SSP Health

Posted on August 6, 2009. Filed under: Providers | Tags: |

SSP Health manages twelve GP practices around the North West, working in partnership with five host PCTs. 
The organisation is headed up by husband and wife team Shikha and Sanjay Pitalia who are both highly experienced GPs, with Stephanie Byrom as Chief Executive.  

Last year, all SSP Health practices achieved over 98% in recognised quality measures and many achieved 100% ratings. 

SSP Health practices have also recorded high patient satisfaction levels. 
SP Health recognises that retaining professional personnel is key to the consistent delivery of service. 

 

We have addressed the challenge of retention by providing appropriate levels of financial reward as well as interesting roles and development opportunities. A key element of our retention strategy has been to provide training, development and CPD, which ensures that all members of staff are qualified and competent to meet the specified service standards. 

For more up to date information on SSP Health and its current activities, please visit the following sections of our website
Our Practices
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SSP Health Awarded Longsight, Manchester

Posted on July 22, 2009. Filed under: Press/News Releases, Providers | Tags: |

SSP Health | News Release | NHS Manchester | 22 July 2009

A new GP surgery in Longsight is a step closer after NHS Manchester signed a contract for a service that could register up to 6,000 patients in the next five years.
SSP Health, a small organisation that runs a number of other NHS practices across the North West, has been awarded the contract following a tender process.  It is the latest landmark in NHS Manchester’s multi-million pound programme to offer patients more choice and flexibility in where and when they see a GP. 


Laura Roberts, Chief Executive of NHS Manchester, said: “This is good news as it means preparations can get underway for the new practice to open in Longsight early next year. “It is one of four brand new GP services we’re opening across the city to make it easier for people to access the NHS where and when they need it. “With most of the existing practices in Manchester having recently extended their opening hours, it should add up to a big improvement for patients.” 


SSP Health was established by husband and wife team Shikha and Sanjay Pitalia, both of whom are GPs, and runs several NHS surgeries across the North West.  SSP’s Chief Executive Stephanie Byrom said: “We’re delighted to be working with NHS Manchester to provide convenient, patient-centred care to people in and around Longsight. 


“The practice will put an emphasis on detecting health problems as early as possible so that our staff can treat them quickly and achieve the best result for patients.”   The Longsight practice is being set up as part of a national programme to improve the availaiblity of GP appointments in areas where it has been identified that better access to a doctor can help to improve public health. 


Details of the premises for the new Longsight practice have yet to be confirmed but an announcement will be made as soon as a site is agreed.



		
	

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GP-led firms are the big APMS winners

Posted on April 17, 2009. Filed under: GP-led health centres, News stories | Tags: , , , , , , , |

Pulse | By Gareth Iacobucci | 18 November 2008

Companies led by GPs are the big winners in the Government’s rollout of APMS services and are dominating the bidding for services across the country, a new analysis reveals.

But a new breed of business-minded GPs are blurring the boundaries between general practice and the private sector and in some cases pitting GP against GP.

One GP-led company has now secured a contract to run services hundreds of miles from the practice at which it is based, yet local GPs are often struggling to win bids.

Academics from the Health Services Management Centre, based at the University of Birmingham, found that since 2004 113 tenders had been won by new market entrants, including a long list of new born GP companies.

GP-led firms have won ‘significantly more practices than either corporate providers or social enterprises’, it adds.

Well known companies such as United Health, Atos and Care UK make up just 9% of the total figure, with GP-led companies gaining 89% of contracts, and not for profit social enterprises the remaining 2%.

But the researchers admitted it was now increasingly difficult to distinguish between GPs and private providers.

Professor Chris Ham, professor of Health Policy and Management at the University Of Birmingham, who led the research, said ‘Quite a lot of the GP bidders have turned themselves into separate companies to bid for contracts, and quite a lot of the corporate bidders have strong GP involvement. The categories we’ve been using in the past are increasingly unhelpful.’

The rise of APMS has had another controversial twist, pitching local GPs against bidders often from far afield. Pulse revealed in September that many local GPs had failed to make it past even the initial stages of bidding for Darzi centres.

Professor Ham said the research had revealed widespread concern about the quality of local bids, which had been embarrassed by more professional bids by GPs turned entrepreneurs.

‘This had created a tension between needing to ensure the conditions for open and fair competition, but wanting to support and encourage local practices to bid.’

Local GPs have often found themselves outgunned. Last week, Kent-based GP group Malling Health was announced as preferred provider for a new Darzi practice in Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset, nearly 200 miles away.

Dr Peter Maksimczyk, a GP in Weston-super-Mare, who lost out to the Malling Health bid said: ‘I can’t see how GPs from Kent can pick up the difficulties. Practice is different in towns like Weston. It’s very difficult to see this as anything other than a complete slap in the face.’

But Dr Thomas Reichelm, development lead for Malling Health, said: ‘We’re aware there might be some initial rejection but we’re fairly confident that by meeting people in person, we’ll be able to convince them we have no bad intentions.

‘We’ve already started the process of finding out the local sensitivities and what matters locally. It’s quite refreshing to bring a new outlook and perspective.

DEFINING ‘NEW’ PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS

GP-led companies
Companies set by GPs for the purpose of bidding for general practice and other primary care contracts. Have access to NHS pension scheme. Key players: Chilvers McCrea (37 practices), SSP Health (11 practices), Aston healthcare (9 practices), Intrahealth (8 practices)

Corporate providers
Investor owned companies, usually operating for profit. Do not have access to the NHS pension scheme. Key players: United Health UK (5 practices), Care UK, (3 practices), Atos healthcare (2 practices).

Social enterprises
Not for profit organisations – often set by groups of healthcare professionals, which reinvest any profits back into the organisation. NHS staff still transferring into new social enterprises and delivering NHS care can stay in the NHS pension scheme. Current players: Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services, (Nottingham) Willow Bank (Stoke)

Source: Health Services Management Centre – Choice and Competition in Primary Care: Much ado about nothing?

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SSP Health Awarded 2nd Bolton Practice

Posted on April 16, 2009. Filed under: GP-led health centres, Press/News Releases, Providers | Tags: |

SSP Health | Press Release | 23 February 2009

SSP Health is honoured to have been awarded a “Darzi” practice contract by Bolton PCT.

Bolton PCT selected SSP Health from many other applications nationwide.

SSP Health has a history of delivering high quality care, using innovative and flexible methods, in five PCTs in the North West.

SSP Health has been working productively within Bolton PCT since 2008.

This followed a successful bid to deliver primary care services following a Department of Health led invitation to tender exercise.

The new “Darzi” service is planned to go live September 2009. It will have a special focus on screening patients to diagnose early and treat illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease so that patients benefit from a better quality of life.

Occupational health services will also be provided to help people recover and be fit to return to work. SSP Health are delighted to have been given this opportunity to work in Bolton on such an exciting new project.

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SSP Health Awarded Salford Practice

Posted on April 16, 2009. Filed under: GP-led health centres, Press/News Releases, Providers | Tags: |

SSP Health | News Release | Salford PCT | 26 March 2009

SSP Health has been announced as the contract holders of a new GP practice, which will open later this year in the Oakwood Park area of Salford.
Following a tendering process, Salford Primary Care Trust (PCT) awarded the contract for the practice, which will be open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings. The practice is one of four new developments under the Equitable Access to Primary Care programme. 
The new practice, which is due to open during autumn 2009, will give local people better access to GPs and other healthcare professionals. 


Over the next five years the practice’s registered list size will grow to 5,000, providing services for people in the practice area. 


Patients will be able to access a wide range of services at the surgery including, child health services, screening, vaccination and healthy living and support services. 


This extra practice will complement the existing GP services and GP out-of-hours services in the area.   Alan Campbell, Director of Commissioning at the PCT said: "I’m delighted that SSP Health will be the new provider of this important service. 


This is a really exciting opportunity to change the face of primary care in an area where people need more GPs and extra services.   “Up to 5,000 extra patients will be able to register at Oakwood Park and, with the extended opening hours, they will have a greater choice of appointment times than ever before.” 


Stef Byrom, Chief Executive of SSP Health, said:   “SSP Health is honoured to have been awarded a "Darzi" practice contract by Salford PCT. 


Salford PCT selected SSP Health from many other applications and we are delighted.  SSP Health has been working productively with our host PCTs and are very excited at working with Salford PCT to improve the health outcomes within the locality. 


The new "Darzi" service is planned to go live October 2009. It will have a special focus on screening patients to diagnose early and treat illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease so that patients benefit from a better quality of life. 


SSP Health are delighted to have been given this opportunity to work in Salford on such an exciting new project.


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Provider announced for new GP practice in Salford

Posted on April 6, 2009. Filed under: Press/News Releases, Providers | Tags: |

Salford PCT | Press Release | 2 April 2009

SSP Health has been announced as the contract holder of a new GP practice, which will open later this year in the Oakwood Park area of Salford.

Following a tendering process, Salford Primary Care Trust (PCT) awarded the contract for the practice, which will be open 8am until 8pm all year-round.

The new development at Oakwood Park will provide a much-needed new NHS service in an area of the district, which is already stretched in terms of GP services.

The practice, which is due to open during autumn, will give local people better access to GPs and other healthcare professionals. Over the next five years the practice’s registered list size will grow to 5,000, providing services for people in the practice area.

Patients will be able to access a wide range of services at the surgery including child health services, screening, vaccination and healthy living and support services. This extra practice will complement the existing GP services and GP out-of-hours services in the area.

The practice is one of four new Salford developments as part of the national Equitable Access to Primary Care programme, which seeks to bring extra health services and more appointments with GPs for patients.

Alan Campbell, Director of Strategic Commissioning at the PCT, said: “I’m delighted that SSP Health will be the new provider of this important service. This is a really exciting opportunity to change the face of primary care in an area where people need more GPs and extra services.

“Up to 5,000 extra patients will be able to register at Oakwood Park and, with the extended opening hours, they will have a greater choice of appointment times than ever before.”

SSP Health already works with five other PCTS and currently manages 14 NHS practices in the North West across 16 sites. They look after over 45,000 patients, working with 30 GPs, 15 nurses and over 100 staff, delivering high quality care, using innovative and flexible methods.

Stef Byrom, Chief Executive of SSP Health, said: “SSP Health is honoured to have been awarded the contract by Salford PCT. The PCT selected SSP Health from many other applications and we are very excited to be working with Salford PCT to improve the health outcomes within the city.

“The new service is planned to go live October 2009. It will have a special focus on screening patients to diagnose conditions early and treat illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease so that patients benefit from a better quality of life. “

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