FOI2026/1980

I would like to request the following information held by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB):

Guidance for GP practices

Copies of any current guidance, protocols or information provided to GP practices about the healthcare and registration of Children Looked After (children in care). This could be circulars issued to GPs or general guidance Online access to medical records Copies of any guidance or instructions given to GP practices about online access or proxy access to medical records for Children Looked After, including access through the NHS App.

Health assessments and medical records

Copies of any current guidance or procedures given to GP practices about sharing or providing medical records for Initial Health Assessments (IHAs) and Review Health Assessments (RHAs) for Children Looked After. Any guidance regarding how to raise concerns about children from outside GM or in general that are looked after.

Communications to GP practices

A list of any relevant circulars, newsletters, emails, briefings or other formal communications sent to GP practices about Children Looked After between 1 July 2022 and 19 August 2026, including the date and title/subject where available.

If any of this information is already publicly available, please provide links to the relevant documents or pages.

If the request would exceed the cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, please provide the information for items 1 and 2 first and advise me how I could narrow the remaining request.

NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) does not hold a single Greater Manchester-wide guidance document specifically issued to GP practices regarding the healthcare, registration, online access arrangements, or health assessment processes for Children Looked After.

GP practices are expected to operate in accordance with relevant national legislation, statutory guidance, including

• NHS England guidance relating to the registration of patients with GP practices.
• Statutory guidance issued under the Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004.
• Guidance relating to the health assessment and healthcare arrangements for Children Looked After

Across Greater Manchester, arrangements to support the health needs of Looked After Children are delivered through locality-based safeguarding, children’s health and looked after children services. As a result, supporting information, operational processes, pathways and communications may vary between localities and provider organisations.

The ICB has made enquiries across the 10 Greater Manchester localities and can confirm that support and communication relating to Children Looked After has been provided to GP practices through a combination of local procedures, professional advice, operational guidance and routine safeguarding communications. However, no single Greater Manchester-wide document or communication schedule is held centrally by the ICB.

Information relating to individual locality arrangements has been historically held in locality. The current NHS reforms have created a centralised model that will align these arrangements, and this work is currently underway. The ICB has identified a number of locality-level communications relevant to Looked After Children during the period requested and future communication will be forwarded via the NHS GM Safeguarding team.