Cherilyn Mackrory, MP for Truro and Falmouth, has welcomed a new Government ‘Plan for Patients’ so that patients can receive easier access to the NHS and social care this winter and next.
The plan – set out by Health and Social Care Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey, is a first step in her efforts to put the NHS and social care on a resilient footing. The plan prioritises ambulances, backlogs, care and doctors and dentists, and will set out an expectation that everyone who needs one should get an appointment at a GP practice within 2 weeks – and that the patients with the most urgent needs should be seen within the same day.
The plan will include changing funding rules to recruit extra support staff so hardworking GPs can focus on treating patients – freeing up over one million appointments per year, as well as more state-of-the art telephone systems to make it easier for patients to get through to their GP surgeries. There will also be more information available for patients, with appointments data published at a practice level for the first time ever.
As part of the plan, Dr Coffey will also call on the public to take part in a ‘national endeavour’ to support the health and social care system, calling on the one million volunteers who stepped up during the pandemic to support the NHS to come forward again. This will include a push for more volunteering across the NHS and social care.
Cherilyn said:
“This winter will be tough for our local health service in Cornwall, so I am pleased the Government is taking action to ensure patients can get the care they need.
In Parliament, I frequently raise the issues of ambulance wait times, access to GPs and dentists, and NHS staffing shortages in Cornwall. I am therefore pleased this plan prioritises improving access to general practice, tackling backlogs, and making it easier for the NHS to recruit staff.
I look forward to working with the Government to ensure this plan delivers the vital changes our local health system needs."
Health and Social Care Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, Thérèse Coffey, said:
“I will put a laser-like focus on the needs of patients, making their priorities my priorities and being a champion for them on the issues that affect them most.
Our plan will make it easier to get a general practice appointment and we will work tirelessly to deliver that, alongside supporting our hardworking GP teams.
We know this winter will be tough and this is just the first step in our work to bolster our valued NHS and social care services so people can get the care they need."