England commits £40 million for GPs to support vulnerable patients this winter

England will provide £40 million for GPs to give extra winter support to vulnerable patients, aiming to prevent serious illness and avoidable hospital admissions, the Department of Health and Social Care said. The programme is for up to 300,000 people, including those with heart disease, frailty, emphysema and other types of COPD. Primary care networks can receive £126 for each eligible patient supported.

Support could include health checks, home assessments, medication reviews and nurse-led respiratory clinics, according to the department. The Guardian reported that the money was reallocated from existing GP budgets for 2026-27. The BMJ reported that the BMA warned reallocating the funds would further strain struggling practices. The department described the scheme as government-funded and said the funding is ring-fenced.