The Government has announced a £40 million scheme to help vulnerable patients stay well at home and avoid hospital admissions this winter.
The programme will target up to 300,000 people with conditions including heart disease, frailty and lung diseases such as COPD and emphysema.
Extra support for at-risk patients
Patients identified as being most at risk will be offered extra support, including medication reviews, health checks and nurse-led respiratory clinics.
GP practices will receive £126 for each eligible patient they support, with the funding reallocated from existing GP budgets for the financial year ending April 2027.
Government and health leaders respond
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the scheme would help identify vulnerable patients early and ease pressure on hospitals, while Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said it formed part of wider preparations for winter pressures.
The Royal College of Nursing welcomed the investment but called for long-term funding for general practice nurses. Opposition politicians also raised concerns about GP funding, staffing and wider pressures on NHS and social care services.
