Summary
This is the 17th weekly winter briefing produced by NHS Greater Manchester to update stakeholders on how services are performing and how we work together to manage demand and provide care and support to the public.
Each week, the primary care data is updated along with the statement from Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester.
Primary and community services are busy, and some issues remain in dentistry regarding late notice patient cancellations and high levels of staff sickness.
Elsewhere, acute care pressures remain significant this week with some sites reporting significant challenges, and high numbers of people waiting in emergency departments.
Bed occupancy levels remain high including across paediatric wards.
The Spring 2024 phase of the Get To Know Where To Go campaign is now available. The quickest and easiest way to support the campaign is to share #GTKWTG posts from NHS Greater Manchester’s social channels to your own channels.
The toolkit document and assets can also be downloaded from the campaigns page on the NHS GM website.
The last day for anyone eligible to get the flu vaccine is Sunday 31 March. You may be able to book your flu vaccination at your local GP surgery if you are eligible. Or if you are aged 18 and over, you can find a pharmacy that offers NHS flu vaccination.
Further information can be found at: www.nhs.uk/wintervaccinations or call 119 for free if you can’t get online.
This weekly briefing, produced by NHS Greater Manchester, aims to update stakeholders on how services are performing and how we work together to manage demand and provide care and support to the public.
An investment of approximately £2million has been made into additional primary care services this winter, such as expanding the community urgent eye service, urgent dental care, minor ailment schemes at local pharmacies and GP surge hubs to provide more appointments.
Primary care data
There are approximately 1,800 primary care providers, with a workforce of around 22,000.
We recently launched our blueprint for primary care to improve access to GPs, dentists, optometrists, and pharmacists.
There are approximately 1,800 primary care providers, with a workforce of around 22,000.
- Dentistry – of 239 practices reporting, 33% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 16% of practices facing extreme demand.
- General practice – of 278 practices reporting, 28% of GP practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 1% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Optometry – of 87 practices reporting, 7% of optical sites are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 1% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Pharmacy – of 137 pharmacies reporting, 26% of sites are feeling significantly challenged and 4% are feeling challenged but coping.
Providers across all primary care disciplines are encouraged to submit a weekly sit rep, noting areas of pressure. This is also known as a ‘pulse check’.
Work is underway to encourage more practices to use the pulse check so that support can be provided where appropriate.
Providers can access support by visiting the primary care sitrep support page on the GMPCB website.
On Friday 22 March, Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester said: “After another busy week, particularly in acute care, it’s important to look ahead to the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend to ensure the people of Greater Manchester are prepared and to help reduce the impact on the NHS. This means raising awareness of the importance of ordering and collecting any vital prescriptions in plenty of time ahead of the bank holiday weekend, stocking up on every day medical essentials, and emphasising the ‘Get To Know Where To Go’ campaign messaging to call 111 first for non-emergencies but to still call 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency. By doing all this, everyone can play their part in ensuring the Easter bank holiday is a happy, safe and enjoyable one for all.”
