The government has announced £40 million for GPs to keep vulnerable people out of hospital over winter.
A government-funded programme will support up to 300,000 vulnerable patients to help prevent serious illness and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
The money will help GPs proactively support people with conditions including heart disease or frailty through health checks, home assessments, and medication reviews.
It is hoped the programme will help keep people well at home and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
Patients with conditions like heart disease, frailty or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will get access to additional support from their GP, tailored to their needs and designed to help them avoid reaching a crisis point and needing to go to hospital.
The ring-fenced funding will support GP practices to proactively identify and provide additional care for the patients they consider most at risk of becoming seriously unwell this winter. Primary Care Networks (PCNs) will be able to receive £126 for each eligible patient supported.
This extra support will be particularly targeted at patients with heart disease, frailty, emphysema and other types of COPD. It could include medication reviews, health checks and nurse-led respiratory clinics for up to 300,000 people across the country.
Prime Minister Andy 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."
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper said: "This practical plan helps GPs and local teams to provide more support for the frailest patients in the community to keep them well through the winter months - that is better for patients and means they are also less likely to need hospital care.
"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."
