Summary
This is the 13th 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.
All services remain busy with occupancy levels high at all hospital sites.
Work is underway to ensure provision of critical services ahead of the planned period of industrial action.
With the rising number of measles cases in Greater Manchester, NHS GM has created a dedicated webpage with important information about signs and symptoms of measles, getting a vaccine and what to do if you think someone you know may have it.
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 236 practices reporting, 31% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 22% of practices facing extreme demand.
- General practice – of 277 practices reporting, 31% of GP practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 1% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Optometry – of 86 practices reporting, 7% of optical sites are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 2% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Pharmacy – of 125 pharmacies reporting, 23% of sites are feeling significantly challenged and 7% 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.
On Friday 23 February, Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester said: “Industrial action will impact NHS services from Saturday (24 February), and we are again working with partners to ensure key services are maintained during planned strikes. It’s important that people who need care come forward and get it in the usual way using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and 111 for everything else. Anyone who has an appointment that needs to be rearranged will be contacted directly. If you have a planned appointment at hospital or your GP practice, then please still attend unless you are contacted directly to say otherwise.”
