“Outstanding” NHS Virtual Centre Wins Highest CQC Rating
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
12 July 2018
“Outstanding” NHS Virtual Centre Wins Highest CQC Rating
In a recent report, the government’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) awarded an innovative NHS “Virtual Centre” it’s highest “outstanding” rating. The SDSmyhealthcare GP Federation Virtual Centre enables Birmingham patients to book telephone and video consultations with a GP, nurse practitioner or prescribing pharmacist - seven days a week.
The SDSmyhealthcare GP Federation (SDSmyhealthcare has 56 member practices across Birmingham. Between them, members have a patient list of around 350, 000. Every member practice has full access to the Virtual Centre, which is based at West Heath Medical Centre. SDSmyhealthcare is supported by NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Other virtual services include an app for patients, and a new and convenient telephone-based Prescription Ordering Department. Nirmal Vora, CEO at SDSmyhealthcare, said:
"We're delighted to receive this prestigious rating from CQC, and I’d like to thank the CCG for their ongoing backing. As an innovative partner, we’re keen to bring the NHS’s online offering into the modern era. Patients already enjoy outstanding digital experiences in the retail and entertainment sectors, for example, and we’re determined to add public healthcare to that list.
“As an NHS initiative,” Nirmal went on, “we are ideally placed to have full access to all its many services. This gives us a unique advantage over the private sector. But to be truly successful, it’s vital that our technology outperforms that of our commercial rivals. This is why we’re working hard to improve our video consultations and app capabilities even further.”
Compassion, kindness, dignity and respect
The CQC report praised the effective and appropriate care SDSmyhealthcare provide. It said that “staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.” “Patients and GP practices,” the report stated, “found the service benefited them and allowed patients to access care and treatment in a more responsive way.”
Innovation and strong leadership at all levels
CQC highlighted SDSmyhealthcare’s “innovation and continuous learning” and “strong leadership at all levels”. They said SDSmyhealthcare had “clear systems to manage risk”, and “actively engaged staff when reviewing policies”.
Outstanding partnerships and app
CQC drew attention to two areas of SDSmyhealthcare’s “outstanding practice”. The first area was their patient-facing app. The app allows patients access to appointments, prescription management, medical records, lifestyle and long-term condition management advice. Currently being rolled out, it is already available to 180, 000 CCG patients.
The second area covered the partnerships SDSmyhealthcare has formed with external healthcare providers. These partnerships extend the range of services they could provide to patients. For example, patients were able to book appointments with a physiotherapist through the virtual service. This was instead of being referred to community services first. As a result, waiting times were cut from weeks to a few days.
To find out more about SDSmyhealthcare, please head to www.sdsmyhealthcare.com.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
The full CCG report is available now to read at https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/AAAH3709.pdf.
SDSmyhealthcare provide high-quality, easy-to-access multidisciplinary healthcare services for patients across Birmingham. Our aim is to improve patient experience, lower their waiting times, and reduce the pressure on NHS urgent care.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for people living in Birmingham and Solihull. They look after a population of around 1.3 million people. Their budget is in excess of £1.8 billion – almost 2% of the total NHS resource. Visit www.birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk.
CQC are the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. They make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve. You can learn more about the CCG at www.cqc.org.uk.
Pictured: A GP at work in The Virtual Centre
Media contact
For all media enquiries, please contact Johnny Cullen at johnny.cullen@nhs.net or call him on 07967 610 866.