GP appointments: how many face-to-face consultations took place in your part of Greater Manchester?

It’s been a hot topic for some time - when did you last see a GP face-to-face since the outbreak of Covid-19?

The pandemic has seen a rise in video or phone appointments to help minimise risk of the spread of coronavirus.

However, a Salford GP revealed this week that staff at surgeries were seeing a spike in abuse from patients during the pandemic.

And the BMA called for more to be done to protect doctors following a violent incident at a surgery in Openshaw in September.

But how many appointments are being done in person locally now? ManchesterWorld has looked at the data from NHS England to assess the situation across Greater Manchester.

The data is broken down by CCG (Clinical Commissioning Groups) per area and cover the month of August, the most recent data available. In-person appointments include those in surgeries and the patient’s home.

NHS Bolton CCG: 131, 462 appointments in person = 49.74% of all appointments

NHS Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale CCG: 85, 185 appointments in person = 54.82% of all appointments

NHS Stockport CCG: 129, 296 appointments in person = 56.53% of all appointments

NHS Oldham CCG: 91, 876 appointments in person = 57.15% of all appointments

NHS Manchester CCG: 235, 961 appointments in person = 58.41% of all appointments

NHS Trafford CCG: 65,818 appointments in person = 59.95% of all appointments

NHS Tameside & Glossop CCG: 94,931 appointments in person = 60.9% of all appointments

NHS Wigan Borough CCG: 103, 280 appointments in person = 63.3% of all appointments

Note: Bury and Salford CCGs were excluded due to incomplete datasets.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Every GP practice must provide face-to-face as well as telephone and online appointments as part of making primary care as accessible as possible for patients - the latest figures show that around 24 million appointments were delivered in August alone, above pre pandemic levels, with more than half delivered in person.”