New winter health plan to ease hospital pressures

9 Oct 2026 10:07 AM

Expanded Hospital at Home services, a public awareness campaign and targeted investment to reduce waiting lists are all part of a newly-unveiled health preparedness plan for winter.

A collective effort is critical in the months ahead to ease pressures on the NHS, Health Secretary Angela Constance said as she launched the new national winter health plan.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Health Secretary set out several actions to provide guidance to health and social care systems ahead of winter, including:

• an increased focus on community care, with over 10,000 patients benefiting from an expansion of Hospital at Home service
• a Home First approach to healthcare
• a new public awareness campaign to help people access the right care, in the right place, at the right time which will launch at the end of October
• renewed calls for eligible patients to get vaccinated against seasonal viruses – including flu – which hospitalised almost 6,700 people last winter
• winter-specific planned care funding from the £90 million announced earlier this year to reduce waiting lists for operations and procedures
• further implementation of a new national plan to improve the flow of patients through hospital and free up bed capacity.

Ms Constance said:

“A collective effort will be critical in the months ahead as we look to support our NHS through the winter. There is a role for everyone in Scotland to play.

“Seasonal illnesses, including flu, are already beginning to circulate, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination when invited. Last winter, almost 5,000 adults and 1,700 children in Scotland were hospitalised as a result of flu. Getting vaccinated protects you and those around you.

“It’s also important people know how and where to access care. Attendances at A&E remain extremely high, and many people could be treated more appropriately in services closer to home.

“A&E should be used for emergencies. Choosing the right service can help people receive advice and treatment more quickly while ensuring emergency care remains available for those who need it most.”

Background

Hospital at Home is designed to help people avoid hospital stays and instead receive care under the supervision of clinicians in their own homes using the latest technology.

The Home First approach is a presumption in favour of discharging people from hospital at the earliest possible opportunity and acknowledges that home is the best place to recover. Being at home can reduce the risk of infection or deconditioning from inactivity. Home First can mean setting a date for discharge from hospital upon admission.

The Winter Preparedness Plan helps ease pressures on hospital emergency departments. It gives guidance to ensure people get the Right Care at the Right Place by checking the NHS inform website in the first instance if they become unwell.

Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026 - 2031 - gov.scot

Waiting list funding - Letter to the Convener of Health, Care and Sport Committee - gov.scot