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Oldham residents can now tap into a single network that stitches together GPs, hospitals, council teams, police, fire crews, charities and neighbourhood groups. The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership says the aim is to spot problems earlier and keep people out of hospital.

Behind the change is a recognition that health is shaped as much by housing, safety and loneliness as by medicine. By pooling budgets and data across the ten boroughs, the partnership hopes a youth worker, district nurse or beat officer can flag worries before they snowball into crisis.

For families this could mean a firefighter who notices damp in a toddler's bedroom can trigger a repair, or a mental-health nurse stationed at a school can pick up anxiety before it becomes an A&E trip. The system is still bedding in, so the difference on the ground will depend on how well local teams share notes and follow up.

Oldham Council and NHS services here have already begun joint training so staff recognise each other's forms and language. Early pilots show fewer repeat appointments for some long-term conditions, but managers admit gaps remain in out-of-hours cover and digital links between council and hospital computers.