Summary
We need the views and experiences of providers on how they enable staff to speak up safely and confidentially.
Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (GMPCB) will work with providers to develop a sustainable Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) Guardian network across all primary care disciplines.
We aim to produce recommendations for a long-term model by October 2026, after speaking with primary care colleagues about existing arrangements and suggestions for future improvement.
Previously the responsibility of the National Guardian’s Office (NGO), a review in 2025 recommended that FTSU should initially transfer to NHS England and, in time, to the Department of Health and Social Care.
This shift came into effect on 1 July, 2026 and while national arrangements continue to evolve, there is an expectation that NHS organisations and primary care providers have arrangements in place so staff can raise concerns safely and confidentially.
As a result, GMPCB is taking on the task of researching and co-producing a primary care provider model for Greater Manchester.
We want to understand what providers are currently doing to support colleagues to ‘speak up’ and how we can help develop a strong support network of guardians across primary care.
Working with consultancy Khulumani Ltd, we will engage with providers about how staff raise concerns, explore the independence and accessibility of provider schemes, and understand the culture and psychological safety that operates within individual organisations.
Conversations are intended to be supportive, developmental and collaborative, so we can identify opportunities to deliver support where it’s needed.
As well as there being a national expectation for healthcare organisations to provide clear routes and reporting so staff can ‘speak up’ about any concerns they might have, it is also an essential element of the Beyond Core Contract (BeCCoR) 2026/27 to have an FTSU policy in place, under the General Practice Quality and Resilience pillar.
While BeCCoR applies to general practice only at this stage, Greater Manchester is exploring how similar contracts can benefit other primary care disciplines.
Our approach to FTSU involves all primary care disciplines: community pharmacy; dentistry; general practice and optometry.
We’ll be in touch with providers, and in the meantime, if you want to register your interest for an FTSU conversation, please contact Dominic Anderson, GMPCB programme manager: dominic.anderson3@nhs.net
