Andy Burnham's government has confirmed £40 million in funding to help support the frailest patients this winter. Thousands of people in the UK who suffer from conditions such as heart disease and frailty will be able to get more support from their GP in the coming months, in a bid to keep them out of hospital.
Funded from money reallocated from existing GP budgets for the financial year to April 2027, doctors' surgeries will be allowed to identify and give extra care to patients they believe are most at risk of becoming seriously unwell in the winter through the scheme.
Targeted Conditions and Support
Patients with heart disease, frailty and lung conditions like emphysema and other types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be targeted. Up to 300,000 people can avail of medication reviews, health checks and respiratory clinics led by nurses.
Additionally, groups of GP practices can get £126 for each eligible patient supported. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was 'not going to pretend this winter will be easy'.
Mr Burnham noted that the programme will help keep people well at home and avoid unnecessary trips to hospital.
Prime Minister's Statement
He said: “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.
“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.”
Health Secretary and Opposition Response
Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary, stated that the scheme will provide more support for the frailest patients in the community, explaining: “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.
“That includes the roll out of flu vaccinations, investing in extra urgent care capacity and strengthening partnerships with social care.
“With thousands more GPs in post and millions more GP appointments this year, the £40 million programme to support vulnerable patients in the community is part of our plan to help patients, improve primary care and also to support our NHS through the heavier winter months.”
A spokesperson for the Royal College of Nursing emphasised that the scheme needs to be the beginning of 'long-term investment in the general practice nursing workforce'. They said that measures to keep patients out of hospital 'can’t come a moment too soon'.
“This investment will rely on the whole general practice workforce to be a success, and it’s vital that nursing is at the heart of planning and decision making in all elements of primary care.
“While this announcement will help boost short-term capacity, it needs to be the start of long-term investment in the general practice nursing workforce, many of whom are running on empty.
“This, alongside new funding to grow the number of district nurses, health visitors and other vital staff in the community, whose numbers have collapsed in recent years, is how we keep pressure off overwhelmed A&Es for good,” the spokesperson said.
Damien Hinds, the shadow health secretary, pointed out that 'GPs are the backbone of the NHS in our local communities' and they're 'working incredibly hard to deliver for their patients'.
“Under the last Conservative government, 50 million more GP appointments a year were delivered compared to 2019, and thousands more GPs were recruited in England to help make it easier for patients to see their doctor.
“Labour must deliver the same support and ensure this announcement isn’t just a headline, but genuinely delivers for patients,” he said.
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, added: “Of course keeping frail and vulnerable people well at home is the right thing to do. But this is a sticking plaster, paid for by raiding GP budgets that are already stretched to breaking point.
“Moving money around within general practice won’t conjure up the extra appointments patients desperately need. Too many people still can’t get through to their GP at all, and frail older people are languishing in hospital beds because the care they need to go home simply isn’t there.
“To tackle the A&E crisis this winter, we need a plan to fix social care and give everyone the right to see a GP within seven days. Without that, patients will once again be left waiting on trolleys in hospital corridors.”
