Category: In the News

HealthTrust Europe (HTE) is pleased to announce its formal partnership with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSENHSFT) following an extensive tender process undertaken throughout 2021. 

The partnership will see HTE brought on board as MSENHSFT’s Commercial Procurement Partner, providing additional expertise as the Trust seeks to establish itself as a leading provider within the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS). 

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is a fully established, merged organisation, one of the largest acute providers of healthcare in the NHS, providing services to over 1.2 million residents in Mid and South Essex – this partnership will support the Trust as it further focuses on improving the experiences and health outcomes of patients using healthcare services. 

As part of a global organisation that is both a healthcare provider and procurement solutions partner, HTE is led by the core mission to improve care and human life. HTE works with its partners to deliver value whilst maintaining clinical and procurement standards and technology solutions. HTE brings 11-years of extensive experience working with the NHS to improve patient outcomes and streamline operations to the MSENHSFT partnership.  

HTE’s wide portfolio of market-leading and policy compliant Frameworks will enable MSENHSFT to provide services and solutions to many public sector entities as the ambitions of integrated care are realised. By partnering with HTE, MSENHSFT will be better equipped to deliver new ‘extended’ services, particularly focused on data, technology and systems in a joined-up manner to ensure the continued transition to integrated care.  

The partnership’s foundation will be built upon shared goals, mutual understanding, trust and governance. HTE will operate as an extension of the MSENHSFT team providing additional resource, expertise and capacity that is aligned to strategic goals and will deliver value and efficiencies that further enhance health and care services to the local population in a predictable and sustainable model. Longer term benefits include the transfer of knowledge and skills to create space for innovation and growth of the Trust. 

Dale Robinson, HealthTrust Europe’s COO, said:

“HealthTrust Europe’s partnership with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is a significant milestone for us. As a company, we are committed to supporting the joining up of health and care as part of the ICS agenda, and this partnership allows us to bring our knowledge and experience in procurement services to Mid and South Essex to improve health and care for the patients across the area.

We are excited to begin working with the team at the Trust to deliver better outcomes for patients.”

Jonathan Dunk Chief Commercial Officer at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said:

“I am delighted to be entering in a Partnership with HTE which will enhance our expertise and procurement function to deliver value for our patients through evidence-based health and care solutions that will ultimately benefit the Trust and our population.” 

HTE is pleased to support the new partnership with MSENHSFT and represents HTE’s ongoing commitment to supporting the NHS to ensure the successful transformation of health and care services across the system. 

HealthTrust Europe’s Chief Operating Officer, Dale Robinson, enjoyed a visit to Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust this week to mark International Nurses Day.

Despite the challenging circumstances nurses often face, nurses go above and beyond to deliver critical care to patients every day. That is why each year on May 12^th – the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing – people across the world come together to celebrate International Nurses Day and acknowledge the exceptional work that nurses do.

The theme of this year’s International Nurses Day is ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.’ This year, the International Council for Nurses (ICN) celebrates the day by raising awareness about the rights and struggles of Nurses, aiming to educate people and nurses on how to create a better working environment.

In the lead up to International Nurses Day, Dale Robinson was pleased to be invited to spend the day at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust on Monday 9^th May. He was able to spend time speaking with nurses across various wards to hear their unique stories and experiences of working at the Trust, particularly relating to the challenges they faced due to COVID-19, and those that remain as we emerge from the pandemic.

Earlier this year, HealthTrust Europe announced that Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity – part of the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust – is the company’s chosen charity to support in 2022. HealthTrust Europe selected this charity because it is the local hospital to the company’s Head Office in Edgbaston, and many of our team members have either spent time at the Hospital themselves or have been impacted in some way by the work that the Trust undertakes.

As the Trust – like many others across the country – continues to grapple with financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic, HealthTrust Europe is proud to be able to support the vital care provided through our fundraising initiative.

Dale Robinson, Chief Operating Officer at HealthTrust Europe, said:

“It was a privilege to spend the day at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust to mark International Nurses Day, and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to some of the inspirational nurses who deliver excellent care to patients each and every day.

I, like many of my colleagues at HealthTrust Europe, have been positively impacted by the work of this Trust at various points in my life. Being able to give back to the Trust through our company-wide fundraising initiative in 2022 is something we are very proud of. We hope that this support goes some way in demonstrating just how valued this Trust is to our colleagues.”

 Dearbhla Craddock, Corporate Partnerships Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said:

“We’re absolutely delighted to have been chosen as HealthTrust Europe’s charity of the year and can’t wait to see what we’re able to achieve together through this fantastic partnership.

“Through their fundraising and support, HealthTrust Europe will be helping us to improve our hospital environment and patient experience, find breakthrough cures and treatment through research and enable us to purchase the latest state-of-the-art equipment.”

It is important to understand how all types of diversity can impact a person’s identity, and to acknowledge the relationship between identity, inclusion and mental health. An article by mental health charity Mind[1] outlines the link between promoting diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the workplace and the positive impact this has on overall employee wellbeing and mental health. At HealthTrust Europe, we are proud to be an organisation that champions mental health and D&I through tangible measures to enable our diverse workforce to feel supported and represented.

This Mental Health Awareness Week focuses on the theme of loneliness, exploring the effect of feeling lonely on our wellbeing and identifying how we can all play a part in reducing loneliness in our communities. At HealthTrust Europe, we believe tackling loneliness can start in the workplace. That is why we are committed to meaningfully supporting our colleagues struggling with mental health by providing a wealth of online wellbeing resources and offering all colleagues access to a private GP and private healthcare service.

To further tackle loneliness and isolation within the workforce, HealthTrust Europe has committed to arranging monthly in-person social activities that provide opportunities for colleagues to connect with individuals from across the company, creating a positive and amiable culture. Covering a range of topics that appeal to a variety of interests, last month’s event involved corporate team building exercises and this month’s activity will involve visiting Birmingham’s  botanical gardens. Additionally, HealthTrust Europe endeavours to bring our colleagues together in support of our philanthropic missions. In September, a team from HealthTrust Europe will be competing in a boat race in support of our corporate charity, Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

As part of our commitment to engage meaningfully with our colleagues, we believe that it is paramount to reflect the experiences of all to truly harness an inclusive and representative work environment. We are proud to be a company that recognises the importance of gender representation and equality and, out of our exceptional 116 employees, our team is made up of 54% women and 46% men, with an above average number of women holding management positions. Compared to the national average [2] of 34% of women in management positions in the UK, we are delighted to have 46% of women in our business in management and leadership positions, and to have 50% of our Executive Leadership team made up of females. Our commitment to gender equality at HealthTrust Europe is demonstrated throughout all levels of our organisation, with strong female leaders providing mentorship and coaching to support our colleagues.

In addition to our work on gender equality, we are also proud to be a diverse workforce, representing a range of different cultures, religions and beliefs across our teams, as well as 11 nationalities. Of our 116 colleagues, our team is made up of:

• 29% Asian/ Asian British
• 21% Black/ Black British
• 32% White/ White British
• 7% Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups (White and Black Caribbean)

Ensuring that our colleagues from all backgrounds and identities feel appropriately represented and empowered whilst at work is absolutely critical to everything we do. Unfortunately, owing to a range of factors such as underrepresentation, stigma, discrimination and inaccessibility to mental health services, racial/ethnic, gender and sexual identities are often at higher risk[1] of poor mental health outcomes. Too often those suffering with poor mental health can go on to experience feelings of loneliness if the appropriate support networks are not available.

At HealthTrust Europe, we are pleased to have established multiple CSR groups that cover mental health and wellbeing, including a group for social activities. This group focuses on organising events across all levels of the company for co-workers to get involved in, including cinema visits, sports events, and quizzes. Beyond this, HealthTrust Europe is proud to have: an approachable Executive and HR team; an employee advisory group and an employee assistance programme; and a number of mental health first-aiders who are on hand to support co-workers to tackle stigma, and harness inclusion in the workplace.

To strengthen our commitment to D&I and mental health and to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Christine Charles as our new Learning and Development Manager. Christine joins HealthTrust Europe on 4th July 2022. In addition to a wealth of learning and development experience, she holds a particular passion for mental health and wellbeing. We are excited to enhance our D&I and mental health offering for colleagues and continue to make HealthTrust Europe an even more positive and inclusive working environment for all.

If you are struggling with mental health, you can find support via the below channels:

• • NHS Mental Health Helplines
  • Samaritans (Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org)
  • Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text ‘YM’ if you are under 19
  • MIND

[1] https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/influence-and-participation-toolkit/how/planning/diversity-and-difference/

[2] https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/news-centre/women-hold-31-of-global-mid-market-leadership-roles/#:~:text=In%20the%20UK%2C%20women%20now,3pp%20above%20the%20global%20average

[3] https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency/education/mental-health-facts

As a proud Corporate Supporter of The King’s Fund, HealthTrust Europe is pleased to have funded a project the organisation is working on to explain Provider Collaboratives.

Provider collaboratives are set to become a key part of the emerging arrangements in the NHS over the next few years.  The explainer considers the function of provider collaboratives in England, the opportunities they provide, and the unresolved questions to consider when thinking about their role in the changing health and care landscape.

From July 2022, all health and care organisations in England will be required to work together as integrated care systems (ICSs). Provider collaboratives, along with place-based partnership, will be ‘key components’ of ICSs.  By working effectively at scale, provider collaboratives are set to provide opportunities to tackle unwarranted variation, making improvements and delivering the best care outcomes for patients and communities.

All NHS trusts providing acute and mental health services will be expected to be part of at least one provider collaborative. These may take different forms and will vary in their scale and scope: some will be ‘vertical’ collaboratives involving primary, community, local acute, mental health and social care providers coming together to join up their services; others will be ‘horizontal’ collaboratives involving providers working together across a wide geography with other similar organisations to transform services and/or improve quality and efficiency. Regardless of the structure they wish to partake in, all NHS providers will need to join a provider collaborative, and individual providers may be involved in more than one.

Whilst it is evident that provider collaboratives are set to become a core component of emerging plans in the NHS’ future, the introduction of these new structures has left some yet-to-be-resolved questions. These include:

• How provider collaboratives will define what they will achieve
• How they will balance permissiveness and the pace at which they need to be established
• How the provider collaborative will work across:
  • Multiple ICSs and footprints
  • Capacity and capability
  • Culture, with the shift from competition to collaboration.

Against the backdrop of significant structural changes within the health care system, provider collaboratives offer potentially pivotal opportunities, should they be utilised to the full effect. As the implementation date for ICSs nears, it is crucial that these questions are answered to ensure that the delivery and impact of the provider collaboratives is both efficient and effective.

To read the full report on The King’s Fund’s website, please follow the link. The report was written and developed by The King’s Fund and is editorially independent.

HealthTrust Europe is pleased to announce that the local Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity has been selected as the company’s 2022 chosen charity.

Each year, HealthTrust Europe selects a different UK-based charity to fundraise for. The company organises regular fundraising events for staff to take part in, in an effort to raise as much money as possible for the chosen charity before the year ends.

This year, the staff at HealthTrust Europe have voted to support Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH), a specialist children’s hospital providing a range of services including major trauma care, paediatric intensive care, cardiac, renal, hepatic, orthopaedic surgeries, and mental health services.

HealthTrust Europe is a Birmingham-based company and the charity is one that is close to the hearts of all of our staff – many of whom have been treated at the Hospital themselves, or know someone close to them that has.

Speaking of her time at BCH as a child, Marketing Manager Leigh Draper said:

“I spent a lot of time at Birmingham Children’s Hospital when I was little, as I suffered with childhood asthma. I always remember my time at the hospital fondly, particularly the kindness and compassion of the staff.

The hospital regularly organised events and visits for the children, including Santa visits and my personal favourite – a visit from the Swedish Church Choir, which saw the choir members dressed up as royalty. I still have the newspaper clipping from that special visit!

I am so pleased we will be raising money for this exceptional cause and giving back directly to our community healthcare service.”

BCH’s ethos is that ‘there is always more we can do for our sick kids’, and their mission is therefore to raise as much money as possible to make a real difference to the children who use the hospital services. Visiting the hospital as a child can sometimes be a daunting prospect, but BCH do everything they can to offer children the best experience possible during their stay.

BCH relies on the kindness, generosity and hard work of their ‘Charity Champions’ to raise vital funds for the hospital. HealthTrust Europe are both proud and excited to join the impressive fundraisers already supporting BCH.

Dale Robinson, HealthTrust Europe’s Chief Operating Officer said:

“HealthTrust Europe staff have unanimously selected Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity as our 2022 charity. BCH do incredible work to support and improve the lives of local children, and it is a cause that means so much to our staff.   

Our company is and continues to be committed to the care and improvement of human life, and we are so pleased to be able to bring this passion into our fundraising efforts for BCH. All of our employees are excited to see how much we can raise before the year is up, and we hope that our fundraising can make a real difference to these children.”

HealthTrust Europe will be organising and taking part in fundraising activities throughout the year. The final amount raised will be announced in early 2023.