Category: In the News

HealthTrust Europe Celebrates International Nurses’ Day 2018

In the News
Posted on

Saturday 12th May 2018, was International Nurses’ Day. The day is an opportunity to recognise and reflect upon the contribution that caring nurses and allied health professionals make to people’s lives all around the world. To mark the occasion, HealthTrust Europe (HTE) colleagues in Birmingham had a blue-themed dress down day and a bake sale to raise money for the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) Foundation and Duchenne UK on Friday 11th May. A total of £404 was raised, which will be shared equally between both organisations.

Deepa Korea, Head of Foundation, RCN Foundation, said;

“Every day, thousands of people rely on the care provided by nurses, midwives and health care assistants. The RCN Foundation is firmly committed to providing vital support to the nursing team when they need it most. Donations such as yours are essential to helping us to achieve our aims. Thank you so much for helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of so many nurses, midwives and health care assistants”.

Katie Waller, a Research Nurse for the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle said;

“I joined the muscle team as a Research Nurse in Newcastle in September 2016. My role is funded by Duchenne UK and Joining Jack, and was introduced to help increase trial capacity for patients with DMD as part of the ‘Newcastle Plan. I am so grateful to have been funded by Duchenne UK and Joining Jack and thoroughly enjoy working in a role which allows me to develop my clinical skills as well as specialist knowledge into the condition which I can then share with our patients”.

This year, International Nurses’ Day took place in the same week as Hospital Week in the U.S.A. Milton Johnson, Chairman and CEO of HCA Healthcare, also shared a special message with employees of the group;

“Please join us in thanking our nurses for the critical role they play in caring for our patients. While these are events we celebrate each year, they take on added significance in 2018: the year of HCA Healthcare’s 50th anniversary.
In 1968, HCA was established with a single 200-bed hospital – Park View Hospital, in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then, we have grown into an organization that offers access to quality, compassionate care across 20 U.S. states and the U.K. In nearly 30 million patient encounters each year, we put our shared mission into practice: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.
When Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., Dr. Thomas Frist Jr. and Jack Massey joined together to found HCA 50 years ago, their goal was to provide superior healthcare with warmth and compassion for patients, colleagues and communities. A lot has changed in 50 years, but each of you help ensure those core tenets are as relevant as ever in our hospitals, urgent care centers, physician practices, surgery centers and other points of care throughout the organisation.”

International Nurses’ Day is also close to the heart of Claire Moses, Director of Clinical Boards for HTE’s, Group Purchasing Organisation. Claire is a Registered Nurse (Adult), with previous experience gained in both the military and Neurology. Claire shared her thoughts on how HTE’s commitment to the care and improvement of human life is supported with clinical experience and knowledge;

“HTE supports nursing services in the communities that we serve by bringing together pockets of clinical excellence and inspiring clinical teams to deliver the best quality products to provide safe and effective patient care. We break down the barriers between procurement and the clinical teams in order for members to realise their goals.
This year is made more special, as we approach the 70th Anniversary of the NHS. Over the past 70 years the NHS has gone through significant change, each step of the way has been challenging. However, through the combined efforts of all staff, the NHS continues to strive towards providing excellent patient care.”

More about the RCN Foundation
The RCN Foundation is an independent charity which is part of the Royal College of Nursing Group. Their mission is to support and strengthen nursing to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. The Foundation provides advice and financial assistance when members of the nursing profession are facing hardship. this could be caused by illness, domestic abuse or simply not being able to make ends meet. In 2017, they supported over 1,700 individuals who were facing hardship. 74% of grant recipients said that the grant had increased their independence.
The foundation also funds education and career development opportunities, alongside strategic, nursing-led projects that aim to improve patient care. Their current focus is supporting the nursing team working in a care home setting. Over the next three years, this will be expanded to focus on mental health and learning disability nursing.

More about Duchenne UK
Our chosen charity for 2018, Duchenne UK, is funding several nursing posts via the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) Hub. The aim of the DMD Hub is to ensure all patients have the chance to take part in a clinical trial, by increasing clinical trial capacity in the UK. The work of the DMD Hub includes a total of three years of funding for a Clinical Research Nurse at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle and two years of funding for a Clinical Trials Nurse at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. The £202 we are donating will cover the funding for a nurse for one day.

Raising Vital Funds for our Local Community on International Women’s Day

In the News
Posted on

On Thursday 8th March, men and women at HealthTrust Europe (HTE) celebrated International Women’s Day 2018. As part of HCA Healthcare, the largest non-governmental healthcare organisation in the world, we spent this day appreciating the many amazing women in healthcare, both past and present. We were delighted by the recent announcement that three women lead the HSJ top 50 trust chief executives. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) also recently revealed their initiative to encourage more young women to consider STEM careers by creating lesson plans which feature famous female scientists through history.

HTE is committed to improving healthcare in the communities we serve. We strive to make a valuable difference to people’s lives and believe that women and children have the right to live free from violence, abuse and fear. An estimated 1.2 million women aged 16 to 59 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year, according to the year ending March 2017 Crime Survey for England and Wales. This is why the £250 raised from our purple themed dress down day has been donated to Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid (BSWAid).

Sally Insley, Head of Fundraising at BSWAid, said “We are truly grateful for the support received from HTE. This £250 will help us to provide around 15 emergency ‘First Night’ packs that we can give to women when they arrive at refuge. These packs will contain essential items such as toiletries, food, sanitary ware and baby items. When a woman and her family first present at refuge, they have very little by way of belongings. These packs mean that those arriving at refuge have the basics to keep them comfortable for the first night. Thank you so much to all of the staff at HTE for helping us to make a difference.”

For over 35 years, BSWAid has been assisting women and children in our local community by providing emergency accommodation in six refuges. They also operate a helpline, drop-in services, counselling, help with criminal and civil legal proceedings, education and outreach, and family guidance. The services they provide change lives for the better and offer them a brighter future. We are honoured to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to our local community.

“At HTE, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life. To successfully achieve this, we believe it is essential to “Press for Progress”. The skills, abilities and experiences of our talented, diverse workforce has led to greater empathy, understanding and innovation. We are dedicated to the professional development of all our colleagues and value their unique talents. We reviewed our pay in 2017 to ensure that gender pay parity exists and continue to review this on an ongoing basis. We are proud to support a bright, equal, safe and rewarding future for women in the healthcare profession.” Dennis Robb, Chief Executive Officer for HTE

What is International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day is recognised around the world to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and stimulating discussion on what more needs to be done. This year’s theme was “Press for Progress”, to accelerate gender parity and increase opportunities for career progression. Find Out More

New website reinforces HealthTrust Europe’s vision for the future and commitment to improving healthcare

In the News
Posted on

Over the last 18 months we’ve undergone a significant transformation both in terms of our structure and our raison d’être. The time had therefore come for us to reinvent ourselves, with a new website which represents a true reflection of our current capabilities and our future objectives.

 

Back to basics

By re-evaluating and simplifying our core offering, HealthTrust Europe has a clear vision for the future: to operate nationally as a platform connecting our healthcare provider and supplier communities to improve healthcare. This is achieved via our easy-to-understand market offering that comprises:

Individually, each of these elements is proven to be highly effective in performance improvement for healthcare providers. When accessed together, as one cohesive package, they offer real operational efficiency and cost-saving opportunities that are needed to deliver exceptional healthcare.

 

A name you can trust

In recognition of the increased popularity of storytelling, we wanted to ensure that the new website tells our story. So we’ve included sections that explain who we are, why we’re here, what we offer and how we serve our communities.

HealthTrust Europe is part of HCA Healthcare – a leading healthcare organisation that’s driven by the care and improvement of human life. In the pursuit of our shared mission we live by the following values: courage, innovation, accountability, adaptability and trust.

Focused on delivering results that make a difference – to the patients and to the bottom line – we have the organisational structure, the knowledge and the expertise to execute total spend management solutions effectively.

 

Working in partnership

However, it’s not just about getting results; we place our customers at the heart of everything we do. HealthTrust Europe is an organisation you can rely on. As your partner, we offer the help and support you need to drive results for your organisation. Our friendly, professional and knowledgeable Customer Care team is on hand to resolve customer enquiries, while providing the highest level of customer service and developing strong customer relationships.

True to this customer-centric ethos our new easy-to-navigate website has been built with you in mind – providing clear access to relevant and up-to-date framework information, with distinct sections for healthcare providers and healthcare suppliers.

We invite you to explore the new site and would welcome any feedback. After all, listening to our customers and monitoring our performance play an integral part in our goal of achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Recognising Employee Achievements

In the News
Posted on

We are delighted to recognise Daniel Chapman, Director of Pathology at HealthTrust Europe, who graduated with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management this month. Daniel began his distance learning course at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Business School in January 2015, which he has completed alongside his full-time role.

“Dan is a hardworking, innovative, committed, thoughtful and a consistent leader for HealthTrust Europe. I’m very proud of him in the way he has embraced his leadership role leading by example and this fantastic achievement.” commented Sanjeev Narwal, AVP for Pharmacy.

An interview with Daniel Chapman

 

Why did you choose to undertake this higher education?
I believed this would support my personal and professional development, improving my knowledge and understanding in key areas of expertise and developing well-rounded experience. The degree is also accredited by the Chartered Institute of Procurement, which is recognised across my peers and in the wider industry.

What knowledge, skills or learnings have you gained?
The MSc has helped me to advance my skills in a variety of areas including the management of individuals and teams, basic contract law and how it can be applied, effective contract management which in turn supports customer delivery, and increased financial understanding including how the performance of my business area affects the wider business, enabling me to make commercially sound business decisions.

How has this helped you in your role at HealthTrust Europe?
I believe it’s important to have a balance between experience and theory, and my role at HealthTrust Europe provides me with a fantastic opportunity to put that theory into practise. Consequently, I have been able to establish Pathology as a key business function for the organisation with a high-performing team. Being able to help and support my team’s development is also important to me and I believe this degree has been fundamental in doing this effectively.

 

Clinically-Driven GPO Contract Delivers Significant Value

In the News
Posted on

HealthTrust Europe is excited to announce the launch of our latest GPO contract for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). This clinically-driven sourcing exercise has produced significant Value (quality, safety and service benefits) for our GPO members, as well as double-digit savings.

Five GPO members committed to award to a sole supplier, which strengthened our negotiations with the supplier community and delivered a group average of 49% discount off previous year spend.

This full OJEU tender process involved a robust quality evaluation model with clinicians coming together and embracing the opportunity to design the specifications and agree the requirements they deemed necessary for products they will use to deliver quality patient care.

The quality evaluation stage ensured products were suitable for use in a variety of different environments within both acute and community settings. A comprehensive provision of training and support was essential to provide end-users with the knowledge to use the products and reasoning for use of different dressings. This also encompassed educational sessions, competency-based training on-site within the clinical setting and train-the-trainer activities.

Focused on ensuring products are safe, appropriate and effective for use, the quality evaluation stage also established warranty cover, frequent service for pumps and a protocol for repair of faulty devices.

The top two highest scoring suppliers then moved onto a one month product evaluation period within some of the participating trusts. Tissue Viability Nurses were provided with training for both devices before evaluating them with various dressing changes. Our in-house clinical staff then collated and verified the scoring to confirm the awarded supplier.

HealthTrust Europe develops partnerships with its supplier community and is committed to ensuring a smooth and successful transition for members who move to a new supplier. As this was the case for several members, the awarded supplier is required to meet a variety of KPIs during the implementation phase to ensure this is achieved within the agreed timescales.

This offering is exclusively available to GPO members who agreed to participate within the category, committing clinical engagement and spend from their trust which when aggregated enabled the movement of market share and the award to a sole supplier to drive significant saving opportunities for the good of the group.

Interested in accessing the industry’s best prices? Contact our Customer Care team to discuss GPO membership on 0845 887 5000 or email customercare@htepg.com

First GPO Contract Delivers Cost Saving Opportunities

In the News
Posted on

The first GPO contract has been awarded for Disposable Gowns, achieving a group average of 14% discount off previous year spend for our members. This was a clinically-driven sourcing exercise with commitment from six GPO members to award to a sole supplier.

Clinical end-users representative of Consultants, Surgeons & Nurses worked with us to define the clinical specifications which were taken to market. Together, we reviewed product samples from a range of suppliers and determined the characteristics for a high quality product that all clinical stakeholders would be happy with. These were then built into specifications and criteria for evaluating products.

Following the scoring of tender submissions, the top two scoring suppliers moved forward to product evaluations.

Product evaluations were undertaken across a number of clinical services and stakeholders who deemed the Medline gowns to be of the highest quality and clinically acceptable. Product evaluation scores were aligned to tender submission scores on quality and price, to identify the ‘sole’ winning supplier Medline.

Clinical end-users remain engaged in the process working with their procurement colleagues, HealthTrust Europe and Medline to ensure smooth implementation of the contract. The move away from the incumbent suppliers to Medline will be supported by our dedicated team to ensure full conversion within the agreed timescales.

An exciting outcome and a demonstration of what a clinically driven group purchasing model is able to deliver

Interested in accessing the industry’s best prices? Contact our Customer Care team to discuss GPO membership on 0845 887 5000 or email customercare@htepg.com

GPO Model Demonstrates Partnership and Aligned Decision-Making

In the News
Posted on

As the only national committed-model group purchasing organisation (GPO) in the UK, we take clinical and commercial requirements to market on behalf of our members and undertake procurement activities aimed at obtaining the highest quality products and services at the best price for healthcare providers.

Our clinically-driven sourcing process underpins our mission to strengthen provider performance and clinical excellence to ultimately improve healthcare in the communities we serve.

Established in 2016, a group of customers were invited to join HealthTrust Europe in building a GPO, using a proven model from our parent organisation in the US, and a focus on driving value (Quality, Safety, Service and Price). Today our membership has grown to fifteen members which are listed below:

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust
HCA Healthcare UK
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Wye Valley NHS Trust

Each month, representatives from our members participate in advisory board meetings and govern all contract decisions. The Clinical Advisory Board, representative of doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists and other clinical end-users, drive the development of clinical specifications and determine ‘like’ products which are clinically acceptable. The Procurement Partnership Board, representative of procurement and supply chain experts works with HealthTrust Europe to set the commercial requirements and provides commitment necessary to negotiate the lowest costs.

The courage, commitment and partnership approach that our members have demonstrated has led to significant developments in a short period of time, enabling fifteen independent healthcare providers to work together and deliver greater results for the good of the group rather than on an individual basis.

To date, we have launched five GPO contracts, all of which have delivered double-digit savings opportunities for our members. These include Disposable Gowns, Renal Consumables, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Consumables, CSSD Consumables and Anaesthetic & Oxygen Consumables. The group average across the contracts is between 10-49% discount off previous year spend.

Globally, HealthTrust serves approximately 1,600 acute care facilities and members in more than 26,000 other locations, and leverages $30B of spend to negotiate cost saving opportunities and best terms for its members.

Interested in accessing the industry’s best prices? Contact our Customer Care team to discuss GPO membership on 0845 887 5000 or email customercare@htepg.com

Latest rules for agency staff procurement

In the News
Posted on


Requirement to use approved frameworks for all agency staff procurement

From 1st April 2016, all trusts subject to the agency rules have been mandated by NHS Improvement (formerly Monitor/TDA) to procure all agency staff including nurses, doctors and other clinical staff via an approved framework provider.

Further information on the agency rules and price caps can be found here

HealthTrust Europe is an NHS Improvement approved framework provider and we are supporting trusts nationwide to procure their agency staff at the best possible rates in line with the price caps via a compliant route.

In situations where it is necessary to break glass on the grounds of patient safety, it is important that trusts do not move off framework to source agency workers. We have seen multiple examples of this costing trusts substantially more than staying on framework. In these instances we will work with you to ensure on framework delivery of agency staff at the best possible rates in line with the price caps.

HealthTrust Europe supported its customers in reducing above cap transactions by 7% in the month of March.

Our “Top Caps” league tables are now available to support our members in the procurement of agency staff. League tables are trust-specific and data-driven, providing you with a quick and easy method to select agencies that have demonstrated adherence to caps in specific band and grade options both regionally and by trust.

For assistance in eradicating your off framework spend and ensuring NHS Improvement compliance, please don’t hesitate to contact the dedicated agency team on 0845 8874 979 or by email at agency@htepg.com

 

HTE Supports SAFERjobs Initiative

In the News
Posted on

The joint Metropolitan Police and Recruitment Industry Counter-Fraud organisation, known as SAFERjobs, (Safe Advice for Employment and Recruitment) is a non-profit making organisation created to raise awareness and combat criminal activities that may be attempted on those within the industry or through the services provided by the industry.

HealthTrust Europe (HTE) is committed to combatting fraud and bad practice. We have been working closely with the SAFERjobs team to enhance the support we provide to agencies and Trusts within the NHS market place.

HTE supports the approach to create a centralised gateway, for the reporting of serious incidents that affect our customer base and allows for investigation by the appropriate body.

We are working to develop awareness of the initiative with our awarded suppliers to ensure that we are at the forefront of providing robust, high-quality services to our customers. Alignment to such valuable initiatives demonstrates our commitment to leading the way in providing Agency Staffing procurement to the NHS and our wider customer base.

”SAFERjobs, as the home of job seeker safety, is determined to ensure job searching is safe for both job seekers and employers alike. By working with innovative, trustworthy organisations such as HTE, we believe the NHS and recruitment agencies will reduce the cost of fraud, improve the reputation of the recruitment industry, and keep the public safe in their job search.” Keith Rosser, Chair – SAFERjobs 

A list of partners that work with the SAFERjobs initiative can be found here.

HTE Launches TrainingSmart in Partnership with Neuven Solutions

In the News
Posted on

The TrainingSmart programme has been developed to provide the healthcare recruitment industry with a robust, high-quality training service. This initiative aims to provide both awarded and aspiring agencies with the tools for best practice, continuous improvement and staff development opportunities. This will enable customers to be confident that agencies can demonstrate high standards in compliance, ethical recruitment, and organisational integrity. 

 “The launch of these services demonstrates our commitment to leading the way in providing Agency Staffing procurement to the NHS and our wider customer base. We aim to utilise the services to support industry standards and to complement our independent audit services in providing a pro-active mechanism for raising the bar in quality.” Gary Snart, Agency Staffing Category Manager at HTE

HealthTrust Europe (HTE) has a long-standing relationship with Neuven Solutions, its independent auditor, and views this initiative as a platform to enhance its Agency Staffing offering and support NHS Trusts in a difficult and changing market place.

“Neuven Solutions Ltd (NSL) are delighted to partner with Health Trust Europe (HTE) to offer a range of services designed to ensure that the procurers of temporary staffing labour are protected by receiving the highest standard of agency staff.

Throughout our long and successful partnership with HTE, we have been delighted to support their commitment to compliance and continuous improvement and we are confident that these products will continue to increase standards across the board.” John Simmonds Chief Executive, Neuven Solutions Ltd.

For further information, please contact our Helpdesk on 0845 887 5000 or email helpdesk@healthtrusteurope.com