Flexible working aided by the use of WhatsApp and video meetings underpin government proposals to be announced today to tackle staffing shortages and poor morale. Health campaigners expressed disappointment at the launch of the long-awaited NHS People’s Plan, which it had been hoped would set out how targets for medical recruitment would be achieved. Health…

Doctors considering return to general practice are to be offered help with care costs as part of a growing package of measures aimed at increasing the number of GPs. The care support will be worth up to £2,000 and is on top of a £3,500 bursary available to doctors updating their skills in general practice.…

New bans on advertising and food promotions – together with pressure on GPs to prescribe exercise – are part of an obesity strategy for England, announced today. Launching the strategy, Prime Minister Boris Johnson linked it to reducing risk from coronavirus and “taking pressure” off the NHS. The Department of Health and Social Care said…

Having scoured the gov.uk website, so far I can’t see anything about planned changes to the flu vaccination campaign this year. That said, I did find this document which provides some clues about the way things might develop. I’ve deliberated before over what the flu season might look like this year. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t manage to secure any…

Salaried GPs are to share in a 2.8% pay award for some doctors in England – but other practice staff are unlikely to, it has been revealed. A government announcement claiming that doctors and health staff are to share in a 2.8% pay award for the efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic caused confusion this week.…

The number of GP trainees is set to increase by 15% this year, it was announced today. So far the number applying for training in general practice is more than 500 larger than the same time last year, Health Education England said. The agency has set a target to recruit 3,500 trainees this year to…

NHS COVID-19 testing is now to be integrated with GP systems, allowing practices and patients to see results in “near real time”, it has been announced. The data can reach 95% of practices, NHS Digital said – and the remainder would begin receiving it soon. Its success depends on being able to identify the patient’s…