Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay are set to meet clinical leaders and health experts at a roundtable today to discuss how the NHS can plan for the busy winter ahead.
After figures showed last year’s festive period was the busiest on record, the prime minister and health secretary are looking to set out a plan to mitigate as much pressure as possible this winter.
The talks will centre around improving patient care and increasing access to elective recovery services and emergency rooms.
A range of people will attend the event, including
- Amanda Pritchard, chief executive, NHS England
- Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director, NHS England
- Professor Julian Redhead, national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, NHS England
- Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, NHS England
Chairs from the royal colleges of emergency medicine, general practitioners, and paediatrics will also be in attendance – as will representatives from community services.
This follows moves to create 900 extra hospital beds and increase the amount of time ambulances are on the roads ahead of winter.
“I’m working closely with NHS and social care leaders to provide additional hospital capacity, protect emergency care and harness the full potential of technology to deliver the best possible service and intensify our efforts to tackle waiting lists,” said Barclay.
Health minister, Helen Whately, added: “Winter is the toughest time of year for our health system and we’re determined to make the best possible preparations. We’ve already done a lot, but today we’re bringing together leaders from across the NHS and social care to go even further.”
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