Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what contingency plans he has for hospitals in Greater Manchester failing to meet the Government's A&E target.

The Government has made £700 million – the highest ever figure – available to the National Health Service specifically to help with winter pressures, and to support emergency departments.

Clinical commissioning groups in Greater Manchester, as system leaders, are working with NHS England and local partners including local authorities and NHS trusts to implement local winter initiatives to ensure performance is maintained and patients continue to receive high quality healthcare.

Across Greater Manchester, £30 million has been provided with local plans for this to fund over 70 doctors, 300 nurses and 200 extra beds.