NHS chief executive Simon Stevens today revealed a £200 million scheme aimed at providing better care for the most vulnerable patients . Elderly and vulnerable patients will be offered longer GP appointments – including at weekends – in an attempt to reduce the chances of them ending up in hospital . They will have 30-minute in-depth appointments with a family doctor in the hope that any underlying problems will be picked up before they require emergency admission . As part of a £200million scheme aimed at providing better care for the most vulnerable , some patients will also undergo consultations with A & E nurses via webcams to establish whether it is really necessary for them to go to casualty . Simon Stevens , the NHS ’ s chief executive , yesterday announced the pilot scheme , which will be rolled out in 29 areas covering a total of five million patients . It is hoped the scheme will gradually expand across England with the aim of treating more patients at home , or at their GP surgery , rather than in hospital . The idea is to bring together hospitals , GPs , community services and care homes to provide more joined-up care . Mr Stevens said the set-up of the NHS is too ‘ fragmented ’ , meaning patients are passed ‘ from pillar to post ’ . Specialist doctors , GPs , nurses and physiotherapists do not work closely together nor spend enough time on preventative care , trying to avoid patients ’ conditions deteriorating . The present system also means that patients with several long-term conditions may have to go to a different hospital outpatient clinic 20 or so miles away , several times a month . In an interview for BBC Radio 4 ’ s World at One programme , he said : ‘ In England we ’ ve got a growing population and an ageing population and one of the big tests is can we provide compassionate , high-quality care for older people who have several different health problems at once . ‘ Too many parts of the service are quite fragmented . Increasingly that ’ s a problem . People aren ’ t getting preventative care they need . Often people are being passed from pillar to post , or ending up in accident and emergency departments when they could have avoided it. ’ Eventually , Mr Stevens wants many of the complex procedures provided by hospitals to be routinely available at GP surgeries a few miles from patients ’ homes . Each area involved in this first phase of the scheme offers slightly different services depending on the needs of the population . In Airedale , West Yorkshire , patients in care homes will be offered consultations via webcams with nurses in A & E units at any time of the day and night . If they suffer a fall , rather than calling an ambulance , staff at the care home will set up the internet consultation with a nurse at the hospital . The nurse will then liaise with a senior doctor and decide if the patient needs to come to A & E immediately or can wait for a GP home visit . In Northamptonshire , the 7 per cent of patients deemed to be the most vulnerable will be offered 30-minute appointments with their GP rather than the standard ten minutes . In West Yorkshire , patients in care homes will be offered consultations via webcams with medics working in A & E units at any time of the day or night , as part of the trial scheme announced today . These patients may have several long-term conditions such as dementia , diabetes and heart disease and doctors will use the time to make more thorough assessments . In Northumberland , patients are being offered GP appointments at the weekend to prevent them going to casualty . Surgeries will form local groups and ensure that at least one is open every Saturday and Sunday . Although the appointments will be offered to all patients , they will most benefit the elderly and those with underlying conditions who see their doctor more often .
Stevens , NHS chief executive , announced £200 million scheme . Aimed at providing better care for the most vulnerable patients . Hope it will stop patients unnecessarily ending up in hospital A & E units . Complex procedures will be carried out at GP surgeries instead of hospital . Care home patients will be able to have web cam consultations with A & E . Most vulnerable will be given 30 minutes instead of 10 with their GPs .