An updated statistical guide to what is happening with Health Care in Manchester

It is good to know what is going on with the NHS and other health care departments here in Manchester and so they have released some very up to date statistics.

In Primary Care there are 1,800 Primary care providers and a work force of over 22,000 which may be a surprise to some.

*Dentistry – of 217 practices reporting, 31% of dental practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 21% of practices facing extreme demand.

*General practice – of 240 practices reporting, 32% of GP practices are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 2% of practices facing extreme demand.

*Optometry– of 70 practices reporting, 7% of optical sites are feeling a significant or very significant increase in demand, with a further 1% of practices facing extreme demand.

*Pharmacy – of 88 pharmacies reporting, 22% of sites are feeling significantly challenged and 9% are feeling challenged but coping.

And the stats for Urgent and emergency care:

For the week 21st to 27th November, there were 27,095 attendances; of which type 1 (A&E) attendances were 19,197.

There has been an increase in type 1 (A&E) attendances, which are 1.4% higher when compared to the same week last year.

*Hospital bed occupancy across Greater Manchester (acute trusts) is around 92%.

*Paediatric services have also seen an increase in attendances with bed occupancy over 90% in the last week.

*Attendance at emergency departments for mental health conditions were extremely high during October 2023; however, they were reduced slightly during November 2023.

Mark Fisher, chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester:

“Partnership working across health and social care is a vital part of managing year-round pressures. As we head into winter and the coldest months, we know that local services will face even greater demand. Colleagues working across hospital, community, social care, and primary care services are ready to tackle the challenging winter months.

“The winter months are when we see spikes in colds, respiratory conditions, sickness bugs, trips and falls as well as making some existing health conditions worse. During winter, as pressures grow on all our services, people should make themselves aware of the best places to get help when needed.

“Our ‘get to know where to go’ information campaign can help people understand which service is right for them based on their symptoms and common conditions. By using the right services when people are unwell or need urgent health advice, it can help ensure they get the right health care in the right place, as quickly as possible. There are lots of community urgent access schemes that can help.

“During winter, hospital admissions are likely to rise, and as ever, we will be doing all we can to try and make sure that people can leave hospital as soon as they are well enough to do so.”