Patients feel benefit of new care service

PATIENTS in Rochdale with a wide range of complaints are benefitting from new and innovative ways of receiving care.

Care is being fully integrated for the first time by a partnership of providers, overseeing the patient’s ‘journey’ from their GP and other healthcare professional, for their initial assessment, tests and then on for any required treatment.

Health bosses say the system is intended to speed up access to the right services, avoid delays and make it easier for organisations to have an overview of patients’ care.

The integrated way of working has been commissioned by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for a number of specialities – gastroenterology (excluding obstetrics and the cervical screening ) ear nose and throat (ENT), gynaecology, orthopaedics and urology.

A second stage later in the summer will introduce a streamlined pathway for musculo-skeletal services (MSK), which will allow patients with conditions of the muscles, bones and joints to see the service they need more efficiently.

The initial five-year contract has a value of £22m per annum, so a full contract value of £110m is with the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, InHealth, BMI Highfield Hospital and GP Care Services Ltd.

Some of the benefits for patients are a quicker turnaround of their referral from the GP to treatment.

All referrals are managed using a single point of access that oversees assessment, diagnosis and patient consultation, where necessary in one appointment. When a patient attends the service the most clinically appropriate healthcare provider will see them.

The workforce across the healthcare providers include clinical leads, consultants, nurse endoscopists, radiographer’s registered nurses, healthcare assistants and dieticians.

All of the integrated services are aimed at improving the patient experience with weekend, early morning and evening appointments available wherever possible.

It is hoped the system will reduce follow-up outpatient appointments and a reduction in duplication of test and procedures.