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17 hospitals in Greater Manchester pause non-urgent surgeries as COVID cases rise

The move has been described as "temporary measure" and will not affect cancer and urgent care.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 5th January 2022

17 hospitals in Greater Manchester have taken the decision to pause some non-urgent surgeries and appointments.

It comes after COVID cases have “risen sharply” in the region.

Following the confirmation by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) that in some hospitals in the region, more than one in five patients have COVID, and around 15% of hospital staff are off ill or isolating, the move to pause non-urgent surgeries has been described as “temporary measure” in a statement released by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

The move will not affect cancer and urgent care – including cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and transplantation. 

Speaking on the move, Fiona Noden – lead for elective care in the region and chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust – said: “This has been a very difficult decision and not one that we have taken lightly, but we’ve done it so we can keep people safe, can maintain the very best infection control measures, can make sure we deploy staff to where they’re needed most and can keep looking after people who need urgent and emergency care, including cancer treatment.

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“We would urge anyone with health concerns to continue to come forward for help and treatment in the usual way, using their local emergency department only for serious illnesses or injuries.”

Manchester Royal Infirmary, Salford Royal, and North Manchester General are among the 17 hospitals pausing non-urgent surgeries.

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The full list of hospitals affected are:

  • Royal Bolton Hospital
  • Fairfield General Hospital
  • Manchester Royal Infirmary
  • Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
  • University Dental Hospital of Manchester
  • St Mary’s Hospital
  • North Manchester General Hospital
  • The Royal Oldham Hospital
  • Salford Royal Hospital
  • Stepping Hill Hospital
  • Tameside General Hospital
  • Trafford General Hospital
  • Royal Albert Edward Infirmary
  • Wrightington Hospital
  • Leigh Infirmary
  • Wythenshawe Hospital
  • Macclesfield District General Hospital

Greater Manchester Combined Authority said COVID admissions are “rising sharply” in the region, from 126 on 19 December, to 359 on 2 January, and that inpatient diagnoses more than tripled from 193 to 738, adding: “There are also outbreaks in an increasing number of care homes, which is affecting how people are discharged from hospital.

“The bed modelling suggests these challenges may get worse, not better, in the next week or two.”

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17 hospitals in Greater Manchester have taken the decision to pause some non-urgent surgeries and appointments / Credit: Picryl

The move by Greater Manchester hospitals follows similar precautions are already being brought in by hospital trusts covering Blackpool and Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, and comes as multiple hospitals across the country declared critical incidents over the weekend amid warnings the NHS is “in a state of crisis”.

By declaring an internal critical incident, hospital trusts are able to get assistance from nearby hospitals and other NHS trusts.

They can also increase co-operation between health care centres.

Chris Hopson – Chief Executive of NHS Providers – said that declaring a critical internal incident allows hospital trusts to “carry on providing the services that it needs to provide, particularly the critical and essential services”.

Featured Image – Salford Royal Hospital | Google Maps

News

There’s a FREE Children in Need event coming to MediaCityUK

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Free Children in Need event Media City Salford Quays 2025

An all-new and completely free to enjoy Children in Need event is making its way to MediaCityUK later this November, and it’s bringing along some iconic brands.

Everyone’s favourite yellow bear is returning to Manchester to take over MediaCityUK and rename it Pudsey’s Piazza for one night only.

Pudsey Bear is heading down to MediaCityUK and he’s bringing all the best activities, games, famous food, live music and more for four hours of FREE family-oriented fun.

You can expect to see Pudsey and the team alongside a whole host of celebrities, brand partners and lots of friends when Children in Need hosts its celebration later this November.

Some of the brands which have been announced include staple high street bakery Greggs, a collaboration between McDonald’s and its sports counterpart, Fun Football UK.

DJ AG is just one of the special guests preparing to takeover MediaCityUK this November for Children in Need / Credit: Supplied
DJ AG is just one of the special guests preparing to take over MediaCityUK this November for Children in Need (Credit: Supplied)

Also joining the bill is viral TikTok potato-loving duo Spud Bros, who will be serving up their famed jacket potatoes with an array of fillings to choose from inside their recognisable big red van.

Greggs will be bringing a huge double-decker bus to Pudsey’s Piazza at MediaCityUK with treats on hand throughout this evening celebration, as well as interactive games for you to play.

You’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of a replica Red Arrows jet, which will be situated on the piazza all night long courtesy of aerial experts Royal Air Force.

If that wasn’t enough for you, your night will be soundtracked by the one and only viral nomad music maker DJ AG, who’ll be playing out tunes as part of a charity livestream at the bandstand.

MediaCityUK is the home of BBC Children in Need, so it’s only fitting that Pudsey would throw one of his biggest parties yet right here in Greater Manchester.

Pudsey and his friends are transforming MediaCityUK into Pudsey’s Piazza on Friday, 14 November from 4pm to 8pm, and they’re encouraging anyone to come along, especially since it’s FREE.

You can find out more info HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — David Dixon (via Geograph)/Supplied

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‘I wouldn’t change this career for anything’: trainee probation officer amidst new recruitment drive in Greater Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Probation service officer trainee jobs Manchester

We sat down with Lea, who is currently working towards her Professional Qualification in Probation – or PQiP for short – to become a fully qualified probation officer here in Greater Manchester.

Here’s Lea on life as a trainee probation officer…

So, how did you get into this particular career, and what made you want to jump into the probation service, specifically?

I’ve always had an interest in the legal world and love watching crime dramas. I started off in courts admin, where I was exposed to a lot of different roles in the Criminal Justice System, like probation officers, solicitors, judges and so on.

probation and prison service jobs greater manchester
Credit: The Manc Group

I decided that was the kind of career I wanted, and I feel like, with probation, if you like watching crime documentaries and understanding human behaviour, then it might be the perfect career for you. It was kind of the moment everything clicked into place for me.

I’m sure training to be a probation officer involves a little more than your average nine-to-five, but what does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is different. You do have different priorities; a lot of the time, you prioritise things around emergencies and what is most urgent.

For example, today one of the offenders I work with, who’s only 19, got kicked out of his house, so I’ve been trying to find him a place to sleep tonight to keep him off the streets.

Criminal behaviour is often about taking shortcuts, I would say, so it’s prioritising that situation to keep him on the straight and narrow, but also making sure that the public is protected. I think that the number one priority with probation is public protection.

Typical days can also include making sure offenders follow what they’ve been ordered to do by the court, whether that’s Community Payback or other measures.

On top of that, it’s about making sure they have the support they need. Some people struggle to keep appointments, so we carry out referrals and mental health checks to help them stay on track. 

probation office manchester
Credit: The Manc/Ministry of Justice (supplied)

These all sound like quite emotional situations to be thrown into. How do you deal with the emotional side and high-stress scenarios?

It can be hard on you emotionally. Although you’re dealing with offenders, they’re often in the situation they’re in for a multitude of reasons. It’s about trying to keep a cool head and manage the situation strategically.

You can’t do it on your own – it’s impossible – but as a probation officer, you are the first point of call. You’re kind of like their ‘life manager’ working to make sure they’re okay, as well as following the law.

It sounds like very important and fulfilling work. What’s the training process like?

As a trainee probation officer, it is difficult at times because they really do throw you into stuff, but they do it strategically, slowly increasing the level of cases you work on and providing opportunities to shadow more experienced colleagues.

I can easily lean on my colleagues, and in addition to the practical training, there’s the university side of it as well. It’s quite a dynamic role, and you still benefit from the split between study and practice.

How do you unwind after this job?

That’s a really great question. I cycle to work, and that’s my silent time, so even that hour alone of cycling is a way to keep me off my phone and allows my brain to properly switch off.

I think that’s really important because you can do everything you possibly can to help offenders, and you need to take care of yourself, too.

Do you think you can make that impact during your working day?

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I certainly like to think so. I think it’s important that you do take breaks as well; people forget that it’s not a normal job. You will have to be able to deal with challenging offenders, but it’s just about being resilient and following what you learn in training, remembering it’s about the circumstances they’re in and trying to understand that.

And do you get satisfaction and fulfilment from that?

Oh yeah, absolutely. In probation, there is that pattern of people making the same mistakes over and over again, and you’ll see them over and over again for years, but then you remember that people are capable of change – it just takes longer for some than others. When I’m struggling, I always think of those I have helped turn their life around and take pride in knowing they’re doing better and are happier.

Is there one particular case that springs to mind?

Yeah, there’s one particular offender I always think of. When he first came to court, he wouldn’t speak to anybody, and even when he went on probation, he just wouldn’t say anything or even show up to anything.

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He was then allocated to me – and sometimes it’s not necessarily the officer, but it’s something about that emotional connection, or it could just be how you get along with people – that finally clicked.

I did a lot of work with him; he was homeless, jobless, had an addiction problem and wasn’t compliant with his court order, but now he’s housed, has a job, and he’s doing really well. 

probation service trainee
probation officer jobs manchester
Credit: The Manc

That’s such a lovely story. What skills or qualities would you say are needed to do this type of work? 

The top one would be resilience. Resourcefulness, communication and organisation. Being able to stay calm is a really big one, too. 

What other benefits are there to a role in the Probation Service?

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I feel like lots of people don’t realise that this is one of those roles where you can start at the very bottom and work your way up, and there are so many areas that you can work in the Probation Service

It’s like the NHS: so many different lanes you can go down, different specialities, and it is a Civil Service job, so the pension is really good.

Of course, and lastly, if you were to give one piece of advice to someone interested in a career in the Probation Service, what would it be?

Persevere. It’s not always going to be easy, and you’re going to go through a lot, because it’s a hard job and you’re dealing with challenging people, but you just have to push through because it does get easier.

It is such a rewarding job, and I wouldn’t change this career for anything.

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Interested?

If Lea’s story has made you think a career in HM Prison and Probation Service might be for you, you can find out more about the opportunities in Manchester on the Service’s recruitment website.

You can hear from Vinay, a Community Payback placement coordinator who works in the Probation Service, in the video below.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/MoJ (supplied)

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