Appendix III
Examples of BUPA's Partnerships with the
Public Sector
1. BUPA Hospital Hull And East Riding has
worked closely with local GPs and NHS Trusts in order to help
them achieve their waiting list targets. During 2000, the BUPA
hospital formed a working party with East Yorkshire Hospitals
Trust to ensure closer dialogue. This has led to, amongst other
things, the development of a specific pre-assessment checklist
to be met in the case of each patient before admission to BUPA's
hospital. Consequently, BUPA receives those patients who suffer
from defined conditions and have been on a waiting list for a
defined period. This leaves the NHS free to treat any patient
in need of its specialist services. Because of the close dialogue
between the two parties, BUPA knows what type of patients to expect
and even approximate numbers. This forward knowledge allows maximum
use of BUPA's resources to be made by the Trust.
2. Addenbrooke's Hospital and BUPA Cambridge
Lea Hospital have entered a unique public-private partnership
that has enabled both hospitals to benefit from the use of a new
MRI scanner. BUPA Cambridge Lea provided the accommodation for
the new scanner. It receives rent from Addenbrooke's for the facility.
The scanner operates as a satellite of Addenbrooke's, is staffed
by Addenbrooke's staff and all revenues go to the NHS. The project
took only one year from inception to the first scan.
3. In Reading, nurses from the BUPA Dunedin
Hospital work with the local Primary Care Group to provide rectal
bleeding diagnostic facilities. Special clinics are held on a
fortnightly basis for patients who would otherwise have been referred
for a standard outpatient appointment. This previously resulted
in a wait of up to eight weeks, not including the time taken to
produce and send the results back to the GP. This partnership
arrangement takes two to three months out of the original diagnosis
process, reducing worry and increasing the chances of detecting
colo-rectal cancers at an early stage. This specialist unit clinic
currently treats up to 150 patients a year.
4. BUPA Chalybeate Hospital, one of our
specialists cardiac units, is routinely invited to help with local
coronary bypass surgery waiting list initiatives in Southampton.
Initially, the local NHS Trust committed itself to a six-month
cost/volume contract for cardiac services. This provided best
value for money with maximum flexibility. To this end, BUPA Chalybeate
now performs approximately 280 cardiac surgical procedures, including
bypass operations, for the NHS each year. Negotiations are under
way regarding a medium-term two-three year contract for Chalybeate's
services.
5. BUPA Care Services has already shown
its expertise in providing health and social care services to
local authorities and to various NHS purchasers.
6. The independent care homes sector, in
which BUPA Care Services is the market leader, provides approximately
85 per cent of care home beds in the UK. Increasingly, local authorities,
for example Bedfordshire and Powys, are withdrawing from direct
provision. Driven by the best value imperative, these local authorities
have contracted out the management of their care homes to BUPA.
BUPA has entered into a 12-year contract with Bedfordshire Local
Authority to run 15 care homes (approximately 450 beds) on its
behalf. As part of the contract, Bedfordshire purchases 90 per
cent of the beds from BUPA, whilst the rest of the beds are occupied
on an individual basis. BUPA also manages day care centres for
Bedfordshire, including three stand-alone facilities, one of which
specialises in dementia care. The contract includes an investment
of £5 million by BUPA and the local authority to bring the
homes up to current regulatory standards.
7. As part of the investment plan, BUPA
has recently opened a 60-bed home in Dunstable, which operates
as part of the contract. BUPA and Bedfordshire Local Authority
meet regularly to discuss partnership arrangements to ensure they
continue to meet local needs. This has led to the development
of intermediate care beds in two Bedfordshire homes and the provision
of specialist rehabilitation services when they are required by
the health authority. BUPA has worked hard to provide training
opportunities for care home staff in Bedfordshire. This has led
to some people being promoted through the ranks to become home
managers.
8. In 1999, BUPA engaged in a 10-year contract
with Powys County Council to run 12 of its residential homes.
As part of the contract, BUPA has committed to spend over £2
million on a joint development plan designed to improve infrastructure
and allow staff to continue to provide high standards of care.
Refurbishment work is already underway at nine homes and is due
to start shortly on another three.
9. We are providing step-up, step-down and
specialist care, for conditions like Parkinson's Disease, to help
ease the pressure on NHS acute beds.
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