At the mere mention of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) you may begin to think about robots living amongst us, inanimate machines becoming self-aware or even the termination of ‘normal’ life as we know it, but these aspects of AI belong in science-fiction films. With rapid developments in medicine and the growth of technology, AI has real potential to assist us in advancing healthcare and medical research.

Nobody could have predicted the events of 2020, which saw the NHS completely turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. This has influenced the Long Term Plan, but not entirely to its detriment.

The Long Term Plan should introduce a greater focus on digital services for patients, something which is already being seen as a result of COVID-19, providing a ‘digital front door’ to the NHS.

The NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) is an outline for how the nation’s public health service must develop over the next ten years to continue providing high-quality treatment to patients. NHS England Chief Executive, Simon Stevens, officially launched the LTP in 2019, just months before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Originally, it set out bold ambitions for the health service over the coming decade, including modernisation and action on addressing inequalities. But, thanks to the pandemic, how it will now evolve is no longer as clear cut.

The NHS budget is always changing. Every change results in a new announcement on what is being added to the NHS and what is taken away. However, it’s not only important to understand that it is changing, but essential to know how it’s changed. Since 1948 the NHS has stood strong in the UK, providing free medical care to those who need it. So, let’s take a look at the NHS and its budget.

If you’re not involved directly, or just unaware of what’s going on at the top levels of the NHS infrastructure, you might not know what CCGs are, what their role is in the NHS, or what the endgame for CCG mergers looks like.