InHealth’s Chief Executive, Richard Bradford joins The Business Debate to discuss how the InHealth Group can help support the NHS

The productivity target of £22bn over 5 years, coupled with constantly increasing demands as a result of the ageing and expanding population, is a significant challenge for the NHS.  In addition to this, advances in medical insight and technology continue to drive up demand from patients and referrers.  There is a resulting need to increase efficiencies and to introduce new models of care, which will require changes in operating systems, leadership, culture, capability and will also require considerable capital investment.

Independent providers can provide both additional capacity and capital to help the NHS deliver a better service to patients.  Importantly, InHealth also has proven long term relationships with Trusts and CCGs and which allows them to identify and customise efficient solutions, which in turn helps the NHS to overcome their challenges. 

The need for the NHS to collaborate with many different organisations is key to developing new models of care – there is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution’.  Independent providers such as InHealth are one a cog in the NHS wheel, which allows the wheel to turn more smoothly.  They can offer a highly efficient, polished service in one part of the bigger machine.  InHealth also demonstrate greater efficiencies by reinvesting any profits, investing in the best, most modern equipment, thus minimising downtime and maximising utilisation of assets.

A good example of new models of care are InHealth’s community-based diagnostic centres.  These centres provide diagnostic services, such as MRI, CT and mammography, which are an average of 17 minutes travelling time from every person in London.  These dedicated services expedite the patient pathway, lead to substantial cost savings for CCGs and reduce capacity pressure on Acutes.  The result is a better patient experience, improved outcomes and reduced costs.

The pace of change in healthcare also means that tailor-made, flexible solutions often need to be delivered quickly.  So, the NHS needs to be able to turn to independent providers for operational and financial agility. 

InHealth’s Chief Executive, Richard Bradford said  “ We absolutely believe in the NHS and believe that healthcare should be free at the point of delivery.  In order for this to be sustainable, the NHS will need to work with trusted and collaborative partners to develop new models of care.”