan?
The government already invests £3 billion in dentistry each year.
This plan is supported with £200 million to ensure everyone has fast and fair access to a dentist when they need one.
How will I know if my local dentist is involved in the plan?
Patients will be able to see which practices in their area are accepting new patients via the NHS website.
How do I register to access one of these appointments?
You can find a dental surgery that is convenient for you and contact them to see if there are any NHS appointments available.
How will this plan improve access to dentists across the country?
An incentive ‘golden hello’ payment will be offered to dentists to encourage them to work in more remote areas.
From later this year, up to 240 dentists will be offered £20,000 to stay and deliver NHS care for at least three years in areas where recruitment and retention of dentists is difficult.
I live in a rural area with no local dentist practice – how will I access treatment?
A new dental vans service will be available for targeted rural and coastal communities in underserved areas, with the first vans up and running later this year.
Will I have to pay for treatment?
Usual charges for NHS dental care apply. Patients that were already exempt from charges will still be exempt.
Does this plan apply to emergency care?
If you think you need urgent care, contact your usual dentist, if you have one, as some surgeries offer emergency dental appointments.
You can also contact NHS 111, who can put you in touch with an urgent dental service.
Do not contact a GP, as they cannot offer urgent or emergency dental care.
How will the new plan improve my child’s oral health?
As part of the plan, we will launch the ‘Smile for Life’ initiative which will offer reception age children vital prevention measures to reduce dental decay and give them a healthier smile.
Nurseries and other early years settings will be supported to help children ‘Smile for Life.’ By the time they reach primary school, the government aim to have every child viewing daily toothbrushing and good oral hygiene as part of their daily routine.
Mobile dental teams will be going into schools of under-served areas to provide advice and deliver fluoride varnish treatments to more than 165,000 children, strengthening their teeth and preventing tooth decay.
Family Hubs will provide advice and support for pregnant mums to improve their oral health and advise parents on protecting baby gums and milk teeth from decay.
What else are you doing to prevent tooth decay?
We will shortly be consulting on the expansion of water fluoridation across the North East.
Water fluoridation is a safe and effective way to increase the concentration of fluoride in water – a treatment which is known to prevent tooth decay and other oral health issues.
Millions of people across England already receive fluoridated water.
How are you expanding the dental workforce?
A key part of improving access to dental treatment is growing the dental workforce and supporting and developing all dentists.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will expand dental undergraduate training places by 40% to more than 1,100 by 2031/32. This dental plan will soon publish a consultation to look at a ‘tie-in’ so more dentist graduates work in NHS dental care.
Recruitment will also focus on dental therapists and other dental care professionals, including a 40% increase of 500 more training places by 2031/32.
We will make it easier for NHS practices to recruit dentists from overseas by reducing bureaucracy and increasing exam capacity for overseas qualified dentists.
How are you going to tackle 'dental deserts' – areas of the country where there are no dentists taking on new patients or offering NHS care?
We will be offering ‘golden hello’ cash incentives to encourage dentists to come and work in areas that are underserved. Those who do will be rewarded with payments amounting to up to £20,000 over three years.
New dental vans will also bring dental care to our most isolated communities.
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Patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
The Pharmacy First scheme was launched by the government and NHS England on 31 January 2024 to give patients quick and accessible care and ease pressure on GP services.
But what does it cover and who will benefit? Here's everything you need to know.
Pharmacy First will enable community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals where clinically appropriate, to treat seven common health conditions without the need to visit a GP.
You can get treatment for these conditions by walking into the pharmacy or contacting them virtually. GP receptionists, NHS 111 and providers of emergency care will also be able to direct patients to pharmacies, that offer the service, if contacted.
The pharmacist will be able to speak to you privately in a separate consultation room. They may perform an examination or ask to access your medical records. The pharmacist will be able to recommend the best course of action on an individual patient basis, including by issuing prescriptions for antibiotics or antivirals where necessary.
By reducing the number of patients with common conditions, needing blood pressure checks or oral contraception visiting a GP, Pharmacy First aims to free up 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter for more complex diagnosis
This will give GPs time and space to see patients with more complex conditions.
Four in five people in England can reach a community pharmacy within a 20-minute walk and there are twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived communities, making access to care quicker and more convenient.
More than 10,000 pharmacies have already signed up to Pharmacy First – that’s over 95 per cent of all those in England.
Usual prescription charges will apply for the seven common conditions. Patients that were already exempt from prescription charges will still be exempt.
Patients can still choose to visit a GP if they wish to. Pharmacy First offers alternative access for these seven conditions and we encourage people to make the most of this service and to consult the highly trained professions in their local pharmacy.
We are working to expand GP access, and have now delivered on our manifesto commitment for 50 million more general practice appointments per year. We are also growing the primary care workforce and we hit our target for 26,000 additional staff in primary care by March 2024 more than a year early.
The government has invested £645 million over two years to help community pharmacies, including providing improved IT and a wide range of guidance and support.
More broadly, we support the sector with £2.6 billion every year.
From December 2023, thousands of women have been able to get their contraceptive pill from their local pharmacy, with up to 25% of all women on oral contraception being able to benefit from this new service.
Pharmacists are also increasing the number of life-saving blood pressure checks given to at-risk patients over the next year, with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by spring 2025 - up from 900,000 carried out last year. It is estimated this could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year.
This new service is run by NHS England and therefore will be available across England.
Anti-microbial resistance occurs when the body’s microbes no longer respond to medicines due to over-usage, making infections harder to treat.
This scheme is not expected to result in larger volumes of antibiotics being prescribed, and patients will still undergo a consultation with a pharmacist before any medicine is dispensed.
Medicine supply must be clinically appropriate and only after a shared discussion between the patient and pharmacist on the risks and benefits of taking the medicine, and of any alternative self-care options.
]]>The Prime Minister has set out plans to build a better and brighter future for children.
This includes the introduction of a new law to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes and banning disposable vapes.
This follows a consultation which received nearly 28,000 responses, including from the public, the retail sector, clinicians and medical professionals, schools, local authorities, public health stakeholders, academic experts, employers, and trade associations.
The consultation response can be viewed here. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping
Here’s what you need to know.
Firstly, we will create the first smoke-free generation so children turning 15 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco. The age of sale will be raised by one year each year to prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking, as there is no safe age to smoke.
On 28 January, we announced plans to go further to tackle youth vaping by banning disposable vapes.
To reduce the appeal of vapes to children, we also announced that new powers will be introduced to restrict vape flavours and packaging. The powers will also allow government to change how vapes are displayed in shops.
To crack down on underage sales, the government will also bring in quicker and simpler £100 fixed penalty fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children. Trading standards officers will be empowered to act ‘on the spot’ to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
Vaping alternatives - such as nicotine pouches - will also be outlawed for children who are increasingly turning to these highly addictive substitutes.
Being cheap and easy to use, disposable vapes are also the vape of choice for children with 69% of current vapers aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain using disposable vapes (up from 7.7% in 2021).
There are serious environmental concerns over disposable vapes. Over 5 million disposable vapes are either littered or thrown away in general waste every week. This has quadrupled in the last year.
That is why we the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government intend to introduce legislation to implement a ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes. The UK Government will also work with the devolved administrations to explore an import ban.
England, Scotland and Wales intend to bring in legislation as soon as possible. Any legislation taken forward will allow for an implementation period of at least six months, which takes into consideration concerns that businesses will require time to adapt.
We will support retailers to implement the new requirements by increasing funding for enforcement – government has announced £30 million extra funding per year for enforcement agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Border Force, to tackle the illicit market and underage sales.
Trading Standards will lead on enforcing the ban within their local area.
It is expected that enforcement authorities would apply civil sanctions in the first instance and a failure to comply may result in authorities prosecuting for a criminal offence subject to a fine only after a failure to comply with a civil sanction.
No. Adults who vape responsibly will be able to continue to do so.
We are not banning vapes as a whole, just disposable vapes – given the huge impact they have on the environment. Banning disposables will also prevent young people from accessing them.
Adult vapers will still be able to access refillable and reusable vapes.
We recognise the important part vapes can play in helping people quit smoking. As part of the government’s Swap to Stop scheme, almost one in five of all adult smokers in England will have access to a reusable vape kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit and improve health outcomes.
Children should never vape. The number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years, and the bulk of that increase has been driven by disposables. The evidence is clear that vapes should not be used by, or targeted at, kids – due to the risk and unknown harms involved. That is why the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said disposable vapes should be banned.
The active ingredient in most vapes is nicotine, which when inhaled, is a highly addictive drug. The addictive nature of nicotine means that a user can become dependent on vapes, especially if they use them regularly.
We have a duty to protect children from these potential harms, which is why we will be banning disposable vapes and bringing forward measures in the Bill to restrict vape flavours, displays and packaging. Reusable and refillable vapes will continue to play a valuable role in helping adults to stop smoking.
Vapes have become highly appealing products for children because of the wide range of flavours, bright colours, use of cartoons and highly visible points of display in shops. Our new legislation will introduce powers to regulate the display of vapes, packaging and flavours.
The purpose of addressing these issues is to prevent the marketing of vaping to children.
Before using these powers, we will be undertaking a further consultation on the specific measures.
On the disposable vapes ban – the date from which it applies will be set out in a statutory instrument (under powers conferred through the Environmental Protections Act) which we will bring forward as soon as possible this year, with the legislation coming into effect soon after.
Separately, new powers on flavours, placement and packaging will be contained within a new legislation. Government will then consult on how these new powers are applied through regulation.
We will set out legislation in due course and from January 1 2027, anyone aged 15 or under (born on or after 1 January 2009) will never be able to legally sold tobacco.
New Zealand’s policy was not the same as the UK and their policy went much further than ours.
Central to New Zealand’s plans was a licensing scheme, which would limit the number of retailers able to sell tobacco (from 6,000 to 600), and “denicotinisation”, which would limit the amount of nicotine in consumer products.
These measures would have had huge implications for current smokers, limiting their ability to access their preferred products, and on the ability of retailers to sell tobacco products.
Our plans will not punish those who smoke, or retailers who stock tobacco products.
Our position remains unchanged. This remains critically important as smoking is the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability and death in the UK – causing around 1 in 4 cancer deaths and 80,000 deaths in the UK every year.
This is an important long-term decision and step to deliver a smoke-free generation. There is no safe age to smoke, and so it is logical to progressively raise the age of sale.
Building on the Modern Slavery Act, the Health and Social Care Act 2022 committed the Secretary of State to deliver a review into the risk of modern slavery within NHS supply chains and set of recommendations to mitigate these, by the end of 2023.
The review found that:
This review maintains the government’s steadfast commitment to eradicating modern slavery from the UK’s healthcare system. Working across complex UK and global healthcare supply chains this review considered over 1,300 suppliers representing 600,000 NHS products to identify modern slavery risks and build a more ethical and reliable UK health system.
In delivering the recommendations of the review the department will work in partnership with NHS England and NHS Supply Chain to:
The department, NHS England and NHS Supply Chain will make every effort to eradicate modern slavery in healthcare supply chains, striving to take appropriate action where feasible.
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The government has published its full response to Lord O’Shaughnessy’s independent review into commercial clinical trials in the UK.
The response outlines plans to make the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct clinical trials by implementing all of the recommendations made by Lord O’Shaughnessy.
It follows an announcement in May this year to speed up clinical trials and make it easier for revolutionary healthcare treatments to get to NHS patients, which was backed by £121 million in government funding.
The full government response is available here.
In a joint foreword with the UK health secretaries, Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins wrote:
“The actions we are taking now to address the recommendations of the review will provide benefits for patients and the NHS across the UK; improve the environment for all types of clinical research; and drive forward improvements urgently to maintain our place as one of the most attractive places in the world to conduct industry clinical trials.
“Our actions are supporting our fantastic life sciences sector, bringing investments into the UK and helping to build the economy. By delivering improvements across the whole clinical research pathway from early translation to late phase trials, we will ensure more people have access to innovative clinical trials that are relevant to them, and ultimately deliver better prevention, treatment, and care for all.”
The government appointed Lord James O’Shaughnessy, former health minister, in February 2023 to carry out an independent review into UK commercial clinical trials.
He made 27 recommendations where action should be taken by the government and delivery partners - NHS England, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Health Research Authority (HRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) - to address key challenges and transform the commercial clinical trials environment.
We are implementing his recommendations in full.
Over the next two years the government will fully implement the five headline commitments announced in May 2023. These include:
The government is also committed to:
Since the publication of the review in May 2023, we have made strong progress in strengthening the clinical research system, including:
In May, we outlined the following funding commitments:
This £121 million will be funded by £20 million of new funding and £101 million from reprioritised DHSC budgets (NIHR).
Clinical research is the single most important way in which we improve our healthcare – by identifying the best way to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions.
Evidence shows hospitals which undertake research have better patient care outcomes, improved staff retention and it benefits the whole health and care system. Clinical trials are part of the solution for reducing the strain on the NHS.
Commercial clinical trials are fully funded by the companies developing new treatments and products and provide the NHS and patients with earlier access to innovation. The commitments we are announcing will make it quicker and easier for companies to trial more of their products in the NHS.
Anyone can take part in research whether you have a health condition or not. Over 370,000 have already signed up to Be Part of Research this year alone. You can also take part in research at a local hospital, GP practice – or even at home.
It's easy to get involved. Visit here and simply sign up online. You can choose the health conditions you are interested in. You will be sent details of approved studies that match your interests to decide if you want to take part.
Professor Lucy Chappell, DHSC’s Chief Scientific Advisor, said:
“This programme of work sets out to provide benefit to patients and the public through improved access to clinical trials. The health needs of the UK and our research system are broad and diverse. We are committed to maintaining a rich and balanced research portfolio – early and late phase, commercial and non-commercial trials of varying sizes and with a range of methodologies. This will complement the strong scientific excellence across the UK, and the track record of our system in delivering research that has impact.”
Vin Diwakar, Interim National Director of Transformation, NHS England, said:
“We welcome the recommendations in Lord O’Shaughnessy’s Review and are working with the government to ensure the NHS remains a world leader in health research.
“In the last year we’ve made it quicker than ever to set up clinical trials in the UK through the National Contract Value Review policy. Our Workforce Plan recognised the importance of research and we’ve committed to work with the NHS and partners to better support and encourage research workforce careers.
“The development of the world’s first effective treatment for Covid-19 by securely using NHS data shows the vital role research plays in saving lives, and we’re committed to helping more people, and more diverse groups of people, get involved in research.
“Our NHS DigiTrials service has helped recruit over 1 million people to large-scale, vital studies, and many more have volunteered to take part in research via the NHS App.
“I’m delighted to see the number of studies and people taking part in them exceeding pre-pandemic levels, so that the research we carry out today can help save lives in the future.”
Lord James O’Shaughnessy said:
“There have been a number of positive changes since my report was launched. The MHRA is performing much better, there is significant progress towards a national approach to contracting and costing, and most importantly the number of – and patients recruited to – industry-sponsored trials in the UK is growing again.
“There is still much to do, so I’m pleased to see a renewed commitment to delivering my recommendations and achieving the ‘double-doubling’ of commercial trials by 2027. This will be an essential part of supporting the life sciences ecosystem and making the UK one of the best places to deliver clinical research."
Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive said:
“We fully support the ambition for the UK to be one of the most attractive places in the world to conduct clinical trials and our total overhaul of the clinical trial regulations will help achieve this.
“As the government response has highlighted, we have already made significant progress. We’re moving away from a one-size-fits all regulatory approach to a more flexible and risk-proportionate one, such as that underpinning our new notification scheme for the lowest-risk trials, that will see up to 20% of trials up and running quicker.
“We are confident that our changes will cement the UK as a destination for trials that is innovative, inclusive and international, and will most importantly help get life-changing medicines to the people who need them sooner.”
Nicola Perrin MBE, CEO of AMRC (the Association of Medical Research Charities) said:
“Time matters when you need treatment. Delivering on the vision for clinical research is essential to speed up innovation for all trials including those led by charities. We are eager to take up the opportunity to work with Government and NIHR to raise awareness of the opportunity to participate in research – particularly to ensure that all communities can be reached.”
Darius Hughes, UK General Manager for Moderna, said:
“We welcome the progress made since the report’s publication, particularly on regulatory approval timelines and the introduction of a national mandatory costing approach. The restatement of the ambition to grow clinical trial activity in UK by 2027 to double that of the pre-pandemic baseline also provides an important boost to UK life sciences.
“The commitment to increase transparency of UK clinical trial performance through a new suite of performance indicators and deliver large scale trials that recruit from diverse populations are also important deliverables that will widen access to research.
“Through Moderna’s significant investment into clinical trials in the UK, we look forward to supporting the full implementation of the report. As well as bringing benefits to UK patients through increased opportunities to access commercial clinical trials, this will help reinvigorate the UK’s world class reputation in clinical research.”
]]>This fact sheet sets out our position on the Physician and Anaesthesia Associate roles in the NHS.
What are physician associates and anaesthesia associates?
What sort of tasks do they carry out?
Can they prescribe medication?
What evidence is there of the benefits of this role?
What training do they have?
How many are there in the NHS?
Are they replacing doctors?
Do other countries have similar roles?
Why are you legislating to regulate them?
What are the current safeguards around PAs and AAs?
Is the Physician Associate job title misleading?
Semaglutide (Wegovy) launched in the UK on 4 September and is available on the NHS as an option for weight management in line with NICE guidance, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Patients are eligible for treatment within a specialist weight management service if they have at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as hypertension or cardiovascular disease, and either a BMI of at least 35 or a BMI of 30 to 34.9, provided they meet the criteria for referral to specialist weight management services, including that conventional treatment has been unsuccessful.
NICE’s guidance on Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity can be found here: Overview | Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity | Guidance | NICE
Here's everything that you need to know:
*Updated on 29 February 2024*
This fact sheet sets out our position on the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the NHS. RAAC is a lightweight form of precast concrete, frequently used in public sector buildings in the UK from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
"We remain committed to eradicating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the NHS estate entirely by 2035 - backed by additional funding of £698 million.
"As part of our continued national programme in line with guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers, a further thirteen sites have been confirmed to have RAAC.
"Where structural surveys identify RAAC in their estate, trusts are inducted into a national remediation programme. Additionally, we have announced that the seven most affected NHS hospitals will be replaced by 2030 through our New Hospital Programme."
Q&A
How many sites are affected?
Which new hospitals have been added to the list?
Why has there been an increase in the number of NHS sites affected by RAAC?
What about the worst affected sites?
What kind of mitigations are in place?
Why is your approach different to schools?
Could there be instances of RAAC in hospitals that you are not yet aware of?
What exactly is the NHS doing to make sure hospitals are safe for staff and patients?
What about other parts of the health estate – for example, GPs/primary care services?
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People at greatest risk of serious illness from Covid, including care home residents, over 65s and frontline health and social care workers, are eligible for an autumn vaccine booster.
Here’s everything you need to know.
The following people are eligible for an autumn Covid booster:
This is because the risk of severe Covid continues to be strongly associated with increasing age and underlying health conditions.
Tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of UKHSA the Green Book defines who is in a clinical risk group.
Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over include:
Clinical risk groups for those aged under 16 years include: