Latest News
Latest News and Newsletters. Here you will find the latest UHUK news stories and you can view or download our latest newsletter.
UHUK Welcome EBPC OOH to the Membership
Author: Sarah Fletcher •
We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to East Berkshire Primary Care (EBPC OOH) as the newest member of the Urgent Health UK (UHUK) community, effective April 2024. As an organisation dedicated to providing exceptional out-of-hours healthcare services, EBPC OOH's commitment to excellence aligns seamlessly with the values upheld by UHUK.
EBPC OOH's inclusion in our membership further strengthens our collective ability to deliver high-quality urgent care services to communities across the UK. Their expertise and dedication will undoubtedly enrich the collaborative efforts of our network, fostering innovation and best practices in out-of-hours care provision.
With a focus on patient-centered care and a passion for enhancing healthcare accessibility, EBPC OOH embodies the ethos that underpins UHUK's mission. By joining our ranks, they demonstrate a shared commitment to advancing the standards of urgent healthcare delivery and promoting equitable access to vital services for all.
EBPC is a not for profit social enterprise providing a wide range of NHS Urgent and Primary Care services.
At EBPC it is their vision to continue to deliver outstanding primary healthcare out of hours to the community of East Berkshire and beyond to enable people to live healthier lives through better access to primary care services.
EBPC strives to continually improve the accessibility of primary care services for everyone, bring innovation to the sector and reduce the amount of pressure NHS services face, while not compromising on the care of patients. Working together as one team to continually deliver consistent, quality care in a cost-effective way.
On behalf of UHUK, we extend our warmest greetings to East Berkshire Primary Care (EBPC OOH) as they embark on this new chapter of partnership and collaboration within our membership.
UHUK Innovation Programme, in partnership with The University of Warwick SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 HSJ DIGITAL AWARDS Celebrating excellence in digitising, connecting, and transforming health and care
Author: Sarah Fletcher •
UHUK is delighted to announce that the UHUK Innovation Programme, in partnership with The University of Warwick has been shortlisted for ‘Improving Urgent and Emergency Care through Digital’ at the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards, recognising innovative digital projects transforming care delivery, enhance efficiency, and improve patient outcomes.
343 entries have been received for this year’s Digital Awards, with 165 projects and individuals meriting inclusion on the final shortlist. The high volume - and exceptional quality – of applications once again mirrors the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed across the UK’s healthcare system.
Following the thorough judging process, UHUK/Warwick was shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held on 6 June 2024, with its Innovation Programme standing out as a real ‘success story’ worthy of a prized place on the panel’s shortlist.
UHUK, faced with increased demands on urgent health services, created one-of-a-kind Innovation Programme with the University of Warwick. Focused on optimising workforce efficiency, it identified 4 innovative companies who could help solve their challenges. Together they developed 6 solutions one of which demonstrates potential to improve call productivity by 25%.
Conor Burke, CEO UHUK comments, “We’re delighted to be recognised for our work in helping to create new solutions for key issues facing the NHS through creative thinking. By bringing our members together to build upon their collective capability we are helping to make significant strides in the healthcare sector.
“Our staff always go above and beyond to improve patient outcomes and quality of service and care – and aligning with the HSJ Digital Awards programme really allows us to share our success as well as everything we’ve learnt through implementing our project.”
HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge UHUK/Warwick for being shortlisted in the category of ‘Improving Urgent and Emergency Care through Digital’.
“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in June, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service.”
The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Manchester Central on 6th June 2024.
The 2024 awards judging panel was once again made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Olubukola (Buki) Adeyemo, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Hatim Abdulhussein, National Clinical Lead, AI and Digital Workforce (WT&E), NHS England, Dame Margaret Whitehead, Chair, Independent Review Equity in Medical Devices and Luke Readman, Regional Director of Digital Transformation, NHS England (London).
The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards can be found at https://digitalawards.hsj.co.uk/
CQC awards Badger Health Group an 'Outstanding' rating
Author: Sarah Fletcher •
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a comprehensive inspection of Birmingham and District General Practitioner Emergency Room Limited (Badger Health Group) between 29th November and 11th December 2023.
We are delighted to announce that Badger Health Group has achieved an 'Outstanding' rating, the highest possible rating that the CQC can award. We are proud to have met the rigorous standards set by the regulating body and are exceptionally grateful to our team for all their hard work and dedication to upholding the highest standards of excellence in providing quality patient care and services. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Badger Member practices, system partners and colleagues who have supported us over the years.
Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, Chief Executive of Badger Health Group said:
“We are incredibly proud to have been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the CQC. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team, who are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients. I believe the CQC report captured the heart of Badger when it said: ‘People were truly respected and valued as individuals and were empowered as partners in their care, practically and emotionally, by an exceptional and unique service. Many of the comments left by patients included that they valued the service and thought there should be more UTCs like the ones provided by Badger.’”
Amanda Lyndon, CQC Deputy Director of Operations in the Midlands, said:
“When we inspected Birmingham and District General Practitioner Emergency Room Limited (Badger), we found a service where managers and staff went the extra mile to ensure people received the best possible care. The service really understood what people needed. All staff should be extremely proud of the care they’re providing to people. They clearly work hard to provide exceptional care and other providers should look at this report to see if there’s anything they can learn.”
The full report is now available to read on the CQC website and can be accessed here.
For further information on the work of Badger Health Group please visit: www.badger-group.com
Matt Adam Selected as UHUK's New Non-Executive Director (NED)
Author: Sarah Fletcher •
UHUK is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Adam as the newest addition to the team. Matt Adam brings a wealth of experience in successfully leading non-healthcare social enterprises at scale, reinforcing UHUK's commitment to strategic growth and excellence.
As an independent Non-Executive Director (NED), Matt Adam will play a pivotal role in providing an external perspective to the UHUK Board. He will contribute his expertise to assist in shaping UHUK's strategy, business development, fundraising and innovation, as well as risk management practices.
"We are thrilled to welcome Matt Adam as our NED," said Conor Burke, CEO at UHUK. "His track record of leadership in non-healthcare social enterprises aligns perfectly with our needs. We are confident that his fresh perspective will help us make well-balanced judgments and drive UHUK to new heights."
Matt Adam's appointment is in line with UHUK's values and commitment to ensuring that its Non-Executive Directors challenge and advise the executive directors effectively. His vast experience in leadership positions will enhance UHUK's capacity to meet the evolving needs of our member organisations and the communities they serve.
"I am honoured to join the UHUK team as a Non-Executive Director," said Matt Adam. "I believe my experience at growing my own social enterprise can contribute significantly to UHUK's mission of excellence and strategic growth. I am excited to work with the talented UHUK team and help shape the future of healthcare."
Matt Adam is Founder CEO of We Are Digital; a VC backed start-up that has grown into a major tech-for-good outsourcer with over 100 employees. His background includes a proven track record of leading social enterprises to success. He brings a unique perspective to the table, having navigated complex challenges and achieved growth in diverse organisational settings, working closely with a group of impact investment funds over 10 years. His ability to manage risks and develop effective business strategies will be invaluable to UHUK.
The UHUK Board and executive team are eager to leverage Matt Adam's skills and experience to ensure that UHUK continues to deliver exceptional healthcare services and remains at the forefront of the industry, especially in supporting those social enterprises who want to scale their impact.
About UHUK
UHUK is the federation of Social Enterprise Unscheduled Primary and Community Care Providers committed to providing the highest quality of care for patients.
We have 30 members and serve around 64% of the population of the UK. Together we are the largest social enterprise provider of out-of-hospital services.
Our members provide Out of Hours and Clinical Assessment Services (CAS) alongside a range of other urgent primary care, 111 and community services, whilst being committed to Social Enterprise principles.
We enable members to benefit by working together and effectively being part of a much larger organisation.
About Matt Adam
Matt Adam is a seasoned leader with a strong background in successfully leading non-healthcare social enterprises at scale, including his social business We Are Digital, based in Coventry, which he built from scratch to over 100 employees. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, business development, and risk management to his role as UHUK's Non-Executive Director.