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
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Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Emily Sergeant -
5th January 2022 
