I was pleased to invite the Minister for Health, Will Quince MP, to Watford General Hospital on Monday as the Government launched a blueprint on how to help recover urgent and emergency care services, reduce waiting times, and improve the patient experience.
We discussed the importance of Virtual Wards, pioneered in Watford and I am proud to see they will be rolled out to support 50,000 patients a month nationally.
Frontline capacity will be boosted further thanks to 800 new ambulances, including 100 specialist mental health vehicles, and 5,000 more sustainable hospital beds backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund.
The two-year delivery plan for recovery comes amid record demand for NHS services, with the latest data showing more A&E attendances than ever before, growing numbers of the most serious ambulance call outs, and millions of NHS 111 calls a month over winter.
You can find out more about the plan here: shorturl.at/dpN59
