Manchester expands seven day general practice to three million people

Greater Manchester will become the first area in England to roll out full, seven day general practice services by the end of 2015, after an evaluation of pilot schemes showed a 3% reduction in emergency department activity.

The move, which will offer more than three million people access to full primary care and diagnostic services seven days a week, marks the first phase of the government’s plan to devolve Greater Manchester’s entire £6bn (€8.2bn; $9.3bn) health and social care budget to a new regional authority.1

Announcing the plans on 10 June, officials said that the evaluation of several pilots covering 500 000 people had found reductions in hospital emergency …