The Government has set out plans to divert up to two million patients from NHS waiting lists by the end of next year. Secondary Care Minister, Karin Smyth spoke about how the scheme which allows family doctors to seek advice from specialists before referring patients will be expanded with the support of an £80 million funding package.
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00:00We are announcing today a different way of making sure that patients get treated closer to home.
00:05So we are determined to reduce these waiting lists that we inherited from the last government
00:09to get over 90% of people treated within 18 weeks by the end of this parliament.
00:14We're not just putting more money into it, we are reforming how patients are treated.
00:18So this helps GPs get specialist advice to not just put people on the waiting list,
00:23but perhaps to be treated in the community or have a different way of managing their condition.
00:28We understand that access to GPs and primary care is one of the key things that is expected from us as a government.
00:34That's why it's one of our key priorities under our plan for change.
00:39And this helps people reduce the waiting list, as I said,
00:42but it also supports GPs with the administrative work that is involved in making sure that people can have that care closer to home.
00:49Because we want to see more people treated closer to home.
00:52That is one of our commitments to get care out of hospital where it's not needed.
00:55We understand it's a pressurised system, but that's also why there is some funding that the Chancellor made available in that autumn budget.
01:03We've had a lot of criticism about the changes we made in the autumn,
01:05but this is a key part of using that money to reform the system to make it better for patients
01:10and support both GPs and hospital doctors in treatment of that patient.
01:15We've had a lot of questions.
01:16We've had a lot of questions.
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01:28We've had a lot of questions.
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01:31We've had a lot of questions.
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01:33We've had a lot of questions.
01:34We've had a lot of questions.
01:35We've had a lot of questions.