News
NHS Direct partners Pfizer Health Solutions and Humana Europe to
strengthen telephone-based chronic disease services
24 June 2008
NHS Direct has joined forces with Pfizer Health Solutions and Humana
Europe in a bid to strengthen its position as a provider of
telephone-based care-management services in England. This follows an
OJEU procurement process with the resulting contract running until 2012.
Ronnette Lucraft, NHS Direct Commercial Director, said: "Pfizer
Health Solutions and Humana have complementary and world-class skills
which will enable us to forge a powerful partnership. This will allow us
to reach out into the community, helping and encouraging people to
follow personalised health plans, learn how to manage their own
condition and ultimately enjoy a better, healthier, quality of life.
Moving care closer to home and encouraging self care are absolutely
central imperatives for the 21st century NHS."
NHS Direct and Pfizer Health Solutions, together with Birmingham East
and North Primary Care Trust, have been working in partnership since
2006 delivering Birmingham OwnHealth [1], the UK's first large-scale
telephone-based care management programme. This award-winning,
innovative collaboration enables people with diabetes, heart failure,
COPD and other long-term conditions to receive regular telephone-based
coaching from highly experienced care managers.
Since it started, this unique collaboration has led to significant
improvements in both individuals' health behaviours and clinical
measures. This has resulted in more appropriate use of wider healthcare
resources.
John Procter, Head of Pfizer Health Solutions in the UK, said:
"Today's announcement takes the NHS Direct and Pfizer Health Solutions
partnership to a whole new level. Working together, we can build upon
our joint expertise in successfully delivering Birmingham OwnHealth, to
benefit many more people with long-term conditions, as well as the wider
NHS. The complementary skills and experience of all three organisations
create a partnership ready to deliver leading-edge NHS services and
care."
Humana Europe was established in the UK to provide commissioning
support services for organisations across the NHS. Using expert
guidance, tools and innovative solutions, Humana delivers
individually-tailored programmes which respond to the needs of patients
enabling them to take more control over their health and healthcare.
Welcoming the partnership, Humana Chief Executive Dr Jonathan Lord
said: "This is a unique opportunity to bring together the different
expertise we have as organisations to configure a service that can meet
the different needs of patients across the NHS in a personalised way and
can help them achieve happier, longer and healthier lives."
Humana's work with the NHS also includes health and wellness
programmes, patient and public engagement, data and knowledge
management, and contracting and provider performance management. By
working to improve the health outcomes of individuals and local
populations they aim to support the NHS to improve clinical outcomes,
enhance patient experience, and reduce costs.
Over the next few months, the three organisations will be finalising
the details of their new proposition with a view to bringing new
services to the NHS later in 2008.
Further information
1. Birmingham OwnHealth:
www.birminghamownhealth.co.uk
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