PLANS have been unveiled to improve access to health care in the UK.

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced a £250 million Winter Access Fund for NHS England which will “help patients with urgent care needs to get seen when they need to, on the same day, taking account of their preferences, instead of going to hospital.”

The fund is designed to increase access to same-day primary care “ideally from patients’ own general practice service” by increasing capacity and appointment numbers.

Funding will also be used to “increase the resilience” of the NHS’ urgent care system during the winter months.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “It will be for local systems to determine the optimal use of the funding in line with local issues and solutions, national expectations and requirements. Local commissioners will be able to set their own local conditions, working with local partners. It is not designed as a ‘pass-through’ payment to individual practices.”

They added that systems must develop a plan and submit it to Government by Thursday, October 28.

The Royal College of GPs is set to publish new advice for practices on how to provide the new optimal blend of remote and face to face triage and care.”