FOI 2026/1702

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000(FOIA) (or the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), where applicable. Please treat this as a request for recorded information held by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board.

This request is to understand publicly recorded information about headache/migraine service configuration and staffing to inform health system engagement planning. No commercial promotion is intended.

We are contacting the FOI/Information Governance function only for recorded information. We are not requesting any clinical advice or patient-level data.

To help you respond efficiently, I have set out the questions below and provided definitions. If any part of this request exceeds the appropriate cost limit or requires clarification, please advise how it may be refined to fall within the limit.

Definitions (for this request):

‘Headache & migraine service’ means any commissioned, hosted, or directly provided service/clinic (secondary care, community, or integrate) that offers assessment and/or ongoing management of headache disorders (including migraine) for adults and/or children, whether stand‑alone or embedded within neurology/pain services.

‘Clinical/service lead’ means the named clinician responsible for clinical leadership of the headache/migraine service/pathway (e.g., consultant neurologist, GPwER, or other appointed lead).

‘Workforce size’ refers to staff who work within, or are formally allocated to, the headache/migraine service/pathway. Please provide both headcount and Whole Time Equivalent (WTE), where available.

Requested information (please answer for your organisation):

1. Service existence and configuration

(a) Does your NHS body host, or directly provide a dedicated headache and/or migraine service/clinic? If yes, please specify whether it is: dedicated headache clinic; migraine clinic; neurology clinic with dedicated headache sessions; community service; or other (please describe).

(b) Please provide the service name(s), provider organisation(s)/site(s), and patient group(s) served (adult, paediatric, or both).

2. Named clinical/service lead

(a) Please provide the name, job title, and employing organisation of the current named clinical/service lead for the headache/migraine service/pathway.

(b) If there is no single named lead, please provide the name(s) and title(s) of the most senior clinician(s) responsible for headache/migraine care/pathway governance.

3. Workforce size (headcount and WTE)

For the most recent 12-month period available (or the latest point-in-time establishment), please provide the staffing complement allocated to the headache/migraine service/pathway, broken down as follows:

(a) Nurses (including headache specialist nurses/ANPs) – headcount and WTE, and banding (e.g., Agenda for Change band) if recorded.

(b) Pharmacists (clinical pharmacists, prescribing pharmacists, medicines optimisation) – headcount and WTE, and banding/grade if recorded.

(c) Administrative/clerical staff – headcount and WTE, and banding/grade if recorded.

(d) Any other staff groups materially involved in the service (optional but helpful): consultants/medical staff, allied health professionals, psychologist, physician associates – headcount and WTE.

4. Service capacity indicators (optional but helpful)

(a) Number of headache/migraine clinics/sessions delivered per week or per month (or annual total).

(b) Number of new and follow‑up appointments for headache/migraine in the last 12 months (if recorded).

(c) Current waiting time for first appointment (e.g., median or RTT measure used locally) for headache/migraine referrals.

Preferred response format:

Please provide the response by email. If it is easier, questions 1–3 can be answered in a simple table (e.g., Excel) with headings matching the questions above. Where exact WTE is not recorded, an establishment figure or best available recorded proxy is acceptable (please state which).

Data protection note:

This request is for organisational/service information. Where you consider that a personal data exemption applies (e.g., if you believe naming an individual is not appropriate), please provide the job title/role and the responsible team/directorate instead.

NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) does not hold the information requested; it will be necessary for you to contact the Provider Trusts commissioned in Greater Manchester for the information you seek.  To assist you, please find below links to their websites with information about how to make a Freedom of Information request.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of information – Bolton NHS FT (boltonft.nhs.uk)

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information Requests :: Northern Care Alliance

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (mft.nhs.uk)

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information – Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information Requests :: Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care (tamesideandglossopicft.nhs.uk)

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | FOI Disclosure Log

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of information disclosure logs (christie.nhs.uk)

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information :: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk)