Greater Manchester’s health, care and NHS services are in a multi-million pound hole – resulting in national health service leaders being forced to step in to fix the spiralling figures.
Among the reasons for the deficit was a shortfall in 'efficiency' savings hoped to be made, as well as months of strike action within the NHS which have come at a cost to the regional system at large, finance committee members said. However, month two’s figures were concerning enough to attract the attention of NHS leaders, heard the committee. NHS England, which provides national leadership for the NHS, is now closely scrutinising Greater Manchester ICS’ performance, with yet further intervention possible if the financial position continues to decline.
A year on from the formal start of Greater Manchester’s Integrated Care System - and £86.5m in the red By bringing all of the resources, planning and delivery under one system, the ICSs are intended to improve and join up health and social care. They became operational in July 2022 under the Health and Care Act, with a specific aim of ‘enhancing productivity and value for money’, according to the King’s Fund – an independent health charity.
ICSs were also intended to give regions more control over their health and care system, using local knowledge of the area and its particular problems. One simplified example is that Greater Manchester residents disproportionately suffer cardiac and respiratory issues, meaning more will need to be spent on that kind of medical care in comparison to other parts of England.
“This challenge is significant and there’s risk of intervention should the system not start to show fundamental improvement in the overall position,” Jackie Murray, the corporate director of operational finance, told the committee.