Highlights
- GP practices will receive £126 for each eligible patient supported.
- Patients with heart disease, frailty and chronic lung conditions will be prioritised.
- Funding will be redirected from existing GP budgets for 2026-27.
PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham has warned that the NHS faces a difficult winter as he announced a £40 million scheme to provide extra care for vulnerable patients at home and reduce pressure on hospitals.
The programme aims to support up to 300,000 people in England who are at risk of becoming seriously unwell during the colder months. GP practices will identify patients who need additional help and provide early interventions to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, reports said.
Patients with heart disease, frailty and lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), will be among those targeted.
Support will include medication reviews, health checks and respiratory tests, including clinics led by nurses. Groups of GP practices will receive £126 for every eligible patient they support.
Burnham acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing the health service but said the focus must be on keeping people well at home.
“If we want to take the pressure off our hospitals this winter, we’ve got to keep people well at home. So we’re backing GPs to reach the most vulnerable people early, before a small problem turns into a trip to A&E,” he said.
“People deserve the right care in the right place. And our NHS staff, who work so hard, deserve the right tools to provide it.
“I’m not going to pretend this winter will be easy. But with new technology, upgrades for hospitals and more care available closer to home, we’ll make sure the NHS is there for everyone when they need it.”
NHS prepares for winter pressures
The funding will be reallocated from existing GP budgets for the 2026-27 financial year. It is intended to help family doctors identify patients who are most likely to need hospital treatment and offer them more personalised care before their conditions deteriorate.
Health secretary Yvette Cooper said the NHS had already experienced a difficult summer because of a series of heatwaves and was preparing for further pressure during winter.
“After such a heavy summer for our NHS as a result of the heat, everyone is working together to prepare for more challenging winter pressures,” she said.
She said preparations also included the rollout of flu vaccinations, investment in additional urgent care capacity and stronger partnerships with social care services.
Cooper added that thousands more GPs were now in post and millions more GP appointments were being provided this year. The £40m scheme was part of a wider effort to improve primary care and support the health service through the winter months.
GPs welcome prevention drive
The announcement comes amid continuing concerns about overcrowded emergency departments, long ambulance waits and patients being treated in hospital corridors because of a shortage of beds.
The Royal College of Physicians warned last month that more needed to be done to ensure corridor care became a thing of the past.
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, welcomed the focus on patients at greatest risk of avoidable hospital admissions.
She said GPs' clinical expertise, knowledge of their patients and continuity of care were central to identifying those most in need and providing personalised support.
Ed Kennedy, director of the Institute of General Practice Management, also welcomed the scheme, saying GP teams were well placed to identify vulnerable patients and provide proactive care.
He said this could help people stay well while reducing avoidable pressure on hospitals.
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