Category Archives: Healthcare

Education, Health Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare News, Wales News

Educ8 launches first Welsh Healthcare Science Apprenticeship Programme

Wales based training provider Educ8, are the first in Wales to launch the new Level 4 Health Care Science Associate Apprenticeship qualification, working in partnership with NHS Wales Health Boards.

Leading private training provider Educ8 are supporting the National Health Service (NHS) to address skill shortages and develop key skills within the health sector, where capacity is directly related to the number of skilled staff.

A year that has seen unprecedented demand on the NHS, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has also seen rising levels of appreciation for health care workers and front-line services. In January this year, the Health Foundation reported that there had been a substantial increase in the number of people wanting to work for the NHS.

In recent months it has been highlighted that apprentices working for the NHS have been of significant help during the most challenging times of the Coronavirus pandemic, with Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, acknowledging that there is a need to ensure the next generation of NHS workers are skilled, adaptable and work-ready in order to support our economic recovery.

Liz Hargest, Education Development Manager with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) said: “This Framework is an exciting development that will be part of a suite of resources available to support the development of staff and build on the high-quality services already delivered. Offering transferable knowledge and skills in over 50 disciplines, the accredited scheme will not only upskill individuals but will provide a sustainable solution that will benefit everyone.”

The apprenticeship programme is a hybrid process enabling NHS staff to learn while they work, with much of the course being processed online.  A significant advantage of the programme being delivered in this format is the benefit of being able to ‘earn while you learn’ while also being able to remain in the areas that they live, through working with their local health boards.

Sarah Kent, a RTT Co-Ordinator in the ECG Department for the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, shared her experience of the qualification: “I have worked in the Cardio-Respiratory department for a long time and always found my interests and heart belong here. Having this qualification will mean that I can achieve my dream and develop my skills and knowledge in the cardiac diagnostic testing and be able to assist my colleagues in a more competent manner. This means the department will benefit from more experienced members of staff relieving them of a very heavy workload thus using my transferrable to the best of my ability.”

The Level 4 qualification will support learners into assistant audiology, blood science and clinical engineering roles to name but a few, with learners being able to enrol from NHS organisations right across Wales.   While the programme is running across the whole of Wales, the project has been led by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTM UHB).

Rhian Lewis, Assistant Learning & Development Manager at CTM UHB said: “It is great to see recognition for the staff who are already working hard and developing their skills.  The qualification will create further development opportunities and make them available to staff where they live, in their local area and through their local Health Board. This is a hugely exciting development. ”

Educ8 are the first training provider in Wales to deliver the innovative Level 4 Apprenticeship Framework, combining the vocational learning expertise at Educ8 with subject experts in the health service.

Speaking on the launch of the qualification, Ann Nicholas, Customer Account Director at Educ8 added: “We are delighted to be the first provider to bring this much needed Apprenticeship Programme to Wales.  We are committed to supporting the Welsh Government’s aim of increasing the number of apprentices employed in Wales and preventing a future skills shortage in the NHS. This year has been challenging for us all, but not least our incredible healthcare and frontline workers.”

Applying for the qualification starts with registering online, with more information available on the Educ8 website.

Care, Healthcare, News

Appointment of high-level Nurse Consultant highlights how the role of nurses is evolving

Ahead of International Nurses Day on 12 May, specialist healthcare provider, Ludlow Street Healthcare, has announced the appointment of a new nurse consultant to lead a team of mental health nurses.

Dave Chapman has joined the team at Heatherwood Court as nurse consultant, an Approved Clinician specialising in mental health disorders, becoming one of only a handful of Approved Clinicians in the whole of England and Wales.

Approved Clinicians are qualified nurses who have specialised in a chosen area of practice and take on some of the responsibilities which would previously have been the reserve of doctors, psychiatrists, and consultants. The responsible clinician is the person with overall responsibility for a patient’s treatment in that area.

In his new position, Dave has taken over responsibility for the care and treatment of a group of patients, taking on a role usually filled by a psychiatrist.

Dave said: “This is a big step up from my previous role. The biggest change for me is how much of a leadership role I now have and my ability to make a difference not just to patients but for staff on the ward as well. I actively contribute to the continuing programme of service level improvements here at Heatherwood Court.

“I actually qualified as an Approved Clinician in my previous job but, despite allowing me to do the training, my last employer didn’t have a role for me. When I spoke to Ludlow Street Healthcare about the possibility of developing this new role with them, they were incredibly positive from the outset.”

This new appointment underlines Ludlow Street Healthcare’s commitment to giving their nurses tangible development opportunities and a career pathway that offer their nurses a variety of choices in how they progress their career.

Jane Watkins, Founder and Deputy Chair of Ludlow Street Healthcare, said: “We are really pleased to welcome someone of Dave’s calibre to the Ludlow Street Healthcare team. We are always on the lookout for talented, driven mental health professionals and someone like Dave, who has a proven track record of excellence in his field, is a perfect fit.

“At Ludlow Street Healthcare we pride ourselves on the support that we offer our staff. When we tell them we will help them to succeed, we really mean it and Dave is a case in point. Mental health nursing is a challenging but incredibly rewarding profession and if we can help our staff progress, we will.”

Heatherwood Court is a low security hospital near Cardiff offering treatment and rehabilitation for men and women on a forensic mental health care pathway.

The hospital is one of the specialist services in the Ludlow Street Healthcare Group which provides care for adults over the age of 18 with complex mental health problems, autism, learning disabilities and neuropsychiatric conditions including dementia and acquired brain injuries.

Set up in 2005 by healthcare specialists, Ludlow Street Healthcare provides transition-focused healthcare and bespoke step-down services, including specialist assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and education, throughout Wales and the South West of England. The organisation has developed a reputation for its person-centred approach, community-focused settings and specialist staff.

Since its inception, Ludlow Street Healthcare has supported and cared for over 800 people. For over a decade, it has worked in partnership with the NHS, developing services and investing in the necessary health infrastructure and staff training, to support patients on their journey to recovery and a more independent and fulfilling life, through step-down to community living – improving social integration and inclusion.

Healthcare, News, Science

CCR introduces inaugural £400k Innovation Challenge Fund for simulation technology health care training

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has announced its first Innovation Challenge Fund, open to any business able to demonstrate rapid simulation technology solutions for healthcare training.

The £400k contract funding is available to competitive bids from any enterprise capable of delivering innovative, impactful tracheostomy training for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board: transforming the current training into a highly-engaging learning experience that overcomes the restrictions caused by social distancing, lack of training facilities and the need for self-isolation.

The Innovation Challenge is backed by CCR’s Challenge Fund working in partnership with Welsh Government and the SBRI Centre of Excellence – providing a transparent and fair ‘pitch’ process that’s open to businesses of all sizes to prototype, test and commercialise game-changing solutions within NHS Wales.

Gareth Browning, CCR Challenge Fund Manager, said:

 “I welcome this pioneering approach to meeting a critical care need. The challenges presented by the pandemic have unlocked huge opportunities for re-imagining the status quo by harnessing the abundance of innovative thinking and creativity we have witnessed across the region. I’m thrilled to support Cardiff and Vale University Health Board through our first Innovation Challenge. It opens up significant opportunities for the industry-leading creative sector we have in South East Wales – with a live project that will deliver rapid innovation for our NHS both within the region and further afield.  

“This is the chance to go from ‘good’ to ‘great’, introducing high fidelity simulation and interactive digital training that reflects the clinical environment and can be embraced across NHS Wales and the UK with future opportunities for the chosen application to be further developed for wider use in basic, intermediate and advanced life support.” 

 A successful outcome for this simulation challenge would:

  • Deliver Tracheostomy training in an appropriate, safe way.
  • Make the training experience as close as possible to the bedside experience, providing a real sense of the actual environment.
  • Reduce the need for face-to-face training.
  • Deliver training in a more convenient method, without time or location restrictions, increasing numbers being trained and reducing any backlogs.
  • Enable consistency of training provided across all Health Boards, including the recording, review and analysis of training procedures.
  • Enable the clinician to maintain clinical competencies and any revalidation requirements.
  • Have a wider applicability to address similar issues in other specialities.
  • Ensure patient safety was maintained through providing relevant training to clinicians.
  • Generate opportunities for local businesses (e.g. within the creative industry sector).
  • Support place-based economic development and local wealth building in the CCR.
  • Result in innovative new products and services which have a pathway to rapid scaling commercially beyond local markets.

 Paul Twose, Consultant Therapist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Clinical Lead for the challenge, said:

 “The launch of this Challenge Fund is the result of strong partnership working across Wales and the culmination of several years of work within this field at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Since 2019, we have been striving to improve the quality and safety of the care given to patients with tracheostomies by improving the skills and confidence of staff to make rapid decisions often under intense amounts of pressure, then spreading what we have learnt across the whole health system in Wales.

 “The COVID-19 pandemic has presented huge challenges to everyone in the NHS but it has presented us with an opportunity to drive meaningful change and I believe that the outcome of this Challenge Fund has the potential to enhance training for all staff across Wales. Everyone involved in this project is thrilled and honoured that Cardiff and Vale UHB is at the heart of the first CCR Challenge fund, and excited to see its outcome.”

Challenge Structure & Timeline

The challenge will be structured across three phases with key dates listed below. Innovations must be suitable for rapid deployment in tracheostomy training for Phase 1 and any solution must have wider applicability to other clinical settings.

Phase 1 – Feasibility: funding up to five projects, to a value of £30,000 each for Phase 1. Only projects successful at Phase 1 will be eligible to apply to Phases 2 and 3.

Phase 2 – Development: funding up to two of the most successful projects from Phase 1, for use in tracheostomy training within Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, as well as developing agreed additional training packages outside of tracheostomy.

Phase 3 – Testing: robustly testing up to two of the successful Phase 2 solutions in ‘real life’ operating conditions within Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, making final technical improvements to provide assurance and validation to other Health Boards across Wales who may wish to adopt the solution post SBRI. Any adoption and implementation of a solution from this competition would be subject to a separate and possibly competitive, procurement exercise. This competition does not cover the purchase of any solution.

Lynda Jones, SBRI Centre Manager, said:

 “It is a privilege to be able to assist and project manage CCR’s first challenge.  It is a great opportunity for us to assist our colleagues in Cardiff and Vale Health Board revolutionising training across Wales and potentially further afield.”

The successful solution will deliver an inspirational learning experience (e.g. through virtual reality simulation) for full accreditation and rapid ‘real world’ deployment by no later than October 2021.

 There will be an online briefing event for interested bidders taking place on 13th May between 9am and 11a.m. Find out more here:

Business Wales Events Finder – Welsh Government, W, Event organisers (business-events.org.uk)

Details of how to apply for this specific challenge can be found at:

sdi.click/simtech

 Further information on the both the Challenge Fund approach and the requirements of this particular challenge will be available to watch in a hosted digital panel discussion which will be broadcast by Business News Wales w/c May 3rd.

The CCR Challenge Fund welcomes expressions of interest for further challenges. To connect for an initial discussion, please email our delivery partners at Cardiff University on ccrchallengefund@cardiff.ac.uk to find out more. 

Healthcare, Hospice News, News

North Wales hospice nurses step up to the mark day and night

CLINICAL Services at Nightingale House has been strengthened to provide a more seamless service for chronically ill patients to access the care they need.

Angela Smith and Paula Pritchard have taken up new roles as Deputy Ward Managers at the hospice. Paula will be in charge of the day shifts and Angela will take over for the night shift.

The pair who are long-standing members of the clinical team are already well-versed in the workings of palliative care for those with life-limiting illnesses across North East Wales and the borderlands.

Both Angela and Paula are embracing their new roles and are excited to share their experience by taking the helm to ensure patients continue to receive excellent high-quality care within the hospice setting, where 40% of in-patients admitted to the ward were discharged last year.

Working at the hospice was Paula Pritchard’s dream job. She was inspired by the wonderful holistic care given to her uncle at the hospice several years ago. Paula said: “Palliative care has always been my passion. We meet extraordinary patients and families that leave a lasting impression on us all and inspire us to provide the care we do.

“The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning and I am extremely proud to be part of a team that wholeheartedly believes this.”

Angela has worked at Nightingale House since 2007 and up until recently was the Practice Development Nurse. She said: “My responsibilities are now for the night-shift team and I am loving the opportunity to combine my love of nursing with being able to support our clinical managers to provide first-class evidence based care to the highest quality. It is an honour to be able to do this role and nurture our team, working closely with Paula and others to ensure there is a smooth transition from one shift to another. This change and continuity can make all the difference to patients and their loved ones.”

Ward Sister, Ruth Bond said: “I am delighted to have Angela and Paula working closely with myself and the strategic team to ensure all our patients and their families have the care and facilities they deserve to ensure their own personal journey and experience is to the highest standards. As a team we will be able to develop our services tailored to the needs of patients with life-limiting illnesses and continue to improve and develop our holistic approach to care.”

Healthcare, News

NORTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL NEWS: Support people can now attend key maternity appointments thanks to new testing scheme at NGH

Expectant parents in Northampton will be able to bring a support person along with them to some appointments if they agree to be tested for COVID-19.

From Monday 12th April pregnant patients will be allowed to bring one support person with them as long as they agree to have a test for COVID-19.
Testing will be required to allow one support person to attend:

  • the 12 and 20 week scan appointment
  • fetal medicine clinic appointments

The 30 minute tests required are lateral flow tests which require a swab of the nose and throat.

Patients and their support person will need to have completed a lateral flow test at home as part of a regular testing programme, or access the onsite testing facility and have had a negative result. The test is a simple swab test of the nose and throat.

Trish Ryan, Deputy Director of Midwifery said: “We would like to thank all of our patients and their support people for their patience as we have worked to develop a safe option to allow visiting.

“We had hoped to reintroduce visiting for pregnancy scans at the end of last year, however, due to the small space available in the rooms and poor ventilation we were unable to do this. Throughout the pandemic, our teams in radiology, estates and maternity have been working tirelessly to find an alternative solution. I am delighted that we now have a safe option available to allow a support person to visit during the scan appointment.

“We have introduced lateral flow testing which will provide rapid testing for our patients and their support person attending some of their maternity appointments. This means that we can ensure our pregnant patients can have a support person with them and that we can keep our other patients and staff safe from COVID-19.

“We look forward to being able to welcome some of our visitors back soon to these special appointments.”

If a patient does not want to bring a support person with them, they can attend their appointment as normal without needing to be tested. If a support person declines a test, they will be unable to attend.

If a test has been undertaken at home you can attend at the normal time. We would ask that this is done as close to the appointment time as possible and that patients and their support person bring their test cartridge or result with them.
If using the hospital’s onsite test facility, patients and their support person will need to arrive at the test centre location in Area Q, 45 minutes before their appointment time to allow time for the tests to be undertaken.

If a support person tests positive they will not be able to attend the appointment and isolate as per government guidance. You will then need to book a further test via the NHS website.

Patients and their support person should ensure they have read the FAQ’s and testing information before their appointment. These are all available on the hospital website.

Anyone attending an appointment, whether they have been tested or not, must wear a face covering and adhere to infection prevention and social distancing guidelines.

This change will only apply to maternity appointments on site at Northampton General Hospital. Other restrictions on visiting remain in place and maternity visiting arrangements for pre and post birth remain the same.

Anyone in England can now apply for home testing kits from the government online or by phone: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

Healthcare, Healthcare Tech, Networks, News, Telecoms

Freshwave is bringing multi-operator mobile coverage to The Grange University Hospital

  •  Freshwave is installing a premium voice and high-speed data network connecting all four mobile network operators in one of Wales’ newest hospitals
  • As part of a 24/7 managed service, the hospital will benefit from as-needed specialist engineering support and an upgrade path as technology becomes available

Freshwave, a leading UK network service provider, is proud to be working with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to deploy indoor multi-operator mobile coverage across The Grange University Hospital in Gwent, Wales. Following installation, Freshwave’s managed service will support 4G voice calls and high-speed data from all four mobile network operators[1] (MNOs) with an upgrade path to 5G.

The Grange University Hospital is one of Wales’ newest hospitals and is state-of-the-art. It provides 24/7 emergency services for patients that need specialist and critical care and opened ahead of schedule in November 2020 to help respond to the pressures of winter and Covid-19 on the health service.

The Grange University Hospital has 560 beds (including trolleys and cots) and serves over 600,000 people in South-East Wales. Freshwave is designing and installing a digital distributed antenna system in the 55,000 square metre hospital.

Matthew Mahoney, Head of ICT at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “It has never been so important for our patients to be able to stay in contact with their families, so I’m pleased that we’re working with Freshwave to provide a robust, multi-operator inbuilding solution. No matter what network people are on, they’ll be able to access secure, reliable mobile coverage so they can always get in touch with people when they need to. It’s great being able to give that peace of mind to our patients and those that care about them. I look forward to the many benefits it will bring to our patients, staff and visitors to the hospital.”

Byron Calmonson, Director of Public Sector at Freshwave, said: “Given the safety-critical environment hospitals operate in, it’s crucial that on-site multi-operator mobile connectivity is resilient. I’m happy we can support the team at The Grange University Hospital as they deliver care to the community that has never been more important than it is today. We’re pleased to be closely collaborating with the team at the hospital, as well as all four mobile network operators, to deliver and maintain this service over the next ten years and deliver long term value to the hospital.”

 

[1] Along with 2G and 3G from selected MNOs.

Food & Drink, Healthcare, Hospice News, News

Nightingale House Hospice Launches New Hand-Crafted Berry Gin

Following the success of a specially produced gin, which has helped raise funds for patient care, Nightingale House Hospice has branched out to develop a new berry flavoured edition.

Last year the hospice collaborated with Shropshire Gin Distillery to produce a bespoke Nightingale House hand-crafted gin to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

The independent distillery, based in Ellesmere is known for creating their own artisan-handcrafted premium gins using traditional copper still methods. The company is the proud winner of two International Wine and Spirit Competition awards.

The new Berry Gin has been carefully selected from a handful of tailored botanicals. It is a fresh and fruity juniper led gin with a subtle sweetness from vibrant raspberries and strawberries alongside fresh peppery aromatic notes derived from pink peppercorns. It gets its beautiful blush colouring naturally from the raspberries with no artificial colours and flavouring.

This limited-edition gin costs £36.50 per bottle and can be purchased directly from the Shropshire distillery’s website https://theshropshiredistillery.co.uk/gin with a percentage from each bottle sold going directly towards patient care. It will be launched on 22 March.

Emma Glynn from Shropshire Distillery said:  “We are really happy to commission Nightingale’s second edition to their gin range and have enjoyed working with Sarah and the team to create their Berry Gin.  They wanted a berry theme and I was able to get creative and produce for them this beautiful blush gin, which like all of our gins, does not contain any artificial flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives. It has been a very difficult year for most, and the hospice has faced such a challenging year. We are proud to support them”

Sarah Povey from Nightingale House said: “It’s been wonderful working with the Shropshire distillery over recent months. After explaining our ideas they were completely on board and were able to bring our vision to life. We are incredibly grateful for all of the time and work they have put into producing such a beautiful fruity gin and we cannot wait for our supporters to try it.

“It has been a challenging year for the hospice due to the cancellation of our mass participation events. The funds raised from our house gin have made all the difference to our patients and their loved ones. We hope our Nightingale Berry Gin will be just as successful.”

Healthcare

RedArc: Three key reasons why a clinical assessment should be the norm in added-value support benefits

RedArc is highlighting the need to ensure that added-value health support provided via some individual and group protection products, intermediaries and other affinity groups, includes a clinical assessment from a qualified medical practitioner before treatment is provided.  

 

What is a clinical assessment? 

A clinical assessment can include specific illness-related questionnaires, such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 test for depression and anxiety, but also includes collecting information through the use of discussion and sensitive questioning to learn more about the individual’s specific symptoms, personal situation, cognitive and emotional functioning, environmental and cultural factors. The aim being to build a broad picture of the individual to fully assess their overall health in the broadest context and to not make assumptions based on limited initial presenting factors. 

 

Why a clinical assessment is so important 

There are three key reasons why a clinical assessment is important in all cases:

  1. To determine what course of action is actually needed. 

By having a thorough understanding of an individual’s symptoms and their ability to function, it is possible to determine whether they do indeed need a particular form of treatment or whether another course of action (such as a lifestyle change) might be more appropriate and possible without additional support. 

 

  1. To determine what is most appropriate. 

With ‘Dr. Google’ and other online symptom-checkers being the first port of call for many when people believe they are ill, individuals often think they know what they need. In addition, this can also be influenced by well-meaning family or friends, but this can mean the chosen direction isn’t always appropriate 

 However, a clinical assessment will help to properly understand what course of action will produce better outcomes, as there may be multiple treatment or therapy paths available and some will have greater efficacy than others in certain situations. 

 

  1. To determine if the pathway worked. 

It is vital to understand the baseline position or the starting point for any individual, in order to ensure that any treatment either improves their condition or makes a difference. Without having a measure in place, it becomes harder to monitor progress or suggest alternative routes. 

 

Clinical assessment for mental and physical conditions 

A clinical assessment is equally important in the case of both mental and physical health. 

 The term ‘mental health’ covers such a broad spectrum of conditions from stress and anxiety to serious psychosis and even when two individuals present with similar symptoms, appropriate courses of treatment may differ dramatically depending on other circumstances. 

 Likewise, physical illness can affect many areas of someone’s health and life, and people can be unsure where to start. A clinical assessment can look at all of this in the round and help direct the priorities. 

 Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc, said: “Making sure the most appropriate support is in place, all stems from a clinical assessment. When people self-diagnose or don’t receive a clinical assessment, they could go down the wrong path of treatment. In the best-case scenario, this may mean their recovery takes longer but, in some cases, it could mean their condition deteriorates. A clinical assessment is the most effective way to ensure that treatment is required, appropriate and effective.” 

COVID-19, Employee Benefits, Healthcare, News

Howden offers specialist service to support workers with ‘Long Covid’

One year on since the start of the pandemic, many employers are considering how to support workers with ‘Long Covid,’ as rising numbers of employees are experiencing ongoing symptoms, says Cheryl Brennan, Executive Director for Health and Benefits at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing.

The Office for National Statistics[i] revealed that around one in five people who tested positive for COVID-19 had symptoms that lasted for five weeks or longer, and one in 10 had symptoms that lasted for 12 weeks or more. Some are still experiencing severe ongoing symptoms nearly a year later.

The most common symptoms at five weeks were fatigue (12.7%), coughs (12.4%), headaches (11.1%), loss of taste and/or smell (10.4%), and muscle aches (8.8%)[ii]. Many also reported mental and emotional side effects such as ‘brain fog[iii]’, survivor guilt[iv] and even PTSD[v].

Cheryl Brennan says, “There is still a lack of medical clarity about the effects of Long Covid, but early studies and evidence from other viruses such as SARS, have shown that people of all ages can suffer for many months, even years afterwards, which could have major implications for employers.”

“Employers need to be aware that symptoms can fluctuate and sufferers may struggle to attend work consistently, underperform or be unable to work a full day. This could eventually take its toll mentally and physically on individuals and lead to them having to take time off.”

“Businesses are likely to see greater clinical diagnoses in the future as the NHS sets up Long Covid clinics throughout the UK and GPs are becoming better trained at recognising the symptoms.”

Howden highlights there are steps employers can take to limit the impact of Long Covid on their workforce such as:

  • Reminding employees of the benefits available to them and how they can access them.  Benefits such as Private Medical Insurance (PMI) and Income Protection can provide much needed medical and financial support as well as often including added value services such as EAPs, virtual GPs and emotional support
  • Ensure line managers are familiar with your organisation’s benefits, policies and procedures and where they can signpost employees for appropriate support
  • Employers should educate their workforce and particularly those with managerial responsibilities about recognising the main signs, symptoms and the fluctuating nature of Long Covid. These can include breathlessness, heart palpitations, lung damage, joint and muscle pain, fever, fatigue/exhaustion, insomnia, headaches, loss of taste and smell, and a lack of concentration (brain fog), as well as mental health issues including anxiety and depression
  • Engaging with employees who are experiencing symptoms and supporting them where possible with reasonable adjustments such as flexible working hours, offering a phased return to work, continuous homeworking and Occupational Health support

Cheryl adds, “Long Covid is complicated and the effects are varied, but companies who provide specialist support for sufferers will help them on the road to recovery. One thing to remember is that a one-size-fits-all solution is unlikely to work because this condition is new, and individuals may experience different symptoms.”

Howden in partnership with RedArc, the Group’s nurse support service, is offering a new service to help sufferers to manage their symptoms and aid their recovery. RedArc’s registered nurses have many years’ experience supporting people through long-term ill health via a co-ordinated, holistic approach.

Christine Husbands, Managing Director of RedArc says, “Our nurses can offer ongoing support for employees and help them manage symptoms and deal with the psychological and emotional impact Long Covid can have on their lives. They will also help people source relevant therapies from the NHS or through employee benefits, so they can make as sustained a return to work as possible

“This new condition could have lasting effects on the workforce in the future. By offering support now employers can help to safeguard their workforce and help people deal with their symptoms early on. This means people don’t need to suffer in silence or wait until they are struggling to cope, leading to the better outcomes for them and the business.”

The service costs a one-off £550 per employee which gives unlimited support from a RedArc nurse. Recommended therapies are sourced whenever possible from benefits available, but if required RedArc can source these for an additional cost.

For more information email: enquiries@redarc.co.uk.

RedArc is part of Howden Group Holdings alongside Howden Employee Benefits and Wellbeing Limited.

Education, Healthcare, News

Institute of Health & Social Care Management partners with Arden University

The Institute of Health & Social Care Management (IHSCM) is delighted to announce a formal partnership with Arden University enabling Institute members to access and influence relevant, career-ready courses and Arden students to enjoy the benefits of IHSCM membership.

Arden University is a leading provider of online and blended learning higher education and has a growing reputation for the quality and breadth of its health and social care curriculum through its School of Healthcare Management.

The IHSCM will work with Arden University to enable sector leaders from its member organisations to contribute to curriculum development and delivery, as well as enrolling all of Arden University’s School of Healthcare Management students into the Institute. Arden’s 1000 healthcare management students will enjoy unlimited access to the IHSCM’s diverse range of events, conferences, workshops and networks as well as opportunities for mentoring and coaching.

Announcing the partnership, the IHSCM’s CEO, Jon Wilks, said:

“This is a wonderful partnership in the full sense of the word, enabling our members and Arden’s students to enjoy learning and development opportunities together. We are delighted at the potential for further collaboration that it provides and believe that this is a great template for development of health and social care education.”

Stephanie West, Head of the School of Healthcare Management at Arden University, commented:

“We are excited and thrilled to be working with the Institute of Health and Social Care Management to mutual advantage. Our students will thrive with the experience and expertise in the sector that members of the IHSCM will provide.”

Jon Wilks added: “The Institute of Health and Social Care Management can trace its formation back to 1902 and there is no doubt that the original founders would be in favour of this partnership. It is very much in keeping with the overall intention of supporting and encouraging the development of IHSCM members.”