GPs in England told to arrange more face-to-face appointments

GPs in England have been told to arrange more face to face appointments, as the government unveiled an emergency winter rescue plan aimed at improving access.

New figures show that some 5.7 million people in England are waiting for routine hospital treatment, the highest level on record.

All this, against a background of rising Covid cases in all areas of the country and across all age groups, especially children.

In the last 24 hours, there were 45,000 new infections and a further 157 deaths.