Author: hte2022

Developing System Partnerships

As the NHS moves into the planning, structuring and organisational phase of Integrated Care Systems (ICS), HealthTrust Europe (HTE) is working to partner with health and care providers to put the future people plan into action with our workforce and HR portfolio. Total Workforce Solutions II has been specifically designed to deliver the needs of ICS and cross-ICS projects and initiatives that seek to optimise workforce planning on a free to access basis.

As part of a structured system plan around workforce and HR, HTE can help ICS and cross-ICS working groups with procurement expertise to undertake market reviews and collaborative contracting for required services and marketing leading solutions including:

• Consultancy and Advisory Services – Workforce, HR and Transformation;
• Managed Payroll, transactional HR and Pensions services;
• Clinical and Medical Rostering Solutions;
• Bank and Agency Demand Solutions including:
  * Bank Apps (for all staff group);
  * Managed and Collaborative Bank (for all staff groups)
  * Agency Managed Services including Neutral Vendor (for all staff groups)
• Permanent Recruitment including Medical, Clinical and Non-Clinical job roles
• Executive Recruitment for Medical, Clinical and Non-Clinical leadership positions
• International Recruitment of Doctors, Nurses and AHP/HSS workers
• Agency Staffing for Doctors, Nurses and AHP/HSS workers
• Non-Clinical Agency Staffing including Statements of Work
• Interpretation, Translation and Transcription Services

Our Total HR portfolio will be further enhanced in 2022 with our latest agreements for Employee Vetting (employment checks, references, occupational health, employee assistance programmes) and Employee Benefits (salary sacrifice, personal vehicle leasing, financial wellbeing). We would also be keen to hear from you with respect to the products, services and solutions that you would like to procure in 2022/23 to focus our added value on you.

HTE is proud to support health and care providers with the recruitment and retention of staff to deliver the right resource, at the right time for the right cost. We look forward to engaging more closely in supporting your plan to deliver successful outcomes.

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.

The obesity crisis remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in the UK. Recently published figures reveal that two-thirds of all adults are overweight or obese while new findings released by the NHS show that obesity was a factor in more than one million hospital admissions in 2019/20. Indeed, with the Covid-19 pandemic brutally exposing the high risk of serious illness and death that those with obesity face, it is now more important than ever that the focus is firmly placed on the care and supervision of overweight and obese individuals.

Paired with the burden of an ageing population, the pressure on care homes to develop tools that address the obesity endemic and accommodate an increasingly overweight resident population has never been greater. Yet while the Government does appear to be taking this issue seriously – recently publishing its strategy to put in place support for people living with obesity – many on the frontline lack the equipment they need to properly manage and care for their larger, older residents: a 2019 survey of almost 3,000 care homeowners, managers and staff showed that only 41 per cent of homes have the adequate bariatric facilities required to look after obese residents, with a further 12 per cent having to turn people away due to a lack of resources and bariatric equipment. A recent briefing by the King’s Fund focused on how the NHS can work with local partners and engage with communities to deliver targeted interventions to treat and prevent obesity.

Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at HealthTrust Europe (HTE), Nanette Grant, notes the importance of connecting healthcare providers with market-leading supplier communities to source high-quality items – including bariatric beds – to meet the needs of patients and improve patient care; “everything we do is driven by the care and improvement of human life; our offering for these specialised items reflects the evolving needs of society and supports our customers with the continued delivery of high-quality patient care.”

As the proportion of adults living with obesity continues to rise exponentially, the urgent need for care homes to be suitably prepared is showing no sign of slowing. Indeed, it is vital that the care sector is able to look after bariatric residents and patients, with specialist beds, equipment and training at the forefront of this provision.

Often, incorrect patient handling not only negatively impacts the patient, but can also result in staff incurring injuries. Bariatric equipment is uniquely designed to support overweight individuals, featuring increased weight capacities, heavy duty supports and wider widths to meet their needs. In addition to protecting residents and safeguarding their dignity, this specialised equipment protects staff and care workers from strain or injury. For instance, electrically operated profiling beds, capable of safely raising, lowering and adjusting the position of bariatric patients weighing up to 50 stone, do not require physical efforts and therefore, reduce the risk of back injuries (or more seriously, musculoskeletal disorders) which are often associated with heavy lifting to further minimise this risk, training programmes to increase awareness of correct posture, movement and equipment use can greatly benefit the overall health of staff and reduce staff sickness absence.

Yet the benefits of specialised equipment and training extend beyond just the physical movement of patients. People with obesity often require careful management of their skin, given their susceptibility to pressure ulcers, bed sores, wounds and other skin infections which can be exacerbated by ill-fitted equipment. Bariatric beds and chairs have, therefore, been designed to make moving and handling easier for staff and patients and are wide enough so that patients can ensure their own comfort. Some models even offer specialist pressure reducing mattresses with isolated air cushions that can be inflated and deflated while the addition of anti-microbial fabric protection protects against the development of bacteria that can cause skin infections and discomfort.

Bariatric beds, mattresses and cushions can be purchased via our Pressure Area Care Equipment, Medical Beds and Related Services framework. The framework provides a comprehensive range of products and services for use within long term care, home care/community and the acute care covering ad-hoc rental, long term rental, capital purchase and services such as decontamination, repair/maintenance, clinical support and disposal.

Our Safe Patient Moving and Handling Equipment Framework further supports and facilitates the appropriate movement of patients in a Hospital, Residential or Patient Home Environment. It is designed to equip health and social care providers with the latest tools to enhance the safety of patient handling.

If you are interested in finding out more about our Frameworks for supporting Bariatric Care and Safe Patient Handling, you can speak to our dedicated customer care team via 0845 887 5000 or customercare@htepg.com.

HealthTrust Europe is pleased to launch the new Safe Patient Moving and Handling Equipment Framework to support and facilitate the appropriate movement of patients in a Hospital, Residential or Patient Home Environment. It is designed to equip health and social care providers with the latest tools to enhance the safety of patient handling.

The Framework is split into four distinct Lots – Manual Handling and Transfer Equipment; Hoists and Patient Lifts; Bathing Equipment; and Safe Patient Moving and Handling Managed Service. Each Lot is comprised of specialised solutions to support health and social care organisations in improving their current output across these services. All solutions are provided by market-leading organisations and can be tailored to your organisation’s needs. They are also cost-controlled – meaning you have access to market-leading solutions suited to your budgets.

The Framework uniquely benefits our customers by providing Total Managed Service Solutions (under Lot 4), acting as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for a suite of modules including asset management, Ergonomic consultancy for re-design, refurbishments, and new builds. Our suppliers can support with the implementation of new services that ensure the continuity of care is provided to patients.

Often, incorrect patient handling not only negatively impacts the patient, but can also result in staff incurring injuries. To minimise this risk, training programmes to increase awareness of correct posture, movement and equipment use could be arranged, aimed at improving the overall health of staff and reducing staff sickness absence. We offer skilled resources that complement and support your own internal training programmes.

Like all HealthTrust Europe Frameworks, customers will have exclusive access to an expert team from contracted suppliers who can guide you through the process from beginning to end. Our trusted suppliers can provide guidance and expertise on how to utilise equipment effectively and advice on the solutions that would enable your organisation to achieve your goals.

Customers will further benefit from skilled resources to support CPD accredited training. Ergonomic and Mobility Risk Assessments for Care Environments are also available for customers to optimise space and use of equipment. The Framework offers a compliant route-to-market for these services, aligned with Directive and International Standards.

Please contact our dedicated customer care team by emailing customercare@htepg.com or calling 0845 887 5000 to request access or further information. Our expert team is on-hand to deal with your questions.

HealthTrust Europe has launched its latest Framework Agreement to support health and care organisations to source the latest innovations in workforce solutions. Launched on the 1st February 2021, Total Workforce Solutions II (TWS II) directly supersedes the existing Total Workforce Solutions portfolio (TWS I) , enhancing the offering with a range of additional benefits.

The Framework is available on a free to access basis for NHS, wider public sector and care providers across the UK, offering the latest in workforce planning technology, apps, bank, agency and other associated workforce solutions.

Please click here to access the list of TWS II categories alongside the existing TWS I portfolio.

TWS II builds on the excellent services previously offered in TWS I I, renewing the framework’s NHSE&I approval (NHS approved agency framework) with a detailed tendering process that has robustly tested the capacity, capability, quality and price criteria of awarded suppliers for best value. This means that NHSE&I has reviewed our Framework application and agreed that it aligns to regulatory requirements, in support of national initiatives such as the NHS People Plan, off framework removal and enhancing international recruitment.

The expanded scope of TWS II has been designed with healthcare providers at its core, with our customers and healthcare partners in mind – incorporating several years of stakeholder feedback to deliver enhanced terms, drive better value, and offer access to the latest supply chain innovations. Our commitment is to improve the quality of care for the betterment of human life, and our enhanced Framework helps us to equip healthcare organisations to achieve that goal with controls, processes and solutions that maximise successful outcomes.

TWS II also helps to provide our partners with assurance on the highest standards of quality, audit, data protection, fill rates and a total spend management approach for controls on workforce expenditure – ensuring our customers are able to operate within their budgets whilst delivering the highest possible quality of care.

Providers can register for access to TWS II via our Partnership Portal, offering a ‘self-serve’ access option for agency staffing services through our new digital access platform. We hope that this will further support providers with coverage and on demand, compliant framework supply.

If you have any other questions and would like to speak directly to one of our dedicated customer service team members, you can contact us via workforce@htepg.com or if you would like to sign up to one or more lots of TWS II, please visit the Partnership Portal linked above to register and call-off.