December 2025

Wishing you a happy, healthy Christmas

Pictured above: our directors and support team getting in a festive mood at Strategic Clinical Networks' HQ.

As we approach the end of 2025, we wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has played a role in achieving so much for patient services over the past 12 months.

Our clinical leads, advisors and associates have continued to drive improvements across all our networks.

Both their expertise in identifying what changes can produce better services, as well as their energy to drive through those changes has been brilliant once again.

And our support team has superbly shown the same tenacity and agility, working with clinicians and partners to introduce innovative changes which are genuinely improving the lives of people.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan principles of prevention, community and digital run through all our work.

We are proud to say it’s been another impressive 12 months for the Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire Strategic Clinical Networks during what has been an unsettling year for many, as reform across the NHS gets underway.

Highlights from 2025

Cardiovascular Network   The team worked on a new cardiac arrest pathway which should save lives. In the past, patients who suffered cardiac arrests outside hospital were initially taken to the closest emergency department. Under the new process they may now be taken direct to a cardiac arrest centre. Neil Mackay, pictured left, who worked for the North West Ambulance Service and now works for North West Air Ambulance, played a big role in this project and received a Judith George Award from the Resuscitation Council UK.

Cardiovascular Prevention   The cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention clinical leadership and team helped design a digital tool to identify patients who may require treatment, to prevent strokes and heart attacks. CVNeed is a population level risk stratification tool which uses GP data to identify patients at risk of CVD who require treatment which has previously not been identified. The work is estimated to have prevented 200 strokes and 180 heart attacks. Dr Aseem Mishra, pictured right, our clinical lead, played a major role in its development.

Children and Young People Network   The Network introduced the Asthma Bundle of Care which led to 190 fewer emergency admissions to hospital. The initiative included new pathways, implementation of training and education, and new ways of working such as Asthma Friendly Schools.

Diabetes Network   The Diabetes team succeeded in making life-changing technology more accessible to people living with diabetes by securing implementation of policy to make effective prescribing of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices available across Greater Manchester, in line with national guidance, and by instigating the implementation of the five-year strategy for rolling out hybrid closed loop (HCL) technology, which automates insulin delivery through wearable pumps linked to CGM and smart phones.

Maternity Network/Local Maternity and Neonatal System   The Saving Babies’ Lives programme continued to improve safety for babies and families in Greater Manchester. For the first six months of 2025, there was a notable decrease in babies admitted to intensive care, with rates falling from 54 per 1,000 in 2024 to 51 in January to June - the lowest recorded since data collection was started by the Maternity Network in 2015.

Neurorehabilitation and Integrated Stroke Delivery Network   The Network’s Neurogenic Bladder and Bowel Service won a 2025 Bladder & Bowel UK (BBUK) Clinical Excellence Award and received positive feedback. A total of 96% of people said they were treated with dignity, with many of them saying the service changed their lives. Read more on the Network's website. Pictured right are people on a Greater Manchester Neurogenic Bladder and Bowel Service (GMNBBS) Experience Day.

Adult Palliative and End of Life Care   The revised Greater Manchester palliative care pain and symptom control guidelines were launched in 2025. The sixth edition of the recommendations for staff providing generalist palliative care were updated after a clinical review led by Dr Stephanie Lippett, medical director at Springhill Hospice, in Rochdale, on behalf of the Network. The review, supported by a task and finish group, included a full consultation of the updated guidelines via the Greater Manchester Medicines Management Group.

Babies, Children and Young People Palliative and End of Life Care

The team supported NHS Greater Manchester in the partnership with the charities Kentown Support – Kentown Wizard Foundation, to develop ‘Kentown Greater Manchester’, which provides an equitable palliative and end of life care offer for babies, children, young people and their families.

Respiratory Network   The Network improved services for 76,000 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in collaboration with health professionals across Greater Manchester. A workshop looked at potential pathway enhancements, how people can better manage their condition and how data could highlight areas for improvements. Pictured left is Sue Mason, COPD clinical programme manager, speaking to a service user at the event.

Thank you

We would both like to thank you for your interest in our networks’ programmes and hope you have a peaceful, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

We look forward to continuing our clinically-led work in 2026, aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of people in Greater Manchester.

Best wishes