Healthier Together – have your say on the future of local health services

19 Aug 2014

The Healthier Together programme is the Greater Manchester (GM) Programme for Health and Social Care (H&SC) Reform, which is proposing changes to improve care in hospitals and the community

Currently there is unacceptable variation in the attainment of standards and outcomes for A&E, acute medical and general surgical patients across GM. Patients who are treated in evenings and weekends have significantly poorer outcomes.

A key aim of Healthier Together is to deliver services close to home. Therefore it is proposed that every hospital that already does so will continue to provide a 24/7 Emergency Department, acute medicine, elective surgery and critical care. These will be called Local General Hospitals.

In addition, it is proposed that a smaller number of hospitals will provide highly specialist care for patients who are acutely ill and require Intensive Care or Emergency Surgery. These will be called Specialist Hospitals.

The consultation will propose Central Manchester Hospitals, Salford Royal and the Royal Oldham as Specialist Hospitals and then the options for an additional one or two Specialist Hospitals.

If there is one additional specialist site, it would be one of Wigan, Bolton, Stockport or UHSM
If there are two additional specialist sites, it would be Wigan or Bolton plus Stockport or UHSM

This means that the local general hospitals (‘fixed points’) will be Fairfield Hospital in Bury, Tameside Hospital, and North Manchester Hospital. Rochdale Infirmary and Trafford General Hospital will remain as now.

A copy of the consultation document can be found here:

Healthcare in Greater Manchester is changing

Have your say and find out more

Visit the consultation website:

Healthier Together