The winter planning strategy for 2025/26 outlines steps to keep urgent and emergency care running smoothly, manage hospital pressures and support patients at home.
Plans include boosting capacity in neighbourhood health teams, expanding ‘hospital at home’ services and making it easier for consultants to review patients in the community rather than in hospital.
Flu and RSV vaccination drives are also being stepped up, with the NHS aiming to increase flu jab uptake among staff by 18 per cent.
They will also offer the RSV vaccine to pregnant women over 28 weeks to reduce pressure on maternity and children’s services.
Modelling has been carried out to prepare for potential surges in admissions, with scenarios looking at 10, 20 and 30 per cent increases in demand.
Extra staff are being arranged for peak times, including bank holidays, to ensure services remain safe and responsive.
The plan also highlights ongoing work with partners like social care and community providers to support people once they leave hospital, aiming to reduce readmissions and ease pressure on wards.
Bury NHS leaders say the measures are designed to improve resilience and keep services running as smoothly as possible through what is expected to be a challenging winter.
The plans, set out by the Bury Integrated Care Partnership and Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust, will be discussed at Bury Council’s health scrutiny meeting on Thursday (September 25).
Papers due to be presented to the committee said: “Surges in demand can impact the organisation at different periods across the year.
“The most sustained period of demand is generally from October to March.Â
“This demand presents in waves and is largely driven by three key pathways: paediatrics, respiratory and trauma.
“Our Winter preparedness must focus on creating capacity to deal effectively and safely with this additional demand, recognising that winter escalation capacity is dependent upon our people’s availability.
“Keeping our staff healthy and in work will be essential to the delivery of our plan.
“Our plans have been developed with partners across our localities and with the North West Ambulance Service.”