Health · Healthcare & Policy · 12 hrs ago
GPs to give 300,000 vulnerable patients extra support this winter
A £40m scheme will fund extra GP support for 300,000 vulnerable patients in England this winter.
The programme is aimed at people most at risk of becoming seriously ill, including those with frailty, heart disease or long-term lung conditions.
GP teams can offer health checks, medication reviews and respiratory care to spot problems and respond early.
The funding comes from existing GP budgets, with practices able to claim £126 for each eligible patient they support.
The aim is to keep more people well at home and avoid hospital trips, easing pressure on NHS hospitals and A&E departments during winter.
The scheme is part of wider preparations that include flu vaccinations and extra urgent care capacity, while GPs have also called for sustained investment to improve care over the longer term.
A £40m scheme will give extra GP support to 300,000 vulnerable patients in England this winter.
The programme aims to prevent avoidable hospital admissions by identifying patients at risk of becoming seriously unwell.
Support may include health checks, medication reviews and respiratory tests, while the Daily Mail also reports home assessments and nurse-led respiratory clinics.
The funding is reallocated from existing GP budgets for 2026-27, with GP practice groups able to claim £126 for each eligible patient supported.
The Royal College of GPs welcomed the focus on prevention but said sustained improvements require a longer-term approach and sustainable investment in general practice.
- Who
- Up to 300,000 vulnerable patients in England, including people with frailty, heart disease and lung conditions.
- What
- A £40m scheme will fund extra GP support, potentially including health checks and medication reviews.
- When
- This winter. Funding is from GP budgets for 2026-27.
- Where
- England.
- Why
- To help patients stay well at home and prevent avoidable hospital admissions, easing winter pressure on the NHS.
Government
Royal College of GPs
Purpose
Government
The scheme is intended to support vulnerable patients in the community and help prevent hospital admissions.
Royal College of GPs
The focus on prevention and patients at risk is welcome.
Long-term impact
Government
The scheme is part of a wider plan to support patients and the NHS through winter pressures.
Royal College of GPs
Short-term initiatives alone cannot deliver sustained improvements; a longer-term approach backed by sustainable investment is needed.
More than 2,800 additional GPs had been recruited, according to the Daily Mail.
The £40m scheme to provide extra support to vulnerable patients was reported.
- Funding
- £40m
- Target
- 300,000 vulnerable patients
- Payment
- £126 for each eligible patient supported
- Budget period
- 2026-27
- Location
- England
3 sources
What people are saying
If we want to take the pressure off our hospitals this winter, we’ve got to keep people well at home.
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,
GPs’ clinical expertise, knowledge of their patients and continuity of care are central to identifying those most in need and providing personalised, coordinated support,
By offering more support to our most vulnerable patients such as home assessments to prevent falls, we will help keep them well and prevent them ending up in hospital this winter.