Any Qualifying Providers
There has been a lot of discussions lately regarding federations, collaborative working and the future provision of enhanced services. Communitas was, until very recently, providing the phlebotomy LES as a pass through contract at Woodside Group Practice.
All funding for this enhanced service was passed directly on to Woodside who delivered the service while Communitas held the contract with the local commissioners. Communitas stopped holding the contract earlier this year as it was felt more appropriate that Woodside contract directly with the CCG rather than Communitas.
The current thinking is to provide future enhanced service contracts through providers with Any Qualified Provider (AQP) status. If these plans are realised, the board recognises that Communitas with its AQP status may have an opportunity to once more support local practices in their delivery of these contracts as it did do with the previous phlebotomy service.
The board has not however committed to any firm decision on the future provision of the enhanced services or collaborative working. We will continue to monitor developments with the interests of our shareholders at the forefront of our considerations.
Growth Strategy
Following last year’s Laing and Buisson award for management excellence the board has continued to pursue its strategy of growth. To accommodate the new Havering and Bexley intermediate dermatology services it was necessary to undergo a staffing restructure which has now been successfully concluded.
Communitas now employs eleven administration staff including three service managers. The company also uses fifteen regular sessional clinicians including one ENT consultant and one dermatology consultant. In total we currently deliver four services across three boroughs. The team continues to look for new GPSIs ready for accreditation in all of the boroughs. As part of our drive to increase the number of GPSIs we have also helped implement a GPSI development program in Havering in collaboration with Queens’ Hospital in Romford.
“99% patient satisfaction last year”
Havering has continued to grow over the past few months, although it is now felt that demand has peaked as the local Havering GPs have adapted to the new service. As in Croydon our waiting times are below 4 weeks and levels of patient satisfaction in Havering are as high as in the Croydon Services which achieved 99% patient satisfaction last year. The feedback is extremely positive from our Havering commissioners who have confirmed that the intermediate service has significantly reduced the number of referrals into secondary care by over 50% delivering signicant savings. We expect to provide more services in Havering in the near future, building on the success of this dermatology contract.
“…the intermediate service has significantly reduced the number of referrals into secondary care by over 50%”
The Bexley dermatology contract was awarded to Communitas earlier this year and the team is ready to mobilise as soon as confirmation on the care pathways has been finalised. Constructive discussions took place in June with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital consultants in Bexley and it would appear that most of the details have now been ironed out. As the Bexley commissioners have requested an enhanced intermediate service with additional consultant clinics in the community, the guidelines have proved to be more complex than the existing intermediate services we currently provide. We now expect to start the service in September subject to final approval from the Bexley Commissioners.
Some recent feedback comments from patients
“The staff were very helpful”
“Very satisfied with care/consultation. Very comfortable with the doctor”
“I am very pleased to have this service in this community – long may it continue”
“The team were very kind and understanding”
“The doctor listened to my concerns”
“The doctor and nurse were fantastic, excellent in every way. Please pass on my sincere gratitude. Thank you”
“Doctor brilliant and very educative advice today”
“The doctor was very professional”
“Treated very well”
“We are very pleased with the doctor”
“Very nice and informative”
“Doctor brilliant and very educative advice today”
“Everyone was very satisfactory”