Recently the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, wrote to Members of Parliament detailing the launch of the Government’s recently published ‘Health and Social Care Approach to Winter’.

The Government understands that this winter will be more challenging than many of those previously experienced by the NHS, adult social care providers and local authorities. The reality is that COVID-19 rates remain high and could increase, alongside the risk of other infectious diseases like seasonal influenza. Hence, the joint publication between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and Improvement has come at the right time, setting out the wide range of preparations that have been made to ensure that health and social care services remain resilient, joined up and available.

The Government is working to recruit 18,000 more staff, including nurses, healthcare support workers and medical support workers. It is keeping the nation protected against the virus, especially against the new Omicron

variant, through vaccination with over 15 million boosters having already been delivered in England in tandem with the biggest influenza vaccination

programme in our history. New COVID-19 antiviral and therapeutic treatments have also been developed to help save more lives, including Ronapreve, Lagevrio and Paxlovid in addition to tocilizumab and dexamethasone.

The capacity across urgent and emergency care and the wider NHS has been bolstered, which has seen £250 million being given to general practice,

£55 million to the ambulance service and £75 million to NHS111. £388 million is being spent in the adult social care sector, which aims to support infection prevention control and £162.5 million has been set aside for workforce recruitment and retention. Furthermore, £478 million is being allocated to support services, rehabilitation and reablement care following discharge from

hospital and ensuring that health and social care services are joined up.

The publication has also announced the start of the £700 million Targeted Investment Fund, which will see £330 million poured into the NHS estate. This will ensure that there is £250 million for new technology and £120 million for any supporting revenue costs, delivering a range of projects such as additional day surgery units, extra permanent and modular theatres and surgical hubs to improve productivity, investment in outpatient space and in imaging, including upgrades to MRI and mobile breast screening units.

Funding has been allocated to regions on a weighted population basis with £69 million being prioritised for the South West. This is a targeted investment focused on the highest priority areas to help return elective care services to pre-pandemic levels, from modular operating theatres to mobile breast screening units. It will support the aim to deliver around 30% more activity by 2024-25 compared to pre-pandemic levels – equivalent to millions more checks, scans and procedures for non-emergency patients.

With the rollout and acceleration of COVID-19 boosters alongside the

largest influenza vaccine programme, the Government is doing more than ever to support people to stay well this winter and give people access to the services they need, when they need them.