Healthwatch in Greater Manchester has published a new regional report capturing the lived experiences of almost 500 people accessing urgent and emergency care (UEC) across Greater Manchester in the past year.
This report, reviewed feedback and lived experiences from all ten local Healthwatch in Greater Manchester. People shared first-hand what it’s like to access care when you’re in crisis, what helped, what didn’t, and what needs to change.
The report, Experiences of Urgent and Emergency Care Across Greater Manchester, highlights serious concerns about long waits, communication failures, and unclear routes into care. It also identifies good practice and moments where staff made a real difference through compassion, clear information, and timely support.
Many people turned to A&E as a last resort, not because they wanted to, but because they felt they had no other choice.
What People Told Us
People across Greater Manchester experienced:
- Long waits and poor communication: Some reported spending up to 18–36 hours in A&E, often with little or no updates, or being repeatedly triaged without progress.
- Confusion over where to go: Many people tried multiple services before ending up at A&E, unsure of what was available or appropriate.
- Inaccessible urgent dental care: Several described being forced to attend A&E with dental pain due to lack of urgent appointments.
- Struggles getting GP appointments: People frequently said they couldn’t get seen by a GP quickly enough, pushing them towards urgent or emergency routes.
- Limited use of pharmacy and 111: While some valued NHS 111 and pharmacy input, most didn’t understand the full scope of support available or how to access it.
- Barriers for disabled people: Stories highlighted distressing failures to provide reasonable adjustments—such as missed flags for learning disability, or inaccessible environments.
But we also heard about:
- Staff making a difference: When staff listened, showed kindness and explained what was happening, it transformed people’s experience.
- Positive feedback about Urgent Treatment Centres, when people could access them.
“We are not just sharing stories, these are themes and patterns that signal where urgent and emergency care is and isn’t working across Greater Manchester. These insights are essential for building a system that works for people, not just performance metrics.”
– Danielle Ruane, Chief Coordinating Officer, Healthwatch in Greater Manchester
The report includes case studies, such as a learning disabled patient left unsupported in A&E, and a wheelchair user whose emergency call response failed. These stories show the real-world impact of service gaps and the consequences when people fall through the cracks.
Our Recommendations
Based on the insight gathered, Healthwatch in Greater Manchester is calling for:
- Clearer public information about alternatives to A&E including pharmacy, urgent dental services, NHS 111 and Urgent Treatment Centres.
- Better access to same-day GP appointments and better out-of-hours provision.
- Better communication in emergency settings, including real-time updates and trauma-informed approaches.
- Inclusive design of urgent care services, with reasonable adjustments built in from the start.
- Joined-up systems, so people aren’t repeatedly triaged or passed from service to service without resolution.
- Stronger awareness of the Pharmacy First offer.
- Co-produced services where patient voice helps shape care from the ground up.
Healthwatch in Greater Manchester is committed to ensuring that the experiences in this report drive real change. We are working with NHS Greater Manchester, Integrated Care System leaders, and local providers to improve care that is timely, compassionate, and accessible to all.
What NHS Greater Manchester Said
NHS Greater Manchester has welcomed the report and acknowledged the challenges it highlights, particularly around long waits, unclear routes into care, and gaps in public understanding of available options.
“Feedback like this is essential to helping us shape better, more responsive services. While we’ve seen improvements in A&E waiting times over the past year, we know there’s still more to do. We remain committed to working with partners to deliver care that meets the needs of our communities.“
-Gill Baker, Urgent and Emergency Care Programme Director, NHS Greater Manchester
NHS Greater Manchester has also reached out to Healthwatch in Greater Manchester to invite us to help shape the next stage of urgent and emergency care reform. This is a positive step toward ensuring patient voice is at the table from the outset, co-producing solutions that are grounded in real experience intelligence.
Experiences of Urgent and Emergency Care Across Greater Manchester