Health Leaders and Citizens Advice come together to build healthy advice for the future

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester joined Citizens Advice Greater Manchester, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and local partners to talk about how legal advice can help build healthier lives for residents.

Citizens Advice, who are celebrating their 80th anniversary of providing legal advice in the region highlighted the postcode lottery to advice services across Greater Manchester, saying that the impact on people being unable to access support for issues like Universal Credit could impact residents physical and mental health.

The event, attended by over 90 people highlighted examples of where good advice, delivered at the right moment, can prevent people reaching crisis point.

“Good advice, delivered at the right moment can prevent a downward spiral and is critical to achieving Greater Manchester’s vision.

We need a completely different model of public services that doesn’t just pick up the pieces but gets to the heart of problems before people fall”
— Said Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester when addressing the audience
“I am absolutely convinced that access to good quality information and legal advice is a key component to the holistic health offer. We have to work better together because we serve the same vulnerable groups of people.

As a GP, I cannot talk to someone about managing their long term health condition when their major concern at that moment is how to pay their rent or manage their debt.”
— Dr Tracey Vell MBE, Clinical Lead in Primary & Community Care at GM Health and Social Care Partnership
“It is really important for us all to work together to ensure residents have access to good quality information and legal advice.

Working with health colleagues, and with the right investment we can ensure information and legal advice is truly integrated into the support given by GPs across Greater Manchester””
— Alison Haynes, Chair of Citizens Advice Greater Manchester

Notes to editors:

  • Citizens Advice Greater Manchester is a partnership of all the local Citizens Advice services working in communities across the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs

  • Together, over the last 12 months, the local Citizens Advice services across Greater Manchester have supported 80,181 unique clients with 303,000 problems.  The biggest debt issue was Council Tax Arrears and Personal Independence Payment was the biggest benefit issue.

  • Since April 2019, the local Citizens Advice across Greater Manchester have helped 8,000 unique clients with 16,000 Universal Credit issues.

  • The Partnership comprises the local authority and NHS organisations in Greater Manchester, representatives from primary care, NHS England, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, Healthwatch, Greater Manchester Police and the Fire and Rescue Service. In April 2016 we took responsibility for the £6 billion Greater Manchester health and social care budget. In addition we have responsibility for a £450 million transformation fund (over five years) to help make the changes needed to dramatically improve health and social care and make sure we can afford everything we will need to look after our population in the future. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and visit us online.

Steve Hughes