More than 30 million GP appointments in November
Four million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic, as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan.
New NHS data shows more than 31.4 million appointments (excluding vaccinations) were delivered by GP practices in November 2023, making it the busiest November on record for GP teams.
More than two fifths (42.6%) of appointments were booked and attended on the same day, up 3.3% on the previous month and almost seven in ten appointments were attended within seven days of booking, up 4.5% on the previous month. Other appointments such as vaccinations and routine follow up appointments are booked further in advance.
‘GP teams are carrying out record numbers of appointments for patients with the latest statistics published today showing four million more appointments were delivered in November 2023 compared to the same period before the pandemic – making it the busiest November on record,’ said Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England National Director for Primary Care and Community Services.
‘The NHS published a plan last year to improve access to GP services, which includes upgrading telephone systems to make it easier for people to contact their general practice while more than 34,000 additional staff have joined GP teams since 2019 to deliver even more appointments.’
The data shows that almost seven in ten general practice appointments were delivered face-to-face in November.
The NHS set out a range of measures in May last year to boost access to general practice for patients including more ways to access care for common conditions from high street pharmacies. The action is expected to free up to 10 million general practice appointments a year by next winter and, with 80% of people in England living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, the move will give the public more choice in where and how they access care.
As part of the blueprint, investment in better phone technology for general practice teams has meant that eight in ten GP practices have already upgraded their telephone systems to make it easier for patients to contact them with the remaining practices signed up to make the move by March.
Number of people tested for cancer rises to almost 3 million
The number of people tested was up by around 5% in the previous year and 26% in the same period in 2018–2019 before COVID-19.
The latest NHS data reported that almost 3 million people in England were tested for cancer in 2022, a 133% increase in the decade since 2013.
The new analysis also shows that October 2023 was the highest month on record for cancer checks, with 269,492 urgent referrals.
Dame Cally Palmer, the national cancer director for NHS England, said the figures were a testament to the hard work of NHS staff despite an ‘extremely challenging year and unprecedented industrial action’. ‘We know there is more to do, but we have been throwing everything we have at catching cancers earlier because we know it's the best way to save lives,’ she said.
The NHS has been sending mobile trucks to shopping centres and supermarket car parks to check the lung health of people, while new cancer awareness messages have been displayed in places like pub toilets and on underwear packaging.
However, health experts have questioned the value of the figures, noting that the NHS is failing to meet cancer targets and many patients are waiting too long for treatment.
In October 2023, more than 78,500 – or 29% – had to wait longer than the fourweek target to then find out if they had cancer. Moreover, only 63.1% of patients started treatment within two months of an urgent referral, well under the 85% target and below the 64% recorded in October 2022.
‘These figures are in danger of being just smoke and mirrors. The brutal reality is that we are in the worst cancer care crisis in my lifetime. We are continuing to miss all the key cancer targets by significant margins, month in, month out,’ said Professor Pat Price, a leading oncologist and the co-founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign.
Responding to the criticisms, NHS England said in 2024, it would ‘pivot back to the 62-day target for urgent cancer referrals and expect significant improvements against it’.
Health minister Andrew Stephenson said survival rates across all types of cancer had been improving but the health service needed to go ‘further and faster’.
RCN celebrates nurses recognised in the New Year Honours list
The Royal College of Nursing has paid tribute to the nurses recognised in the King's New Year Honours List for 2024. Royal College of Nursing President Sheilabye Sobrany said: ‘Those recognised embody the extraordinary professionalism, innovation, dedication and expertise shown by nursing staff across the UK every single day.’ The list included a CBE for former RCN president Dr Denise Chaffer; an MBE for Joint Regional Chief Nurse for NHS England in the North West, James McLean; and an OBE for Lorraine Sunduza, the former Chief Nurse for the East London NHS Foundation Trust who now serves as its interim Chief Executive. ‘I am humbled and delighted to be chosen to receive an OBE. The honour for me is being acknowledged for the things that I am passionate about,’ said Ms Sunduza.
Debbie Brown, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Director for the Lewisham Community Education Provider Network Training Hub and editor-in-chief of Practice Nursing, was also amongst those who received recognition for their work. As an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Director for the Lewisham Community Education Provider Network Training Hub, she was awarded an MBE for her services to nursing and the NHS.
NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard also welcomed the recognition given to nurses. Ms Pritchard said, ‘Whether leading improvements in nursing, mental health and paediatric surgery, tackling health inequalities or delivering life-saving critical care, the difference that each of those honoured has made is immense.’