GP practices and community services should be working with complex patients to ‘actively avoid hospital admissions’ this winter, according to NHS England (NHSE).
In a letter to integrated care boards (ICBs) and trusts, NHSE set out the actions necessary to ensure delivery of ‘safe, dignified and high-quality care’ this winter, which must be an ‘overriding priority’.
Related Article: Four in 10 patients waiting ‘too long’ for community mental health services
There was a particular focus on the winter vaccination campaign, with NHS England urging providers to ‘make every possible effort’ to boost vaccine uptake among patient-facing staff.
The letter also stressed the importance of promoting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, which from this month practices began administering to over-75s and pregnant women as an essential service under the GP contract.
‘This is a year-round offer but its promotion ahead of winter by health professionals is vital, particularly to those at highest risk,’ NHSE said.
NHSE also urged local commissioners to take a ‘whole-system approach to managing winter demand’.
Related Article: Nurses issuing fit notes ‘a positive development’, finds research
The letter asked ICBs to ‘ensure the proactive identification and management of people with complex needs and long-term conditions so care is optimised ahead of winter’.
‘Primary care and community services should be working with these patients to actively avoid hospital admissions,’ NHSE added.
Related Article: Satisfaction with GP services falls again to 31%, national survey finds
These patients should also be offered ‘alternatives to hospital attendance’ as they may be ‘better served with a community response’.
A version of this article was first published by our sister title Pulse
