Published: 24 March, 2021

The Greater Manchester Urgent Primary Care Alliance, a partnership between gtd healthcare, Mastercall Healthcare and Bardoc, and the first of its kind for Greater Manchester, was a finalist in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards.

The awards, which took place on Wednesday, 17 March, saw the alliance being commended and recognised in the Integrated Care Partnership of the Year category, for its response to and delivery of the integrated urgent and emergency care at scale across Greater Manchester.

This includes the:

  • Greater Manchester 999 and NHS 111 Clinical Assessment Service, which has led to significantly improved patient outcomes;
  • Integrated NHS 111 and Clinical Assessment Service’s digital case transfer solution across Greater Manchester emergency departments (EDs) with safeguarding in place for patients who did not attend appointments;
  • Greater Manchester Urgent Dental Care Telephony Service.

The Clinical Assessment Service involves patients receiving an initial telephone assessment via NHS111. Those who are deemed as requiring to attend ED within a given timeframe are transferred to a clinical assessor at gtd healthcare’s Clinical Hub for an enhanced assessment. The aim is for patients to be managed where appropriate with telephone advice or seen at a treatment centre rather than going straight to ED. The digital case transfer solution enables the clinician to electronically book an ED appointment for patients and all the details from the clinical assessments are viewable for the ED clinicians, avoiding duplication of information.

David Beckett, gtd healthcare's chief executive, said this is a fantastic achievement for all those who are involved with the work of the alliance.

“The alliance provides a platform to share best practice and expertise and respond to the ever changing demands of delivering high quality healthcare services across Greater Manchester,” he said.

“I’m acutely aware that the pandemic has changed the healthcare landscape in particular the way patient’s access services, and so enhancing their experience by ensuring the right care is received at the right time and from the right professional, continues to be a key priority. The Clinical Assessment Service in particular really demonstrates how patient outcomes are improved and I am delighted that it’s been recognised via the HSJ awards.”

“The alliance’s data shows that 82% of patients who accessed the Clinical Assessment Service avoided being admitted to ED and were signposted to an alternative service. This demonstrates that the alliance’s collaborative approach and continuous development including digital integration and single point of access, has standardised best practice and led to improved health system outcomes.”

The alliance is continuing to monitor and enhance its services, and is working with commissioners to provide streamlined and improved care across Greater Manchester.