Greater Manchester launches Circulation Health: a new partnership to find and support people with chronic conditions earlier

• A major new initiative across Greater Manchester will help people at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiovascular‑renal‑metabolic (CVRM) conditions get earlier, more proactive support - closing long standing gaps in diagnosis, treatment and wellbeing support.
• The Circulation Health project will launch in 20 Primary Care Networks (PCNs), targeting more than 18,000 patients – helping neighbourhood teams act early, offer more personalised care and reduce health inequalities.
• Backed by a £7.2 million contribution from NHS partners and Boehringer Ingelheim – combining direct investment and shared skills – the initiative will develop a scalable, prevention‑focused model of care that integrates clinical, lifestyle and community support around patients, creating a blueprint that can be adopted nationally by the NHS.

20 May 2026: A major new initiative has launched across Greater Manchester to help people with and at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiovascular‑renal‑metabolic (CVRM) conditions get the care and support they need early.

The Circulation Health Project brings together Health Innovation Manchester, Boehringer Ingelheim, and the Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board as part of a Collaborative working project to improve early identification, treatment and wider wellbeing support for local communities.

More than 200,000 people in Greater Manchester are living with CKD, and almost half¹ may be undiagnosed. Of those who could benefit from NICE‑recommended medicines, around 157,000² people are not currently receiving them.

Circulation Health is designed to close this gap by helping neighbourhood teams identify people early, connect them to the relevant pathways, and provide more personalised support for those at increased risk of CVRM conditions. The collaboration will accelerate Greater Manchester’s Integrated Neighbourhood Care Model by enabling teams to move from reactive to proactive care.

In its first phase, Circulation Health will launch across 20 Primary Care Networks, to improve testing, diagnosis and treatment, supporting more than 18,000 patients. Clinicians will identify risks sooner, connect people to the appropriate pathways faster, and take a more joined‑up approach to managing multiple long‑term conditions like CKD, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes.

Dr Tracey Vell, Chief Officer, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board said, “Circulation Health gives neighbourhood teams the time, tools and insight to spot risk earlier and act sooner. For patients with conditions like CKD, that proactive, joined‑up approach can make a real difference to outcomes, quality of life and long‑term health.”

Dr Irene Nwonye, GP Lead Circulation Health project Healthy Hyde PCN said, “The Circulation Health project has been a highly valuable and rewarding experience. It has strengthened my confidence in managing patients with complex multi-morbidity, supported by clearer pathways, protected clinic time, and strong MDT collaboration. It is already enhancing how we deliver more structured, proactive and patient-centred care.”

Through the GM Live Well programme, local authorities and community partners will provide access to exercise, nutrition, mental health support, social prescribing, and other lifestyle services – recognising that good health depends on much more than clinical care.

Greater Manchester experiences some of the highest levels of deprivation in England³. The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre (research and economic analysis for the long term) 2024 report projects that by 2040, over 50% of people in the most deprived areas could expect to be living with major illness or to have died by the age of 70 years (premature mortality), compared with less than 30% in the least deprived areas, representing no progress on narrowing inequality between 2019 and 2040⁴.

Circulation Health will reduce these inequalities by:

• Increasing testing for people at higher risk of CKD
• Improving diagnosis and coding, helping busy teams identify people early
• Strengthening care plans and support people to stay on treatment
• Improving uptake of recommended guideline therapies
• Targeting neighbourhoods where need is greatest, using rich local population health insights
• Wrapping clinical care with wellbeing support, building long‑term confidence and resilience

By combining NHS leadership with Industry expertise and academic innovation, the partnership aims to build a model that is both effective today and sustainable for the future.

Maria Tereno, Country Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim UK Ltd said: “Circulation Health reflects exactly what matters most to us – identifying people earlier, supporting them more holistically, and working side‑by‑side with our NHS partners to create fairer health outcomes for every community. We’re proud to bring our expertise in data, and our commitment to prevention into this collaboration – and even prouder of what it will mean for patients who are too often diagnosed late or miss out on the support they deserve. This is the kind of work that shows what’s possible when we align around a shared purpose and act together.”

Circulation Health will create a model of early identification and integrated care that can be adopted across other parts of the NHS. It supports the NHS 10-Year Health Plan 2025 to shift towards⁵:

• prevention over treatment,
• community care over hospital care,
• digital and data‑driven insight, and
• more equitable access for every community.

Laura Rooney, Deputy Chief Executive at Health Innovation Manchester, said: “Circulation Health is a great example of how partnerships between the NHS and life sciences sector can deliver targeted and effective support to address population health challenges, codesign novel approaches to deliver care and provide effective treatment to people who need it most.”

Anna Race, Director of Health Systems Engagement & Partnerships, Boehringer UK Ltd said: “At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are proud to be collaborating with Greater Manchester to identify new, innovative models of care and to support how neighbourhood teams can be embedded into effective system working. This partnership aligns closely with the NHS three shifts and focuses on developing scalable, sustainable approaches that can be adopted across the system.”

References:

1. Internal Data on file. Source GM data. Chronic Kidney Disease in Greater Manchester: the case for early diagnosis and treatment.
2. Internal Data on file. Data supplied by Greater Manchester Population Health Team.
3. The Health Foundation. Integrated care systems: what do they look like? June 2022. Available at: https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/briefings/integrated-care-systems-what-do-they-look-like. [Last accessed May 2026].
4. 4. The Health Foundation. Health inequalities in 2040: current and projected patterns of illness by deprivation in England. April 2024. https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/upload/publications/2024/Health%20inequalities%20in%202040.pdf [Last accessed May 2026].
5. UK Government. Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England. July 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future [Last accessed May 2026]

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About Health Innovation Manchester

Health Innovation Manchester (HInM) is a different type of place-based innovation organisation. Since formation in 2017, we have evolved our operating model and method for how we deploy innovation to deliver demonstrable impact and benefits to local people, system partners and industry. Our vision is to be world leading in improving the lives of local people, transforming care and boosting the economy through innovation. Find out more: https://healthinnovationmanchester.com/about-us/

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve outcomes and enhance lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,300 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/uk