Andy Burnham to unveil GP increase to help as much as 300,000 weak sufferers this winter together with dwelling visits
Andy Burnham unveiled a £40million boost to help GPs proactively support people with conditions including heart disease or frailty through health checks, home assessments and medication reviews
The PM said the funding would help to ‘take the pressure off our hospitals’(Image: Getty Images)
Up to 300,000 vulnerable patients are set to receive extra GP support this winter to help prevent serious illness and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
Andy Burnham is tomorrow unveiling a £40million boost to help GPs provide extra care to people with conditions including heart disease or frailty through health checks, home assessments and medication reviews. The PM said the funding would help to “take the pressure off our hospitals” ahead of what could be a challenging winter for the NHS.
He admitted the cold months won’t be easy for the health service but hopes to target vulnerable people with boosted GP care “before a small problem turns into a trip to A&E”.
The ring-fenced funding will support GP practices to identify and provide additional care for the patients they consider most at risk of becoming seriously unwell this winter, the Department for Health and Social Care said. Under the programme, Primary Care Networks will be able to receive £126 for each eligible patient.
The extra support will be particularly targeted at those with heart disease, frailty, emphysema and other types of COPD. Help could include medication reviews, health checks and nurse-led respiratory clinics for up to 300,000 people across the country.
The £40m is being reallocated from within existing GP budgets in 2026/27 to support winter preparedness and preventative care. It forms part of wider action to prepare the NHS for winter including additional funding for urgent care, expanded Pharmacy First Services and the winter vaccination programme. The NHS received £190m in the Budget to manage winter pressures, alongside £140m for 14 new urgent care schemes.
Ministers said there are now more than 2,800 additional GPs compared with July 2024, when Labour was elected. Over the last year, more than 400 million appointments were delivered, up by around 24 million than in the equivalent twelve-month period in the run-up to July 2024.
By November 1, more than 13.6 million people in England had received their flu vaccine. That is around 300,000 more than at the same point last year. Mr Burnham 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 and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “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 £40m 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.”
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of GPs, welcomed the focus on prevention this winter, but admitted a long-term approach is needed. She said: “We welcome the focus on prevention and supporting patients at greatest risk of avoidable hospital admission this winter.
“Short-term initiatives alone cannot deliver the sustained improvements in care that patients with complex health needs require. We hope the evaluation will inform a longer-term approach to prevention, supported by sustainable investment in general practice.”
