Jeremy Hunt to unveil plans for digital-led NHS treatment by 2018

Jeremy Hunt to unveil plans for digital-led NHS treatment by 2018 Access to medical records, booking GP appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions could all be done via an app by the end of next year

Jeremy Hunt is to pledge that every patient in England should be able to access their medical records and book an appointment with a GP via an app by the end of 2018.

The health secretary will use his speech at an NHS conference on Tuesday to promise the national rollout of an integrated app, which patients will also be able to use for ordering repeat prescriptions and accessing NHS 111 – the non-emergency medical helpline. The Guardian

See also:

• Technology can be hugely beneficial - but we must not alienate vulnerable patients Royal College of General Practitioners

'Medical opinions ignored' by NHS payment assessor, workers say

'Medical opinions ignored' by NHS payment assessor, workers say Three health workers said an assessor organisation discounted medical views so some patients were denied NHS care.

Norman Lamb MP said England-wide data obtained by the BBC showed a "regional disparity" and was "an injustice". However the assessor organisation, Arden and Greater East Midlands CSU, says it follows national guidelines to decide on payments. Under national criteria, the NHS pays for long-term support and care if a patient's condition is severe enough.

However, BBC Inside Out East has found a wide difference among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England in the percentage of patients rejected following assessment for continuing health care (CHC). BBC News

Psychiatric care is postcode lottery, say medical experts

Psychiatric care is postcode lottery, say medical experts There are not enough NHS psychiatrists in some parts of the UK and more should be recruited to improve care, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

In Scotland, there are 10 consultant psychiatrists per 100,000 people - but only eight for the same number in England and Northern Ireland, and just six in Wales. London's tally is more than double that of the east of England. English health ministers said thousands of new posts were already planned.

The government in England recently announced there would be 570 extra consultant psychiatrists by 2020-21.  And the Welsh government said it was committed to improving mental health services in Wales.  B

But the Royal College of Psychiatrists said there were too few medical students specialising in psychiatry and not enough psychiatrists becoming consultants. BBC News - Health

See also:

• Patients face mental health post-code lottery as psychiatrists twice as available in some parts of country  The Telegraph

NASA meets Hollywood as new technology helps tackle NHS fraility in older people

NASA meets Hollywood as new technology helps tackle NHS fraility in older people The NHS is trialling new wearable sensors, based on technology used by NASA and the CGI film industry, to help identify older patients at risk of falls as part of a new drive to tackle frailty.

The technology will help make one small step a lot easier for the over-65s (although giant leaps may still prove a challenge). NHS England

Service specification for integrated urgent care

Service specification for integrated urgent care NHS England has published a national service specification for integrated urgent care services. It outlines the steps that commissioners must take to deliver this important transformation and to move from an ‘assess and refer’ to a new ‘consult and complete’ model of service delivery. NHS Networks