Manchester

This section contains information specific to the Manchester locality, including locally-commissioned services, the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, local health profile (compared with national public health data), Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the locality plan.

GMLPC Manchester Locality Lead

Jennie Watson is the GMLPC Locality Lead for Manchester.

Manchester news & updates

Manchester – Healthy Start Vitamins: Universal offer for women and children

Manchester now has a universal offer to women and children using the below clinical criteria so that they can all receive free vitamins.

In Manchester women and families no longer have to be on benefits to be eligible to receive the free vitamins.

Pharmacies do not need to receive a voucher or see the Healthy Start prepaid card before they supply the vitamins.

When you are claiming for a supply transaction on PharmOutcomes you can click the option “no voucher required” so that you can claim for all transactions.

The clinical criteria is:

Women can have Healthy Start vitamin tablets while they’re pregnant and up to their baby’s 1st birthday. Children can have free Healthy Start vitamin drops from birth until their 4th birthday. Babies who are having 500ml or more of formula a day do not need Healthy Start vitamins.

The universal offer only applies in Manchester, the national scheme is unchanged.

If you have any questions or need to order vitamins, email ruth.helen@manchester.gov.uk or phone 07960 728409

Primary Care Interpretation & Translation Services – new arrangements from 1 August 2023

Please be aware that The Big Word will no longer be commissioned for interpretation & translation services in the Manchester locality from the 1^st August 2023 and will cease to provide a service for Manchester Dental, Optometry and Pharmacy Services.

Silent Sounds will continue to provide interpretation and translation services for Manchester Services and a further provider will be added in due course.

The access details for Silent Sounds are included in the documents below, if you have not used Silent Sounds before please ensure you have accessed and used the service before 1^st August 2023.

Telephone Interpreting- 2021 Guide

Further updates will be provided once an additional provider is confirmed and if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Primary Care Team via the Primary Care Inbox –gmicb-mh.primarycare@nhs.net

MHCC – Antiviral Access Points Service Specification

MHCC have published the Service Specification for the Antiviral service in Manchester. This specification is valid between September 2021 – November 2022. A review of the specification is due to take place in November 2022.

Click here to view the service specification

The Neighbourhoods Service Community Safety Team at Manchester City Council are requesting feedback from pharmacies who have or are signed up to participate with the ASK for ANI codeword scheme, please see further information below;

As you may remember you kindly supported us last year with raising awareness of domestic abuse during the first lock down and being a source of information for victims seeking help and support. Some of you may be familiar with and already be taking part in the Safe Space scheme. The Home Office has recently launched a further scheme to complement this work.

The ‘Ask for ANI’ scheme is intended to work alongside and build on this existing work, providing an additional tool that can be used to help people access support within the community. The premise of the scheme is that those in need of assistance can use the codeword ANI in participating pharmacies to let staff know that they require an emergency police response or help with contacting a helpline or specialist support service.

I wonder if you are aware of the scheme and if your pharmacy has signed up to take part? I would be particularly interested in hearing your feedback if you are participating in the scheme so I can share this with GMP, GMCA and Home Office colleagues, to help them refine and improve the scheme further. Please email me at Leanne.conroy@manchester.gov.uk

If you are not yet signed up but would like to take part in the scheme, details of how to sign up are contained in the link below, along with more information about the scheme.

https://www.homeofficesurveys.homeoffice.gov.uk/s/0HK4AO/

Manchester Area Prescribing

Preferred medicine brands for Manchester: This summary explains which branded generics are the preferred options in Manchester.

Blood Glucose Meters: There has been a formulary update for type 2 diabetes patients only. This recommends that patients are switched to the following meters once they have used up their current stocks of strips:

LifeScan – One Touch Select Plus
Roche – Accu-check Performa Nano
Ascensia – Contour Black Edition

Seven-day Prescriptions: The Manchester CCGs ‘7 day’ prescription policy is now available.

Kwells: As you’re probably aware there are supply issues with Kwells. Our mental health team often prescribe these for patients on Clozapine. If you have patients that you can’t supply to, please contact the prescriber who will prescribe an alternative.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Children’s Referral Form: Referral form with guidance to support completion.
Early Help Hubs Referral Form: Referral form to be used when referring families for Early Help in Manchester. This is designed mainly for GP practices but may be of relevance.
Manchester’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) operates a consultation line on 0161 219 2895 that partner agencies can call. Anyone considering making a referral can call this number to discuss any concerns about a child with a senior social worker within the MASH. The social worker will reference the Levels of Need Framework. Where the threshold for social work intervention is not met, the social worker will be able to have an informed discussion with the referrer and, where appropriate, advise that an Early Help Assessment is undertaken or direct the professional to the local Early Help Hub.

Other services

Children’s Community Nursing Team – support for children with health conditions

Palliative Care Pharmacy Providers & Stock List 2017

Manchester City Council Health and Wellbeing site – Useful for signposting

North Manchester EPS RD pilot

EPS Evaluation

One Page Summary