NAEP News. Issue 9

“The NAEP Annual conference is two days with everyone under one roof. It allows me network with my customers from across the UK and meet new ones, enabling me to have quality conversations and make new leads without travelling miles.”

Becky Gee, Ultimate HealthCare

am sure you will all agree that the Conference held on the 14-15 June at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwick was one of the most successful to date, Lord Chris Rennard Chaired the Conference in his own individual style. The Speakers, Sir David Pearson, Building an Integrated System, Baroness Glenys Thornton, Equalities for the Next Generation, gave us an insight of their view of the future something that every one of us could take back to our organisations. Roy brought out the amusing aspects to the appreciation of all the conference delegates

The Rt Hon Paul Burstow, gave us an insight of what was to come regarding the ending of CCGs and the start of Integrated Care Boards, Paul will be Chairing the National Integrated Care Board, Paul has been asked to attend our Conference on the 13th and 14th June 2023, by this time the majority of us will have worked within an Integrated Care Board and Paul will update us on the National Integrated Care board. Our Inspirational Speaker Dr Kate Allott had us all engrossed in her story – I was told she put Inspirational onto another level – Kate brought a considerable amount of the delegates to tears and had a standing ovation when she finished speaking. Paul Rackham finished off the conference with Helping People have lives not services, it gave us all something to think about, by talking about asking different questions, trying different approaches and expecting different results

I hope as many of the delegates and supplier/manufacturers took the time to visit the Dementia and Autism Bus as possible, I am sure you will agree the experience will have amazed you by giving you an insight into how people with dementia and autism feel and react. We as the NAEP Board would like to pass on our sincere thanks to all the conference speakers, for their informative and down to earth subject content. I would like to personally thank Debra Attwood, Susan Heap and Oriana Bell supported by Lynda Miller and Kay Addleston for being there on the front desk to meet and greet and sign delegates and supplier/manufacturers into the Conference and to thank the NAEP Board Members for ensuring delegates got to the workshops and back into the main hall on time. Next year conference will be held on 13 - 14June 2023 at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwick once again and hope to see you all then. If you have any items, you would like to see included or comment on in the NAEP News or the NAEP Focus please email Jean.Hutfield@sky.com

Scotland

Chair Anne Findlay

Scottish Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator Scotland

E anne.findlay@glasgow.gov.uk

North East & Yorkshire

Chair Vacant

North East and Yorkshire Regional Group Chair E jean.hutfield@sky.com

Trent

Chair Sarah Docksey (nee Bailey)

Trent Regional Group Chair E sarah.docksey@nottscc.gov.uk

Eastern

Chair Bridget Gaynord

Eastern Regional Group Chair E bridget.gaynord@nhs.net

London Chair Vacant

London Regional Group Chair E jean.hutfield@sky.com

South East

Chair Anita Rush

South East Regional Group Chair E anita.rush@nhs.net

South West Chair Vacant

South West Regional Group E jean.hutfield@sky.com

Midlands Chair Sarah Windsor

Midlands Regional Group Chair E jean.hutfield@sky.com

North West

Chair Aurndra Golden

North West Regional Group Chair E aurndra.golden@stockport.gov.uk

Wales Chair Vacant

Welsh Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator Wales

Northern Ireland Chair Vacant

NI Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator

Jean Hutfield, Chair NAEP

NAEP Regional Chair Contacts

he NAEP National conference returned to its normal scheduled spot of June at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Warwick and the return saw one of the most successful conferences to date.

After the 2021 event had only been staged 8 months previous there was slight concern in some quarters but that was totally misplaced as a packed exhibition hall with over 45 industry partners buzzed for the 2 days along with over 150+ delegates and speakers taking part in two great days of lectures, debate and the all important networking opportunities.

Here at NAEP News we hope to paint a picture of the fun and serious side of the meeting with a

collection of some great pics captured at the event for those of you who could not attend and with the 2023 event already in the planning stage SAVE THE DATE NOW in your diary of the 12-14 June 2023 and make sure your part of YOUR conference next year

I would like to say that the 2022 Conference was very well received as proven by the emails she has received - thank you all that sent them they have been appreciated after the hard work the Team put in. The photographs displayed here made the hard work worth while.”

Jean Hutfield CEO, NAEP

National Conference

Innovative Product Showcase

NAEP Conference 2022

Apollo Healthcare Technologies Ltd Morpheus Air Zero

The Morpheus Air Zero is an advanced semi dynamic support surface with the benefit of being powered as a full dynamic system or non-powered as a semi dynamic system. The Morpheus Air ZERO helps maximize body weight distribution and minimize tissue interface pressure by automatically adjusting the internal air pressure in reactions to body movements. The Morpheus Air ZERO behaves like a dynamic system when unpowered. apollohomehealthcare.com

BES Healthcare Ltd SteraSpace Air Filtration

Air & Surface sanitiser that provides continuous protection from the spread of harmful bacteria, viruses, and odours. SteraSpace combines three advanced technologies in order to emit a constant flow of disinfecting plasma which is proven to eliminate microorganisms both in the air and on surfaces. You can stay in the room while this system performs, offering 24 hour protection, 365 days a year. besrehab.net

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare Ltd Solite Ultra Low Bed

The Solite Ultra Low Bed with its unique patented dual actuator system offers a low platform height of just 7.5cm making it an ideal choice for those that are at risk of falls, and a maximum platform height of 80.3cm to assist with nursing care duties. The bed offers a maximum weight capacity of 160kg (25st) and it is available with the option of safe-mesh side rails. drivedevilbiss.co.uk

Award winner

his year’s NAEP Innovative Product Award was proudly presented at the NAEP National Conference to The Osprey Group by Jean Hutfield Chair of NAEP

Designed to assist the user to sit and stand from the toilet, the Osprey Wash/Dry Toilet Raiser got the thumbs-up from equipment commissioners judging the category who were impressed with its multiple features. Paul King, Director at The Osprey Group, commented after receiving the award

“We were up against some excellent products at the show so we are extremely pleased with our win. Our new Wash/Dry Toilet Raiser is a new addition to the range. Osprey already have a standard toilet raiser for the domestic market and it has since added a wash dry seat option. The new version will fit over the user’s standard home WC, with a 30-stone working load capacity. It’s sure to meet the demands of almost everyone”

Unlike the supplier’s standard toilet raiser, which is battery operated, the new Osprey Wash/Dry Toilet Raiser is mains-feed electric only and needs plumbing into the

Enable Access Ltd

Permaramp-Quickrails

Permaramp-Quickrails is a new instant fixed-ramp-withhandrails access solution, enabling a ramp with handrails to be quickly fitted by any technician, anywhere! With pre-assembled handrails and factoryfitted handrail sockets, simply pick your handrail colour, choose one rail or two, add the selfsupporting leg kit if there’s a

water main of the user’s bathroom.

Featuring a rocker switch at the front, the device comes with a handset, which can also be used the caregiver. Once weight is placed on the toilet seat, a range of buttons on the supplied handset operates the wash/dry feature of the toilet raiser.

Programmes include a general rear wash, a frontal wash and gentle wash for children. There is a useful night light as well as a seat warmer, and a dryer button. In addition there is a useful pre-set option for up to three users and variety of timer settings for wash and dry cycles.

The Osprey Group

theospreygroup.co.uk

uPVC threshold involved, and you have a ramp with handrails ready to go! enable-access.com

H&M Bathlifts H&M Bathroom Safety Smartcare Range

The H&M Bathroom Safety Smartcare Range includes Tayo Shower Chair/Stool range with interchangeable seats, legs, arms and

seatbacks as an innovative MDR compliant product range which will increase versatility and reduce stock holding and costs for U.K. Community Equipment Stores. Strong, stable, TUV Certified – Antibacterial Version, Padding and Swivel Seat also available. hmbathlifts.co.uk

Harvest Healthcare Universal Safe Roll

The Universal Safe Roll system is a state-ofthe-art crash mat, designed to dramatically change the landscape of falls protection and support the reduction of the use of side rails. Traditional static floor mats are often a trip hazard, have to be moved to accommodate moving and handling equipment, and are frequently too thin to provide true protection from falls. This radical new design eliminates all these issues, providing safety for the resident and exceptional ease of use for carers.

harvesthealthcare.co.uk

Helping Hand Pressure Care Equazone Seat Insert

Equazone Seat insert is the next development in the Equazone Family. It is the top to toe self inflating pressure reducing chair insert that can transform any exisiting chair with the pressure reduction of air and stability of foam. Very low profiling means minimal impact on dynamics of chair and doesn’t impact any transfers. hhpressurecare.co.uk

Herida Medical Argyll 8 AR (with automatic pump system)

heridahealthcare.co.uk

Langham - Gordon Ellis Prime Suction Feet

Langham-Gordon Ellis have designed and developed a new way of fixing your Toilet Aid, shower stools

and Toilet surrounds to the floor without drilling or damaging your existing floor. Our unique Suction feet replace the ferrule of most common tubular framed Daily Living Aids. Easy to fit and install with the added bonus of being able to be reused time and time again. langham-ge.co.uk

Lisclare Lenus Floor Level Bed

Large height adjustment range of 15 – 80 cm – safe for the patient and a safe working height for the carer without the need for an extra high bed end. All in one solution eliminates need to stock both standard and floor level beds. Automatic intermediate stops at 25 cm and at the standing up and transfer height of 38 cm. Integrated 20cm bed extension for tall people. High safe working load of 225 kg. Tool free installation of full length safety side with Easy Click. Straightforward castor braking in pairs with easy to reach brake pedals. lisclare.com

OSKA OSKA Series3 Auto

The Series 3 Auto offers individual ‘zoned’ cell deflation, specifically designed to offload vulnerable areas on the body. This feature enables care givers to individually deflate certain cells under parts of the body most at risk of pressure damage. When ‘proning’ a patient, as well as offering an appropriate support surface solution, this feature provides flexibility to care givers when managing a patient’s head and airway. oska.uk.com

Osprey Healthcare Osprey Toilet Raiser with Wash Dry Seat

Designed to assist the user to sit and stand from the toilet, the Toilet Raiser is a brand new addition to the market. Its height adjustable frame will fit around most toilets, including the Geberit Mera Wash Dry Toilet. Battery

operated, for ease of use in bathroom environments and with a 30 stone safe working load, the Toilet Raiser is strong, secure and sure to meet the demands of almost everyone. theospreygroup.co.uk

Pressure Care Management Ltd KomfiTilt

The KomfiTilt system gently tilts the user through a left-neutralright cycle to help relieve or prevent pressure points developing. The system is placed on the bed frame under the mattress and is operated on an independent power and pump supply. Can be used with foam and alternating air mattresses. When switched ON the KomfiTilt system inflates to 20° to 25° to provide offload of pressure points and redistribution of body weight loadings pressurecaremanagement.co.uk

Sumed

Sumed Yathan Second Skin Heel Sleeve

Sumed Yathan Second Skin Heel Sleeve is made of polymer gel and pleasant to wear, ideal for padding, can be washed, disinfected and re-used and does not stick to the skin. It ticks all the boxes for people with or at risk of developing a heel pressure ulcer. It offers all-round protection against injuries and reduces shearing forces and significantly decreases pressure on the foot. sumedinternational.com

Wealden Rehab RAZ-ART Shower Chair

The RAZ-ART was Launched in 2021 as the most complete shower chair on the market and showcases a new ‘rotational tilt’ design that negates the need for gas struts. The innovative design solves many accessibility issues associated with certain toilet designs and showering facilities and the unique frame provides a very compact solution, ideal even for the tightest wetrooms. wealdenrehab.com

Researching reports, articles and tender submissions.

By Wendy Garcarz

This second article in this series looks at the importance of using solid research and evidence as the basis for any business writing. It will challenge NAEP members to examine their objectivity and the influence they have with key decision makers. Key learning points will include.

• Sources of information; other studies, data, observation, quantitative or qualitative approaches

• Guard against bias in your writing and tools to counteract it

• The importance of good (concise) presentation of research to make articles and reports easy to read

• Writing bids and replying to tenders

Rationale

In part one of this series, we explored why writing articles, blogs and tender/ bid responses is so important.

Equipment Services is possibly the best kept secret in the NHS. With the new Integrated Care Organisations coming into being they face three important challenges;

1. How to deliver placed based care that joins up across organisational boundaries (e.g. Health & social care) to reduce waste, duplication and operate more efficiently

2. Manage demand by reducing hospital admissions, reducing length of stay and keeping people at home living as independently as possible

3. Make strides into halting growing health inequalities that fuel poor health and increased morbidity.

Equipment Services are strategic enablers that commissioners need to build into their commissioned service solutions if they are to stand any chance of delivering against the main problems faced. That includes recognising and adopting new

technology and equipment that improves patient outcomes whilst delivering strategic objectives. It is vital that sufficient funding is put in place to deliver sufficient equipment services as they are an integral part of the supply chain. Any delays or shortages here can have catastrophic effects on the wider health and care system and be the difference between achieving better outcomes and service failure.

By producing informative articles, blogs and evaluation reports, equipment services experts can demonstrate the critical role they play in the continued development of NHS and care services and what a vital cog they are in the new integrated system.

The purpose of articles & evaluation reports

The purpose of any article or report should be to inform and further the readers knowledge and understanding. In many cases peoples understanding of equipment services is limited to provision of wheelchairs, hoists and mattresses. They do not understand the process of complex assessment

you use and why it is important to get it right. They certainly will not be familiar with the wide product knowledge, specifications and supplier directory you carry in your heads to support your decision making. Furthermore, they are unlikely to understand the critical timeframes that you work with that can aid better recovery, improve mobility and independence. One of the most relevant contributions equipment services can make in the current climate is to support service providers reduce surgical waiting lists by increasing their capacity and completing more operations. That requires an on-demand supply of equipment to aid rehabilitation and ensuring there is sufficient of the right types of equipment, readily available.

You need to inform and educate them but to do that you need to be recognised as an expert in your field and to have credibility with your readership. One of the quickest and most effective ways of achieving that is by demonstrating your knowledge and objectivity through published articles and reports.

A poorly presented response says a lot about the provider submitting it

The objectivity of those writing and publishing is paramount to their credibility and reliability as a trusted source of information. Presenting facts, figures and outputs, objectively portrays issues in a neutral and unbiased manner, regardless of the writer’s opinion or personal beliefs. It is this standard that enables readers to make up their own minds about a topic, making it more likely to be perceived as trustworthy. It also makes an article more compelling and believable if it analyses a topic from a variety of perspectives. By providing an examination of the facts, the audience will interpret them and come to their own conclusion. Realistically however there is a bias that is almost impossible to remove and that is the experience of the writer. An article will read very differently if it is written from novice and expert perspectives.

The stages of well researched article

Defining the purpose of the article

The purpose of an article should be defined at the outset, to enable the writer to focus on what is important and reduce the possibility of waffling. The purpose may be to inform the reader of how something operates, it may be to aid their understanding of the bigger picture, or it may be to explore an idea or hypothesis. Some articles may have more than one purpose, but usually one will stand out as primary. Readers have the job of determining the purpose of what they are reading and how useful or informative it is.

This clear definition also aids the writer because if offers boundaries as to what to include and why and what they can leave out or deal with in a different piece of writing. The purpose should be geared to the readers benefit and not the writers to ensure they do not fall into the common trap of using an article to demonstrate the total sum of their knowledge. An article will never turn a reader into an expert and shouldn’t try to. It is to further their knowledge or understanding on an aspect or viewpoint. The writer needs to be clear about the purpose of their article/report and use it as a touchstone to keep them focused on

the important data they need to include.

Conduct preliminary research

Once you have decided on the topic for the article/report you should make a list of related key words that might help you find other source material on the internet. Those key words and phrases will help define your search parameters.

Your piece should have a focus and the easiest way to do that is to structure a question or hypothesis that your piece addresses.

Examples:

• How to extend healthcare into the home setting

• What are the latest trends in pressure management mattresses?

• What are the top 3 challenges faced by Equipment Services Provision?

Decide on the sources that are best suited to your article/report; straight data, case study, observation or published research.

Create a record of your sources so that you can reference them for the reader at the end of your piece.

Choose sources wisely

Its ok to start with Wikipedia but don’t use it as a primary source as its reliability can be questionable (varies topic to topic).

Whilst reading articles look at the links and references, they include to broaden your understanding of the bigger picture. This background reading will tell you who the influencers are in your field and what their bias is. Be wary of sponsored articles, reports and studies as they will naturally contain bias for their product technology or approach.

Choose the perspective

The perspective is simply the viewpoint that the piece is written from. In Fig.1 three common perspectives are

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE

• Commands authority

• Offers advice, guidance through expertise

• Should model best practice or innovation

detailed in terms of the goal, offering and outcome for each.

Consider

the bias at play and write to balance it

Bias in writing always exists because every piece is generated through the writers ‘filters’. Those filters include education, upbringing, social background, likes, dislikes, perceptions, stereotypes and lots of others. A writer’s job is to be aware of the bias that exists and to seek to balance it through critical analysis of the subject and presentation of the results. When an author lets their feelings or emotions cloud their judgement or objectivity the piece will clearly illustrate that bias, making it too subjective for some people to trust or give credibility to.

To overcome bias

• avoid generalisations, they imply commonality and encourage readers to accept and not to question the topic under review.

• provide evidence to support your viewpoint or position, if you only rely on your experience or beliefs, it weakens your argument and position as a topic expert.

• strive to be objective and impartial in your writing, bias can be positive or negative and treating every perspective with the same rigour will ensure people get a balanced view.

• when referring to people, only use descriptive terms when they are necessary for conveying meaning. Be precise without being overly specific. Pay close attention to your language choices when writing about age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic groups, or socioeconomic terms.  Using subjective language or terminology can have the effect of switching a reader off from the article.

COMMISSIONER PERSPECTIVE

• Critically analyses options

• Offers comparisons, financial analysis or outcomes

• Should aid decision making

SERVICE USER PERSPECTIVE

• Details real experience

• Offers insights and qualitative individual outcomes

• Should demonstrate impact on quality of life

There are two main research processes: qualitative and quantitative studies. Although very different in structure and methods, these studies represent two arms of the same research body.

Qualitative studies are based mainly on human experience, using notions and theoretical information without quantifying variables. Observation, interviews, case studies and user focused evaluation studies would come under this type of approach.

Quantitative studies record information obtained from participants in a numerical form, to enable a statistical analysis of the data. Quantitative studies are used to establish the existence of associative or causal relationships between variables; Clinical studies, Research and Development (R&D) studies and Equipment/medical device trials would come under this approach.

The type of research you use should provide the type of evidence your reader needs and values. Wherever possible include elements of both approaches to demonstrate an all-round, comprehensive approach.

Why articles, reports and tenders need a different approach

Careful consideration should be given to the purpose of the document you are writing as it needs to be written for the right audience, so the reader gets what they need from it. Fig.2 outlines the differences between articles, reports and tenders/bids.

Research required for these documents will be focused differently.

Articles will require a broad-brush approach to research taking in what happened in the past, the current state of things and what is likely to be needed in the future.

Reports are likely to give a detailed analysis of a current situation or topic, drawing conclusions from the gathered data then recommendations about how to move things forward.

Tenders and bids are likely to establish a clear picture of the situation or service as it stands, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the approach. They will offer a series of costed options with a

ARTICLES

• Generic audience

• Reader wants to learn

• Writer needs to inform with facts, figures or evidence

• Includes subject specific, opinion pieces, written to add to the body of knowledge or pose a question to prompt discussion

REPORTS

• Specific audience (organisation/professional group)

• Reader wants to understand, gain insights

• Writer needs to set out the facts, evidence, stating the outcomes and their consequences

• Includes situation specific, evidence or evaluation of projects to share best practice, promote efficacy or prevent mistakes

recommendation of the best option (usually in the form of a cost benefit analysis.)

Publicly funded organisations use the tendering process to put opportunities out to the provider market, often this starts with an invitation or expression of interest. This ensures a level playing field, transparency and is intended to avoid ‘insider dealings’ that favour one particular supplier. Tenders come in a variety of forms from low value opportunities where you may be able to bid for one or more ‘lots’ (elements of a service) to framework agreements where you may ‘win’ a place on the preferred supplier list (with no guarantee of actual work). They may be for a fixed period of time, or they may be extendable. All have their place, and each is decided depending upon the nature of the goods or service. The research for these opportunities is crucial to putting in a document that will be seen as credible and deserving of consideration.

Service providers may respond individually or may choose to work with a partner on a joint venture to make up a comprehensive service offering. Either way, the bare necessities do need to be covered in the response document.

Express an interest  Many organisations working in new areas will choose the Expressions of Interest (EOI) route to get the ball rolling. It is particularly useful where there is no preconceived idea of what an ideal solution looks like or where there is high levels of complexity or

•

TENDERS / BIDS

Commissioners/buyers

• Reader want to make a decision

• Writer needs to convince buyer that their option is the best available

• Includes service offerings, solutions to existing problems or innovations to improve existing situations

unpredictability related to the service being commissioned. They may want to gauge how many responses they are likely to get or who may be involved. It is likely that they will require specific service provider information at this point (sometimes achieved through a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) between the EOI and the Invitation To Tender (ITT)). Research for this should be at your fingertips as it will be focused on your track record and credibility as an organisation (infrastructure, sustainability etc).

Read everything carefully Whether it is a simple email advising of some instruction or the full tender documentation, take the time to read it all. Even tenders for similar services advertised by the same organisation may have subtle differences. Miss something and you may find your response is disqualified for the tiniest of reasons. Pay careful attention to timelines and deadlines, don’t expect an exception to be made, even if there is a genuine reason for lateness. Check if there is any ‘weighting’ to be applied. They may be expecting a lot of similar costings and may place greater value on quality or service delivery. Keep these weightings in mind when writing your response.

Decide if your organisation want to take this on The time you and your staff spend putting a tender together costs money. They will have to protect time to pull information together, time that they will take from other important tasks. Don’t do this unless you really want a chance at the

What sort of research should you include?

contract. Look at the expected volume of work over the length of the contract. If it’s a framework (preferred suppliers list), how many other suppliers are going to be on that list? Will you be competing with huge providers who have more resources or a better track record? If you are going for a joint bid with a partner, do you know if they are up to the task? Use this information and more, (all should be contained in the specification), to determine whether it’s worth the time and effort. Viability testing will help you to ascertain if you will break even, make money or lose money on a contract.

Request clarification  If there is information missing from the specification that you need to know to put a workable response together, ask for it. Email any information requests so that you have a record. If a point or clause seems confusing or unclear, ask for it to be clarified. Tenderers will expect requests like this and often have it timetabled into their process. Often, requests for clarification will be answered in one go, on a specified date, with all questions and answers published to all other potential responders. This saves them time and duplication, in the long run.

Make a note of all deadlines Then give yourself time to meet those deadlines – and a bit extra. You never know when the photocopier or printer is going to break down or if the person you’re relying on for some of the content is going to be away. Similarly, with responses submitted electronically through the tenderers e-portal (procurement website), give yourself time to upload the documents and factor in IT issues. While you can’t plan for everything, do try to give yourself some wriggle room so that you’re not rushing to finish at the last minute. A rushed response is a recipe for missing something crucial.

Before you submit your response, read everything again  Seriously, how many copies of the response do they require and in what format? Are you allowed to include supporting information? Do you need to include CVs of key people involved in the delivery of the work? COSHH and other safety certificates? Can you ‘brand’

your response or must it only be in the format they have sent you? Any of these things could get all your hard work disqualified.

Answer all questions and expand if you can  The tenderer will be giving your response to an assessment panel, which may include people with no knowledge of your industry or sector. Make sure your answers are understandable to everyone, novice and expert alike. After a few tenders, you will have built up a bank of answers to certain types of question, which can then be modified as and when to suit further tenders. If you can do so, expand on the point using your skills, internal procedures and experience to show why you would be the best supplier. The question may ask for a yes or no answer; give yourself the edge by telling them why as well. Only do this if allowed within the terms of the tender invitation.

Editing and proofreading Editing requires you reread your draft to check for more significant issues, including organisation and presentation of data, paragraph structure, and general content. However, when you proofread, you are focusing on finding and correcting errors in writing, grammar, and language. Take a systematic approach to fine tune your article/ report.

Take your time

• If you think you will find all errors on the first read, you are mistaken.

• Reading the document out loud can help slow down the process and increase your focus.

Divide the document into sections

• This will increase your focus and decrease the overwhelming feeling of tackling the entire document in one read.

Highlight common errors

• This helps with current and future writing assignments. The more familiar you are with your mistakes, the easier it will be to avoid them in the future.

Get fresh eyes to check

• Use someone else to do a final check for errors and omissions as they will read it without prior knowledge and will not have preconceived ideas or ‘wordblindness’

Final presentation of research

A poorly presented response says a lot about the provider submitting it. Regardless of specified ‘weightings’, or strict limitations on answers, the overall presentation should be smart and clean. If you can brand your response with the corporate identity, do so. If you are allowed to, make it stand out from the rest, with relevant images (your product in use; your service in place with an existing customer etc.). When you have followed all the rules and restrictions and answered everything perfectly, be creative in your document presentation, show them your best side.

The research checklist

• Be clear on the focus of your topic; what do you examine in detail and what do you exclude from your article

• What is the issue you want to write about/problem you are trying to solve?

• What are the main facts and statistics?

• Who are the main voices writing about the topic?

• What are your conclusions or recommendations?

• Have you covered the main pros and cons of the topic in your research?

Well researched articles and reports provide an excellent platform to raise general awareness of a topic or field of expertise. The authors gain credibility because readers are influenced by them and gain deeper understanding and insights from them. If decision makers in the new world of Integrated Care are to fully appreciate the strategic significance of equipment services they need to read about its’ successes, innovations and problem solving abilities. Your time has come to stand up and be counted (read), so start sharing the excellent practice and improved outcomes you have been achieving, by publishing for other to learn from.

Wendy Garcarz MA FInstLM Author, Futurist & Special Advisor

Suggested

NAEP News is now being delivered electronically to members and each issue will feature a Suggested Reading page. On this page members will have the option to click through to documents, reports, brochure’s etc that will be hosted on the NAEP website. If you have any material you wish to be considered for future publication then please send to debra.attwood@naep.org.uk

Roy’s Round-Up

A Personal Perspective

here are 217 NHS organisations providing secondary and tertiary care; 147 foundation trusts and 70 NHS Trusts.

Together, give or take, they employ over 1.1 million people, including, 117,000 doctors and almost 300,000 nurses and health visitors.

Before Covid, between them, in 2019, Trusts managed to rack up a combined overspend of £850m.

I mention that, not because of profligacy. Hospitals could not keep to their budgets because of ten years of near-flat-line-funding, staff shortages and rising demand.

Lack of workforce meant Trusts spent £1.8bn on agency staff, about £140m more than planned.

They over-traded. Meaning, they were obliged to undertake more work than they were paid for. Nevertheless, productivity grew, twice as fast than the rest of the economy.

Financial jiggery-pokery fudged the year-end and the DH+ said; ‘… all trusts’ deficits would [be] erased by 2023-24.’

Getting back into balance?

After Covid? It’ll need a fudge factory.

To make things worse, the NHS, to cope with normal demand, ageing population, developments, kit and caboodle, needs around a 4% pa, uplift.

The latest settlement (excluding Covid) takes NHS funding to around £160bn. In real terms, that’s about 3.8%… inflation is set to run to 9%, perhaps higher.

‘nuff said… Oh, and as waiting lists are going through the roof, long-covid might give us 4m more customers than we bargained for.

To manage all this mayhem, each organisation, by statute, has a Board, that includes five non-executives and a non-executive chair.

That means each organisation has to find six talented people within striking distance of the organisation.

In total, thirteen hundred people, across the NHS, who have; • the time, • commitment, • can manage strategy, • priorities, • complexity, • risk, • values, • standards, • constructive challenge, • understand finances, • quality control, • renumeration, • external relationships and...

...stay well informed and across policy, guidance and national objectives.

What are the chances of finding 1,300 people who, with virtually no support or training, can put their hand-on-theirheart and say;

‘I’ve got this.’

How many of these good people have career experiences that prepare them for responsibility for budgets of hundreds of millions, that are never enough.

How many of these lovely people have experience of workforce issues, over which they have next-to-no-say, as to supply, terms and conditions or pay.

How many of these brave people have run a business over which they have no control of demand and almost no say over their supply-chains.

How many have experiences of organisations where plans and strategies

can be upended, overnight by external forces, a dodgy headline in a news paper or a panicking No19.

How many have experience that will have prepared them for managing clinical risk and quality, that may and sadly has, ended in death, injury and misery.

How many really understand the intricacies of public sector finance, that has almost nothing in common with a normal balance sheet. Realise what fiduciary responsibility and the management of risk, really, really means.

Am I critical of NEDs? No, I am not.

I’m simply pointing out the impossibility of the task and how little the NHS does to prepare Boards for their unique task.

How many will be on top of subtle metrics like;

• discharge variation at weekends, • exit interviews, • staff up-skilling and...

...the key to it all, 90% occupancy just about maintains flow… 91% doesn’t.

Not to mention, the ruthless management of set discharge dates.

When the Thatcher reforms turned a DGH into a Trust and gave us ‘Boards’, the expectation was, an influx of business brains would come in and run Trusts, in a business like way, within the envelope of the public sector.

I know because I was one of them.

I can tell you, as someone who had run businesses pretty-much, since leaving school, here and in other countries, nothing prepared me for the chaos, the complexity and...

... the admiration I felt for the executives who, each year, provide more health-care for less money, in an environment over which they have very little control.

If NEDs struggled before Covid; ladies and gentlemen, you ain’t seen nothing yet…

This Autumn the IHSCM will be running a series of NED-Bootcamps, to help inform non-execs and develop their expertise. If you or your Board are interested, drop me an email.

Keep up-to-date with Roy's views and opinions at  @roylilley

Products, News and

TheViewsIndustry

independent standards body in the UK assessing the commissioning and provision of all assistive technology services, including clinical and technical aspects. The new CECOPS graded approach has a continuous improvement focus alongside themes including customer experience, quality, safety and performance, governance and risk management, leadership, efficiency and effectiveness and innovation.

Assessments are carried out by independent assessors against the established CECOPS Code of Practice. The objective is to provide a template for commissioning and providing community equipment services, setting out clearly defined and specific standards and measurable outcomes. The results are helpful for commissioning teams when evaluating and awarding contracts, and also help the public to judge how their own providers are performing.

Medequip achieves very first cecops ‘gold’ grade at brighouse depot

The Industry Medequip is delighted to announce that the company’s Brighouse depot, which provides community equipment services for Kirklees Council, is the first in the country to achieve the coveted ‘Gold’ grade from CECOPS (the Community Equipment Code of Practice Scheme) in a comprehensive assessment covering all aspects of service delivery.

Accreditation to the ‘Gold’ grade confirms that Medequip Brighouse has met and, in some cases, excelled against the requirements of the Code of Practice. It underlines the organisation’s commitment at all levels to proactive monitoring and compliance, as well as continuous improvement and implementation of

new ways of working.

Medequip provides community equipment services (CES) for more than 40 local authority contracts across the UK and holds corporate CECOPS certification for each and every one. Achieving a first CECOPS ‘Gold’ in Brighouse is particularly appropriate as this was the first location to achieve CECOPS accredited status back in 2014.

At the time, it was a contractual target for Medequip to achieve accreditation within the first year of the Kirklees CES contact and a visionary specification for Kirklees, making them the first local authority in the UK to be assessed to what was then a new standard focused entirely on CES.

CECOPS CIC is the only

‘The CECOPS grading system was introduced to help improve services and outcomes, and to recognise those organisations who go the extra mile in terms of quality, safety and performance,” confirmed Brian Donnelly, Chief Executive for CECOPS CIC. “It is very encouraging therefore that the Medequip Brighouse service has achieved a ‘Gold’ grade, which indicates a very good level of service. Congratulations on this achievement!”

David Griffiths, Managing Director at Medequip, stressed the importance of the ‘Gold’ award. “Accreditation at this level for Brighouse and Kirklees Council demonstrates clearly that we are leading the field in supplying safe and efficient services, and external validation that our governance structure and processes meet and, in some cases, exceed the CECOPS requirements.”

Ableworld move from strength to strength

The Industry Ableworld, the UK’s number one mobility retailer have recently gone from strength to strength as they have most recently announced internal promotions, new job positions, and a restructure of departments ahead of its busy Summer and Autumn promotions.

The company is not only thriving on their already existing UK wide store base, but with opening new store premises too. In their 21st year of trading, the mobility retailer has seen ongoing growth throughout their franchise and company owned stores.

Over the past 12 months Ableworld have welcomed three new store locations to their portfolio, with the first two stores coming in the same week in September 2021. Ableworld Queensferry and Blackpool were successfully launched as spacious mobility superstores, and both have since thrived and continue to assist local customers with mobility needs.

May 2022 was the next date for a new store opening, with Ableworld opening in Runcorn. Ableworld Runcorn was the ideal location to open in between their already existing St Helens and Northwich stores, to further assist their existing customers. Ableworld Runcorn has also started their first few months of trading with

successful sales figures and highly positive customer feedback.

Ableworld now turn to their recent store announcement in that its store in Wrexham is due to undergo a refreshing new facelift which includes moving one mile from where its old premises is located.

Ableworld Wrexham’s new larger store is due to open in Autumn this year, in a move which will completely improve the store layout, bringing in more product ranges and making the store much easier to shop for customers.

As Ableworld continue to grow its store map it continues to remain consistent to their ethos of genuinely caring about their customers wellbeing and providing quality mobility aids at value for money prices. The future is certainly bright for the UKs number one mobility retailer.

New Product: Large Lite 2

The Industry

The Lite 2 Range has been extended, to now include a Large Lite 2 which is 22inch wide. The Lite 2 is the most cost effective chair in the Configura range, featuring a single motor tilt-in-space mechanism, height and depth adjustment and a high-risk pressure cushion as standard. It is now available in small, medium and large, and has a single motor tilt-in-space mechanism for improved posture management. With a high-risk pressure cushion as standard and a removable cushion core to allow for self-supply, it is also suitable for users at risk of pressure damage. Some of the accessories which can be purchased with the chair are a lateral support backrest, a profiled headrest and a Cushionair cushion which can be put into the removable cushion core of the Lite 2.

View more Click here

Size options

Chair size Part number

Small CHAIR-0-CM2-140

Medium CHAIR-0-CM2-240

450 mm (18”) 400 mm (16”) 450 mm (18”) 25 stone 500 mm (20”) 450 mm (18”)

450 mm (18”) 450 mm (18”) 500 mm (20”) 25 stone 500 mm (20”) 500 mm (20”)

Large CHAIR-0-CM2-340 450 mm (18”) 450 mm (18”) 550 mm (22”) 25 stone 500 mm (20”) 500 mm (20”)

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NAEP News Editorial Team

NAEP News Meets

Wendy Garcarz, Author, Futurist & Special Advisor

WG: I have always had a passion for training and development and every role I have had and in the companies I have run, learning/teaching has been at the heart of what I do. Sometimes that was the main focus of what I did, like designing and delivering leadership degree programmes at Birmingham University or running the Midlands most successful ILM Accreditation Centre for a decade.

In my own companies I have delivered leadership and management programmes that make a real difference to teams, cultures and company performance. In my role as an executive coach and mentor I have helped individuals grow as leaders and create effective teams and organisations. I almost feel like I should introduce myself as “My name is Wendy Garcarz and I am a lifelong learner.

WG: I always wanted to write. At the beginning of the school holidays my Mom used to give me a pile of exercise books and pens and I would spend most of my time writing stories or reading. I was a voracious reader of murder mysteries (A huge fan of Agatha Christie) and thrillers. Story telling is such a powerful way of connecting with people. I have tried to do that with my non-fiction books and training programmes and more recently with my debut novel Keeping Secrets published under my pen name Wendy Charlton. Hopefully there is still a lot more to come.

WG: I delivered a keynote speech to a leadership conference at the NEC in Birmingham to an audience of nearly 3000 people. My friend Peter Roper wrote a book called ‘and death came third’ based on a survey he did with business leaders. He asked people to rank the scariest things they feared the

most, and public speaking was at the top of the list.

NN:

WG: I stood for Parliament in the 2019 General Election. It worried me how out of touch our elected representatives seemed to be and how broken our political system still is. Looking at the NHS and Social Care currently, I struggle to see how political decision making has generated anything positive for these vital public services.

The real innovation and progress comes from people on the ground, doing a hugely difficult job with little resource. Our services deliver in spite of political

interference not because of it. I would love to see a political system based on the performance of policies to reduce inequalities and generate fairer wealth distribution rather than the cult of personality we seemed to be experiencing at the moment.

WG: I struggle to pick out one thing if I am honest. The publication of my book Come Out Fighting in September 2021 was a real high spot for me. The pandemic hit small businesses in a massive way and I wrote it to help them recover quickly and go on to grow and prosper. It contains 30 years of hints tips

NN: What did you do before becoming an author and business strategist?

NN: What did you want to be when you were growing up?

NN: What is the scariest thing you have ever done?

Tell us something most people wouldn’t know about you.

NN: What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

and expertise shared in a practical and accessible way. The feedback and reviews have confirmed that those unsung heroes that kept the country supplied with goods and services during lockdown are using it to learn how to operate in a changed world.

More broadly though, my life is pretty great; I share it with my husband of 41 years, we live in a beautiful part of Staffordshire with our canine baby Kipper, a five year old standard poodle and I spend my days helping people to be more effective or learn new stuff. I have met and worked with some fabulous people along the way including a few famous people like Brian Blessed, Sir Terry Pratchett and your very own Jean Hutfield NEAP Chair. Pretty great overall!

performance I have ever read. It is practical but hugely inspirational too.

Favourite country you have visited and why.

NN:

WG: It is a close call between Scotland and New Zealand I think. Majestic scenery is always something that I find impressive and humbling at the same time. I love places that have a sense of history or solitude, they have a big impact on me. On reflection, New Zealand probably has the edge because of the Maori people. Their history, culture and mythology was fascinating and I would go back in a blink!

My all-time favourite fiction book is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. On screen my favourite movies are Hollywood classics because of the writing and elegance they deliver. The one I never tire of is North by North West Alfred Hitchcock. And for music I love things that are uplifting so rock anthems from Queen or Meatloaf are always on my playlist and my guilty pleasure are jazz violinists like Stephan Grappelli and Ian Cooper..

How do you like to unwind and relax.

NN:

WG: Nothing better than a glass of something cool (preferably with bubbles) soaking in the hot tub. No phone to disturb the peace and quiet and soft jazz to soothe. The weather doesn’t matter, it is as effective whether the sun is shining or the snow is falling, perfect.

NN: Proudest moment in your current role.

WG: I am just getting used to referring to myself as an author and although I have published six non-fiction books, the publication of my first novel (under my pen name Wendy Charlton) was just about the best thing! We have had a number of family members diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s and those experiences had a massive impact on us. I wanted to write a story that challenged the way people think about those who have those conditions, or the family members that have to navigate a complex system to get their loved ones the necessary help and support.

NN:

Favourite book, film, music composer.

WG: A book I always recommend is Will it Make the Boat Go Faster by Ben Hunt-Davis and Harriet Beveridge describing the winning strategies employed by the GB Olympic rowing team at the Sydney games in 2000. It plots the simplest and most effective journey from mediocrity to world class

NN: Favourite

food

memory.

WG: Having Ice cream made at the table by Heston Blumenthal has to be up there. We won a competition on Classic FM radio for a weekend in London and a trip to his restaurant was included. It was a gourmet experience that I will never forget. Although eating lobster at Coco’s lobster shack in St Lucia, fresh from the sea, comes a close second.

Keeping Secrets and it’s sequel Hidden Secrets are set in a residential home exclusive for ex MI5 and MI6 agents who have grown old are having memory problems and might be in danger of spilling state secrets. It is about recognising who people are and what they have done before the diagnosis rendered them a ‘label’. Every time someone says to me “your book helped me come to terms with the disease and its effects” I get goosebumps. I want people to see the person, their achievements and their skills before they see the disease and my books seem to be doing that for some that read them.

Looking at the NHS and Social Care currently, I struggle to see how political decision making has generated anything positive for these vital public services.