Healthcare workers will be trained to carry out NHS health checks – in a bid to cut long waiting lists
Healthcare workers will be trained to carry out routine health checks – including blood pressure – in a bid to cut NHS waiting lists by reducing unnecessary visits to the doctor.
Staff will be empowered to implement health interventions to accelerate access to routine care and prevent further increases in the health care backlog.
The move also includes wound care, administering insulin to diabetes patients and supporting those with mental health to develop a crisis plan.
Health Minister Wes Streeting has said the move would free up hospital beds and ensure people “will not be forced to repeat themselves over and over again” to other healthcare staff.
Ministers will also set out national standards and guidance for healthcare bosses to help them invest in the best technology to support patients.
The measures are part of both reforms to adult social care that will be announced in more detail tomorrow, and the wider plan to further integrate the NHS and social care sector.
Ministers will work with the health service to create a digital platform for sharing data between social care, GP and hospital staff and hope to have all healthcare providers fully digitized by 2029. This would give staff full access to all medical information.
Mr Streeting said: ‘There is a revolution taking place in healthcare and care technology, and this Government is reforming social care so that disabled and older people can benefit from the latest cutting-edge technology.
Healthcare staff will be trained to carry out routine health checks – including blood pressure – in a bid to cut NHS waiting lists by reducing unnecessary visits to the doctor
Health Minister Wes Streeting has said the move is part of a revolution in the health sector in this country
‘Patients don’t have to repeat themselves over and over again, staff are equipped to deliver the best possible care and it helps free up hospital beds.’
Reducing NHS waiting lists has been a consistent theme in the Prime Minister’s ‘Plan for Change’. Sir Keir has promised that by 2029, 92 percent of patients will not have to wait longer than 18 weeks for elective treatment.
But he has been accused of failing to take action on the country’s social crisis during Labour’s first six months in government.
Technology has also been at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s proposed health reforms. He has promised to create a ‘digital NHS’, with ministers drawing up plans to allow different healthcare services to share patient data and reduce waste.
Dr. Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England, said: ‘Research shows that digitalising social care and connecting data enables people to live independently for longer and enables families to participate in care, while reducing staff time-consuming can relieve administrative tasks. Free up more time for care.
‘This new focus ensures that teams are supported to deliver the best possible care and that patients can benefit from the latest innovations.’
Procurement will also play a role in helping to tackle health problems in care homes at their source. Officials say sensor-based and sensing technologies can significantly reduce the number of patient falls, helping people live independently longer.
They argue that new national standards will also ensure that healthcare providers and families have the most up-to-date information about the newest and safest products on the market.