Greater Manchester

Digital & Transformation Support

Introduction

In partnership with the Greater Manchester Digital First Primary Care team (GM DFPC team), Redmoor has been working closely with GP practices, Primary Care Networks (PCNs), and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) across Greater Manchester to improve the uptake of online services and digital maturity. 

“This collaboration between the GM Digital First Primary Care Programme and Redmoor Health has been critical in the work to engage Greater Manchester General Practice with the system’s digital transformation agenda. It has been fantastic to see so many colleagues across the city region benefit from the sessions!” – Dr. Chris Nortcliff, CCIO and GP Digital Lead at Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board Delivery Team. 

The programme aimed to equip healthcare professionals with the necessary skills, confidence, and tools to embrace digital services through a structured approach involving training, coaching, and technology enablement. It specifically supported Digital Facilitators, Digital Transformation Leads, and other practice/PCN staff in boosting their confidence to improve digital maturity and online services for patients. 

The Aims

The programme was introduced to support the delivery of Greater Manchester Digital First priorities and build upon the existing work. Digital Facilitators were previously appointed across the 10 ICB localities to assist practices and PCNs in enhancing their digital maturity. They faced challenges in achieving the desired level of influence and impact, which this programme addressed by offering educational workshops at a much wider scale.  

The programme aims were to: 

  • Improve the uptake and quality of online services for patients, ensuring they can easily access healthcare through digital channels. 
  • Provide tailored training and coaching to Digital First Advocates and Digital & Transformation Leads, equipping them with the skills to champion digital adoption within their organisations. 
  • Strengthen the integration of digital-first approaches within general practice, fostering collaboration between GP practices and PCNs. 
  • Enhance digital health literacy among patients, helping them gain confidence in using the NHS App, online consultations, and digital self-care tools. 
  • Reduce variation in digital service delivery across neighbourhoods by providing standardised best practices. 
  • Support GP practices and PCNs in meeting their contractual obligations regarding digital access and patient engagement. 

Programme Delivery

To support Greater Manchester’s Digital First priorities, a comprehensive, structured programme that provided training, resources, and continuous support to practices and PCNs has been delivered. This included:   

Monthly topics specific workshops, covering: 

  • Understanding and optimising telephony  
  • Improving online consultation  
  • Enhancing digital patient communication and engagement 
  • Smarter use of messaging and social media to support patient journeys 
  • Promoting the NHS App and increasing uptake 
  • Improving care navigation 
  • Ongoing learning and development support through the Digital Journey Planner, providing structured learning modules that helped practices implement digital best practices effectively. This work was complemented by improvements to the Digital Maturity Index (DMI), giving practices better data insights to track their progress. 
  • 1-2-1 Support through personalised coaching sessions, offering hands-on support in key areas such as telephony, digital inclusion, and online consultations. 
  • CPD-accredited training, giving healthcare professionals the opportunity to upskill in areas like patient note summarising, digital adoption strategies, and social media engagement. 

Impact

The programme has successfully engaged 98.51% of PCNs and 57.72% of practices across Greater Manchester, with over 2,000 GM colleagues engaging with the workshops. 

Anna Buckle, Programme Manager at Redmoor Health, stated, “The engagement levels in this programme have been the highest we’ve seen in similar initiatives at Redmoor Health.” 

 Key achievements include: 

  • Skill Development: Staff have gained the skills to effectively implement digital solutions, leading to higher service efficiency and an increase in confidence scores from 3/5 to 5/5. 
  • Informed Decision-Making: Enhanced DMI reporting has enabled practices to make informed decisions. 

 Feedback from Digital Facilitators indicates that 100% agree the workshops and webinars addressed their needs, and 100% agree that coaching and training have improved confidence and competence within their teams and practices. These successes demonstrate that with the right training, tools, and insights, primary care can fully embrace digital transformation to improve patient care. 

The Greater Manchester Digital First Primary Care programme has led to significant improvements in digital service usage across Greater Manchester: 

  • NHS App registrations increased by 200,000 users. 
  • Repeat prescription requests through the NHS App rose from 165k (Jan 2024) to 265k (Jan 2025), reducing administrative burdens on practices. 
  • Online consultations more than doubled, from 143k (Jan 2024) to 202k (Jan 2025) improving access to care. 
  • Appointment bookings and cancellations via the NHS App grew from 6k (Dec 2023) to 16k (Jan 2025), reducing demand on phone lines. 

Key Learning

Throughout this journey, we have identified key lessons that will shape future digital transformation efforts: 

  • Engagement is Key: The success of this programme has been driven by the high level of engagement from all stakeholders. The communication team identified the most effective promotional methods to achieve this engagement. 
  • Confidence Builds Adoption: Staff require structured support to feel comfortable using new digital tools. This support programme has provided such assistance, as evidenced by the increase in confidence levels. 
  • Ongoing Support is Essential: Digital transformation is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning, adaptation, and collaboration. 
  • Collaboration Leads to Outcomes: Feedback from delegates highlighted the value of hearing from other PCNs and practice team members. Incorporating keynote speakers and peer learning has resulted in positive feedback. 

”The success of the Digital First - Upskill the Workforce project is a testament to the strength of our partnership with Redmoor and the dedication of our Digital Facilitators. The flexibility and collaborative approach have been instrumental in delivering high-quality training and support across the GM practices and PCNs. This is clearly reflected in the exceptional levels of engagement we’ve seen throughout the project. Thank you to Redmoor for being such a responsive and valued partner in this journey.

Kal PanchalDFPC Programme Director - Health Innovation Manchester and NHS GM

”Working with Redmoor on the Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) programme has truly demonstrated the power of effective partnership working. While system level working can present its challenges, the team led with a pragmatic and inclusive approach, coalescing Clinical Leads, PCNs, GPs, and Digital Facilitators, Transformation Leads. It’s a real demonstration of how Health Innovation Manchester (HInM) on behalf of its ICS NHS GM came together to deliver change. We have proven that successful transformation is not just possible, but achievable through strong stakeholder engagement. I am incredibly proud of the work the team have done to drive this initiative forward, which will bring great benefits to our staff and patients.

Cara AfzalProgramme Director for Digital and Data, leading the digital delivery Team at HInM

Whether it is by training and helping you use and embed technology, showcasing the great work you are doing, or helping you learn from experiences we have been part of elsewhere. Contact us to see how we can transform your digital practice.