Care UK appoints new GP liaison representatives

Company news

Dec 18, 2008

Care UK, the company that will operate mobile clinical units as part of the Greater Manchester Clinical Assessment & Treatment Service (CATS), has appointed two new GP liaison representatives.

Sarah Stewart-Jones joins Care UK from another major healthcare provider, having extensive experience of working with doctors and practice staff, as well as in a variety of customer-facing roles, having started her career as an auxiliary nurse.  Sarah, who lives in Salford, will have responsibility for the South Manchester areas in which CATS operates – including Denton, Oldham, Rochdale and Bolton.

Tina Sohail joins Care UK from a pharmaceutical company, where she worked for eight years with GPs across the North West region.  Living in Bacup, near Rochdale, Tina is well placed to serve the North Manchester area – building up relationships with doctors, receptions and other practice staff in the Denton, Oldham, Rochdale and Bolton areas.

Tina, who is well known locally and used to be a member of the council in Rochdale, also takes an active part in the voluntary sector, including being on the board for the NHS cardiovascular team in Rochdale.

John O’Brien, operations director for Care UK, explains: “We are recruiting heavily in the Manchester area and Sarah and Tina are valuable additions to the team.  They have very important roles in meeting with GPs and practice staff to explain about the CATS service and the benefits it will bring to them and their patients.  As the service will be up and running in February, it is very important that they start this vital work now, so that patients can benefit as soon as possible.”

Sarah and Tina are already in the process of making appointments with GP practices to give them a demonstration of the Greater Manchester CATS service and to provide essential literature and information that will enable them to help their patients to make informed choices.

They will be working closely with the NHS across the Greater Manchester region to ensure that are fully informed about all the services Care UK will be offering.

The Greater Manchester CATS service will operate from seven mobile clinical units located at Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, Longsight, Denton and Stretford.

These trailer units will be unlike anything seen in the UK before in terms of extensive equipment and facilities. They will offer Consultant-led assessments and treatments, including outpatient-based minor surgical procedures in Musculoskeletal (Orthopaedic and Rheumatology), General Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Gynaecology and Urology specialties supported by a wide range of diagnostic services.  Consultants may also carry out a number of tests including MRI, CT scans, X-ray, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures.

John O’Brien continues: “It is really important that all medical practitioners are aware of the services we are offering.   We will be providing an additional resource to the local NHS, which will support quick and more convenient access for patients to treatment and add extra local capacity across the Greater Manchester healthcare system.  The ultimate aim is to enhance the patient experience.”

The Mobile Clinical Units are designed to provide a more convenient service for patients because of their ease of access and longer opening hours - 7.45am to 8pm, with weekend appointments available at most sites, which is especially useful for people who are unable to visit during normal working hours.

Their locations promote increased easy access for patients, as each site is near to public transport links and has ample car parking spaces.  The Mobile Clinical Units will also support the local NHS in further improving waiting times.

CATS provides as far as possible a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ approach to outpatient services, where they can be seen by a Consultant and have most diagnostic tests that they may need during the same outpatient visit.

The CATS programme is expected to create over 160 jobs in the Manchester area in the next six months, which includes Consultants, receptionists, administration and call centre staff.

Patients can make an appointment to be seen in one of the Mobile Clinical Units, either by being referred by their GP or via the NHS.