Summary
This is the sixth 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 of Thursday, 4 January when the weekly briefing was published, the situation was described as ‘extremely pressured’ across all health and care services, including primary care.
The first two days of the week saw particularly high demand following the Bank Holidays.
All hospitals saw high numbers of attendances and six consecutive days of industrial action came at one of our busiest periods.
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 229 practices reporting, 32% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 20% of practices facing extreme demand.
- General practice – of 272 practices reporting, 30% of GP practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 2% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Optometry – of 79 practices reporting, 8% of optical sites are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 3% of practices facing extreme demand.
- Pharmacy – of 108 pharmacies reporting, 27% of sites are feeling significantly challenged and 10% 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.
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.
On Thursday, 4 January 2024, Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester said: “We are seeing some significant pressure on our A&Es at this current time. Hospitals across Greater Manchester continue to face the added pressures that winter brings, and we ask that people only come to A&E if it’s life-threatening or a serious injury so that we can treat those who are most seriously unwell or injured. Care and support are available from your GP practice, urgent dental and eye services, local pharmacy as well as NHS 111, including NHS 111 online.
“We know that long waits are frustrating. We continue to prioritise patients with the highest level of need and staff are doing everything they can to care for everyone who needs them as quickly and safely as possible. We would like to thank them whilst they work incredibly hard to maintain services.”
