Britain to allocate £140m for urgent care in England — The Guardian

In the United Kingdom, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the allocation of an additional £140 million for urgent medical care in England. The funds are intended to increase the capacity of the National Health Service (NHS) ahead of winter, which, according to the official, will be more difficult than usual. The Guardian reports.

Funds will be directed to 14 projects

The funding will be distributed among 14 projects, including the creation of new urgent care centres, expansion of the ambulance fleet and modernisation of emergency departments. According to Cooper, the NHS began preparing for the impact of seasonal illnesses as early as July.

Summer heat created an additional burden on the system. From June to August, nearly 7.3 million people visited emergency departments, the highest figure for the summer period. In September, experts warned of a combination of the effects of record summer temperatures and winter infections, including flu and norovirus.

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Signs of an early flu season

The NHS national medical director previously reported worrying signs of an early flu season. Professor Frankie Swords said that the number of flu hospitalisations at this time of year was the highest she could remember, while an increase in hospitalisations due to Covid is also expected.

Emma Rowland, NHS England's executive director for performance and delivery, said that investment in same-day emergency care and urgent treatment centres should help patients receive appropriate care in the right place and at the right time. She also urged people eligible for vaccination to get vaccinated against flu and other winter viruses.

Meanwhile, Patricia Marquis, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing England, called the additional funding useful in the short term but insufficient for a system that, she said, is at breaking point due to staff shortages.