Wes Streeting to scrap over a million ‘pointless’ hospital appointments

Wes Streeting has vowed to scrap more than a million “pointless” NHS hospital appointments as he seeks to cut waiting lists.

The Health Secretary said that “waste of time” hospital check-ups could be scrapped, which would free up consultants to carry out more operations.

Officials say that around half of these routine check-ups could be phased out by making greater use of smart watches and wearable tech to monitor patients’ blood pressure levels remotely.

The NHS plans will increasingly scrap the use of routine follow-up appointments after elective surgery – putting the onus on patients to decide if they need further checks.

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Source: The Telegraph, 5 January 2025