The new Health and Care data strategy

 Today a new health and care data strategy has been announced which will free up staff time so they can focus on delivering world class care for patients.

• The great strides made on vaccines and treatment during the pandemic have taught us that good use of data saves lives and is the key to improving patient treatment. 
   
• That is why the government has today announced a new health and care data strategy which will mean better sharing of records across healthcare systems and give patients more access to their data, freeing up staff time and improving care by allowing faster, more specialised treatment.
   
• The new system will put patients in control of their information while allowing our NHS to better look after the public and discover the life-saving treatments of tomorrow as we build back healthier.

• In Cumbria, while a lot of progress has been made, there is much more to be done before we have a modern, effective system of digital records which gives the best possible support for patient care. I want to see this new health and care strategy used as an opportunity to drive further improvement in using better digital record systems to save the time of both medical professionals and patients, reduce cancelled operations and deliver better patient care.

COVID-19 vaccinations now available to all adults

Every adult in the UK can now book a life-saving Covid vaccine as we enter the final stretch in the race to protect the country and return to normality.

• Vaccines are our route of the pandemic - vaccinated people are less likely to get Covid-19 symptoms, be admitted to hospital or die from the disease, and there is growing evidence that vaccinated people are less likely to pass the virus on to others. 
   
• That is why it is vital for everyone who has not done so yet to come forward and get their jab, so we can build on the continued success of our historic vaccine programme - which has saved over 14,000 lives so far as part of a national effort to protect the country.
   
• We are now approaching the final stretch in our race to vaccinate people as quickly as possible – so when you get the call, get the jab, so that we can put this pandemic behind us for good.

• You can book a vaccination appointment by ringing 119 from 7am to 11pm seven days a week or by clicking on this link.

Remember that it is important to get BOTH jabs - for full protection against the "Delta" variant first identified in India which is now responsible for the majority of new cases spreading in Britain, you need two vaccination doses.

Remember also that it takes from two to four weeks after the jab for the protection to kick in.

Numbers of Doctors and Nurses in the NHS at record levels

There are now a record number of doctors working in the NHS in England, the highest-ever recorded level at 124,078. 

We also have a record number of nurses working in the NHS in England, their highest recorded level at 304,542.

Announcing this, Health secretary Matt Hancock said a "Huge thank you to the whole NHS team."