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 7 March 2025
Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of our Partnership Update from the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (GM ICP). This monthly bulletin is an overview of the work underway across our health and care system; the progress being made and any key developments.
A message from Andy Burnham
Hello everyone,
In this month’s update, I want to draw your attention to our WorkWell pilot - a life-changing opportunity for residents facing health barriers to employment.
Greater Manchester is one of 15 areas selected to pilot the WorkWell service, running until 31 March 2026. With £7 million Government funding, we’re able to offer tailored support for people struggling to stay in work due to health issues or disabilities, as well as for those who have recently left work due to poor health, helping them return to employment
WorkWell is already improving people’s lives and is a key part of our effort to better connect health and employment support. By bringing these services together, we’re helping residents find work and build a better future.
A dedicated briefing with full details will be published next week, but the early success stories from WorkWell show what’s possible when we bring together our brilliant community groups, voluntary organisations, and the NHS. This is about removing barriers people face and making sure everyone in Greater Manchester gets the right support at the right time to improve their health and find good jobs. I’m proud that Greater Manchester is leading the way with this initiative.
Andy Burnham
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Co-chair, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership
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NHS GM key achievements - February
Each month we are updating on the key successes from NHS GM as we continue to make significant strides towards improving health services and the health of the population.
Long hospital waits are significantly decreasing, with nearly all 78-week wait cases eradicated. NHS GM is now ranked 16th out of 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), up from 29th last year. 92% of Urgent Community Response referrals met the 2-hour standard, surpassing the national benchmark of 70% and ranking NHS GM 4th in the country. The percentage of diagnostic tests completed within six weeks has improved, placing NHS GM 13th nationally, a rise from 32nd place last year.
Between April 2024 and January 2025, GPs saw 14.2 million patients, a 4.5% increase from the previous year. January 2025 alone recorded nearly 1.5 million GP appointments. 75% of Minor Ailments Service provisions were delivered in the most deprived areas, ensuring vital healthcare reaches those in greatest need. North Manchester, Wigan and Tameside Urgent Emergency Care sites have all agreed to follow Rochdale by implementing the UEC referral pathway into the Pharmacy First service. This is where UEC sites can refer patients who present with minor illnesses or urgent medicines requirement to a community pharmacy for a Pharmacy First consultation. The sites are expected to go live by early April.
Ambulance response times for Category 2 calls averaged 24 minutes and 10 seconds, outperforming both the national target (30 minutes) and the England average (36 minutes 25 seconds). Out-of-area mental health placements have dropped from over 100 in April 2024 to just 21 as of March 2025.
The stillbirth rate has dropped to 4.35 per 1,000 live births, the lowest since 2019 and representing an 11% reduction in one year. Babies born with brain injuries have significantly decreased, with a 37.5% reduction over two years, translating to 25 fewer cases.
A record-breaking 361,487 Electronic Patient Records were accessed in January, ensuring faster and safer patient care. NHS GM’s Digital First Primary Care programme was highly commended for HTN Award’s ‘Primary Care Partnership of the Year,’ having driven NHS App logins from 986,958 to over 2.3 million in a year and increased repeat prescription orders by 76%.
A successful blood borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme is being expanded across NHS Greater Manchester emergency departments (A&E) during March. The initiative is helping to diagnose and treat HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV). The testing will find even more people living with the viruses, offer treatment and ultimately save lives.
The expanded programme includes four new emergency department sites. These are Royal Oldham Hospital and Fairfield General Hospital, which started testing on Tuesday, 4 March, to be followed by Tameside General Hospital and Royal Bolton Hospital the week commencing, Monday 10 March.
Testing currently takes place at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and Salford Royal Hospital.
Anyone aged 16+ attending a participating emergency department and who requires routine/standard blood tests will also be tested for HIV and HCV, and in most cases HBV, unless they choose to opt out. This approach helps normalise testing, reduce stigma and ensure those who are unaware of their status receive timely care.
Since the programme launched in December 2021, over 300,000 people in the region have been tested. More than 120 people have been newly diagnosed with HIV, 320 with HCV and 140 with HBV.
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David Wakefield has been appointed the new Joint Chair for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (TGICFT). The trusts run the respective hospitals of Stepping Hill Hospital and Tameside Hospital alongside community health services in Stockport, Tameside and Glossop.
David has held previous Chair roles at NHS Trusts, including his most recent as Chair of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. He is a qualified accountant and has held several senior executive posts, as well as a number of non-executive directorships.
This is the first time the trusts have shared a Joint Chair role, which brings the role in line with other senior leadership positions at the two organisations.
The appointment of David as Joint Chair is a key next step in strengthening collaboration in line with national NHS policy. While the trusts will remain as separate organisations, the role will seek to maximise the potential for joint working for the benefit of the local population, patients and staff.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has around 6,000 staff and is the second largest employer in Stockport. It has a current annual budget of around £490m.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has approximately 4,400 staff. It has a current annual budget of around £315m.
The appointment was made by the Council of Governors at each trust, which represent public, staff and partners across the communities, after a competitive interview process.
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Primary care colleagues from across the country tuned in to a national webinar on proactive care hosted by Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB), NHS Greater Manchester and Peak Health Coaching.
Around 150 people joined the session to hear about the innovative work being undertaken by general practice in Greater Manchester, as part of the Proactive Care Programme.
Delivered in partnership with the three organisations, the programme is a fully-funded support package which helps Primary Care Networks (PCNs) develop new models of proactive care in the community.
The PCB’s proactive care programme manager, Andrew Binnie, posted about the programme on the FutureNHS Public Health Academy workspace, which is followed by colleagues far and wide. The topic received so many comments that the PCB, NHS GM and Peak Health Coaching decided to showcase their work and share learning via a webinar.
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A groundbreaking initiative aimed at supporting the mental health of expectant parents has launched in Rochdale.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (NSPCC) Pregnancy in Mind (PiM) service, an eight-week virtual program designed to help parents struggling with mild to moderate anxiety or depression, was introduced in January in partnership with Rochdale Care Organisation.
The launch marks a significant step forward in perinatal mental health support, bringing together professionals from across the area to ensure that parents receive the care they need during pregnancy and beyond.
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The Hospital at Home programme is going from strength to strength across the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundations Trust’s patch, with patients delighted with the service.
A total of 85% of the 350 beds were occupied at one point in December last year, allowing patients to get the care they need at home safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital. This compares with 65% 12 months earlier.
The Hospital at Home programme treats people where they live, with visiting health professionals and remote monitoring devices.
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The Good Employment Charter (GEC) is thrilled to announce two new organisations have joined as members in the health and care sector across Greater Manchester. Mastercall Healthcare provides a range of ‘out of hospital’ healthcare services throughout the North West and Pure Innovations is a charity dedicated to supporting people with disabilities or health-related issues to live a fulfilling life.
With these new additions, the health and care sector membership now includes 22 employers across Greater Manchester, contributing to a total of over 170 supporters and members, compared with just two members back in 2022. It also means that over 93,000 employees in Greater Manchester are experiencing the benefit of charter membership and the health and care sector is now the largest business sector in the Greater Manchester GEC.
The announcement is available on the GEC YouTube channel
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Time is running out to submit your nominations for Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards. These are the only Greater Manchester-wide awards for our whole health and care workforce. This includes unwaged carers, volunteers and all those who regularly go above and beyond to improve the health and wellbeing of others.
The awards are open to all individuals or teams whether paid or unpaid, who work in health or social care across Greater Manchester, or through broader work to help improve the health and wellbeing of others. Whether you’re a colleague, friend, or community member, you can nominate someone who deserves recognition for their hard work and dedication.
Don’t miss this last opportunity to nominate your champions. Nominations close on Tuesday 11 March.
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A National Breast Campaign “Take off your Bra” commenced on Monday 17 February, for six weeks providing a multi-channel communications campaign aimed at improving uptake and engagement and increasing awareness of the programme. It will particularly focus on reaching first time invitees and those living in higher levels of deprivation, alongside targeted activity for women from ethnic minority audiences, disabled audiences and those with accessibility needs. The campaign call to action will encourage women to attend their appointment when invited. Whilst the campaign is asking women to attend their breast screening appointment when invited, it is likely that women who have previously not attended an appointment and women aged 71 or over may make enquiries with their local breast screening service or GP practice.
Please email any enquiries to england.gmsit@nhs.net
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Sunday 9 March 2025 is the Day of Reflection across the UK for the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an opportunity for people to come together to remember those who lost their lives since the pandemic began, to pay tribute to the work of our health and social care staff and frontline workers, remembering the tireless work and acts of kindness they showed during this unprecedented time.
Events will be taking place across the UK including Coming Together in Hope at Manchester Cathedral. There are lots of ways to get involved.
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The GM Cancer Alliance have launched ‘This Van Can’ Ovarian Cancer Awareness Roadshow in partnership with Target Ovarian Cancer and the Dianne Oxberry Trust.
The van will visit Stockport, Manchester, Bolton, Bury, HMR, Tameside, Oldham, Wigan in March.
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Safer Sleep Week starts on Monday 10 March and is The Lullaby Trust’s national awareness campaign targeting anyone looking after a young baby. Raising awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and the simple advice that reduces the risk of it occurring.
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The month of March is Endometriosis Action Month, an opportunity to raise awareness and share your experience.
Endometriosis impacts 1 in 10 women, yet so many are still unaware of the condition and its impact.
This year's theme is 'Endometriosis Explained', exploring both how endometriosis must be better understood by the general public and better explained to patients by all healthcare practitioners.
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Celebrating NHS GM winners at this year's SEND awards
Colleagues from NHS GM, Louise Rule, associate programme director of transformation in the nursing and quality team and Mariyam Ali, lead intelligence analyst, and the mental health and children and young people (CYP) team, were recently presented with the ‘SEND Best Practice in Health 2025 – Special Recognition Honour' award, at this year's special educational needs and disability (SEND) awards.
Find out more click here.
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HTN Primary Care Awards Finalists
The Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) Programme is a finalist in the HTN Primary Care Awards 2025 for Primary Care Partnership of the Year!
The DFPC Programme is a joint Health Innovation Manchester, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership and NHS Greater Manchester initiative, and this recognition is a testament to their commitment to collaboration, innovation, and patient-centred care—transforming how patients access primary care across Greater Manchester.
To find out more read here.
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A ‘pawsome’ night at NCA’s Colleague Awards celebration
Incredible colleagues were recognised and celebrated at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) colleague award ceremony.
Over 330 guests attended, including a well-loved plus one, Atlas the dog. Atlas is a therapy dog and is well known amongst patients and colleagues at Fairfield General Hospital. A guest of Bury volunteer Tina Walton, together they scooped the Volunteer of the Year accolade.
To read more click here.
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A midwife from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust wins Midwife of the Year
Waheeda Abbass received the Midwife of the Year Award in London at the Nursing Times Awards 2024. Waheeda has made a real difference to reducing inequalities by introducing a multilingual device for maternity patients to access. Many trusts have now embedded her multilingual tablet within their maternity units and found it a valuable resource, reducing the need for interpreters to explain leaflets.
To find out more click here.
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Salford partners retain UK Baby Friendly Gold Award
Congratulations to the collaborative team made up of Salford Children’s Services and Salford City Council Early Help and School Readiness Service who continue to hold the UNICEF Gold Standard Baby Friendly Care Award.
Find out more here.
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Neonatal Unit at Royal Bolton Hospital receives Green Family Integrated Care (FiCare) Accreditation
Staff working in the Neonatal Unit (NNU) at the Royal Bolton Hospital have recently received their Green status reaccreditation for FiCare.
Find out more here.
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The Greater Manchester Annual Workforce Summit 2025: Building blocks for the future
Tuesday 25 March, 9.30am - 4pm, The People's History Museum, Manchester City Centre
This event is an exciting opportunity for health and care colleagues across Greater Manchester to come together to look back on what has been achieved since the GM Integrated Care Partnership People and Culture Strategy was developed in 2022, and begin to look to the future as we refresh our strategy.
The event will include an inspiring keynote speech by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
Places are limited but if you would like to attend, please contact gm.workforce@nhs.net.
Pharmacies in Greater Manchester to be early adopters of the RPS Greener Pharmacy Toolkit
This is an exciting opportunity for pharmacies in Greater Manchester to be able to use The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Greener Pharmacy Toolkit, which supports pharmacies to become more environmentally sustainable. It enables hospital and community pharmacies to assess their impact, benchmark, and improve through evidence-based actions. It is a free, easy to use, web-based resource.
Pharmacy staff can contact madeleine.winder1@nhs.net to find out more and become an early adopter pharmacy or they can access the toolkit directly here.
Wheels and Walks funding scheme
TfGM has launched a new community fund, supporting people in Greater Manchester to become more active by walking, wheeling and cycling.
Applications are open to VCFSE organisations, education providers and healthcare providers. The support provided as part of the programme is intended to facilitate sustained activity after programme funding has ended, so that people can continue to benefit from these activities into the future. Successful applicants will receive:
- Grant funding of up to £5,000
- Training and development opportunities
- Facilitation of networking and knowledge sharing
- General support and advice
Deadline for applicants is Monday 17 March. More information about the funding and how to apply is available here, you can also contact the team by emailing WheelsandWalks@tfgm.com.
The Greater Manchester Children and Young People's Stakeholder Forum to shape 10-year-plan response
Manchester City Centre location, Friday 21 March, 12pm - 4.30pm
The event will focus on asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, with health and social care plan.
The full draft programme will be available shortly, together with the venue, which will be within walking distance of public transport.
Reserve your place here.
Leadership for Inclusion Session: Allyship
Wednesday 26 February, virtually between 12pm - 1.30pm
This session will explore the transformative power of allyship in leadership, workforce engagement, and community development. Allyship is not only about fostering inclusion but also about empowering individuals and groups, particularly those from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds to thrive and contribute fully. The discussion will examine how leaders can act as allies, creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.
To book onto this session please register here.
Doing with, not to: Join us in shaping the future of co-production across Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership
Thursday 10 April, 10am - 1pm, Kings Conference Centre, Kings House, Manchester M1 7HB
Join this collaborative workshop to co-create a shared understanding of co-production and the action we can take collectively. Ensuring we are doing ‘with’ not ‘to’ our people and communities. This workshop is your chance to play a key role in shaping a shared approach to co-production that will guide the work of the ICP.
To find out more and register please click here.
Physical activity: how to get your initiatives funded
Free webinar Wednesday 9 April, 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Hosted by the RCGP Active Practice Charter, this webinar will guide primary care professionals through the process of identifying and applying for financial support to implement initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity. By exploring various funding opportunities and successful case studies, participants will gain the tools and knowledge needed to develop compelling proposals and drive long-term engagement in physical activity within their practice or network.
Register your place here.
GM Walking Festival
The GM Walking Festival is back in May, as part of National Walking Month. It's the perfect opportunity for everyone to get involved, whether they be wheeling or walking.
If you'd like to host a public or private walk you can plan in advance by finding out more via their website.
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