Health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay, will today host a roundtable with the PM and health leaders to discuss plans to ease winter NHS pressures.

The meeting will discuss the best ways to mitigate pressure on the health and care system and speed up long term recovery plans – including cutting waiting lists, one of the government’s top five priorities. 

Health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay said: “Winter is always an extremely busy period and we’re working across the NHS to make services more resilient, ensuring those who most need help and support will get the care they need. 

“I’m working closely with NHS and social care leaders to provide additional hospital capacity, protect emergency care and harness the full potential of technology to deliver the best possible service and intensify our efforts to tackle waiting lists.”

The roundtable comes as Covid and flu vaccines for the elderly and vulnerable got under way on Monday in England.

The roundtable follows on from the Prime Minister’s NHS Recovery Forum held in Downing Street on 7 January and the NHS Recovery Summit on 6 June hosted by the health and social care secretary to drive forward plans to improve access to urgent and emergency care, planned treatment and social care.  

Measures taken so far to ease pressures on the system include £1.6 billion of funding for social care to reduce the numbers of beds occupied by patients.

Minister for health and social care, Helen Whately said: “Winter is the toughest time of year for our health system and we’re determined to make the best possible preparations. We’ve already done a lot, but today we’re bringing together leaders from across the NHS and social care to go even further.

“Whether in hospitals, care homes or people’s own homes, we want people to get the care they need, when they need it. That means cutting waiting lists, boosting emergency and urgent care, and joining up health and social care like never before.”