Please find attached the latest Primary Care Bulletin:
Primary Care Bulletin – Thursday 17 August 2023 (Issue 252)
NHS England has launched a lifesaving campaign to help people spot the signs of a heart attack. NHS figures show that there were more than 84,000 hospital heart attack admissions in England during 2021/22, up by more than 7,000 compared to the previous year when fewer people came forward for care during the pandemic.
Modernising cancer waiting time standards
From October, cancer waiting time standards are being changed to three measures focused on outcomes:
- Faster Diagnosis Standard – diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of referral
- 31-day Treatment Standard – first treatment within month of decision to treat
- 62-day Treatment Standard – first treatment within two months of referral
The two-week-wait standard will be removed. GPs should continue to refer patients with suspected cancer as usual. Data submitted by providers won’t change and, until language in the Cancer Waiting Times dataset is updated, expected in 2024/25, GPs should still use the ‘Priority type – Two Week Wait’ to record performance.
