GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES £140M FOR URGENT CARE IN ENGLAND

The government has announced almost £140 million for 14 urgent care schemes across England as the NHS prepares for winter. The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England say the funding will cover urgent treatment centres, same-day emergency care services, ambulance fleets and emergency department upgrades. A further 25 new or expanded urgent care sites, announced in April, are due to open for winter. Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Winter will be more challenging for our NHS this year, after such a heavy summer.”

The announcement follows a summer of extreme heat and high demand for emergency care. Recorded A&E figures put attendances at almost 7.3 million between June and August, the highest summer total. The government says the NHS began preparing in July for winter illnesses, including flu and norovirus. Earlier this month, NHS national medical director Professor Frankie Swords said flu hospital admissions were the “highest” she could remember for the time of year. Her warning came alongside an expected increase in Covid admissions.

NHS executive director for performance and delivery Emma Rowland said investment in same-day emergency care and urgent treatment centres would help patients receive care in appropriate settings. She said the NHS was seeking to reduce pressure on emergency departments while protecting staff. The government has urged people to get flu jabs to help ease winter demand. It says it plans to invest almost £2 billion in urgent care capital projects by 2030, alongside £1.5 billion already confirmed for urgent maintenance across NHS facilities.