Patients in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from faster, easier access to vital diagnostic tests—right in the heart of their community.
A new pilot at the Health Hyde Hub in Tameside is bringing cutting-edge Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) straight to local GP surgeries, helping patients get quicker results without the need to travel or wait for hospital appointments.
Delivered through a collaboration between the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network and Healthy Hyde, the initiative aims to speed up diagnosis and support better clinical decisions—reducing unnecessary trips to A&E in the process.
The new range of tests include COVID-19, flu, and other common infections such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and C-Reactive Protein test (CRP). The testing devices, supplied by global diagnostics leader Abbott, enable clinicians to deliver real-time results and tailor treatment on the spot.
Early feedback from patients and clinicians has been overwhelmingly positive. The service is already helping reduce unnecessary prescriptions—particularly antibiotics—by clearly identifying when they’re not needed, preventing overuse and supporting more targeted care.
Healthy Hyde, a primary care network covering 72,000 patients across eight GP practices, also operates as an Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Hub—providing urgent, same-day assessments for patients, particularly when GP appointments are unavailable, and helping to ease pressure on emergency departments.
The Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network team spearheaded this development through the Point-of-Care testing group, led by Dr. Sharman Harris who is the clinical lead for the group and Katie Moss, Programme Director for the network. They brought together a team of POCT experts and are now shaping a community diagnostics model for Tameside that can be delivered across the Greater Manchester region.
Katie Moss, Programme Director at the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network, said:
"It’s fantastic to see this pilot up and running for patients across Greater Manchester. Bringing diagnostic testing closer to home means faster clinical decisions and better outcomes. This has been a real team effort, and we’re excited to see how it continues to improve care right at the heart of our communities."