www.practicebusiness.co.ukMEDIA INFORMATION

INSPIRING BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR PRACTICE MANAGERS

Practice

The changing health sector

DELIVER MORE CARE WITHIN PRIMARY CAREServices delivered close to home, by the people patients know and trust: delivers better patient experience and better health outcomes and it’s much better value for taxpayers – the two key drivers of

government policy.

For the practice, delivering more services is financially rewarding, but it all needs to be managed, and practise managers are the people in place to do this.

GP COMMISSIONINGThe Government is committed to establishing radical changes to the NHS to ensure it better meets the needs of patients at a local level.

In July 2010, it published the whitepaper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’, concluding that GPs were best suited to make decisions on behalf of their patients and paving the way to GP-led commissioning.

Pathfinder CCGs formed, and quickly covered nearly 90% of the patient population in England. Their boards included GPs, practice managers practice nurses and latterly, secondary clinicians.

It is becoming increasingly clear that practice managers are stepping up to take on the management support role in these groups.

Patients are living longer; there are more and better treatments available; but the health budget is finite. The solution:

FACT: no practice

can function or begin

to meet its objectives

without a good

practice manager…

… for a practice

to really prosper,

a great practice

manager is essential.

The evolving role

Practice managers are the professionals to influence when it comes to selecting, specifying or purchasing decisions in the practice.

The Government has publicly linked the success of its own health agenda to the development of a successful primary care sector and for primary care to really prosper, a tier of great practice managers is essential.

of the practice manager

In recent years, the practice manager’s role has extended way beyond its traditional responsibilities.

Going forward, the scope of the role is set to increase further and it is vital they receive focused attention.

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT PRACTICE MANAGERS? THE GOVERNMENT IS…During the last GMS/PMS health chapter, a core theme and outcome was GPs positively delegating all practice-wide management issues to the practice manager.

For the current chapter, practice managers were widely consulted in developing the policy for the white paper: ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’.

And now, CCG boards typically include two or three practice managers – as since GPs generally have little management experience, it is practice managers that are stepping up to take on the management support role.

A study into the practice manager’s responsibility for managing the income and expenditure within a practice indicated that: Practice managers are responsible for managing 68.6% of all income and 97.9% of all costs

Changing the way practice managers do business

Our goal is to totally support practice managers in their role with strategic, management-focused content

If it doesn’t help practice managers to be more effective, it doesn’t make it into the magazine or onto the website

INFORMATIVE, FOCUSED, RELEVANTA MANAGEMENT FOCUS

Our editorial content is based on a clear understanding of the health sector, primary care and, in particular, the way practices and practice management are evolving. We respond with appropriate, focused editorial to support and stimulate the reader in all aspects of their job.

TAILORED TO SUIT

We deliver across a range of media, so practice managers can choose how they want to receive our content, whether it be: daily through our websites, blogs and social media feeds weekly through our email newsletters and alerts monthly in Practice Business magazine. or throughout the year with our conference media partner

arrangements.

We think that to be useful, information needs filtering, context and, most importantly, practical guidance on how best to use it. Like many professionals, practice managers can be too busy to do all that, so we do it for them and deliver it in a format they understand; because we do all that for them, they read what we deliver.

Who is holding the purse strings?

As an advertiser, you can rest assured knowing your marketing budget is going straight to the decision-maker

WHICH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES?Practices are independent businesses contracted to the NHS and so maximising the value received in return for their spend is vital, including: general products and services that all businesses have in common clinical products and services specific to practices. and pharmaceuticals – supply for prescribing practices and

prescriptions for all practices.The practice manager is the most important point of influence when it comes to selecting, specifying or purchasing in the practice.

WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU KEEP IN TOUCHThe health sector is extremely fragmented, which makes it difficult to communicate with. We can’t solve that issue but we can guarantee you the eyes and ears of practice managers nationwide.

Practice Business addresses practice managers with intelligent editorial, relevant to the decisions they make on a daily basis, and because it’s targeted and relevant to them, they read it.

The practice manager has significant responsibility for directly selecting, specifying and purchasing a wide range of products and services. They are also the custodian of the GP’s time and a gatekeeper to practice access

Our Strategywhat makes us

We want you to keep coming backSo our approach is different. We really understand our readers and their market; our highly targeted, original, and useful content engages them; which means we’re perfectly positioned to help you engage with them.

SO WHAT MAKES OURS A STRONG MARKETING VEHICLE?OUR PEOPLE

We have a great team of talented and innovative individuals, who know how to go that extra mile and deliver mould-breaking marketing solutions. You’re in good hands!

OUR EDITORIAL

Our team of in-house journalists understand our readers intimately and deliver valuable need-to-know content that specifically meets their needs, in a way that best suits them.

This means our readership is loyal and fully engaged with our magazines and websites, and in turn, we know them and what they want.

VALUE TO YOU, THE ADVERTISER

We keep the percentage of advertising pages below 30%. We believe it’s the right balance to keep our readers engaged, and give our clients’ advertising content space to shine.

There are also ways for suppliers to get involved editorially, for example through case studies or offering expert opinion, but it is always at the discretion of our editorial team.

Our main objective is to ensure our pages are read thoroughly, which in turn guarantees that your marketing message is being seen and absorbed.

OUR DESIGN & PRODUCTION

All our products feature strong, easily recognisable design that reflects and enhances the editorial quality, ensures they stand out from the crowd, and encourages the reader to pick them up and read them.

OUR SALES APPROACH

Our view is that a true partnership will always benefit both parties. We care about building strong relationships with our clients; really understanding their businesses and their marketing objectives; and then finding the most effective ways to meet them.

We are specialists, and we have way more to offer than simply space on a page. Our publications provide a strategic, effective and proven marketing channel for our clients - a true media solution.

While others talk – we deliver.

Our role is to facilitate good engagement with the key purchasing audience within the primary care sector. They’re extremely busy people with varied roles, and it’s difficult for suppliers to get their messages through to them without a strong marketing vehicle

Approved Partners

We could never do it alone

Our partnership with these individuals and organisations enhances our direct link to practice managers, offering further insight into the areas that interest them.

Our main priority is to deliver relevant, interesting and valuable content to our readers and our partnerships help us to achieve that.

NAPC“The National Association of Primary Care is delighted to have formed an approved partnership with Practice Business. We are confident that its management focused editorial strategy is perfect to help the practice manager cope with the many and varied demands of primary care.”

Maggie Marum

NHS ALLIANCE“The NHS Alliance brings together GP consortia, PCTs, clinicians and managers in primary care. We are an independent non-political organisation proud to be at the forefront of clinically-led commissioning. We’re delighted to be working with Practice Business.”

Chris Hanney

IHM“IHM’s focus is continuous professional development, but we recognise that it will take a varied agenda, delivered by a wide range of organisations, to make a real difference.

That’s why the IHM is delighted to be involved with Practice Business. We believe that management focused editorial, delivered through testimonials, is a great way to help practice managers achieve their own goals.”

Sue Hodgetts

AMSPAR“Is a professional membership and awarding body which provides a range of professional qualifications that sit both inside and outside the National Qualifications Framework. It also offers members advice, support, and guidelines.AMSPAR is delighted to be working with Practice Business for the benefit of managers in primary care.”

Tom Brownlie

ROY LILLEYAn independent health policy analyst, writer, broadcaster and commentator on health and social issues. He also provides consultancy to NHS organisations and the companies providing products and services to the health service.

DR PAUL LAMBDENDr Paul Lambden is a practicing GP and qualified dentist. He has been a GP for over 30 years, with over 20 in practice. He has previously worked as chief executive for an NHS district, LMC secretary, and special advisor to the Parliamentary Health Select Committee.

ROGER HYMASRoger Hymas is chief executive of Healthcare Commissioning Services. He has been CEO of BUPA’s insurance division; founding director of Health Dialog in Boston, USA; a strategic adviser to Humana and Hampshire PCT’s director of commissioning.

Practice Business

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november 2012 07

More work, less pay for practice managers

Basic pay for practice managers has dropped since last year, despite bigger work

loads. The average income is now £38,758 compared to £39,059 in 2011.

There are also substantial differences based on location and practice size. Greater

London remains the top-paying region of the UK, with average total earnings of

£42,263. However, this demonstrates a decline of three per cent since last year.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have traditionally been the lowest paying regions,

however this year it’s Wales, with an average PM salary of £33,906.

For smaller practices (less than 5,000 patients) the average manager’s income is

now £31,589, a two per cent reduction on last year, and for the very largest practices

(more than 14,000 patients) the average is £47,491, a 1.5% increase over 2011.

Bonuses have been in a steady decline for the last few years, however, more

practice managers have partner status – increasing from three to 3.75 per cent in two

years. Partner PMs are more prevalent in medium to larger-sized practices. The average

practice list size for managers with partner status is 12,865 compared to an average

patient list of 8,685 of all respondents. The total average earnings by those managers

with partner status is £55,510 – over 40% higher than for non-partner responders.

For the largest practices, the average manager/partner income is circa £60,000 and

remains unchanged from the previous year.

Steve Morris, of First Practice Management, which surveyed 1,300 PMs, said: “At

a time when activity levels in practices are

stepping up as commissioning gathers

pace, and CQC requirements impose

greater demands on managers and staff,

there is a view that both practice and

personal rewards are inadequate.”

Mark Dowden, sales and marketing

director at Towergate MIA, which also ran

the survey, says PMs are essential for the

“successful running of a practice”, and it is

important they are rewarded accordingly.

Practices must treat ‘health tourists’ or risk discrimination charges

GP practices must register foreign-born patients or

risk breaking human rights, new rules from NHS

London stipulate.

Foreign-born patients include anyone from

overseas students to tourists on holiday as “there

is no set length of time that a patient must reside in

the UK in order to become eligible to receive NHS

primary care services” and they are entitled to the

same NHS primary care as British citizens.

NHS London says “nationality is not relevant”

to whether or not you can be treated in primary

care and practices should not insist on seeing

passports as it could be “discriminatory”. Critics

worry it is not the best use of taxpayer’s money.

Report raises 111 concernsA report on the progress of NHS 111 has highlighted concerns,

including its impact on out-of-hours GP services.

The report by the NHS Alliance, entitled ‘Getting to grips with

integrated 24/7 emergency and urgent care’, raises concerns about

the impact of working towards an integrated emergency and urgent

care system while at the same time introducing NHS 111. It poses

a number of key questions for commissioning groups, including

how well engaged GPs are in urgent care and development of a

local urgent care strategy; Are they ready to innovate, especially

around access? and How well engaged is the CCG in the local

implementation of NHS 111?

The report warns that the non-

emergency number could cause a steep

rise in demand in general practice and

also have a negative impact on out-of-

hours GP services.

Despite these concerns, the

Department of Health argues that

the overall programme for national

implementation is on course and a

survey of 1,700 users carried out by

the University of Sheffield NHS 111

evaluation team has showed high levels

of satisfaction with the service, according

to the report.

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d Practice managers have been illegally selling NHS access. GP practice managers and

‘fixers’ have been filmed illegally selling access to GP

appointments to foreign nationals who would otherwise

not be entitled to free hospital treatment. One practice

manager was secretly filmed for BBC Panorama selling

patient registrations at a health centre to an undercover

reporter for up to £800 a time. The reporter went on to

have an MRI scan, which should have cost her £800 via

private healthcare.

Lone GPs left to cover 500,000 patients out of surgery hoursNHS chiefs are routinely assigning just one family doctor to districts

that stretch over hundreds of square miles, in an effort to cut costs as a

third of PCTs slash night and weekend spending over the past year.

The standard of out-of-hours care had been under scrutiny since

2004, when a new contract enabled GPs to opt out of evening and

weekend duties. Now only one in four works out of hours.

Many trusts have since outsourced the cover to private firms that

hire locum doctors to fill the shifts.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the Daily Mail asked every

PCT in England a series of questions about out-of-hours cover. Of

the 90 that responded, 35 had cut their out-of-hours budgets by an

average of 10% since last year. And 11 trusts employed only one

doctor at night to cover between 180,000 and 535,000 patients.

A spokesman from Serco, the private firm which runs out-of-hours

cover in Cornwall, where GPs were covering the most patients, told the

Mail the company now ensured there were at least two GPs on call.

Almost two-thirds of patients surveyed by the Department of Health

in June found the time it took to get care from their GP service outside

working hours was “about right”. Two-thirds also described their

experience of out-of-hours GP services as “good”.

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Typhoid vaccines recalledMore than 700,000 people immunised against typhoid

recently may not have full protection after a dud vaccine

has been recalled by its manufacturer. Sanofi Pasteur MSD

has called back 16 batches of its Typhim Vi vaccine after

test batches were found not to be strong enough. This

could affect anyone immunised since January last year.

While the faulty vaccine is said to be safe and pose no

threat, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory

Agency (MHRA) worries it could be too weak and

as many as 729,606 people who had the jab may

not be fully immunised against typhoid. The

MHRA is urging people who may be affected

to contact their GP if they feel unwell after

going on holiday. While a working vaccine

is still available, the Department of Health

says it is working with manufacturers to

ensure any supply problems are resolved

as soon as possible. “Anyone who has

been to a typhoid region of the world

and has a fever, abdominal pain and

vomiting should contact a healthcare

professional,” said MHRA’s head

of Defective Medicines Report

Centre, Ian Holloway.

STATS

FACTS&

The amount of staff hours per year it is claimed practices could save using online booking

5,218

(Source: Patient Partner)

“We must ensure that any fee we charge is fair and proportionate. We have set out six principles to guide how we will charge fees, while we move towards the Government’s policy of full cost recovery from providers. In this consultation we are asking for views about our longer term fees strategy as well as seeking feedback on our proposals for revisions to our current fees scheme and extending it to primary medical services. The changes set out in this consultation demonstrate that we have listened to and acted on the views of service providers.”

David Behan, CQC’s chief executive, on the announcement of a consultation on fees

THEY

SAID

6-7 NovemberEHI Live NEC Birmingham EHI.co.uk

28 NovemberManaging change: Transforming the public sectorThe Barbican, London PublicServiceEvents.co.uk

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n 0.87% - the amount basic pay has dropped for practice managers over the last year

n £38,758 – average practice manager’s income

n Greater London is the UK’s top-paying region

n Wales is the lowest paying region.

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10 november 2012

PCTs expand Any Qualified Provider Trusts should have been ready to expand the Any

Qualified Provider policy to 39 service areas last

month, the Department of Health has said.

The rollout of AQP started last April after the

DH identified eight community and mental health

services that could be provided under the policy.

AQP providers need to be approved by a

PCT to go onto a list of providers from which

patients are given a choice.

PCTs are due to have

the contracts for the 39

service areas finalised

by the end of October. They will then be able to advertise these contracts on the

Supply2Health website, allowing providers from the private and voluntary sectors, as

well as the NHS, to apply for approval.

The only circumstances in which commissioners can reject providers is if they

reject the price offered, refuse to agree to local standards or to comply with pathways

and referral thresholds, or if they fail quality standards.

A DH spokesman told GP Online: “The choice of service made available for AQP

is by no means ‘top down’. For 2012/13, PCT clusters were asked to offer patients

a choice of AQP in at least three services which were identified as local priorities

through local engagement.

“Of the 39 services listed, only eight were identified as national priorities. These

were proposed after substantial engagement with national patient groups, and had

their strong support.”

NHS in distress, says RCGP Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the Royal

College of General Practitioners, has

spoken out about the “turmoil” caused

by reforms to the NHS and the pressure

services are under to improve efficiencies

while maintaining quality of care.

Speaking at the RCGP’s annual

conference in Glasgow, Gerada said:

“In England, we were in the midst of the

Health and Social Care Bill – and, despite

assurances to the contrary, the NHS is

experiencing the mother of all top-down

reorganisations. In fact, the most radical

in its 60-year history.”

Gerada said that the whole of the

UK’s health services (despite the Health

Act only applying to England) are under a

great deal of pressure to perform.

She described the bill as “longer

than a Tolstoy novel” and as having been

“rushed through at breakneck speed”. “As

a result, our NHS is in distress,” she said

£1.5m allocated for personal budgetsAs much as £1.5m has been identified to

support the potential roll-out of personal

health budgets, according to care and

support minister, Norman Lamb.

A personal health budget pilot

programme is taking place across 60 PCTs,

an evaluation of which is due before the end

of hte year. In order to be ready as soon

as the findings are known, the Department

of Health has identified £1.5m to be made

available to support the first stage of a

potential roll-out.

Lamb said: “We want to ensure more

care is tailored around people’s individual

needs and preferences. Giving those with

complex health needs the control of how to

spend money on their care gives them and

their doctors the flexibility to try innovative

new approaches to achieve better health

outcomes.

“Subject to the results of the current pilot

programme, our aim is to introduce a right

to a personal health budget for people who

would benefit from them most – the scale

and pace of this will be informed by the

independent evaluation.

“We want to be on the front foot as the

results become known – that is why we’ve

identified £1.5m to support the NHS in

the first stage of the roll out as it starts to

implement personal health budgets.”

This is not new money, but NHS money

put in the hands of patients to help them

decide what treatments work best for them.

People with complex care needs and those

with a range of long-term conditions, such

as stroke, diabetes, neurological conditions,

mental health needs and respiratory

problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD), have been involved in the

pilots so far.

28 november 2012 november 2012 29

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case study

Just over a month ago, Harbours Medical Practice in Cockenzie, East Lothian became one of the first practices in Scotland to introduce a new system to improve patient experience. JULIE PENFOLD speaks to practice manager JANE JOHNSTON to find out more

Patient Access was formed as a social

enterprise in 2011 from a community

of over 40 GP practices around the

UK. The movement now serves over 350,000

patients and continues to grow. The enterprise

discovered a way to improve patient access

to GPs and reduce waiting times, making

clinicians, practice staff and patients much

happier in turn.

Practices using the system use a simple

process of direct communication between

the GP and patient. When a patient wants to

make an appointment, they simply call the

practice as usual; the receptionist takes their

details and the GP then calls them back at a

convenient time. Via this system, the GP is

able to determine whether they need to see

the patient or can diagnose and advise them

over the phone. Participating practices have

found, on average, only one in three patients

actually needs to be seen. Jane Johnston,

practice manager at Harbours Medical Practice

in Cockenzie, East Lothian is the latest surgery

to use the system.

Could you describe how the previous appointments system worked?We offered appointments in advance and kept

a number aside every day to be booked one

or two days before. Patients could also call on

the morning for appointments that day. We

also introduced steps, such as having GPs offer

phone consultations in between appointments

and having a duty doctor every day for

emergencies. However, the problem of never

having quite enough appointments available

to meet patient demand always remained.

The lines were really busy and it was very

difficult for patients to get appointments as a

result. Patients were furious with the situation.

We also had patients who would queue at the

surgery to try and secure an appointment. By

the end of summer, we had over 40 patients

queuing at the surgery. The demand for

appointments was higher than what the

practice was able to offer. Our receptionists

had to say no to patients and would have

no alternative other than to ask them to call

back the next day. Some of our patients were

also able to work out that they could play the

system and gain access to a GP by being added

to the duty doctor’s list for that particular day.

What impact did this have on the practice?We were concerned for our patients and were

looking for a solution that would prevent

them having to call at 8.30am each morning

to try and secure an appointment for that day

or later that week. We had instances of older

patients who were feeling ill that were calling

for appointments and been told there were

none left for that day, they would not push the

situation at all. Instead they would just keep

trying to book appointments day after day;

Changing the System

case study

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32 november 2012

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Property woesTo rent or to own? With PCTs being abolished in April and properties being handed over to a new property services company, is it time to bite the bullet and buy your practice? And if you’re renting, what can you expect when ownership is handed over from the PCT to the new owners? CARRIE SERVICE takes a look at rent and property issues for GP practices

Deciding when is the right time to buy

your GP practice can be tough, but

in less than five months’ time you

could be forced to make a decision whether

you like it or not. Come April 2013, PCTs will

be no more and any GP practice buildings

that are currently owned by the PCT will be

taken over by the NHS Property Services

company. Recent reports in the press have

suggested practices could be at risk of

massive rent increases when the it takes

over from the PCT. GP magazine recently

put in a freedom of information request, to

which 132 PCTs responded and 104 admitted

to not having signed lease agreements for

all the GP practices they currently lease

to. The GPC raised concerns that there is

insufficient information available about the

NHS Property Services company, leaving

many practices in fear of extortionate

rental increases. However, PCTs have now

been tasked with producing the correct

documentation before April and ensuring

that a signed lease is in place for all practices

renting their property. As straightforward

as this may sound, there are a still number

of issues that practices should think about

before they sign their lease. Issues such as

the rent level you will be expected to pay and

whether this will be reimbursed; how and

when your rent can be reviewed; the length

of the lease; restrictions around what the

property can be used for and whether the

building is compliant with health and safety

regulations, should all be clarified before

you sign.

To buy or, not to buy?With all the ongoing issues to consider

around rent, is it worth practices just taking

the plunge and buying their premises?

“Unlike the wider commercial property

market, i.e. office, retail and industrial, we

have seen healthcare rents continue to rise

since the economic downturn,” says Ben

Willis, partner at law firm Veale Wasbrough

Vizards. Demand for clinical buildings

currently exceeds supply due to a number of

factors, including an ageing population and

an increase in secondary care treatments

being moved over to primary care. Therefore,

rental prices are continuously on the

increase. “The rental value of a property is

key to determining the market value of a

property,” says Willis. “So if rents continue

to rise, then the price of healthcare property

will also continue to rise – so now may be the

time for GPs to buy their surgeries.”

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november 2012 45

Thinking of becoming partner at your practice? CARRIE SERVICE looks at the risks involved for PMs and how to navigate the change of role

P a r t n e r s h i p : i s i t f o r y o u ?

For a practice manager, achieving partner

status might feel like the icing on the cake

and the perfect recognition of your efforts at

the practice. The prospect of earning more money

– 40% more than non-partner PMs according to a

recent survey – and having greater influence over

business decisions sounds like a win-win situation,

right? But as the old saying goes, with great power

comes great responsibility and it is not a decision

that should be taken lightly. Practice manager

partnerships are a bit of a rarity, with just 3.75% of

PMs in the UK having partnership status to date, so

if you’ve been approached to become partner at

your practice, you must be doing something right.

Steve Morris, general manager of First Practice

Management and an ex-practice manager, advises

PMs not to get blinded by flattery and keep a level

head. “Manager partnerships are not for everyone,”

he says. “You need to be clear on your personal

motives and do your homework thoroughly – and

in advance.”

Losing your rightsBecoming a partner will ultimately mean losing

many of the basic rights you have as an employee

at the practice, as you will effectively become

self-employed. You will therefore need to decide

whether your relationship with the other partners

is strong enough for this to not become an issue.

If you have worked at the practice for a number

of years – which is probable if you are looking

to become partner – then it is more than likely

that any potential conflicts have already arisen

and been resolved by this point. But if you are

relatively new to your current practice, be sure to

think it through before you sign on the dotted line.

You may all be getting on like a house on fire at

the moment, but things could look very different

when reality sets in and you come to realise that

your partner’s actions directly affect your own

investment in the practice – and vice versa. It’s

also worth bearing in mind that you will no longer

be able to bring unfair dismissal claims and may

WORK LIFEWater-cooler stuff…recognising that every practice manager has a life too!

SECTOR Considered news reporting and comment from our editors and regular contributors.

COMMISSIONING SUCCESS A comprehensive section dedicated to this crucial, health-sector-changing topic. It will fundamentally affect the way healthcare is delivered and is always in and around the front pages.

PEOPLE IN PRACTICEOur best practice management section - real interviews and other inclusions from real practice managers. It’s always better to hear it from one of your own kind.

MANAGEMENT Covering both clinical management and general management issues. For the practice manager, an ideal opportunity to learn something new and make a real change in the way you do your role.

ESTABLISHED2005

USPThe first, and still the only, monthly management-focused publication for practice managers

FREQUENCY 12 per annum

CIRCULATION7,500, comprising:• 6,112 practice managers• 391 practice managing

directors• 997 GPs

OF WHICH(included in the above):• 4,725 are subscribed• 1,321 are in private

(general) practice• 146 are in commissioning

groups

READERSHIPPractice managers within the UK’s GP practices. In our terms, a manager is someone genuinely empowered to make decisions on behalf of the practice, this includes office managers through to practice partners, and everyone in between.

PracticeINSPIRING BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR PRACTICE MANAGERS NOVEMBER 2012

DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORTPromoting your services to the CCG

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BEST PRACTICE MANAGEMENTCase studies, interviews and stories from real people – all examples of best practice, all bringing together the practice management community as a professional group with common goals, issues and interests.

SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PUBLICATIONWe act as a practice manager’s content filter. We read, we listen, we interpret, and we deliver with context. Only relevant content gets through, and it’s delivered with opinion and practical guidance on how best to use it.

The commissionning agenda

PCTs are now involving CCGs in NHS contracting, with a view to transferring functions in full by April 2013 (when the PCT will be completely abolished). But transferring of functions is happening now, with more advanced CCGs already powering forward and implementing strategy for commissioning.

This year will see a high shift in funds transferred to CCGs with plans and outlines already in place. This is why it is important to begin discussions with CCGs now, and be in the minds of commissioning boards who will overlook budget transferring. Commissioning Success is leading the way to provide that communication path.

With the implementation of commissioning in the NHS, the former PCTs will eventually slide away to be replaced by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG). The listening exercise earlier the year resulted in the changes to the levels of responsibility being placed at the CCG (then known as GP consortia) – at present a £60bn budget for primary, secondary and acute care will rest with the board members of the CCG, who will work under their respective commissioning board.

If the Health Bill goes to plan, the future of funding in the NHS lies with the CCGs and their commissioning boards at group area level and practice managers for individual practices – there will of course be some cross-over with PMs who also represent at board level.

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We published Practice Business as the first monthly magazine of its kind for the health sector more than seven years ago and stands firm as a champion of anyone

in a business, financial or management role in health. Commissioning Success, brought to you by the Practice Business team, is a magazine that supports individuals involved with the new commissioning agenda.

The CCG agenda and the future of NHS funding means an increased opportunity for healthcare service providers and suppliers – a more fragmented point of influence, with more local knowledge, equates to a much bigger opportunity – the only challenge is finding a route to the decision-maker audience. That’s where Commissioning Success comes in.

What is Commissioning Success?

We guarantee a captive audience for your marketing message. We have a dedicated team of health journalists in-house. Their focus is always on the best content for the CCG board audience. Coupled with our excellent specialist contirbutor list, the Commissioning Success editorial content is bang on remit and of great interest to the reader.

Our strapline, ‘supporting excellence in healthcare’, drives everything that makes us unique and leading in this sector. We feature a host of editorial content to help decision-makers involved with CCGs choose the right options to ensure they do best by their patient population. From case studies to in-depth sector analyses, quick tips to news, Commissioning Success has all the information to help make those decisions,

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whether they be financial, managerial or strategic in nature.

The face of healthcare in the UK is changing, and will continue to change, Commissioning Success will walk the path with its readers, offering insight, support and information along the way, helping them to be at the very top of their game.

At Commissioning Success, we ensure our on-target and meaningful editorial delivers a captive audience to our advertising partners. Associating with our publication in front of our captive audience will be crucial in delivering your marketing message to the commissioning groups. This means your marketing spend works harder by not only hitting the relevant people, but ensuring it’s placed within a framework that is extremely effective.

There is a difference between knowing who you need to reach and reaching them effectively

Commissioning Success

COMMISSIONING UPDATEThis section will feature news, views, analysis and commentary surrounding the progress of clinically-led commissioning and the Health and Social Care Bill. Here we will take an in-depth look at budget handovers, clinical commissioning group mergers and any news surrounding best practice in commissioning and policies from the NHS Commissioning Board.

COMMISSIONERS IN ACTIONThe Commissioners in Action section will focus on movers and shakers and forward-thinkers in the clinical-commissioning sector. It will include interviews with commissioning leaders, diary pages from commissioners and CCG case studies. Readers will turn to this section for a look at how other people in the rest of the country are undertaking the commissioning task and learn by example.

COMMUNITY CARECommunity Care will feature articles and case studies surrounding improved clinical pathways in the community, as well as moves towards better integrated care and any examples of a CCG that is undertaking a specific project or method to see their commissioning through in their local community. This section will also feature best-practice articles on improving patient engagement and outreach, alongside success stories on how CCGs are tackling conditions in their local area.

INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGYData management and technology will play a huge part in successful clinician-led commissioning. Here we look at innovations in managing information and IT that will help a CCG succeed at delivering care to its local population – whether it be procuring better machines for clinics or improving the back-office system used across your member practices.

MANAGING COMMISSIONINGThis section will focus on the logistics behind delivering better commissioning. It aims to help readers see-through their commissioning plans succinctly and successfully. It will focus on budgetary issues, and ensuring CCGs make the most of the Government’s £25 per patient management allowance. Here we will also feature interviews and advice from PCTs and SHAs invested in seeing the NHS succeed under the reforms. It will also touch upon how to get the member practices of your CCG to get involved in commissioning and contribute their support.

UPDATENEWS

04 | SEPT/OCT 2012

NEWS

SEPT/OCT 2012 | 05

UPDATENEWS

SEND IN YOUR STORIESWe are always looking for local commissioning news. If you have a story to share, email editor@intelligentmedia.co.uk.

CLINICAL CORNER

TRUSTS DENYING TREATMENT ARE BREAKING THE LAW

Patients who are denied approved drugs

by their local health trust should take

legal action, Sir Michael Rawlins, chair

of the National Institute for Clinical

Excellence (NICE) wrote in the HSJ.

He said “numerous trusts” were

unlawfully denying patients drugs

approved by NICE or were employing

“delaying tactics” to save money and that

this should not be tolerated.

He gave the example of patients with

retinal vein occlusion who would benefit

from dexamethasone intravitreal implants,

but many trusts have been refusing the

treatment for financial reasons.

There is also sometimes dispute

between the PCTs and hospitals on who

should pay for the treatment – often at

the expense of the patient’s sight.

Sir Michael called on campaign

groups like RNIB to seek judicial overview

to ensure rightful provision of the

treatment. He also called on clinicians to

“whistle-blow” on trusts failing to provide

the drugs and treatments patients are

legally entitled to.

The two operations directors of the NHS

Commissioning Board Authority’s national

leadership team have been named.

Ann Sutton, currently chief executive of

Kent and Medway PCT cluster, has been made

director of NHS commissioning (corporate)

and will be responsible for devising and

overseeing the national framework for the NHS

Commissioning Board’s direct commissioning

responsibilities,. including specialised services,

primary care, public health, healthcare for

military personnel and their families and for

offenders.

While Lyn Simpson, currently NHS director

of operations in the Department of Health, has

been appointed director of NHS operations

and delivery (corporate) responsible for NHS

planning and performance, assurance of

delivery by CCGs and national lead for NHS

emergency preparedness, resilience and

response.

Ian Dalton, chief operating officer

and deputy chief executive of the NHS

Commissioning Board Authority, commented:

“These two posts will provide the strategic

leadership and oversight to ensure that

we have a strong, innovative and patient-

focused commissioning system that improves

outcomes, tackles inequalities and supports

the NHS in England to be the best it can be.”

FIRST LOCAL AREA TEAM DIRECTORS

The first round of appointments to the 25 local

area team director posts has also been made

as follows:

North

• Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral: Moira Dumma

• Merseyside: Clare Duggan

• Greater Manchester: Mike Burrows

COMMISSIONING BOARD: KEY DIRECTORS APPOINTED

• South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw: Andy

Buck

• North Yorkshire and Humber: Chris

Long

• Durham, Darlington and Tees: Cameron Ward.

Midlands and East

• Essex: Andrew Pike

• Hertfordshire and the South Midlands: Jane Halpin

• Leicestershire and Lincolnshire: David

Sharp

• Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire: Derek Bray

• Shropshire and Staffordshire: Graham

Urwin

• Birmingham and the Black Country: Wendy Saviour.

•

London

• London: Simon Weldon

South of England

• Surrey and Sussex: Amanda Fadero

• Wessex: Debbie Fleming

• Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly: Ann James.

BIT OF BACKGROUND

There will be 27 local area teams with staff

working from a number of office bases across

their geographical area. All local area teams

will have the same core functions around

CCG development and assurance, emergency

planning, resilience and response, quality and

safety, configuration, system oversight and

partnerships and stakeholder engagement,

with the senior leadership of the local area

team participating as a full partner on health

and wellbeing boards.

A Family Doctor Association survey of 100

commissioning GPs showed that GPs want to

be consulted at every stage of commissioning

in a genuine two-way dialogue with CCGs.

The study also found there to be a wish

for democracy and genuine representation of

practices and protected time for doctors to

increase their involvement.

Over 50% of GPs questioned felt able to

influence their CCG’s decision making, but

one in eight (13%) felt unable to do so and felt

disempowered.

There was also a clear desire for a fresh

start. National chairman Dr Peter Swinyard

said: ”The message to CCGs is clear. Talk with

your member practices and listen to them.”

GP practices want to be more involved

LOCAL NEWS

Hospitals in England are not supplying

accurate patient data to the wider NHS,

which could undermine GP commissioning,

a report published by the NHS Information

Centre claims.

The report found that up to a fifth of

data returns by hospitals and councils

contained errors in patient records and cited

the ‘reorganisation and reconfiguration of

services’ as a factor leading to poor returns.

On average, hospital trusts made errors in

seven per cent of all data submissions, likely

to have affected millions

of patients’ data.

Poor hospital data threatens commissioning

CLINICAL ENGAGEMENT DRIVES MAJOR SAVINGS AT ESSEX TRUST

Significant savings were made at Mid Essex

Hospital Services NHS Trust by clinical and

non-clinical teams working together to

reduce procurement costs in the areas of

reconstructive and trauma orthopaedics.

Over £300,000 was saved in three months

on hip products alone, with the final savings

across all categories, including upper and

lower limb, trauma and pulse lavage, forecast

to be £500,000, representing a 28% saving.

A cross-functional commercial and clinical

team was formed that reported directly to the

clinical director, CFO and COO.

Bill Martin, consultant orthopaedic surgeon

and lead clinician on the procurement project,

said: “The initial worry that financial pressures

would lead us towards accepting substandard

implants or major inventory changes has not

been borne out, and it was reassuring to be

involved in the process as a surgeon.”

The work is part of a wider programme

of procurement cost reduction, led by

procurement consultancy Inverto.

UK MD Richard McIntosh said: “The results

clearly demonstrate the power of clinical

engagement and what can be achieved when

you combine specialist procurement expertise,

clinical and commercial expertise and the

backing of the trust board.”

National award for NHS Nottingham City CCG

NHS Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning

Group (CCG) was named BMJ Clinical

Commissioning Team of the Year.

Dame Barbara Hakin, national MD

of commissioning development at the

Department of Health, sat on the awards

panel and said of the judging process: “We, as

judges, were unanimous in our decision that

the winners should be Nottingham City. They

showed strong leadership, great organisational

development and were really looking at an

enormous number of areas where they could

effect change. But most of all, what stood

out for us was that they were already making

changes and delivering better outcomes.”

Macclesfield GPs receive faster A&E updates

East Cheshire NHS Trust’s A&E department

can now collate and send clinical patient

information to GPs electronically for all patients

that attend the department.

This development complements the

eDischarge Notification Forms (eDNF) to GPs

– a system that has helped them achieve an

84% compliance for meeting the NHS 24-hour

communications delivery target.

Patient information is input into

Extramed (the operational management and

coding system for all A&E attendances) this

automatically generates a discharge letter,

which is then stored and delivered electronically

to GP practices across Cheshire, streamlined by

Medisec Trust eDelivery software.

Customer service delivery manager Debi

Lees said: “Patients visiting their surgery after

being discharged from our A&E Department

the previous day can now rest assured their GP

will be fully up-to-speed with their condition

and any emergency treatment they may have

received. This marks another significant step in

our continuing drive to improve patient care.”

16-17 OctoberFour Nations, One Challenge – Improving

Patient Outcomes

Manchester Central

FMLMconference.com

DIARY

SEPT/OCT 2012 | 17

IN ACTIONCASE STUDY

IN ACTIONCASE STUDY

T H E C O L L A B O R AT O R S

Clinical commissioning groups in the southwest have found strength in numbers. POLLY ELLISON looks at how federating has helped their smaller practices survive

The GP federation model

adopted by Somerset

Clinical Commissioning

Group, although still

evolving, must be one

of the most successful

approaches to commissioning being carried

out around the country.

A nominated GP from each federation

sits on the CCG board, ensuring that each

federation has equal representation, in the

well-organised over-arching structure of

the CCG. The key to the CCG’s success

is in its recognition that the nine GP

federations in Somerset differ from each

other geographically, and that they have

very different patient populations. In order

to tackle this, each federation has adopted

a different way in which they operate; a

different working style and their aspirations

vary tremendously from federation to

federation. Recognising this, and supporting

it, by allowing the appropriate management

funds to flow through to local level, the

CCG has empowered its GPs to become

actively part of the commissioning process.

One example of this is the South

Somerset Healthcare Federation. The

federation is made up of 17 practices serving

108,000 patients across a region from

Langport to Yeovil, through to Wincanton.

As Len Chapman, treasurer of South

Somerset Healthcare Federation, explained:

“What we have developed is a federation

of the South Somerset practices, with our

focus on the commissioning agenda, with a

view to interacting with the Somerset CCG

in order to do that.” Aiming to provide

effective, coordinated commissioning and

healthcare provision via existing and new

services, the group is used to working

together, having originally been a co-op

providing out-of-hours services and part of

WyvernHealth, delivering practice-based

commissioning. Those involved have a

wide range of skills and local knowledge.

They are also establishing close working

relationships with other stakeholders in

the area, such as Yeovil District Hospital

Foundation Trust, Somerset NHS, Somerset

County Council and Somerset Partnership.

POWER TO THE PM

The federation currently has a monthly

evening meeting for GPs and practice

managers plus a monthly steering group

meeting to facilitate the implementation

of agreed work plans. They are proposing a

change to regular meetings of a smaller GP-

and practice manager-led working group,

bi-monthly federation evening meetings and

task groups as required for specific subjects.

The federation holds educational

workshops, such as a recent reablement

programme, which gives the group more

information on the new reablement service

and telehealth and provides it with an

opportunity to learn more about the aims of

the joint NHS/local authority programme.

Another development has been to assign

practices to one of three working sub-groups

to cover important areas of work, such as

paediatric emergency admissions, zero- and

short-length-of-stay admission, as well as

identifying local commissioning priorities.

The close working of the GPs with their

practice managers is the key to success, as

practice managers are involved in all that

is going on. In some areas of the country,

practice managers would not necessarily

know who the GPs on the CCG board were,

never mind being involved in working

with them and assisting with the

development of services. Tapping into

the expertise of practice managers is so

important as they form the essential link

SEPT/OCT 2012 | 2726 | SEPT/OCT 2012

COMMUNITY CARESHARING SERVICES

COMMUNITY CARESHARING SERVICES

Sharing services between practices sounds like a practical way of ensuring patients have access to a range of treatments in their local area. So why aren’t we seeing more CCGs implementing the idea? CARRIE SERVICE investigates

Sharing services should be

easy and effective. In theory,

a GP who is trained to

provide a specific treatment

should be able to provide

this to anyone within the

local community who needs it. It should

be as simple as a couple of clicks on a

mouse and a taxi to take the patient to

the nearest provider. However, for one

reason or another, this has not been the

case for many. I spoke to David Thorne,

chief executive of Newcastle West

Clinical Commissioning Group, about the

challenges involved in sharing services.

PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE

Newcastle West is a small but extremely

proactive CCG for one of the most deprived

inner city populations in the country.

Thorne explains that although the group is

well engaged they have still not managed

to get around some of the practical issues

that prevent practices from sharing services.

One service that Thorne believes does have

the potential to be shared is contraceptive

implant fitting. Some patients may prefer

to be fitted by a female GP and the CCG

recognised the potential for the service

to be made available to patients from

outside practices where a female GP wasn’t

to each other.” Not having a universal IT

system across the CCG meant that medical

notes could not be easily shared, creating a

clumsy process that in theory should have

been pretty straightforward. There was

also the issue of payment and who should

be acknowledged for having provided the

service. “It’s always the same things that

come up about systems, permission, and

contractual issues around payment,” reflects

Thorne. “It’s just the sheer complexity of the

NHS and the arcane nature of the system.

Can you get a £25 payment for putting that

contraceptive implant in, even though it

wasn’t your patient?”

Another drawback that has made

many wary of referring patients to a

different practice is the danger of losing

them altogether – do practices really

want to risk sending their patients off to

a GP that they might prefer? “That is a

concern [of many],” says Thorne. “But

in our practices it isn’t.” He puts this

down to good teamwork and collaboration

across the group. An issue that he believes

does warrant some concern, however, is

transport: “Because most of our patients

don’t own cars and they are on very low

incomes, there are practical difficulties

about how you get someone from one place

to another. In theory, there’s no problem at

all, we’ll get some kind of small contract

with a taxi company to take people back

and forth.” In practice though, this never

quite came off, but Thorne stresses it is

something that will have to be addressed

for services to be successfully shared in

deprived areas.

THE FUTURE

Despite not seeing much success with it

so far, Thorne does believe there is a bright

future in sharing services; commissioners

just need more time to tackle some

of the practical issues involved. With

authorisation taking up a great deal of

time over the past six months, there has

been little left over to spend on planning

“Everybody knows what we want to do, but not how to do it”

&SHARE

SHARE ALIKE

new projects. “We’re frustrated,” he tells

me. “We were making more progress on

clinical projects last year than we probably

are now. And we’re a very active group

– although we’re small we have forty

clinical commissioning projects going on

at the moment.” As well as relaunching

the contraceptive implant shared service,

there are other projects that Thorne is

hoping to see develop nicely after the

storm has settled, including a new nurse-

based ENT service for syringing ears. This

would work in the same way, with nurses

based in peripheral sites so that if the

practice nurse isn’t available that day, the

patient can be referred elsewhere. What

commissioners need now, says Thorne,

is some success stories so that they can

follow suit: “Everybody knows what we

want to do, but not how to do it. It’s getting

the right people together, going through

it and cracking all of these permission

issues and transactional-type boundary

issues, and then using that in a way that

you can replicate as a template for other

specialties.”

available. With this in mind, Newcastle

West trained up around 30 of their female

GPs in hope of allowing patients from

practices in surrounding areas to use the

service. However, the project didn’t achieve

the level of success that Thorne believes

it could have, and has now fallen by the

wayside. When I ask why, he explains that

there are practical issues that may seem

trivial, but have a profound impact on the

success of this sort of project: “The practical

difficulties you always get with things like

this are the clinical IT systems that practices

have. We’ve only got 18 practices, but we’ve

got four different systems and they don’t talk

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYDIGITAL COMMUNICATION

30 | SEPT/OCT 2012 SEPT/OCT 2012 | 31

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYDIGITAL COMMUNICATION

D I G I T A L D I S S E M I N A T I O N

The myriad communication possibilities opened up by the power of the internet offer a cost-effective

and relatively simple way for commissioning groups to release information and gain feedback

from the patient population. GEORGE CAREY finds out what options are available

From surveys to digital services and social

networking, there are now more ways

than ever to inform and keep in touch

with your patient population. While

some elderly patients may have resisted

the move to disperse more information

through digital channels, this method is constantly

increasing in popularity and will only do so at a faster

rate in years to come. So what are the best ways to

harness the internet to enable your commissioning

group to benefit its patients?

SURVEYS

Surveys in healthcare are nothing new but the digital

age has made them significantly easier to carry out.

The entire process has been streamlined and the

difference in costs is huge, with no paper or expensive

postage to consider. Making patients aware of the

surveys is now simple through email and the increased

feeling of anonymity can result in a higher rate of

survey completion and entirely uninhibited answers

from those who do choose to participate. Collating

the data has been simplified as well, with software

available to analyse and interpret the information

supplied at the click of a button and present it clearly

and attractively in a range of different formats. It

can then be distributed among all members of a

commissioning group with ease to aid a discussion of

the results.

DIGITAL SERVICES

The NHS has embraced the chance to enrich patients

lives with digital services and a great example of

this is the NHS Information for Parents service,

launched in May. It gives new parents information and

advice they can trust, covering a wide range of issues

related to staying healthy in pregnancy, preparing

for birth and looking after their baby. By signing up

to the service, parents-to-be and new parents receive

regular emails and text messages containing relevant

and timely NHS-approved advice as their pregnancy

develops and as their child grows. Links to videos

showing midwives demonstrating practical advice such

as bathing babies, and parents discussing issues that

affected them and how they supported each other, will

also be sent at appropriate times.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

With 50% of the UK now using Facebook and the

increasing prevalence of Twitter in everyday life,

social networking can be an incredibly effective tool

for commissioning groups to communicate with those

whose care they are responsible for. One of the biggest

challenges is using social media and other digital

channels without breaching confidentiality rules and

regulations, when you are potentially talking about

people’s very private healthcare needs. Alex Talbott

is digital communications officer for NHS London

and founder of NHS Social Media (nhssm.org.uk), a

blog designed to help NHS staff and those interested

in healthcare and the web communicate. He believes

that confidentiality is not under as much threat from

social media as some would make out: “It’s something

we’ve discussed a lot on the NHSSM blog and time

and again people try to knock social media out of the

comms toolbox because of confidentiality issues. Of

course there are issues around that, but we shouldn’t

just throw it out because of this one concern, there

are too many positives that we can get out of it.” He

goes on to explain: “The standard rule applies that if

you don’t want to say it in public, don’t say it through

social media.”

It is important to bear in mind that CCGs do so

much more than treat people and there is a duty to

inform patients of vital public health messages. This

is where social media is at its most useful. Already,

initiatives such as NHS Smokefree are using a

Facebook page as a place for people using the

service to keep up to date with important

information and discuss their experiences with

other people trying to give up smoking. It’s these

kinds of applications of social networking that use all

of its strengths and avoid its potential pitfalls. While

these pages can be vulnerable to trolling – perpetual

posting of abusive messages – and other internet

abuses, it doesn’t use any confidential information

and therefore poses little threat to those using the

service. Talbott concludes: “There needs to be an

understanding that social media isn’t big and scary and

only for big companies to mess around with. There

is a possibility here for the NHS and other healthcare

providers to increase the service offer that they

currently have for patients.”

It’s time to digitise your interaction with patients

and ensure that you are getting full value from the

huge range of communication tools available. Research

carried out in June by NHS Local involving 328 people

found that more than half of those questioned would

be happy to Skype their GP. Proof if it were needed

that these advances in communication will continue

to diversify. The most progressive CCGs will grasp the

chance with both hands.

“New parents receive regular emails and text messages containing relevant and timely NHS -approved advice as their pregnancy develops”

Y O U R G U I D E T O commissioning

H A S L A N D E D

A bi-monthly magazine from the Practice Business team to help you succeed in commissioningCommissioning Success promises to be the only

management title specifi cally targeted at CCG board members, participants in commissioning, and all related health networks and shadow boards

So whether you’re on a the board of a clinical commissioning group, participating in commissioning, a provider or interested from the side-lines, stay one step ahead of the Government’s plans to give clinicians power over £60bn of the NHS’ budget. This magazine is aimed at GPs, practice managers, secondary healthcare clinicians and nurses – anyone who has an active role in commissioning. It will provide them with the must-have tips and tools to make a success of clinically-led commissioning.

Be one of the fi rst to sign up and receive a six-month

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commissioningsuccess.comsubscriptions@intelligentmedia.co.uk

PRACTICEBUSINESSBROUGHT TO YOU BY THE TEAM BEHIND

FREQUENCYBi-monthly

CIRCULATION2,500 board members of CCGs2,000 other individuals active within the CCG arena500 NHS trust executives200 PCT executives**Contact us for the most up-to-date circulation figures

READERSHIPCCG board members, participants in commissioning, and all related health networks and shadow boards .

ESTABLISHEDMarch 2012

COMMISSIONING SUCCESS IS A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE AIMED AT HELPING CLINICAL COMMISSIONERS GET THE BEST OUTCOMES

Launching in March 2012, Commissioning Success will be the only commissioning title specifically targeted at helping CCG board members, participants in commissioning, and all related health networks and shadow boards manage the NHS reforms successfully.

It will be a must-read for anyone interested in clinically-led commissioning. Whether they’re on a the board of a clinical commissioning group, participating in commissioning, a provider or interested from the side-lines, Commissioning Success magazine will help them stay one step ahead of the Government’s plans to give clinicians power over £60bn of the NHS’s budget.

Commissioning Success is a unique proposition. It’s a focused publication for a focused audience; a management agenda magazine, with relevant and useful information covering all aspects affecting commissioning. Editorial is never sold, it’s written for the audience and not the sector suppliers – we make no apologies for that – because the more people that read it, the more beneficial it is to everyone.

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vendor profile | pelican

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vendor profile | pelican

practicebusiness.co.uk | july 2011

In quality we trustPelican Feminine Healthcare is a name GP practices trust. Practice Business finds out more about the company and just what makes it such a trustworthy name in the world of disposable feminine health supplies

Quality has always been a priority for buyers of healthcare products. Purchasing high-calibre clinical supplies is instrumental to the health and wellbeing of patients and with the onset of increased patient choice of GP practice, never has this been more important. A debate at the BMA’s annual conference last month further reiterated the importance of the subject when it called on the NHS to take a firmer stance on procuring products from trustworthy sources.

One company that has always prided itself on the trustworthiness and reliability of its products is Pelican Healthcare. Under the mission statement ‘quality, service, trust, innovation and value’, Pelican has a loyal fan-base of GPs, nurses and practice managers who are confident in the fact its disposable medical products will not let them or the patient down.

Pelican started life in 1994 and from the outset manufactured disposable products for stoma care and feminine healthcare. The following year, the company

acquired Nightingale Limited which has since become the Pelican Home Delivery Service that supplies its stoma customers and serves all parts of the UK.

In 2007, the company was bought by TG Eakin Limited, a world-renowned producer of specialist medical adhesives and wound care products, and is now part of the Eakin Group of companies. Its stoma care products are now available in the UK under the Pelican brand with an increasing number of international customers served by Eakin under the Eakin brand.

This year Eakin went on to further acquire Clinical Innovations Europe Limited, which extensively added to Pelican’s obstetric and gynaecological product range. One of the more popular products brought on board was the Kiwi Vacuum Delivery System, essentially a single-use ventouse that works with an integral hand-held pump.

Since the acquisition, the feminine health division of Pelican Healthcare has become its own entity.

Contact detailsPelican Feminine Healthcare

02920 747400

gill.sims@pelicanhealthcare.co.uk

www.pelicanfh.co.uk

Pelican Feminine Healthcare Limited underwent a rebranding; separating from the stoma care side of the business, and further emphasising its speciality in gynaecological and obstetric products.

Pelican has also embarked on an ambitious development plan intended to transform its spacious premises in Cardiff to a state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution centre and shares a joint research and development facility, based in Northern Ireland, with its sister company, committed to bringing innovative, quality products to market for the benefit of its customers.

ProduCts you Can trustPelican’s primary care customers are particularly loyal to its gynaecological products. One of Pelican’s most popular and well-known products is its PELIspec disposable vaginal speculum, which is the leading product of its kind with 70% market share and is available on NHS contracts.

Pelican’s newest addition to the PELIspec range is the PELIspec with Light Source, which uses an attached light source to visualise the cervix, ensuring maximum visibility for the professional to carry out any gynaecological procedure.

The PELIspec with Light Source was mainly created using feedback from nurses and doctors, who complained of awkwardness when using separate, unwieldy light devices and, in some cases, the inability to see the cervix, which resulted in expensive hospital referrals. Ensuring everything runs smoothly is imperative when patients undergo what can be such a sensitive procedure, but it can save money too. The ability for a clinician to see what they’re doing can cut down on time, reduce the need to have another person in the room and also reduce repeat referrals.

standing by their valuesEnsuring quality of product, particularly in the field of gynaecology, is so important to patient relations. One bad experience can put a patient off from returning to that practice or going for a future smear test altogether. With this in mind, Pelican also supports Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, by donating 5p to the cause from every box of speculums sold. Jo’s Trust offers information and support to help women understand the importance of cervical screening and encourage them to attend their smear test appointment.

Pelican offers free delivery to its customers and is also the only company in its market to manufacture its products in the UK, which not only ensures a certain quality standard, but also reduces the risk of damage to the product en route. This, the reliability

For practice managers who are not doing the actual clinical procedures but are buying the products, having the support of a company they can trust is priceless

of its products, and a dedicated customer services team, helps to explain why some of Pelican’s customers have been buying from them for all 18 years it’s been in business. Particularly for practice managers who are not doing the actual clinical procedures but are buying the products, having the support of a company they can trust is priceless.

So while going for a smear test is probably last on the list of pleasant experiences for female patients, high quality products from companies like Pelican are there to ensure it’s as comfortable and efficient a procedure as possible, which not only helps the patients but the practice too.

july 2011 | practicebusiness.co.uk

26

vendor profile | pelican

27

vendor profile | pelican

practicebusiness.co.uk | july 2011

In quality we trustPelican Feminine Healthcare is a name GP practices trust. Practice Business finds out more about the company and just what makes it such a trustworthy name in the world of disposable feminine health supplies

Quality has always been a priority for buyers of healthcare products. Purchasing high-calibre clinical supplies is instrumental to the health and wellbeing of patients and with the onset of increased patient choice of GP practice, never has this been more important. A debate at the BMA’s annual conference last month further reiterated the importance of the subject when it called on the NHS to take a firmer stance on procuring products from trustworthy sources.

One company that has always prided itself on the trustworthiness and reliability of its products is Pelican Healthcare. Under the mission statement ‘quality, service, trust, innovation and value’, Pelican has a loyal fan-base of GPs, nurses and practice managers who are confident in the fact its disposable medical products will not let them or the patient down.

Pelican started life in 1994 and from the outset manufactured disposable products for stoma care and feminine healthcare. The following year, the company

acquired Nightingale Limited which has since become the Pelican Home Delivery Service that supplies its stoma customers and serves all parts of the UK.

In 2007, the company was bought by TG Eakin Limited, a world-renowned producer of specialist medical adhesives and wound care products, and is now part of the Eakin Group of companies. Its stoma care products are now available in the UK under the Pelican brand with an increasing number of international customers served by Eakin under the Eakin brand.

This year Eakin went on to further acquire Clinical Innovations Europe Limited, which extensively added to Pelican’s obstetric and gynaecological product range. One of the more popular products brought on board was the Kiwi Vacuum Delivery System, essentially a single-use ventouse that works with an integral hand-held pump.

Since the acquisition, the feminine health division of Pelican Healthcare has become its own entity.

Contact detailsPelican Feminine Healthcare

02920 747400

gill.sims@pelicanhealthcare.co.uk

www.pelicanfh.co.uk

Pelican Feminine Healthcare Limited underwent a rebranding; separating from the stoma care side of the business, and further emphasising its speciality in gynaecological and obstetric products.

Pelican has also embarked on an ambitious development plan intended to transform its spacious premises in Cardiff to a state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution centre and shares a joint research and development facility, based in Northern Ireland, with its sister company, committed to bringing innovative, quality products to market for the benefit of its customers.

ProduCts you Can trustPelican’s primary care customers are particularly loyal to its gynaecological products. One of Pelican’s most popular and well-known products is its PELIspec disposable vaginal speculum, which is the leading product of its kind with 70% market share and is available on NHS contracts.

Pelican’s newest addition to the PELIspec range is the PELIspec with Light Source, which uses an attached light source to visualise the cervix, ensuring maximum visibility for the professional to carry out any gynaecological procedure.

The PELIspec with Light Source was mainly created using feedback from nurses and doctors, who complained of awkwardness when using separate, unwieldy light devices and, in some cases, the inability to see the cervix, which resulted in expensive hospital referrals. Ensuring everything runs smoothly is imperative when patients undergo what can be such a sensitive procedure, but it can save money too. The ability for a clinician to see what they’re doing can cut down on time, reduce the need to have another person in the room and also reduce repeat referrals.

standing by their valuesEnsuring quality of product, particularly in the field of gynaecology, is so important to patient relations. One bad experience can put a patient off from returning to that practice or going for a future smear test altogether. With this in mind, Pelican also supports Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, by donating 5p to the cause from every box of speculums sold. Jo’s Trust offers information and support to help women understand the importance of cervical screening and encourage them to attend their smear test appointment.

Pelican offers free delivery to its customers and is also the only company in its market to manufacture its products in the UK, which not only ensures a certain quality standard, but also reduces the risk of damage to the product en route. This, the reliability

For practice managers who are not doing the actual clinical procedures but are buying the products, having the support of a company they can trust is priceless

of its products, and a dedicated customer services team, helps to explain why some of Pelican’s customers have been buying from them for all 18 years it’s been in business. Particularly for practice managers who are not doing the actual clinical procedures but are buying the products, having the support of a company they can trust is priceless.

So while going for a smear test is probably last on the list of pleasant experiences for female patients, high quality products from companies like Pelican are there to ensure it’s as comfortable and efficient a procedure as possible, which not only helps the patients but the practice too.

VENDOR PROFILESDesigned to fit with the style and feel of the magazine, a vendor profile looks like a Practice Business feature but it is paid for, so it is your space to use as a platform to communicate strategic messages about your organisation or perhaps the details of a new campaign or promotion. It’s a great way to make our readers sit up and take notice.

BANNER ADVERTSThese can be horizontal, vertical, double- or single-page, running across the bottom or along the outside edge of the page. Banners can run in multiples of three, five, eight or just on their own, on consecutive pages or scattered throughout the magazine – a great alternative to standard page advertising for brand recognition.

SPONSORSHIPAdvertisers have the opportunity to brand or sponsor a feature or section. We choose our sponsorship partners very carefully because as a valued Practice Business partner, it follows that we’re also endorsing their brand. Placed on very targeted editorial sections of the magazine, it’s a en extremely stategic and pretigious way to promote your brand. Something a bit different, a bespoke sponsorship position aligns you with the magazine’s message.

VENDOR CASE STUDIESWritten and designed by Practice Business, a vendor case study is an effective way to get company messages and services in front of our readers. Featuring an exemplary GP practice, it allows you to really promote your services in a meaningful and interesting way. Case studies are one of the best read parts of our magazine, great for exposure.

october 2011 | practicebusiness.co.uk

38

work/life

practicebusiness.co.uk | october 2011

39

work/life | change management

Change is goodWith so much happening in healthcare, it’s important to have your practice team on board. Jonathan hills seeks some good advice on how to motivate your team, put changes in place and assert your authority as practice manager and within the CCG

as the nhs cuts start to take hold, your practice will be forced into finding more innovative means by which to keep an effective patient service running with growing costs and a reducing budget. like in any business, this will result in you needing to find more and more innovate ways to cut spending and reduce costs.

it is a time to be pragmatic and learn new skills to ensure that your practice does not suffer as a result; you will need to ensure that your staff are flexible and accommodating, ready for a challenge and prepared to move into areas of responsibility that they might be thus far unfamiliar with.

some practices particularly might have certain staff members who are extremely proficient at the job they ordinarily perform, but when asked to move into a new arena might become apathetic or reluctant to excel.

Michael Wright, practice manager at Whyburn Medical Practice thinks that practices working together will be key in tackling the implementation of the CCGs.

“one of the main things, and one of the things which is really going to come out of all the commissioning going on now, is working together,” he says.

“there are going to be times in your locality when you can share some of the back office functions. there is going to be pressure and there is talk of a new contract, so if that means there is going to be less

money coming in to the practice, then you are going to have to pool your resources.”

Wright believes his staff have an altruistic approach to dealing with patients, and therefore is something that can be used when reasoning with staff about taking over roles and financial changes within the practice.

“i think it is seeing what appeals to staff,” he continues. “What motivates them to come in and do the work? Most, even 90%, of staff are very patient centered so they are very much dealing with the public and like speaking to them. in fact, most of them would rather speak to them than do a lot of paperwork, and practice managers should think about this when re-allocating roles in the practice.

“You train them up and you make sure that patient welfare is at the heart of what they do, and as long at it is then you have usually got their buy-in,” he added.

the integration of technology will also have a profound effect on the running of your practice, and you and your staff will have to be prepared to learn how to use it – and with the introduction of the CCGs the role of technology looks to become more prominent.

Wright states that the use of the same back office system is vital in the smooth running of a practice, and especially between consortium members: “one of the problems at the moment is that there are a lot of it systems out there – if you have an it system, everyone

should be able to use it, trained up and able to access your surgery regardless of what practice you belong to,” he said.

Emphasising that practices need to be braced for the plunge, Webster argues that both personnel and financial steadiness are required for the transition if practices are to survive it. her advice on how the practice can ready itself for the financial implications of the transition is quite different, however while managing staff often reuires a tailored, individual approach, managing finances relies upon uniformity. whereas in managing staff importance in management should come with individualism, when it comes to finances, the greatest importance is upon uniformity.

“it’s about adjusting roles within the practice because actually, certain elements of commissioning like scrutinising data and making sure everyone’s referral patterns and prescribing habits are the same, all takes time, so you have to adjust your workload accordingly – making sure the practice finances are robust enough, in case the worst happens and

advi

ce fo

r bu

sy li

ves

suddenly you are not able to pay the wages,” she says, mentioning that this year her staff had to deal with a pay freeze for the first time in preparation for the future.

her advice concerning the management of staff and how to handle personnel centres upon trust and openness. she upholds that being honest, including asking staff for their opinions on changes in the practice, leads to greater respect in her team, and ultimately, a better practice.

“When you tell people why and give them the option to come back with concerns or alternative proposals they will respect the decision you make,” she says. “if people think you are just the boss in the practice, people will not go out of their way for you.”

Whatever the future holds for practices in the nhs - and truthfully everyone may have an indication but no one actually knows the repercussions that will come with the introduction of the CCGs – one thing is certain, and that is it’s best to have a tight and accountable financial structure, and a solid practice team around you when you make the change.

You train them up and you make sure that patient welfare is at the heart of what they do, and as long at it is then you have usually got their buy-in

management | legal

A negative impactIs negative equity once again rearing its ugly head? OlIver POOl, an associate at veale Wasbrough vizards, asks the question, and discusses the implications for GPs owning surgery premises

Recent concerns over the future values of commercial property raises the spectre of negative equity in surgery premises. There is no doubt that values have fallen, even when valuers take account of the fact that notional rent is paid when coming up with valuations. Partners in the middle of careers should be in for long enough to ‘ride out the blip’, but for incoming partners, and those approaching retirement, it is important.

In the last recession, it often came as a nasty surprise to retiring partners who owned a share of the surgery premises that they would be expected to buy themselves out on retirement. But this is what happened in a number of cases, especially where partnership deeds were silent on the issue, and especially where partners had been involved in costly new-builds, where the price of the development had exceeded the market value. This situation may be rearing its head again.

It is not uncommon for a partnership to ‘shield’ retiring partners from negative equity by including provisions in the partnership deed that provide for retiring partners to be bought out for at least what they contributed, or at least the previous acquisition cost. This raises the issue of the goodwill rules – paying above the market value for surgery premises can be deemed to be a transfer of goodwill, which is, of course, illegal. However, in practice these arrangements have not been called into question, as long as there is a clear pre-existing agreement, and to date there have not been any prosecutions under the goodwill rules.

Including such provisions in the partnership deed will be particularly important for practices that are contemplating new-builds – older partners in particular

Legal update sponsored by Veale Wasbrough VizardsFor further information on legal issues relevant to GPs, please contact Oliver Pool, an associate at Veale Wasbrough Vizards who offers specialist legal advice to the GP sector and those advising GPs, on 0117 314 5429 or opool@vwv.co.uk

may be unwilling to participate if they are risking being bought out for a loss in a few years’ time (the best idea for partners nearing retirement is not to participate at all, but to allow the others to ‘get on with it’ and indemnify them).

Incoming partners may be reluctant about buying into negative equity. We often hear incoming partners asking why they should have to take over the share of a liability not of their own making. The answer is that partnership ‘comes as whole’ – if you want to be a partner you have to accept the whole package and can’t reject the bits you don’t like – the alternative is to find a different partnership, or to be a salaried GP.

At the same time, what cannot be achieved by the partnership deed is to bind incoming partners to buy in at a certain price unless they specifically agree to it, because of course incoming partners aren’t yet bound by the terms of the partnership deed. Further, it may be permissible for the partnership to buy a retiring partner out above market value, but to insist that an incoming partner pays more than market value is much more likely to be a breach of the goodwill rules.

The best way for this to be dealt with is to see the transaction as one in which partnership protects retiring partners from negative equity, rather than the incoming partner directly taking on the outgoing partner’s share of liability. In any case it may be worth checking the partnership deed to see if it deals adequately with these issues.

32

30

MANAGEMENT | service redesign

Rising to the challengePractical approaches to improvement in the NHS need to be combined with strategic thinking, says MARK EATON

With a £20bn challenge on the table for the NHS, now is not the time to be tinkering with the way things are done. The NHS cannot achieve this level of improvement through buying cheaper paper clips or banning the purchase of sticky tape.

Just ‘working harder’ will only deliver incremental improvements in performance and even applying the cliché of ‘working smarter not harder’ will only pay off if what you are working on is the right thing in the first place.

Now is the time for thinking differently about how and where services are delivered. This means having to make tough, but logical and evidence based, choices about how services are organised locally. It means having to tell some people they will be getting a lot less money than previously and shifting services between organisations to ensure they are delivered both safely and productively. It means having to work with unproductive organisations to help them improve, but also having the courage to move the funding if they can’t or won’t rise to the challenge.

The keys that will enable leaders at all levels and in all organisations to rise to the challenges ahead and unlock improvements are going to be found in two strategically important actions.

The first action will be to create a structure that enables teams and organisations to work together. This doesn’t mean a monthly meeting where the normal procedure is to send substitutes and where the energy levels start at mediocre levels and then go downhill. This means working together to create a clearly structured transformation map (see box out) that sets out the roadmap for local improvement by clarifying the local strategic objectives and the outcomes that need to be achieved to deliver each of them.

The second action will be to create a structured, logical and pragmatic approach to implementation that will both deliver the roadmap and enable organisations to work together to realise the benefits.

Answering the £20bn challenge will not only involve the delivery of organisational improvements such as shorter hospital stays, faster diagnostic turnaround times and fewer patient safety incidents. Changes will also have to be made in areas that need a different and often more collaborative approach such as providing care in new settings, improving end-to-end pathways and tackling the underlying issues that prevent the flow of information.

Rising to the challenge will need new types of thinking, something that can be delivered successfully by combining practical approaches to improvement, such as ‘lean’, with a strategic edge to it from such concepts as transformation mapping.

Mark Eaton is MD of Amnis

JARGON BUSTERTransformation mapping Transformation mapping is a visual way of developing and linking strategy to implementation plans. Typically, this is achieved using a large diagram that depicts where an organisation wants or needs to be within a specific timescale, along with the associated implementation plans.

THROW OUT

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CASE STUDY

SPONSORSHIP

october 2011 | practicebusiness.co.uk

38

work/life

practicebusiness.co.uk | october 2011

39

work/life | change management

Change is goodWith so much happening in healthcare, it’s important to have your practice team on board. Jonathan hills seeks some good advice on how to motivate your team, put changes in place and assert your authority as practice manager and within the CCG

as the nhs cuts start to take hold, your practice will be forced into finding more innovative means by which to keep an effective patient service running with growing costs and a reducing budget. like in any business, this will result in you needing to find more and more innovate ways to cut spending and reduce costs.

it is a time to be pragmatic and learn new skills to ensure that your practice does not suffer as a result; you will need to ensure that your staff are flexible and accommodating, ready for a challenge and prepared to move into areas of responsibility that they might be thus far unfamiliar with.

some practices particularly might have certain staff members who are extremely proficient at the job they ordinarily perform, but when asked to move into a new arena might become apathetic or reluctant to excel.

Michael Wright, practice manager at Whyburn Medical Practice thinks that practices working together will be key in tackling the implementation of the CCGs.

“one of the main things, and one of the things which is really going to come out of all the commissioning going on now, is working together,” he says.

“there are going to be times in your locality when you can share some of the back office functions. there is going to be pressure and there is talk of a new contract, so if that means there is going to be less

money coming in to the practice, then you are going to have to pool your resources.”

Wright believes his staff have an altruistic approach to dealing with patients, and therefore is something that can be used when reasoning with staff about taking over roles and financial changes within the practice.

“i think it is seeing what appeals to staff,” he continues. “What motivates them to come in and do the work? Most, even 90%, of staff are very patient centered so they are very much dealing with the public and like speaking to them. in fact, most of them would rather speak to them than do a lot of paperwork, and practice managers should think about this when re-allocating roles in the practice.

“You train them up and you make sure that patient welfare is at the heart of what they do, and as long at it is then you have usually got their buy-in,” he added.

the integration of technology will also have a profound effect on the running of your practice, and you and your staff will have to be prepared to learn how to use it – and with the introduction of the CCGs the role of technology looks to become more prominent.

Wright states that the use of the same back office system is vital in the smooth running of a practice, and especially between consortium members: “one of the problems at the moment is that there are a lot of it systems out there – if you have an it system, everyone

should be able to use it, trained up and able to access your surgery regardless of what practice you belong to,” he said.

Emphasising that practices need to be braced for the plunge, Webster argues that both personnel and financial steadiness are required for the transition if practices are to survive it. her advice on how the practice can ready itself for the financial implications of the transition is quite different, however while managing staff often reuires a tailored, individual approach, managing finances relies upon uniformity. whereas in managing staff importance in management should come with individualism, when it comes to finances, the greatest importance is upon uniformity.

“it’s about adjusting roles within the practice because actually, certain elements of commissioning like scrutinising data and making sure everyone’s referral patterns and prescribing habits are the same, all takes time, so you have to adjust your workload accordingly – making sure the practice finances are robust enough, in case the worst happens and

advi

ce fo

r bu

sy li

ves

suddenly you are not able to pay the wages,” she says, mentioning that this year her staff had to deal with a pay freeze for the first time in preparation for the future.

her advice concerning the management of staff and how to handle personnel centres upon trust and openness. she upholds that being honest, including asking staff for their opinions on changes in the practice, leads to greater respect in her team, and ultimately, a better practice.

“When you tell people why and give them the option to come back with concerns or alternative proposals they will respect the decision you make,” she says. “if people think you are just the boss in the practice, people will not go out of their way for you.”

Whatever the future holds for practices in the nhs - and truthfully everyone may have an indication but no one actually knows the repercussions that will come with the introduction of the CCGs – one thing is certain, and that is it’s best to have a tight and accountable financial structure, and a solid practice team around you when you make the change.

You train them up and you make sure that patient welfare is at the heart of what they do, and as long at it is then you have usually got their buy-in

management | legal

A negative impactIs negative equity once again rearing its ugly head? OlIver POOl, an associate at veale Wasbrough vizards, asks the question, and discusses the implications for GPs owning surgery premises

Recent concerns over the future values of commercial property raises the spectre of negative equity in surgery premises. There is no doubt that values have fallen, even when valuers take account of the fact that notional rent is paid when coming up with valuations. Partners in the middle of careers should be in for long enough to ‘ride out the blip’, but for incoming partners, and those approaching retirement, it is important.

In the last recession, it often came as a nasty surprise to retiring partners who owned a share of the surgery premises that they would be expected to buy themselves out on retirement. But this is what happened in a number of cases, especially where partnership deeds were silent on the issue, and especially where partners had been involved in costly new-builds, where the price of the development had exceeded the market value. This situation may be rearing its head again.

It is not uncommon for a partnership to ‘shield’ retiring partners from negative equity by including provisions in the partnership deed that provide for retiring partners to be bought out for at least what they contributed, or at least the previous acquisition cost. This raises the issue of the goodwill rules – paying above the market value for surgery premises can be deemed to be a transfer of goodwill, which is, of course, illegal. However, in practice these arrangements have not been called into question, as long as there is a clear pre-existing agreement, and to date there have not been any prosecutions under the goodwill rules.

Including such provisions in the partnership deed will be particularly important for practices that are contemplating new-builds – older partners in particular

Legal update sponsored by Veale Wasbrough VizardsFor further information on legal issues relevant to GPs, please contact Oliver Pool, an associate at Veale Wasbrough Vizards who offers specialist legal advice to the GP sector and those advising GPs, on 0117 314 5429 or opool@vwv.co.uk

may be unwilling to participate if they are risking being bought out for a loss in a few years’ time (the best idea for partners nearing retirement is not to participate at all, but to allow the others to ‘get on with it’ and indemnify them).

Incoming partners may be reluctant about buying into negative equity. We often hear incoming partners asking why they should have to take over the share of a liability not of their own making. The answer is that partnership ‘comes as whole’ – if you want to be a partner you have to accept the whole package and can’t reject the bits you don’t like – the alternative is to find a different partnership, or to be a salaried GP.

At the same time, what cannot be achieved by the partnership deed is to bind incoming partners to buy in at a certain price unless they specifically agree to it, because of course incoming partners aren’t yet bound by the terms of the partnership deed. Further, it may be permissible for the partnership to buy a retiring partner out above market value, but to insist that an incoming partner pays more than market value is much more likely to be a breach of the goodwill rules.

The best way for this to be dealt with is to see the transaction as one in which partnership protects retiring partners from negative equity, rather than the incoming partner directly taking on the outgoing partner’s share of liability. In any case it may be worth checking the partnership deed to see if it deals adequately with these issues.

32

30

MANAGEMENT | service redesign

Rising to the challengePractical approaches to improvement in the NHS need to be combined with strategic thinking, says MARK EATON

With a £20bn challenge on the table for the NHS, now is not the time to be tinkering with the way things are done. The NHS cannot achieve this level of improvement through buying cheaper paper clips or banning the purchase of sticky tape.

Just ‘working harder’ will only deliver incremental improvements in performance and even applying the cliché of ‘working smarter not harder’ will only pay off if what you are working on is the right thing in the first place.

Now is the time for thinking differently about how and where services are delivered. This means having to make tough, but logical and evidence based, choices about how services are organised locally. It means having to tell some people they will be getting a lot less money than previously and shifting services between organisations to ensure they are delivered both safely and productively. It means having to work with unproductive organisations to help them improve, but also having the courage to move the funding if they can’t or won’t rise to the challenge.

The keys that will enable leaders at all levels and in all organisations to rise to the challenges ahead and unlock improvements are going to be found in two strategically important actions.

The first action will be to create a structure that enables teams and organisations to work together. This doesn’t mean a monthly meeting where the normal procedure is to send substitutes and where the energy levels start at mediocre levels and then go downhill. This means working together to create a clearly structured transformation map (see box out) that sets out the roadmap for local improvement by clarifying the local strategic objectives and the outcomes that need to be achieved to deliver each of them.

The second action will be to create a structured, logical and pragmatic approach to implementation that will both deliver the roadmap and enable organisations to work together to realise the benefits.

Answering the £20bn challenge will not only involve the delivery of organisational improvements such as shorter hospital stays, faster diagnostic turnaround times and fewer patient safety incidents. Changes will also have to be made in areas that need a different and often more collaborative approach such as providing care in new settings, improving end-to-end pathways and tackling the underlying issues that prevent the flow of information.

Rising to the challenge will need new types of thinking, something that can be delivered successfully by combining practical approaches to improvement, such as ‘lean’, with a strategic edge to it from such concepts as transformation mapping.

Mark Eaton is MD of Amnis

JARGON BUSTERTransformation mapping Transformation mapping is a visual way of developing and linking strategy to implementation plans. Typically, this is achieved using a large diagram that depicts where an organisation wants or needs to be within a specific timescale, along with the associated implementation plans.

OnlinePRACTICEBUSINESS.CO.UKWHAT DOES IT DO?

We have maintained a website alongside Practice Business since the magazine’s launch and we have seen it go from a resource in support of the magazine to a popular news website in its own right. Decision-makers in practices come to practicebusiness.co.uk for news, bringing them stories relevant to the role of the practice manager on a daily basis. They also stay on the site for the fantastic quality analysis and resources we provide for them.

SOCIAL MEDIAWE DON’T JUST TWEET… WE SHAPE THE CONVERSATION

Social media is at the heart of what we do online, it not only helps us keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the health community and the stories that affect the role of our readers, but it also helps us become conversation shapers. We understand that interacting online is not just about speaking to readers – it’s also about hearing what they have to say to us.

BLOGS AND DISCUSSIONSWE’RE NOT JUST HELPFUL, WE’RE RESOURCEFUL

Combined with our top drawer news analysis, we publish blogs authored by everyone from readers to policy-makers. Our website also boasts a comment section under every news story so our readers can let us know what they think about what’s going on. Combined with our regular surveys and competitions, this has established Practicebusiness.co.uk as a crucial resource for anyone interested in the business of practice management.

EMAIL COMMUNICATIONSTAY IN TOUCH WITH PB WEEKLY

Every week, we send out the PB Weekly news round-up email to our 8,500 email addresses that have signed up to receive it. Content often relates back to web news stories, but it can also point to editorial items in an up-coming issue. While email is an excellent method of driving response, it’s vitally important your message is conveyed in a way that ensures that its relevant and stands out in a crowded inbox. We have advertising opportunities in PB Weekly to help you ensure your message is delivered to and read by the decision-makers in practices who matter.

Practice Business is taking the lead when it comes to B2B publishing – by continuously looking for ways to better engage with our readers. The way people communicate has evolved and more importantly this has shaped how people buy. To be effective in the marketplace, a company needs to be forward-looking and innovative. We offer a range of digital inclusions that, combined with our print offering, will drive engagement with decision-makers at schools, further build your brand and help generate a valuable response.

A RESPONSIVE AUDIENCE

We have developed an audience across our magazines and

websites that loves to get its opinion across and engage with our

content.FIND US ON:

WEB/PRODUCT NEWS:Do you have news that our readers might be interested in? Web advertorials are a fantastic way to get your message across. They sit nestled into the content on the front page of the website and are known to generate a substantial response.

BANNERS AND BUTTONSWeb buttons and banners are a great way to catch the reader’s eye, whether its helping them associate your company with our brand or driving them through to your website. Our audience is responsive and always interested in offers and info that help them in their role.

SURVEYS/COMPETITIONSWe regularly run competitions and surveys – it’s a great way to keep people coming back to the site. We often run them on behalf of companies looking to get some direct response from our audience.

EMAIL MARKETINGWith over 2,500 readers signed up to receive regular news updates from Practice Business in their inbox, email marketing is a great way to get them reading information from third parties too. Our key watch word is ‘relevance’ – we make sure the people who want our emails get them and work hard to make sure that we only send them things they are really interested in, this makes them some of the most responsive readers in the B2B market.

PB WEEKLY:There are opportunities to take out a product news slot on our PB Weekly email, which is a great way to get info to our readers and get them clicking through to your website.

SOLUSThis is where we send out an email to our database on your behalf. A crucial part of any marketing mix, this turns branding into response. (We only send out a few emails a month, we don’t over saturate our audience and they stay responsive.)

VIDEO/PODCASTSWe host videos on the front page of practicebusiness.co.uk (all linked to our YouTube channel) and we can include your video on the front page.

We also produce podcasts that are hosted on the website and YouTube. These can consist of an interview or an overview of what your doing in the sector. They are another great way to engage with our audience.

Opportunities for you

9,000 visitors a month

785 Twitter followers and growing

8,500 subscribers to our

weekly emails.

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intelligent media solutions

intelligent media solutions

intelligent media solutions

intelligent media solutions

intelligent media solutions

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t: 0207 288 6833 | f: 0207 288 6834 | info@intelligentmedia.co.uk | www.intelligentmedia.co.uk