NHS Greater Manchester’s commitment to high-quality, fair, and sustainable healthcare
NHS Greater Manchester, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country, serves a diverse population of 2.8 million. We need to support people to live happy, healthy lives by providing high-quality, accessible healthcare services, focusing on preventing illnesses where possible or early detection of illness.
To make sure that the NHS can provide the best care for the maximum number of people it is vital that every penny is spent wisely. This means only funding treatments that have been demonstrated to work and where there is also a high likelihood of benefit for as many people as possible and a low likelihood of harm. We always have to bear in mind that carrying out treatment that is not of great health benefit uses up resources that could be spent on really making a difference elsewhere.
Review of some procedures
To improve the quality and efficiency of services, we are reviewing a list of procedures to make sure they are only used when genuinely needed. This is expected to be completed by the end of the March 2025.
We understand that these decisions may be concerning, and we want to reassure you that they are being made with the utmost care and responsibility and aim to improve the quality and efficiency of services.
What this means for patients
Only specific procedures are being reviewed. Critical care and cancer treatments remain unaffected.
We know patients may be at different points in accessing care and treatment. For instance:
- If you have already been seen by a clinician and you have a date for your procedure, this will go ahead as planned
- If you are waiting for a referral to a clinician, this will still go ahead and the clinician will agree what treatment is right for you, in accordance with the clinical criteria in the Greater Manchester Clinical Policy Statements which can be found here
- If you or someone you care for requires a treatment not currently available, healthcare providers can request special approval for urgent cases which will be reviewed promptly, though some delays may occur
For more information about this review, how to get involved and the list of surgical procedures visit our ‘review of some procedures‘ page.
