In the run up to the NHS’ 75th milestone birthday on 5 July, the new plan aims to support primary care services to continue to adapt and innovate to meet patients’ needs, with nine in ten people able to access their GP records, including test results, on the NHS App within the next year.ĭemand for access is only going to increase with the number of people over 70, who are five times more likely to need a GP appointment than teenagers, growing by a third since 2010. In a significant new step, up to half a million people a year will be able to self-refer for key services, including physiotherapy, hearing tests, and podiatry, without seeing their GP first. During trials, this has increased patients’ ability to get through to their practice by almost a third.Įxtra training will also be provided to staff answering calls at GP practices, so that people who need to see their family doctor are prioritised while those who would be better seen by other staff such as physiotherapists or mental health specialists are able to bypass their GP. This will be supported by investment in better phone technology for GP teams enabling them to manage multiple calls and redirect them to other specialists, such as pharmacists and mental health practitioners, if more suitable. The actions set out in the plan are expected to free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next two years for patients who need them most.Įnding the 8am ‘rush’ for appointments is a key part of the plan, with no patient having to wait on hold only to be told to call back another day for help. Tens of thousands more people will be at lower risk of a heart attack or stroke, with the NHS more than doubling the number of people able to access blood pressure checks in their local pharmacy – 2.5 million, up from 900,000 carried out last year. Published today by the NHS and the government, the new blueprint sets out actions to improve access to care, better support patients to manage their own health, and to modernise general practice for future generations.Īlmost half a million women will no longer need to speak to a practice nurse or GP to access oral contraception and will instead be able to pop into their local pharmacy for it. Millions of patients will receive quicker, more convenient access to NHS care from their high street pharmacy, thanks to a major expansion of services under a radical plan to improve access to primary care.įor the first time ever, patients who need prescription medication will be able to get it directly from a pharmacy, without a GP appointment, for seven common conditions including earache, sore throat, or urinary tract infections by next winter, thanks to government investment of £645 million over two years to expand community pharmacy services.
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