British GPs will be told to prioritise emergency department 'frequent flyers' in an effort to keep the most vulnerable out of hospital. Photo / 123rf
British GPs will be told to prioritise emergency department “frequent flyers” in an effort to keep the most vulnerable out of hospital.
A new contract for family doctors in the United Kingdom will require them to proactively seek out patients who regularly attend emergency departments or are in and out of hospital.
GPs will also be contractually obliged to see almost all urgent cases on the same day – a demand that puts the Government on a collision course with the British Medical Association.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said the changes would reduce pressure on hospitals, which have been blighted by corridor care in recent years.
Streeting said the reforms would stop patients being “pushed from pillar to post” and instead provide continuity of care.
Writing for the Telegraph, he said: “For vulnerable people with long-term conditions, including the ‘frequent flyers’ who might otherwise ricochet between A&E, home, GP surgery and back to A&E again, this continuity of care is critical.
“Seeing the same trusted and familiar doctor who knows their health history not only helps minimise delays, disruption and readmissions, it is also a huge comfort to the patient themselves.
“For too long, the NHS has been weighed down by avoidable hospital admissions, crowded A&E departments and patients passed from pillar to post.
“We cannot solve those pressures simply by pouring more money into hospitals. We have to fix the front door to the NHS.”
Under the new £485 million ($1 billion) contract, GPs will be told to use “risk stratification” tools to identify the patients who need the most help, using data on hospital attendance and admissions.
Those found to be in and out of hospital, or frequent attenders in emergency departments will be targeted proactively by GP practices.
UK national health service figures have previously revealed more than 360,000 patients attend emergency departments more than five times a year.
It also turns guidance that family doctors see 90% of urgent cases on the same day into a legal obligation.
In recent years, an expansion in staffing at GP practices means the majority of consultations are not with a family doctor.
In addition, £300m of existing funding will be diverted to GP practices so they can hire more doctors or expand the hours worked by existing medics.
Practices will be offered bonuses worth up to £3000 a year to boost the rollout of weight-loss jabs, with separate financial incentives for progress in increasing uptake of childhood vaccinations.
The funding and measures are part of the new GP contract for 2026 to 2027, which will come into force from April 1.
Katie Bramall, the chairwoman of the BMA’s GP committee, said the new contract “will likely be presented as a major win for patient access and some elements may be welcomed”.
However, she added: “GPs will be left reeling over the unrealistic expectation of providing unlimited same-day urgent care and profoundly concerned regarding unnecessary barriers for patients to access specialist care, all while trying to keep their practices viable and prevent closures.”
Research published yesterday on more than 750,000 patients from 6400 practices found rising numbers of patients who were uncertain what type of health professional they had seen.
This was stated by one in 20 patients, with confidence and trust among such cases falling by up to 80%.
The study by researchers from the Nuffield Trust was published in the British Journal of General Practice.
Separate polling shows almost half of all adults in the UK avoided or delayed contacting their GP about a health concern in 2025.
Experts said the findings “should ring alarm bells for policymakers” who have pledged to move care out of hospitals.
Most of those who avoided making contact with their GP did so because they thought it would be difficult to access care. In total, 30% did not expect to be offered a suitable appointment, 17% thought it would be too difficult to contact the practice and 14% were worried their request would not be taken seriously.
More than one quarter of people decided to manage the issue themselves or wait for it to go away.
Accessing a GP is the public’s main priority for the NHS, along with improved emergency department waiting times, the poll suggests.
Meanwhile, two in five adults believe that the general standard of care provided by the NHS worsened in the past year, according to polling of 2200 adults conducted in December by the Health Foundation and Ipsos.
Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, said: “Our findings signal that too often people are going without the care they need, which risks storing up health problems further down the line and placing more strain on an already stretched service”.
Chris McCann, the acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: “People consistently tell us that GP services are becoming harder to use and that simply getting through the door for care can be a challenge. For example, we often hear from individuals who wait in long telephone queues for an appointment, only to be told that all slots have been taken for the day and that they must try again tomorrow.
“Plans to recruit more doctors should make it easier for patients to get appointments and ensure urgent cases are handled more quickly.”
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.