Achieving fully integrated care has long been a priority for the UK Government, and indeed the health and care sectors, who have advocated for the greater collaboration and joining up of healthcare services for several years. Integrated Care Systems (ICS’s), as outlined by NHS England, will ‘remove traditional divisions between hospitals and family doctors, between physical and mental health, and between NHS and council services.’ The ambition is that by removing these divisions, a more holistic and streamlined approach to health and care will be achieved.
The importance of delivering ICS’s has become even more urgent following the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the urgent need to better connect people to services and support, whilst exposing some of the severe gaps in health equality across the country. Consequently, ICS’s are high on the Health and Social Care agenda for 2021. Earlier this year, the Government published its legislative proposals for a Health and Care Bill, titled ‘integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all.’ The Bill sets out several key policy recommendations for highly anticipated health and social care reform – including achieving integrated care which sits at number 1.
HealthTrust Europe is proud to support ICS’s and the shift toward to a more holistic and joined up approach to health and care, and as part of this commitment, we have compiled a selection of our leading Frameworks to support this agenda. Our carefully selected list includes:
- CPAP Award Summary
- Covers the supply of CPAP, BiPAP, Sleep Therapy Devices, Consumables and the provision of a sleep and respiratory support service.
- These products are used to support patients with conditions including sleep apnoea and other breathing disorders; and more recently, have been identified as a cheap and efficient solutions for those diagnosed with COVID-19 where patients can suffer respiratory failure. CPAP machines, for example, can offer breathing support to those patients – bolstering ICS’s resources to support the pandemic recovery.
- There was, and continues to be, a very high demand for such devices as a result of COVID-19; therefore, this Award Summary will support the immediate recovery and long-term approach to the pandemic.
- Patient Mobility Award Summary
- Encompasses prosthetics and services including artificial limbs, orthoses and services including insoles, bespoke spinal braces, footwear including surgical shoes, wheelchair products and assessment services, walking frames, specialised seating and aids to daily living.
- Patient mobility is a growing issue in line with the ageing population in the UK. In Britain, people are living longer than ever before, meaning there is a higher demand for daily living aids and other mobility related products and services than ever before. The Health Survey for England 2017 reported that 23% of men and 28% of women aged over 65 stated the need for help in at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL).
- Patient mobility is a significant priority for healthcare providers. Understanding and tackling mobility issues early can be a critical factor in a patients’ recovery. Fundamentally, living aids and other mobility related products can support elderly independence, helping to improve the health and wellbeing of elderly individuals in the community.
- Pressure Area Care Award Summary
- A comprehensive range of products and services including an expansive range of medical beds, bariatric equipment, support aids, decontamination services and pressure relieving mattresses, as well as repair, maintenance and preventative maintenance services.
- Pressure Area care is a top priority for acute, community and social care providers. Pressure ulcers, for example, as a result of mismanagement of patients, remains a significant problem in the health and care sectors. Despite progress in the management of pressure ulcers, more than 1,300 new ulcers are reported across the NHS each month, with up to 200,000 people developing a new pressure ulcer in 2017/2018. Treating pressure ulcers costs the NHS more than £1.4 million every day.
- Preventing health issues associated with pressure (such as pressure ulcers) can significantly impact patient wellbeing and is a key indicator of the quality and experience of care.
- Safe Patient Handling Award Summary
- Designed to support the transport and safe movement of patients in a hospital, residential or home environment – including manual handling, hoists and patient lifts, bathing equipment as well as safe patient moving and handling managed services.
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSK’s), including manual handling injuries, are the most common type of occupational ill health in the UK. Back pain and other MSK’s account for approximately 40% of all sickness absence in the NHS. This is a significant cost to the NHS both in terms of staff sickness and loss of staff to carry out day to day activities across facilities. The cost of treating MSK’s is also significant and can be reduced through appropriate training and providing necessary equipment to safely undertake patient moving and handling.
- Employers have a responsibility to have in place mitigations that prevent staff from suffering such injuries, such as by providing proper equipment to undertake activities, as well as take care to train staff in undertaking activities in a safe way. This Framework equips a range of organisations in the ICS to do this.
- Workplace Supply Solutions Award Summary
- The Workplace Supply Solutions Award Summary has been designed to support the procurement of workplace products and services across all public sector Participating Authorities.
- This Framework supports administration and other associated services not only across both health and care providers, but also other members included in an ICS such as the Local Authority. It offers a wide and diverse range of products, including office supplies, green products, PPE, white goods and education supplies.
- In the current context of COVID-19, innovations included in this Framework such as the introduction of Antimicrobial Film which kills 99.9% of bacteria and microbes, help to support COVID-compliant procedures across organisations within an ICS.
Fundamentally, these Frameworks and Contract Award Summaries have been designed to be used in acute and/or community settings, enabling them to support ICS’s with the delivery of better public health and community health outcomes. Representing a broad range of products and services to support the delivery of exceptional care, each Framework also includes free training and support available from contracted suppliers, helping a wide range of staff working across health and care to be fully equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to support members of their community.
Each of these service offerings provide users with access to a full suite of products and services for a specific focus area, whilst enabling a maximum efficiency procurement process. By offering one centralised Framework offering a scope of products and services, rather than several, for a specific focus area, providers are able to access everything they need from one supplier. This supports the streamlining of care, by making the whole procurement process simpler and more effective.
HealthTrust Europe has selected these particular service offerings by identifying some of the biggest challenges and issues currently facing the health and care sectors across local communities in the UK, and looks forward to continuing work with existing partners to support the greater integration of health and care as ICS’s progress.
Furthermore, HealthTrust Europe has recently introduced a more straightforward way to gain access to these and a wider portfolio of Frameworks, though the introduction of a Single Order Form, further reducing the administrative burden.
If you are interested in the products and services that HealthTrust Europe has included in this scope of work, or if you feel that your organisation and/or ICS would benefit from any of these Frameworks, please get in touch with our dedicated customer care team via customercare@htepg.com or 0845 887 5000.
