Summary
NHS Greater Manchester is producing a weekly winter briefing to update stakeholders on how services are performing and how we work together to manage demand and provide care and support to the public.
Winter is a challenging time for health and care services, as a rise in seasonal illnesses places pressure on an already stretched system.
Demand on primary care grows, hospitals get fuller – and people stay longer – requests for social care increase and staff shortages rise.
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.
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.
- Dentistry – of 217 practices reporting, 31% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 21% of practices facing extreme demand.
- General practice – of 240 practices reporting, 32% of GP practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 2% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Optometry- of 70 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 88 pharmacies reporting, 22% of sites are feeling significantly challenged and 9% are feeling challenged but coping.
Providers across all primary 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.
Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester, said: “Partnership working across health and social care is a vital part of managing year-round pressures. As we head into winter and the coldest months, we know that local services will face even greater demand. Colleagues working across hospital, community, social care, and primary care services are ready to tackle the challenging winter months.
“The winter months are when we see spikes in colds, respiratory conditions, sickness bugs,
trips and falls as well as making some existing health conditions worse. During winter, as pressures grow on all our services, people should make themselves aware of the best places to get help when needed.
“Our ‘get to know where to go’ information campaign can help people understand which service is right for them based on their symptoms and common conditions. By using the right services when people are unwell or need urgent health advice, it can help ensure they get the right health care in the right place, as quickly as possible. There are lots of community urgent access schemes that can help.
“During winter, hospital admissions are likely to rise, and as ever, we will be doing all we can to try and make sure that people can leave hospital as soon as they are well enough to do so.”
A number of campaigns are available to help the public understand how health services are currently working, so they know where to get the right help and care.
