Summary
This is the 15th 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.
As we make the transition from winter to spring, significant pressure remains at some hospital Trust sites with support being provided as appropriate.
Continued pressures are reported across all primary care provider groups.
Mental health providers continue to experience challenges with bed capacity and high numbers of ‘no criteria to reside’, with pressures increasing in the last week.
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, 33% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 17% 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 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 134 pharmacies reporting, 25% 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 Thursday 7 March, Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester said: “Frontline services remain very busy as we mark the seasonal shift from winter to spring. Demand has felt relentless, and it has been a trying winter with seasonal sickness, periods of industrial action and ongoing occupancy pressures. Staff across all NHS and care services have worked tirelessly. The public can continue to choose well, making NHS 111 their first choice for medical help when it’s not an emergency.”
