FOI 2026/1563

I would be grateful if you might supply the following information under the FOI procedure.

1. For the current financial year and the previous financial year, please provide the number of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) posts approved by the ICB, broken down by role type (for example: Mental Health Practitioner, Social Prescribing Link Worker, Care Coordinator, Health and Wellbeing Coach).
2. For the same period, please provide the number of ARRS posts filled, broken down by role type.
3. Where available, please provide the number of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) within the ICB that:

– Are utilising Mental Health Practitioner ARRS roles

– Are utilising Social Prescribing Link Worker ARRS roles

4. Where held, please provide the average or estimated utilisation of ARRS-funded Mental Health Practitioners (for example, average caseload or appointments per week).
5. Please confirm whether PCNs within the ICB are expected to use ARRS roles to support:

– Patients with health conditions affecting work

– Fit Note–related activity

– Patients at risk of falling out of employment

6. For the current and previous financial year, where held, please provide:

– The total number of Fit Notes issued by GP practices within the ICB

– Any available breakdown by duration (for example, short-term vs long-term Fit Notes)

7. Please confirm whether the ICB has undertaken any analysis or holds any reports relating to the following and, where held, provide copies of such:

– The impact of ill health on employment

– The use of primary care data to support work and health interventions

8. Please confirm whether PCNs or GP practices within the ICB are currently involved in any case-finding initiatives related to employment, work retention, or Fit Note reform.

1. Under the terms of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) is not required to approve the recruitment of specific roles, as PCNs have flexibility in how they allocate available resources between the specific roles. Therefore, NHS GM does not approve specific posts.

2. The below table shows number of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme

(ARRS) for financial year 2024/25 & 2025/26 (Projected) broken down by role.

**A table was sent to the requester as the response to Q2, however we are unable to upload this onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **

3. As at 31^st December 2025, 40 PCNs are utilising Mental Health Practitioner ARRS roles. As at 31^st December 2025, 51 PCNs are utilising Social Prescribing Link Worker ARRS roles.

4. NHS GM does not hold this information

5. Under the Network Contract DES: Contract specification 2025/26 – PCN requirements and entitlements there are minimum role requirements for Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Two of these roles explicitly include responsibilities for supporting people to take up employment or training and/or to access benefits where required: the Care Coordinator role and the Social Prescribing Link Worker role.

As part of PCN contractual requirements, access to a social prescribing service must be provided, although this may be delivered through sub-contracting arrangements. While PCNs can employ a range of additional roles through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), these roles are not ring-fenced and there is no minimum number that must be employed. PCNs have discretion to determine their workforce skill mix and to decide which ARRS roles best meet local need.

Across Greater Manchester there are a number of PCNs who are currently using Social Prescribing link workers to support the Work Well initiative and economical inactivity trailblazer. The Economic Inactivity Trailblazer is a place-based initiative designed to reduce economic inactivity by addressing complex barriers to employment through four interconnected project elements

6. NHS GM holds fit note data in a report that was produced on 30^th June 2026. This only includes the number of patients issued a Fit Note and not duration. The data looks at;

• Distinct Patients – The number and percentage of the registered population in each practice who have been issued a sick note at least once in the last 12, 6 or 3 months:

**A table was sent to the requester as the response to this part of Q6, however we are unable to upload this onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **

• Total Volume – The total number of sick notes issued over the last 12, 6 or 3 months and this as a percentage of the registered population

**A table was sent to the requester as the response to this part of Q6, however we are unable to upload this onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **

• Average per patient issued – the average number of sick notes issued per patient, where a patient has had a least one sick note issued

**A table was sent to the requester as the response to this part of Q6, however we are unable to upload this onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **

7. NHS GM has not undertaken any analysis or holds any reports beyond that shared above.

8. NHS GM is one of 15 national DWP /DHSC funded WorkWell Fit Note Innovation Fund Pilots The GM pilot is a partnership approach led by Health Hyde PCN and Tameside Council. The new Fit-for-Work Pathway introduces a Multi-Disciplinary Team model providing earlier identification and co-ordinated, person-centred support to individuals experiencing a health condition that impacts on their ability to work.