5 Crucial Factors to Consider When Outsourcing Healthcare
The post-Covid 19 landscape is already looming on the horizon; and it’s looking increasingly likely that the NHS will have to rely on outsourcing healthcare services in order to keep pace with additional demand on its services.
Of course, the NHS has always been under an immense amount of pressure with over 100,000 vacancies and thousands waiting to undergo elective care, and then Covid 19 hit.
The pandemic forced the NHS to deploy staff to other departments, increase their reliance on technology and stop the majority of planned care. But, with services due to resume back to normal, our National Health Service is going to need some external support on their Road to Recovery.
Outsourcing non-urgent healthcare services is one solution to allow patients to be seen more quickly and efficiently. However, with these relationships becoming more intimate as hospitals rely more on the care of their patients with a third-party, we want to share the five crucial factors to consider when choosing your perfect healthcare outsourcing partner.
Cost-Efficiency
NHS England and NHS Improvement set a National Tariff for all NHS trusts to use when it comes to planning patient care. Whilst NHS medical services are free at the point of use for the patient, the system is taxpayer funded and so, it’s important that all care comes at the right cost within the funding available to each individual trust – all whilst delivering a high quality and patient-centred healthcare approach.
If a hospital turns to outsourcing healthcare services, it’s essential that you choose an organisation that helps provide the required care whilst remaining under budget against the NHS tariff. Also, it’s often the case that outsourcing for a trust can lead to a profit margin due to the lower expenditure on labour and operational costs – all whilst reducing patient waiting lists and individuals gaining access to excellent care! Win win!
Business Reputation and Experience
When it comes to healthcare, you simply can’t compromise on quality.
When a trust is searching for an outsourcing partner, they need to understand exactly how scalable their solutions are and the exact value that will be brought to the hospital, staff and patients.
To find out a company’s expertise, ask yourself: How many years of experience do they have? What knowledge do they have of the industry? Do they have case studies they can present you? Can they provide you with a testimonial? What are their ethics? Do they offer flexibility within their service? Is their team clinician-led? Will they go the extra mile? What do their social media platforms represent?
If you still have doubts, we always suggest requesting to speak with one of their clients to hear their first-hand experience with the company which will help you get a true insight into what they can offer you.
Innovation
If you’ve made the decision that outsourcing healthcare services for your trust is the right one, your partner needs to have an innovative and cutting-edge approach to medical staffing technology and of course the project in order to breed the best results. To ensure this, choose a partner who is a key industry leader that will provide your trust with a high standard of quality in all areas. From clinical governance, data protection, rapid mobilisation to patient care.
Outsourcing healthcare is a large investment of both your time and resources and so, ensure your partner understands your internal processes, procedures and philosophy.
Data Security
Protecting patient data is paramount because it requires the collection, storage and use of large amounts of personally identifiable health information, much of which will be highly sensitive.
To us, healthcare data security is more than just regulatory compliance, it needs to be central to the ‘patient first’ approach. When deciding on your outsourcing partner, you should ensure they have the tools already in place or the ability to use your own systems guaranteeing their ability to efficiently handle sensitive data without compromise or risk.
Working with Partners – not Suppliers
In our eyes, the power of partnerships is infinite. Choosing a company that believes in partnerships will allow the project to run more openly, efficiently and successfully on the foundations of strong communication levels and experience. Instead of viewing your outsourcing company as a supplier, you should work in partnership so that the insourced team is an extension of your internal team.
When you work in partnership with an organisation, you trust them to make the right decisions. Trust encompasses transparency and so, you should always feel confident about being clear about your expectations, time frame and resources available – then they will be met with the power of partnerships.
Summary
So, there are our top key points when it comes to outsourcing your patient waiting lists but why not trial a ‘test project’? You can experience the company’s management process before deciding to commit to a longer-term relationship (remember they should still offer you flexibility with this!). Make sure to use this opportunity to review your potential partner’s efficiency and effectiveness, patient satisfaction results and cost-savings.
Get in Touch
If your NHS trust is interested in going digital to help alleviate the stress on your staff, we can support you with an all-encompassing solution: digital consultations, clinics and triage assessments to suit your individual trusts needs.
In the last 12-months, we’ve treated over 13,000 patients and IDMCS are immensely proud of our overall 97% patient satisfaction feedback score.
Want to know more? We’d be delighted to speak with you – just give us a call on 01908 552 820 and we’ll be happy to help.
