IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from our Chief Executive
Progress and Priorities
The pace of change across the NHS remains high. Neighbourhood health implementation, urgent care reform and financial pressures continue to reshape the landscape for our members.
UHUK’s role is clear: to ensure social enterprise urgent and integrated care providers are positioned as part of the delivery solution.
We secured a meeting with Permanent Secretary Sam Jones to discuss the role of UHUK members within national implementation plans. Although that meeting did not proceed due to wider DHSC pressures, we wrote directly to set out practical offers on behalf of members - including 24/7 neighbourhood care coordination, digital triage and safe pathway management that reduces avoidable escalation to emergency departments. We will continue to engage with the Permanent Secretary and her team.
Engagement with Sarah-Jane Marsh is also progressing. Sarah-Jane has asked her Deputy, Nicola Hunt, to meet with UHUK as this work sits within her portfolio at NHS England. The focus will be system flow, pathway integrity and the stabilising role members already play.
March provided important opportunities to strengthen visibility.
On 11 March, our Awards Showcase at Salesforce Tower allowed members to present innovation directly to
national NHS leaders. Agatha Nortley-Meshe opened the event which was also attended by other senior NHSE colleagues as well as UHUK members.
On 18 March, our General Meeting welcomed Dr Claire Fuller. Her leadership on neighbourhood health makes this a significant opportunity for members to engage directly with national thinking and contribute operational insight.
The Board has now adopted UHUK’s refreshed Strategy and Delivery Plan. It sharpens our focus on positioning members as neighbourhood integrators, strengthening the evidence base to support local conversations, expanding peer and development opportunities, and growing membership to increase collective strength.
UHUK exists to open doors that are difficult to open alone, translate national direction into practical intelligence, amplify the capability within this membership, facilitate shared learning and innovation, and enable networking with other members, suppliers and thought leaders.
On that note, please book early for the CEO Workshop in June and save the date for the UHUK Annual Conference in October (early-bird booking will open soon). Both will be valuable opportunities to hear from national leaders, network with peers, address shared challenges through collaboration and innovation, and help shape the next phase of urgent and integrated neighbourhood care together.
UHUK Communications Update
Communications over this period has been focused on one clear objective: ensuring UHUK and its members are seen and understood as part of the delivery solution within neighbourhood health and urgent care reform.
A significant part of that has been supporting national engagement. This has included drafting senior-level correspondence and sharpening how we articulate UHUK’s offer — particularly around 24/7 care coordination, system navigation and managing demand. The focus has been on keeping our messaging clear, consistent and rooted in what members are already delivering.
Alongside this, we’ve continued to use UHUK’s existing platforms to build visibility and credibility. The Awards Showcase on 11 March is a good example — bringing member innovation into a room with national NHS leaders and showing, in practical terms, what integrated urgent care looks like on the ground.
At the General Meeting on 18 March, we were pleased to welcome Dr Claire Fuller as guest speaker. This was an important opportunity for members to hear directly from a national leader at the centre of neighbourhood health implementation, and to contribute operational insight into that discussion.
Our external communications remain focused on quality over volume. LinkedIn continues to be our primary channel, used to highlight member impact, reinforce our positioning and maintain a steady presence in national conversations.
This work is helping to strengthen UHUK’s position as the federating body for social enterprise urgent and integrated care providers, while ensuring members are recognised as credible delivery partners within the evolving system.
Progress is not always straightforward. Access to senior stakeholders can be inconsistent, and conversations are sometimes redirected or delayed. The policy space is also increasingly crowded, which makes clarity and consistency of message more important than ever.
The strength of UHUK lies in what members already deliver at scale. Our role is to represent that collective capability clearly, amplify it with credibility, and ensure it is understood by those shaping national and local systems.
Looking ahead, the focus will be on maintaining momentum with national engagement, making the most of upcoming opportunities such as the CEO Workshop in June and the Annual Conference in October, and continuing to strengthen UHUK’s position and the visibility of its members within neighbourhood health.
The Risks of Using Generative AI
In a relatively short time, generative AI (GAI) such as Chat GPT, Grok, Google Gemini and Copilot, have become the “go to” tool in many organisations.
Whilst there are benefits in using GAI, these benefits come with risk and can expose an organisation to a myriad of claims and significant penalties. Here we set out the risks to data and to confidentiality, and explain how these risks can be managed.
Points to consider
1. GAI does have inherent defects. The data base on which the GAI is based may be incomplete, inaccurate, biased or discriminatory.
2. Use GAI as a starting point to achieve a purpose. If GAI is used for a final product or service, consideration must be given to compliance with the rules governing automatic decision making.
3. The content may include copyright belonging to another individual or organisation.
4. Is the organisation still able to respond fully when an individual exercises any of their rights under the data protection legislation e.g. a Subject Access Request?
The risks
1. The inputting of personal data into any GAI application is:
• Sharing data
• A data breach
• A breach of the duty of confidentiality
2. The data is hosted by a third party and unable to be deleted
3. The use of GAI is not fair or transparent and breaches GDPR principles
Managing the risks
1. DPIA - Undertake a DPIA to assess risk which demonstrates that personal data must not be inputted.
2. Policies - Ensure there is an effective GAI policy which sets out:
• The scope and purpose of the policy.
• When the policy applies and to whom.
• Compliance with Data Protection Legislation, the Human Rights Act and Equality Act.
• The limitations on who can use GAI and for what purposes.
• The restrictions or compliance requirements on using personal data.
• Compliance with the organisation’s other data protection policies.
3. Do not input personal data - If there is no personal data inputted into GAI, the data protection legislation will not apply, and the risk of a data breach is overcome.
4. Training - Training for anyone authorised to use GAI is essential. It is easy to slip up when for example checking a document in copilot and inputting personal data by mistake.
5. Review and monitoring - Monitoring the use of GAI will reduce risk and ensure compliance. A review of areas in the organisation where GAI is used will identify any new risks and potential breaches.
For further information and advice contact Bernard or Suzanne at Regulatory Solution Ltd dpo@regulatorysolution.co.uk
Cumbria Health Welcomes New CEO
Cumbria Health has announced the appointment of Ross Brand as its new Chief Executive, succeeding Susan Blakemore, who will retire in May 2026 after more than 20 years with the organisation.
Ross will join Cumbria Health in May and will work closely with Susan to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
Ross brings significant experience in urgent and primary care, having served as Chief Executive Officer of PHL Group since 2018. He joined the organisation in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer and has led the development of a range of integrated healthcare services across the UK.
Prior to this, Ross held senior roles at HUC Healthcare and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. He began his career in frontline care as a paramedic, ambulance crew member, and healthcare assistant, giving him a strong understanding of patient care and operational delivery.
Cumbria Health has developed from its origins as an out-of-hours service into a diverse provider of high-quality healthcare services across Cumbria, playing a key role in supporting local communities and the wider NHS.
"I'm genuinely honoured to be joining Cumbria Health as Chief Executive and to have the opportunity to work alongside such a committed and experienced team. Over the past few months, I’ve had the chance to meet many colleagues and partners, and it is clear to me that Cumbria Health is an organisation with a strong reputation and a real sense of purpose. The passion people have for supporting patients and communities across Cumbria is evident everywhere I have looked. I’m excited about what we can achieve together in the coming years.”
Ed Tallis, Chair of Cumbria Health said:
“We are delighted to welcome Ross to Cumbria Health. He brings a strong track record of leadership, a deep understanding of the healthcare landscape, and a commitment to high-quality, patient-centred care. We are confident he will build on the strong foundations established by Susan and continue to drive the organisation forward.”
Susan will retire in May 2026 after a distinguished career, having played a pivotal role in shaping Cumbria Health into the organisation it is today.
UHUK extends a warm welcome and congratulations to Ross on his appointment. We look forward to working with Ross, and thank Susan for her contribution and support of UHUK over the years. All the best for an enjoyable retirement.
Marking International Women’s Day
Mastercall, a UHUK member, recently brought colleagues together to mark International Women’s Day with an event focused on advancing women through practical action and shared leadership.
Led by Chief Executive Michaela Buck, the session created space for honest reflection on progress to date, and the reality that while change is happening, it remains uneven and too slow at senior levels.
Colleagues heard from Non-Executive Director Alexandra Hatchman, whose session explored the wider context shaping women’s experiences. Looking through media, societal and workplace lenses, the discussion moved beyond headline statistics to consider how visibility, culture and structural inequalities continue to influence opportunity and progression.
The event also recognised leadership in action across the organisation. Colleagues nominated peers who demonstrate inclusive behaviours, support others and help those around them succeed—reinforcing the importance of visible, everyday leadership at all levels.
The message was clear: advancing women is not a oneoff initiative, but part of how organisations operate, lead and grow. Mastercall continues to build on this through ongoing work to support progression, challenge bias and create a culture where different perspectives are heard and valued.
Ross Brand said:
Community Virtual Ward Thrives Through Collaboration
DHU has been working with Family Health colleagues at Chesterfield Royal Hospital to introduce its Community Virtual Ward (CVW) to their youngest patients.
The CVW can look after up to 50 patients in their own homes whose condition is serious enough to need urgent care monitoring, but who don’t need a hospital admission. They provide monitoring equipment to the patient and their family who can then send blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels and other key observations to the CVW clinical team who will provide care and advice accordingly.
From December 2025, five of those spaces have been made available to paediatric patients for the first time, taking referrals from the Chesterfield Royal Hospital (CRH).
Neil Jones is a DHU Advanced Practitioner with the CVW and explained: “For some children, hospital isn’t always the right environment for them so, if their condition allows, we can ensure they are monitored in the right way and given any treatment they might need at home.
“Working closely with CRH is important as it means that we will know everything about
the patient when referred and if the child’s condition deteriorates, the mechanisms are there to refer them back to Nightingale Ward. If they continue to improve, we can monitor and discharge them when their recovery is complete.”
Emma Wardale is DHU’s Virtual Ward Clinical Lead, she added: “This is a landmark achievement and we are very excited to work alongside colleagues from Family Health, including CAMHS and General Paediatrics. To launch this care service is testament to the flexibility of offering virtual care in the patient’s home environment and a great example of how collaborative working can help to achieve the NHS ten-year plan ambition of providing more care at home or in a community setting.
Get Britain Working
Cumbria Health is proud to be part of the Government’s new Get Britain Working strategy, supporting people across our communities to move closer to sustainable employment.
As part of this government-funded programme, we are working in partnership with Inspira as a delivery partner to provide Individual Placement and Support (IPS) across the county. This initiative is designed to help disabled people, individuals with long-term health conditions, and those facing complex barriers to employment to find and retain meaningful work.
Through IPS, participants will receive personalised, one-to-one support tailored to their individual needs, strengths and employment goals. Our team will provide up to 12 months of dedicated support, working closely with individuals and employers to ensure sustainable outcomes.
This programme reflects our ongoing commitment to reducing health inequalities, improving wellbeing, and supporting people to live healthier, more independent lives through good work.
Tracy Barker, Lead Nurse for Family Care at Chesterfield Royal Hospital added:” This is a huge step forward for us – and I am very proud and delighted to see this happen. It will make a huge difference to the care we can give to our youngest patients who often find a hospital environment scary and unsettling. The virtual ward will remove some of the stress and anxiety for both our patients and their families. Thank you to everyone who helped us make this a reality.”
eTriage System at Corby UTC
DHU only took on the running of the UTC in November 2025 and brought in this system within a few weeks, designed to ensure the most unwell patients are seen as quickly as possible, whilst allowing patients to share information important to their care.
Five eTriage kiosks, provided by eConsult, allow patients to enter their details and reason for attendance in a private and confidential manner. This information then goes directly to the clinical teams who can see, at a glance, the reason for your visit and the assigned triage category.
The process takes patients just a few minutes to complete, the kiosks have privacy screens to respect patients’ confidentiality, one of the kiosks is specifically designed with accessibility in mind and a receptionist is on hand to answer any queries, concerns and help to support the check-in process
Once complete, the patient will then be asked to take a seat and wait in the reception area for treatment or, in some cases, be referred to a more appropriate place for their treatment.
FCMS (NW) Recognised for Supporting Families in Weeton
We’re incredibly proud of our Inclusion Health Team who have received a certificate of recognition from the ministry of defence for their work supporting families under the Entitled Persons Scheme in Weeton.
What began as a six-week temporary provision in November 2023 continued through to January 2026, during which time the team delivered primary care to over 700 patients.
Working alongside partner agencies, the team helped reduce barriers to healthcare for families from Afghanistan who have helped the British Forces who were then targeted by the Taliban.
Emma Salanki, Clinical Manager for Inclusion Health, had this to say:
"I feel really lucky to have been involved in setting up the service provision for Weeton. It has been a great opportunity to work with other agencies to create a great service that has come together to offer a really positive experience for families who have had to flee their homes and country. It has been a privilege to help and I am so proud of all the work that has been completed by the inclusion health team."
It has been a privilege to support this community - and we are so proud of the compassion, collaboration and commitment shown by everyone involved.
Lighting up BBC Radio Derby
DHU Healthcare’s people and services were featured across three regions as part of BBC News’ NHS Day coverage.
The broadcaster’s regional stations spent Thursday 22nd January looking at different health providers across the country, with DHU’s urgent and 111 services featuring heavily on BBC Northamptonshire, BBC Radio Leicester and BBC Radio Derby.
The main feature involved BBC Look East visiting Corby Urgent Treatment Centre to speak to a number of colleagues and patients that resulted in a three minute positive news piece being aired on the lunchtime, early evening and late BBC TV bulletins.
The report centred on UTC’s as an alternative to A&E’s highlighting Corby UTC’s ability to diagnose, treat and refer patients depending on their immediate health needs. Patients were positive about their experiences and this was reflected in a BBC online article on Corby titled ‘Urgent Treatment Centre a great place to get well’.
Loughborough UTC was also represented with Advanced Clinical Practitioner Phil Bedwell joining DHU’s NHS 111 Clinical Advisor Chelsea Chiwanamoto as one half of a four-person panel of health experts, to answer listener questions about how to access NHS services. This was an hour, live on BBC Radio Leicester, with Phil and Chelsea doing an incredible job helping people to understand where to go for their health needs.
Chelsea then also featured alongside DHU Health Advisor Fay Howard on BBC Radio Derby, both explaining their roles within DHU’s NHS 111 service, how they can help patients, what patients should call 111 for and what they can expect. Both pieces were around seven minutes long and reflected their passion and enthusiasm for giving compassionate, professional care and advice.
The day was a great example of the importance a CIC such as DHU has to an institution like the NHS, and how innovation and different models of care can both support and lead the future of healthcare delivery.
Primary Care 24 recognised at Prestigious Awards
Congratulations to UHUK member Primary Care 24 on winning the Patient Safety Collaboration category at the HSJ Partnership Awards — a significant national recognition of the impact of partnership working in improving patient care.
The award was received for work led through North Park GP Practice, in partnership with Light for Life, focused on transforming access to healthcare for some of the most vulnerable communities across Sefton.
This initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when services come together around a shared goal — improving access, strengthening safety and delivering more inclusive care for those who need it most.
Primary Care 24 was also shortlisted as a finalist in the Most Effective Contribution to Clinical Redesign category, recognising the impact of its Urgent Care Pathway and GP Clinical Coordinator model in improving patient flow, supporting clinical decision-making and enhancing overall service effectiveness.
This recognition reflects the strength of UHUK members in delivering practical, system-facing solutions that improve outcomes for patients while supporting wider system performance.
After success at the HSJ Partnership Awards, Hannah Rahmani has now been named Nurse of the Year at the prestigious British Journal of Nursing (BJN) Awards.
This is a significant national achievement and a clear reflection of Hannah’s professionalism, compassion, and the impact of her work across both patients and colleagues. Recognition at this level speaks not only to individual excellence, but also to the strength of the teams and environments that enable high-quality, patient-centred care to thrive.
Across UHUK’s membership, we see this kind of commitment every day - skilled, values-driven professionals delivering care in complex and often high-pressure settings, while continuing to improve services for the communities they serve.
Hannah’s award is a powerful example of that dedication in action, and a reminder of the vital role that nursing leadership plays across urgent and integrated care.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Hannah on this well-deserved recognition, and to the wider team at Primary Care 24 supporting her work. Achievements like this reflect the very best of what our members deliver for patients and the NHS every day.
Early impact from PCAS Vanguard
Local Care Direct, a UHUK member, is already seeing encouraging results from its role as one of four national sites piloting the Paediatric Clinical Assessment Service (PCAS) Vanguard in West Yorkshire.
Just weeks into delivery, the service is demonstrating how a more regionally configured model can improve access and flow for children and families. By tailoring the clinical profile to local need, PCAS is appearing earlier in the triage pathway following NHS Pathways assessment—ensuring more children are directed to appropriate care at the first point of contact.
In the first six weeks alone, the service has managed over 4,000 cases. Crucially, more than 91% of these have been safely managed outside Emergency Departments; either resolved on the phone or directed to onward services.
This reflects a clear shift: with clinical expertise earlier to avoid unnecessary escalation and keep children closer to home.
As Carol Gilchrist, Deputy CEO and Director of Operations at Local Care Direct, explains:
“I am delighted with the overall performance and delivery of our new PCAS service. Our clinical team have given me some really encouraging feedback on how the service is delivering positively for children and their carers. We are keeping more children at home and out of hospital which is an excellent outcome for all involved.”
The team is now focused on building on this early progress—expanding the clinical model, strengthening links with paediatric consultants, and introducing patient feedback to shape the next phase of delivery.
This work offers a practical example of how UHUK members are already delivering neighbourhood-aligned, clinically-led models that improve outcomes and reduce pressure on urgent and emergency care.
Message from the Chair
Social Enterprising the NHS
From my perspective, that would make a great headline to offset fears of “privatising”.
Arguably, when many of the themes of commissioning are considered, they fit very neatly with a Social Enterprise model –social impact; value for money; integrated; quality; digitally enabled; and community based. And whilst the commissioning landscape can feel a bit like shifting sands for us all at the moment and money too often seems to be the differentiating factor, maybe, just maybe, we are well placed to compete successfully in the NHS market.
I share these thoughts following listening to a recent podcast series on “Learning How to See” which explores how bias impacts on what we see and our thinking. Whilst it’s not difficult to see how challenging our role as social enterprises in the NHS feels, it’s not always easy to see the brilliant and amazing job our members services provide day in, day out.
There is so much to feel positive about and the collective strategy we have developed to ensure our voice is heard as we positively and successfully deliver social impact; value for money; integrated; quality; digitally enabled and community-based services across the UK and Ireland.
We celebrated the great service being delivered by our Members at our Awards Showcase on the 11 March – you can read more about this on page 15. It was a great opportunity to share the pioneering work of our Teams and to reflect the strength of our network for collaboration, sharing and innovation.
Key Leadership Group Meeting dates:
CEO 21/04/2026 15/07/2026
Also, we welcomed Dr Claire Fuller to our 18 March General Meeting. It provided another great opportunity to raise the voice of UHUK Members – again more about this on page 14. Events like these add strength to us being “seen” and promoting “social enterprising the NHS” and I urge members to participate as much as they are able.
As a final thought, I am always keen to see the work you are doing with visits in the next few months to Badger and LCW (thank you both for hosting) and please drop me a line if you are happy for me to head your way in the months ahead, I would be delighted to visit.
Thank you all for the amazing care you provide and I look forward to seeing you at a UHUK event in the near future.
nigel.gazzard@uhuk.co.uk
Chairs 21/04/2026 21/07/2026 20/10/2026
Clinical
CSO Network 05/05/2026 02/06/2026 04/08/2026 06/10/2026 Finance 14/04/2026 09/06/2026 11/08/2026 09/10/2026
HMRC
13/05/2026 10/06/2026
Innov Steering Group 14/05/2026 Ops/Strategic 04/06/2026 03/09/2026 Payroll 19/05/2026 21/06/2026 15/09/2026
RotaMaster Delv Grp 23/04/2026 30/07/2026 29/10/2026 Sickness Data 13/04/2026 08/06/2026 10/08/2026
UHUK Innovation Programme
Following our launch in the Summer the UHUK Innovation Programme continues to make strong progress.
In the last quarter, our Service Improvement Programme has completed a large scale patient engagement exercise to inform our comfort calling solution – with 171 responses shaping our shared service specification. We have advanced market engagement with our EPR suppliers—and secured two confirmed Innovation Partners to co-develop our comfort calling product. The next phase or work will finalise discussions on commercials and move into development.
The Back Office Programme continued to progress across multiple workstreams, with baseline data collection for the shared occupational health service completed and a virtual workshop to co develop a shared service specification is scheduled for April. Development of a shared CSO model is being advanced with a subset of members.
The Commercial Buying Power workstream maintained momentum with RotaMaster through ongoing development focus groups on HR Improvement, permissions and audit. Statutory sick pay functionality is on track for April go live. Progress is being reviewed monthly and is shared UHUK wide via the quarterly Delivery Group.
Planning has commenced to develop a rolling Innovation Expo for members, providing bite sized taster sessions for solutions to identified challenge and interest areas. The first, a focus on supplier/supply chain management tools, will be scheduled for April
We have also completed a 6m evaluation of our Innovation Programme, with circa 90% of members feeling that the programme is jointly owned; 90% feeling there is value in collaborating and a majority view that we should continue to build on the progress made to date.
Interested and want to know more? Contact Tara-Lee Baohm, Director of Innovation: tara-lee.baohm@uhuk. co.uk
Neighbourhood Health Ventures
There has been good progress on the Venture Builder since last update.
Legals – A draft shareholder agreement is now ready from our legal advisors for member investor review.
Investment – If you think you may have the opportunity to consider an investment into the VB as an alternative use of surplus, please get in touch.
Recruitment – We launched recruitment for three roles: an independent Chair, Head of Ventures, and Venture Associate. The response was exceptional - we closed applications after just 10 days, having received over 400 applications across the three roles. We're currently sifting CVs and designing the selection process, which will likely involve a CV sift, a short video Teams call for a long list, followed by a face-to-face panel interview for 3–4 finalists per role, including a real or simulated business challenge to present on that is venture builder related.
Budget & Ideation – We held our first budget and ideation session with member investors this month, as a precursor to launching. The draft two-year budget was well received and no big builds. On ideation, we agreed a clear approach: there will be a close relationship between the Innovation Group and the VB, but with enough separation to ensure proper triage between ideas suited to the innovation programme versus those with broader commercial potential that could belong in the VB - Matt
and Tara-Lee will manage this boundary and triage. Member investors surfaced some fascinating pain points already (such as using AI to reduce the cost of human interpreters in 111 call centres), and we agreed that the first wave of venture ideas will be looked at pathwayby-pathway, led by national NHS directives as a starting framework.
Website & Ideas – The NHV website (nhventures.co.uk) has been updated. As a reminder there is now a way for any member to contact us and submit ideas directly through the site. Please do share any pain points or opportunities you're seeing in your services.
UHUK's Role – UHUK will be an investor and will hold a seat on the board on behalf of UHUK and all members. All investors will have share rights proportionate to their investment size.
Methodology – A high-level overview of the venture building process (Find → Assess → Test → Execute)FATE for short - has been shared with member investors. There is considerably more detail behind this on how a VB actually runs week to week, which I have already gotand we are continuing to develop. We committed at the last innovation meeting to share this with the wider group, and we will do so as soon as we've had our next session with member investors and secured their sign-off on the more detailed process.
Update from UHUK MD - Dr Dawood Anwar
We wanted to share a brief update with members on several areas of ongoing work.
Firstly, we are continuing to develop the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). This work is focused on strengthening consistency, transparency and shared learning across services, while also ensuring that the framework does not simply duplicate existing CQC requirements. Instead, our intention is for the QAF to go further, differentiating social enterprises within the sector and reflecting our added value. This will include the development and use of a range of clinical indicators alongside wider quality measures. Further detail will be shared as this work progresses, and there will be opportunities for member input.
We are also exploring the delivery of clinical education through two complementary streams. One stream would
focus on general clinical updates and learning for clinical colleagues, while the second would provide more targeted development for clinical leaders. This would include strengthening clinical leadership and supporting the role of the clinical voice in the boardroom.
Finally, we would like to apologise for the delay in holding our clinical face-to-face session. We very much look forward to convening this forum in May and would encourage members to ensure some representation where possible, as this will be an important opportunity for shared learning and discussion.
We will continue to keep members updated as this work develops and welcome any feedback or reflections.
DHU Celebrates Apprenticeship Success
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, DHU’s Assistant Management Accountant Aaron Gough picked up a regional award.
Aaron picked up the honour at the Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) Apprenticeship Awards (JUCD) 2025/26 in the Degree/Level 6-7 category recognising a six year journey with DHU.
Joining DHU as a Level 2 apprentice, Aaron has progressed through Levels 3 and 4, most recently completing the demanding CIMA Level 5-7 programme, to become Assistant Management accountant.
Aaron said: “It’s been tough, but worth it in the end. I’ve had to reshape my life around studying, but the support from the team has been brilliant. It’s an absolute honour to receive this award and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my career in Finance with DHU.”
Sarah Cooper, Head of Finance, added: “Aaron’s commitment to his development has been exceptional. He’s balanced a demanding qualification alongside his role, consistently applying what he’s learnt to improve the way we work. Strong financial management is vital to delivering safe, effective services for our patients, and Aaron’s contribution directly supports that.”
Although his role sits behind the scenes, Aaron’s work plays an important part in ensuring resources are used effectively so that frontline teams can focus on what matters most, providing high-quality care for patients and communities. His success highlights how every role across DHU contributes to better outcomes for the people we serve.
The JUCD team hope Aaron’s achievement will inspire others, whether new starters or existing colleagues, to consider apprenticeships as a route to develop new skills and reach their potential.
UHUK People Awards
UHUK has 3 awards; Lifetime Achievement, Urgent Care Hero and Commitment to Care, all of which can be applied for on behalf of a team member who has demonstrated an ongoing dedication to their work. Click on the medals to access the form.
UHUK General Meeting: Insight, Influence and Opportunity
Last week’s UHUK General Meeting was one of our most engaged and well-attended sessions in recent times - and it’s not hard to see why.
We were delighted to welcome Claire Fuller, whose insight - following the recent publication of the Neighbourhood Health Framework and ahead of the forthcoming Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) strategy - brought both clarity and challenge to the discussion.
What followed was open, honest and grounded in realworld delivery - exactly the kind of conversation needed as systems move forward with neighbourhood models.
One message came through clearly: UHUK members are not on the sidelines of neighbourhood working - they are already delivering it, every day.
From 24/7 care coordination to digital triage and integrated urgent care, members shared practical examples of how they are supporting patients, communities and systems in ways that are scalable and proven.
But for this to translate into system-wide impact, those conversations need to happen earlier - and they need to happen locally as well as nationally.
There is also a clear opportunity for members to continue to demonstrate - in a consistent and visible way - the strength of their 24/7 capability, and the value this brings to ICBs, GP Federations and wider neighbourhood partners.
Alongside this, Dawood Anwar shared our emerging quality assurance framework - setting out a clear, consistent approach to demonstrating the safety, effectiveness and value of the services our members provide across the system.
Importantly, the session also set out a clear direction of travel for UHUK.
Our CEO, Conor Burke, outlined a focused programme of work to strengthen UHUK’s influence and support members to play a more central role in neighbourhood delivery. This includes:
• Clarifying our shared offer - making it straightforward for system partners to understand the value of urgent and integrated care providers, particularly our 24/7 access, system navigation and ability to manage undifferentiated demand, without requiring additional funding.
• Building strategic partnerships - working with national organisations delivering locally, and providing support where systems or providers are under pressure.
• Convening a broader alliance - bringing together the full range of urgent and integrated care providers, including independent providers and trusts, to create a more unified and influential voice across the system.
• Strengthening policy engagement - creating opportunities to workshop emerging urgent and emergency care policy with members, ensuring it is grounded in delivery, alongside direct engagement with national leaders.
• Continuing national dialogue - including ongoing engagement with Claire Fuller and wider system leadership, particularly around neighbourhood models and partnership approaches.
As our Chair, Nigel Gazzard, reflected: “There is something genuinely inspiring about the role UHUK members are already playing in neighbourhood services. The opportunity now is to step forward with confidence - to bring our experience, our infrastructure and our insight to bear - and to shape how these services develop across the system.”
Our General Meetings provide a space for exactly these kinds of conversations - bringing together national insight, system context and member experience in a way that is practical, relevant and focused on delivery.
If you’re not already attending, we strongly encourage you to join us at future sessions.
Celebrating Innovation and Impact at the UHUK Awards Showcase
On 11 March, we welcomed members, partners and colleagues to Salesforce Tower for the UHUK Awards Showcase - a day dedicated to sharing, learning and celebrating the work taking place across our member organisations.
The event brought together teams from across the urgent and integrated care sector to present the initiatives recognised in this year’s UHUK Awards. Each presentation offered a glimpse into the practical innovation happening every day across the country - from new approaches to care coordination and digital integration, to communityfocused models that improve access, experience and outcomes for patients.
What stood out most was the energy in the room. The atmosphere was genuinely buzzy, with conversations continuing long after each presentation finished. Words like inspiring came up repeatedly as colleagues reflected on what they had heard.
The showcase format created space not just to hear about the initiatives, but to explore them in more detail, ask questions and share experiences. Learning and sharing were clear themes throughout the day, reflecting the strength of the UHUK network and the openness of members to support one another in improving urgent and integrated care.
UHUK
Events like this highlight the important role UHUK members play across the health and care system - developing new approaches, working in partnership with system colleagues and delivering services that support patients every day.
As the event closed, Chair Nigel Gazzard and CEO Conor Burke thanked everyone who had contributed to the day. They also extended their appreciation to our partners, including the award sponsors, Salesforce for hosting the event in such a fantastic venue, and Infomentum for kindly providing lunch.
They reminded the room that while the awards recognise specific initiatives, the real story is the commitment shown by UHUK members every day - supporting patients, strengthening services and helping the wider NHS respond to growing demand.
Their message was simple: thank you to all UHUK members for the work you do, not just the work that wins awards.
appoints Mastercall DTS to provide IT services
We want to let members know that UHUK has appointed Mastercall Digital Technology Services (DTS) to provide our IT support and infrastructure.
Following a change to our previous arrangements, we have worked with Mastercall DTS to ensure continuity of service, with a focus on maintaining a secure, reliable and stable digital environment for UHUK’s day-to-day operations.
Mastercall DTS has delivered a cloud-based platform, providing the core infrastructure needed to run our systems safely and effectively.
As part of this transition, UHUK email addresses are now in place using the @uhuk.co.uk domain. Members will have seen this reflected in recent email footers, and this is now the standard for all UHUK communications.
Commenting on the partnership, Mastercall DTS said:
“We are proud to be supporting UHUK with the design and delivery of a secure, modern cloud platform. Our focus is on creating safe, compliant and scalable digital environments that support organisations to operate effectively and grow with confidence. We are excited to begin this partnership and to support UHUK’s continued impact across urgent healthcare in the UK.”
We would also like to thank DHU Healthcare for the support they have provided to UHUK over a number of years, helping to ensure continuity and stability in our operations during that time.
Together we are the largest social enterprise provider of outof-hospital services including;
• NHS 111 call centres
• Other call centre services
• Medical out-of-hours services
• Booking and referral services
• Emergency dental services
• GP practices
• Admissions avoidance schemes
• Urgent care centres
• Walk-in centres
• Community nursing and other community based services
• Sexual health services
• Offender health services
• Urgent Mental health services
• Military health services
• Homeless support services
We serve 64% of the population of the UK and Ireland (excluding Scotland)
UHUK Purpose:
To build our collective capability so we provide exceptional integrated and urgent primary care and the very best possible health outcomes to more people through Social Enterprise.
Services to members
We operate as a federation of social enterprise healthcare providers enabling members to benefit by working together and effectively being part of a much larger organisation.
Our services to members can be summarised as follows;
• Quality audit and benchmarking by external NHS auditors against agreed outcome focused quality standards
• Purchasing consortium which generates savings for members
• Market intelligence – analysis of our markets, identifying business opportunities and comparing prices
• Sharing of information and resources through discussion forums, workshops and the annual conference.
• Joint public relations initiatives
• Joint National representation initiatives (e.g. on The Five Year Forward View, NHS 111, Social Enterprise in Health)
Contact Us:
Business Manager, & Company Secretary:
Hazel Harrison - hazel.harrison@uhuk.co.uk
Tel: 07841 337631
www.uhuk.co.uk
Membership:
Current members include:
• Badger Birmingham area
• BrisDoc Bristol
• Cumbria Health Cumbria
• Dalriada Urgent Care Northern Ireland
• DHU Health Care Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Midlands
• EBPC OOH East Berkshire
• FCMS (NW) Ltd North Lancashire
• FedBucks Buckinghamshire
• GMUPCA Manchester, Bury & Stockport
Alliance consisting of:
• BARDOC
• GTD
• Mastercall Healthcare
• Salford Primary Care Together (SPCT)
• IC24 Suffolk, Essex & Sussex
• LCW UCC West & Central London
• Local Care Direct West Yorkshire
• NEMS CBS Nottinghamshire
• NHUC Hampshire
• PC24 Merseyside
• PELC Ltd East London
• SELDOC South East London
• Suffolk GP Federation Suffolk
• Western Urgent Care Belfast
Associate Members:
• Northdoc Medical North Dublin City & County Services
• Welsh Health Boards
The People:
Chair
Nigel Gazzard
Chief Executive Conor Burke
Medical Director Dr Dawood Anwar Non-Executives Stephen Bateman Michaela Buck Matt Adam (independent)
Partnerships Director Tonia Culpin
Business Manager Hazel Harrison
Business Coordinator Sarah Fletcher
Comms Advisor Sharon Clifton
Innovation Project Tara-Lee Baohm Manager