Campaign highlights role of social enterprise urgent healthcare providers

A campaign to highlight the vital role of urgent healthcare social enterprise providers, including Stockport’s Mastercall, in supporting the NHS through winter pressures and beyond has been launched.

UHUK – the body that represents a partnership of the providers who cover 64% of the UK population – is raising awareness of the under-recognised sector and seeking to influence policies in urgent and emergency care.

Offering services across the North-west and nationwide, although principally in Stockport and Trafford, Hazel Grove-based Mastercall Healthcare is one-such social enterprise providing NHS services, including GP contractors and triaging and assessment of patients to alleviate strain on emergency departments.

Providers like Mastercall don’t always get the same recognition as other areas of the health and care system, but they are just as vital to the people who use them and to the NHS as a whole – especially during winter months when the need for services surges. With a seat at the decision-making table, urgent health providers can play a key role in helping to manage the often crippling pressure placed on NHS emergency services.

Mastercall Healthcare CEO, Michaela Buck explained:

“Social enterprise organisations, such as Mastercall, are critical partners of the NHS. Our constitutions allow us to be agile, flexible and highly responsive providers of NHS healthcare services. As well as providing core services including Out of Hours Primary Care, NHS 111, Clinical Assessment Services, urgent treatment centres, dental services etc., we are also responsive to sudden surges in demand as demonstrated by our response to Covid and conditions associated with winter pressures including Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs.

“We treat many patients across Greater Manchester and the North-West who would otherwise call
an ambulance, go to A&E, or visit their GP. This frees up these services for people who need
them most and allows for limited resources to be redirected back into other health and care services.

“We work closely with local NHS partners to co-ordinate care for patients around the clock, every
day of the year at patients’ homes, in treatment centres and in the community.

“It’s vital that we are recognised as part of the NHS and that we are funded appropriately to preserve high quality care to patients reducing demand on other parts of the healthcare system. Right Care, Right Place, Right treatment.”

UHUK CEO, Conor Burke, added:

“Urgent and integrated healthcare services are vital to addressing wider challenges facing the NHS by ensuring valuable resources are used correctly – getting people the best health outcome and safeguarding services for those with life-threatening emergencies.

“We are leading the national development and local implementation of best practice in urgent and integrated care through our Innovation Programme while we deliver frontline services every day, working with partners to keep people well, independent and at home.

“We want to bring that knowledge and spirit of collaboration to the table, working with policymakers to shape the future of urgent and integrated care in the NHS.”

All UHUK member organisations follow social enterprise principles, meaning any surpluses are reinvested into services or communities. The campaign aims to shine a spotlight on their work and the contribution they make to the NHS and local people.

UHUK will reach out to key policy and decision makers asking that UHUK and members be consulted more regularly on the future direction of health and care policy.