Greater Manchester’s patients will now get same-day access to a GP, seven days a week, it was revealed today.
The new £15m plan comes after a trial of the scheme covering 500,000 patients across Greater Manchester led to a 3% cut in hospital visits. It also includes plans to boost social care to help tackle delays in discharging people from hospital.
The plan was unveiled at a summit meeting of GPs in Salford, and could be launched at the end of this year.
Ian Williamson, chief officer for Greater Manchester Health and Social Care, said: “We now have a tremendous opportunity to build on established good practice and learning in Greater Manchester, so that we can close the health inequalities gap between our region and the rest of the UK.
“Devolution hasn’t created these new seven-day systems of working, but it can help propel those results quicker across Greater Manchester.”
Around £8m of the £15m funding will come from the prime minister’s Challenge Fund, along with around £7m in additional investment.
