Understanding Winter Pressures in Primary Care
Winter pressures in Primary Care are one of the most consistent challenges for GP practices and Primary Care Networks across the UK. During the winter months, patient demand increases significantly, with more respiratory illnesses, urgent care appointments, and long-term condition reviews.
These winter pressures make effective Primary Care recruitment essential. Without a clear workforce plan, many practices struggle to maintain patient access and staff wellbeing. The right Primary Care staffing strategy ensures you have experienced clinicians in place before winter demand peaks.
Why Primary Care Staffing Is Critical During Winter
Staffing in Primary Care is directly linked to patient outcomes and operational efficiency. When demand rises, practices often need short-term locum cover or additional clinicians to manage patient volumes. Working with a Primary Care recruitment agency like Vela Medical Group ensures access to compliant, experienced professionals who can support continuity of care.
Common winter staffing solutions include:
- Advanced Nurse Practitioners for triage and urgent patient appointments
- Clinical Pharmacists for medication reviews and repeat prescriptions
- Practice Nurses for chronic disease management and immunisations
- Healthcare Assistants to support clinical teams and free up GP time
By using a specialist Primary Care recruiter, practices can avoid last-minute staffing gaps and maintain service delivery throughout winter.
Using ARRS Funding to Support Winter Staffing
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) remains a key funding route for PCNs to strengthen their workforce ahead of winter. Many roles, including Clinical Pharmacists, Physiotherapists and Social Prescribing Link Workers are fully or partly covered under ARRS.
Planning ARRS recruitment early helps PCNs avoid underspend and ensures that critical winter roles are filled in time. At Vela Medical Group, we work with PCNs nationwide to maximise ARRS funding and source the right clinicians quickly and compliantly.
How Vela Medical Group Supports Winter Workforce Planning
Vela Medical Group is a specialist Primary Care recruitment agency supporting practices, federations, and PCNs across the UK. We provide both permanent and locum clinicians to help practices manage seasonal pressures effectively.
Our team specialises in:
- Primary Care workforce planning
- Locum recruitment for GP practices
- ARRS role recruitment
- Compliant onboarding and candidate vetting
Whether your practice needs temporary winter cover or long-term staffing support, Vela ensures access to reliable, qualified clinicians who can make an immediate impact.
Preparing for Winter 2025/26
With winter pressures expected to increase again in 2025/26, now is the time for Primary Care providers to plan ahead. Early recruitment, full ARRS utilisation and flexible staffing models are key to maintaining safe, high-quality patient care throughout the season.
Vela Medical Group helps Primary Care organisations across the UK stay fully staffed during winter pressures. Speak to our team today to discuss your recruitment needs and start building your winter workforce plan.
