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An ambulance outside a hospital(Image: Justin Kernoghan\/Belfast Live)<\/p>\nIt focuses on five key themes: prevention, the role of pharmacy and general practice, hospital care, local planning and preparations, and whole system flow improvement for the elderly and frail<\/p>\n
16:13, 16 Oct 2025Updated 16:30, 16 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
An ambulance outside a hospital(Image: Justin Kernoghan\/Belfast Live)<\/p>\n
Tackling ambulance handover delays and vaccination programmes are among key elements of the winter preparedness plan for the health service.<\/p>\n
Reducing emergency department attendances and additional assistance for GP practices are also among Health Minister Mike Nesbitt\u2019s blueprint<\/a> for the traditionally demanding winter season.<\/p>\n The Overarching Winter Preparedness Plan 2025\/26<\/a> is aimed at taking a whole systems approach and ensuring the best use of resources.<\/p>\n It focuses on five key themes: prevention, the role of pharmacy and general practice, hospital care, local planning and preparations, and whole system flow improvement for the elderly and frail.<\/p>\n Mr Nesbitt<\/a> said while the health and social care (HSC) system is under pressure all-year round, that is magnified in the winter months.<\/p>\n \u201cTo help mitigate this, and deliver the best possible care to those who need it, we again are asking the HSC system and the public to work together to help protect vital services,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cLearning from the challenges last winter, I brought key HSC leaders together at a series of workshops, the \u2018Big Discussion\u2019, to plan for this winter, allowing for a whole systems approach to improve patient and staff experiences. This provided us with a single vision based on the provision of high quality, safe care.\u201d<\/p>\n It includes an extensive vaccination programme, which aims to minimise the impact from winter infections such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19.<\/p>\n It also aims to tackle ambulance handover delays through a new approach to collaborative working between trusts and the ambulance service. This is to reduce maximum handover delays from four hours to two hours from September to December, with further reductions to achieve a 15 minute standard.<\/p>\n There are also community pharmacy initiatives which encourage and support people to take action to stay well over winter, and support for GP practices, providing 10,000 medical care plans for patients in nursing and residential care homes and more than 98,000 additional sessions to help manage winter pressures.<\/p>\n Mr Nesbitt <\/a>warned that while efforts can be made to mitigate expected pressures, he said they cannot be eradicated altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cOur health and social care system is already under significant pressure before winter sets in, not least because of the very challenging financial situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to successfully navigate the upcoming winter period, it remains vitally important that we all play our part, to make sure that HSC services are ready and available for those who need them most.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must all work together to protect our health service. You can do this by getting vaccinated if eligible, taking steps to stay well and co-operating with hospital discharge processes if you or a family member are well enough to leave hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cI would also encourage service users to attend scheduled appointments or provide timely notice when this is no longer possible, to allow for appointments to be reallocated.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease be patient and respectful with our staff as they deal with the increased demand and strive to treat the sickest quickest.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal College of General Practitioners NI chairwoman Dr Ursula Mason welcomed the commitment for support but expressed disappointment at a lack of detail around funding.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore, at this moment, we are unclear as to whether there will be more or less capacity for patients in general practice this winter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lack of detail within the plan as to what services are expected, along with uncertainty over proposed care pathways, means that GPs reading this plan will be concerned about the workload implications for practices and worry that once again they will be asked to do more with less.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cA lack of new or additional resources will inevitably impact on the ability of GPs to address routine or preventive care.<\/p>\n \u201cPractices which are already under extreme pressure with an escalating gap between patient need and safe delivery may be no better equipped this winter than last to deal with the inevitable surge in illness that winter brings.<\/p>\n \u201cGPs recognise that many patients struggle to access our services and that demand outstrips capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call on the Government to prioritise sustained investment in general practice to allow us to better meet the needs of our patients, not just this winter but beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n Click this link<\/a> or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. 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