When we’re feeling unwell or something with our body doesn’t feel quite right, primary care is usually one of the first ports of call. But the job of our primary care colleagues goes way beyond just listening and writing prescriptions.
Primary care services include GP practices, opticians, pharmacists and dentists. They are the foundation of a strong, healthy community and work hard to provide preventive care and early diagnosis. Developing trusted relationships with patients is key to being able to provide essential care in local communities.
Primary Care Blueprint
To ensure these services remain sustainable, Greater Manchester has launched its first Primary Care Blueprint; a five-year plan to improve access and help people stay healthy in their communities.
After just one year, it is already making a real difference for patients and staff.
So far this year*, Greater Manchester GP practices delivered over 11 million appointments. This is an incredible effort that’s only part of the story.
General practice teams now include a wide range of professionals to help patients get the right care quickly. Many practices offer access to paramedics, care coordinators, dieticians, health and wellbeing coaches, social prescribing link workers and much more.
Thanks to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), more than 19,000 staff have been recruited nationally, including 1,600 in Greater Manchester. You can read more about these roles on our Who’s who at your GP practice webpage.
Greater Manchester opticians carried out over 750,000 sight tests and 66,000 urgent eye care appointments in 2024/25. As part of an NHS pilot, they’re also helping detect high blood pressure. One patient, Norma from Stockport, had her blood pressure checked during her eye exam. The optician spotted dangerously high readings and contacted her GP, who arranged urgent transport to hospital where a heart attack was later confirmed. You can read Norma’s life-saving story here.
Greater Manchester leads the country in delivering the Pharmacy First. The scheme offers walk-in support for common conditions like earache, infected insect bites, shingles, sore throats, sinusitis and urinary tract infections in eligible patients. With 96% of GM community pharmacists signed up to Pharmacy First, the service is delivering more than 25,000 consultations a month – much higher than national targets – easing pressure off GP services and helping patients be seen faster.
More people in Greater Manchester are now able to see a dentist when they need to. In the last year, over 1.3 million people had dental care — more than the year before. All 340 local dental practices are taking part in schemes to help patients quickly, especially those in pain or who haven’t seen a dentist for a while. Greater Manchester is now outperforming the national average, and more patients say they’ve had a good experience with their dental care.
Achievements
Since the launch of the NHS Greater Manchester Primary Care Blueprint:
- 96% of GP practices offer access to medical records via the NHS App. There are over 2.7 million monthly logins and repeat prescription orders – exceeding national targets by 58%
- In 2024/25, all 406 GP practices delivered cardiovascular disease and diabetes high risk reviews, preventing around 180 heart attacks and 200 strokes in just one year
- The GM Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Service (GERS) enabled 4,585 patients to be seen by ophthalmologists, with nearly half discharged without further referral – saving 2,242 hospital appointments.
- NHS 111 referrals into our Community Urgent Eyecare Service increased by 175% year-on-year, improving access and reducing delays
Individual GP practices also support patients in lots of unique ways. Through building personal relationships with patients, they have been able to offer creative ways to support health and wellbeing, including:
- Drop-in sessions to help patients use the NHS App
- Specialised clinics offering for people experiencing homelessness
- Creating their own campaigns to help patients understand the roles of all the different staff
- Additional training to support veterans
Our primary care teams are constantly adapting to support patients in every way they can, often under immense pressure due to heavy work loads and reduced resources.
Primary care isn’t just where healthcare begins – it is the foundation of community health.
We are so proud of our incredible primary care workforce and the fantastic work they do. Thank you to all our primary care heroes across Greater Manchester.
*January to August 2025
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