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IMPROVING HEALTHCARE IN DORSET

What we do

Healthcare Sector Specialists

Everything we do is designed to support our constituent GP member practices and the PCNs to which they are aligned, so they can provide the very best care in the communities where we operate.

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By working collectively, we:

  • Develop and share information about the health needs of our local population, so that services are carefully matched to these needs.

  • Help our clinicians connect with each other and with colleagues.

  • Minimise duplication and workload by providing business management support.

 

We also provide business management support to other organisations across a wider geography in Dorset and across the UK, so they can use our expertise to develop efficient organisations which develop a strong voice locally and provide innovative clinical services.

Business Support

We provide a range of business management support, including: 

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  • Programme management to support the Integrated Neighbourhood Teams development in the PCNs

  • Access to HR, recruitment and legal advice.

  • Management of programmes and project delivery

  • Finance management

  • Engagement and communications support.

  • Coaching and leadership support.

  • Development of training packages and online tools.

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We helped establish the Dorset General Practice Alliance, which represents the voice of general practice within the Dorset ICS and we continue to provide them with business support.

 

This involves putting in place the people, systems and processes needed for an effective membership organisation, representing practices across Dorset. We are providing:

  • Programme management and governance input

  • HR, recruitment and legal advice

  • Management of programmes

  • Finance management

  • Event management

  • Engagement and communications including management of website

  • Development of training packages

Strong Local Voice

We help our clinicians connect with each other and with colleagues across the local health system.

 

We have a strong voice locally when discussions take place on how services should be planned to improve the patient journey.

Healthcare Service Delivery

We deliver healthcare services that support our population and are always able to adapt these to match the changing and challenging needs of our communities as and when needed. We moved quickly to support our practices during the Covid pandemic and set up a red-hot site at Wimborne Hospital and vaccination sites. Our ability to be flexible and adapt is one of our key attributes.. 

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Respiratory Diagnostic Service

A waiting list of over 400 patients for Spirometry diagnosis to confirm COPD, built up during the pandemic, has now been tackled through a dedicated Respiratory Hub. With many practices unable to offer this service and meet the infection control restrictions in place, we put in place arrangements at St Leonards Hospital which met stringent national guidelines e.g. allowing rooms to remain fallow for an hour between appointments. This demonstrated how working with our community partners Dorset Healthcare we can make a difference when working collaboratively.

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Our approach was so successful in reducing the original waiting list that the service was expanded to include FeNO testing. Castleman’s Respiratory Lead Nurse played a key role in assisting with the development of regional guidance on how to adhere to national guidelines when delivering diagnostic respiratory tests.

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During the pandemic our lead nurse was an integral part of the Covid remote monitoring service.

Integrated Community and Primary Care Service (ICPCS)

The ICPCS East Dorset Integrated hub team, based in St Leonards Hospital, sees patients with multiple co-morbidities and those on many medications so a personalised plan of care is developed. They take time to complete comprehensive frailty assessments which proactively address health and social care needs, using an anticipatory approach to reduce the likelihood of an acute crisis. They also support the PCN Care Home DES. The Alderney Hub supports patients in Poole.

 

The ICPCS programme is now aligned to the national Ageing Well Agenda, and this supports practices and the PCNs respond to the needs of patients through:

 

• Urgent community response.

• Enhanced health in care homes.

• Anticipatory care.

 

The team is a great example of true collaboration with Dorset HealthCare (DHC) and includes a GP employed by Castleman and Advanced Nurse Practitioners and an HCA employed by DHC.

Diabetes Service

Two specialist nurses employed by Castleman and a health care assistant provide non-urgent advice and support to clinicians and complex diabetic patients; a visiting service for housebound patients and an educational programme for clinicians.

 

The Diabetes team also provide training to clinicians and care homes.

Public Health

Castleman holds the contract for Public Health services locally. We lobbied for NHS Health Checks to return to practices, and these were restarted in April 2022. We are running a pilot of post-Covid NHS Health Checks.

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Many practices have extensive waiting lists for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and some PCNs are working together to deliver this service at scale. Castleman continues to support practices and PCNs to make this a success, so that waiting lists can be reduced.

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