The UK has reputedly one of the best public healthcare systems in the world. The National Health Service (NHS), which is funded through taxation and national insurance, provides free healthcare to every UK resident.. It’s important to know that the four countries that make up the UK have their version of free public healthcare; NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and NHS Northern Ireland.
The four health systems are very similar, but there are key differences, for example, NHS England provides services through NHS trusts, charities, and social enterprises. Under the NHS Wales and NHS Scotland, prescription medication is free. NHS Scotland is made up of 14 health boards, as well as eight special NHS boards for things like ambulance services. Under NHS Northern Ireland, health and social care are provided through an integrated service and prescription drugs are free.
Changes To The Health System In The United Kingdom
Large public sector organisations, like the NHS, aren’t known for their flexibility and willingness to change. But COVID-19 forced many areas to adapt or flounder, including public health services. As a result, NHS services are evolving to meet new demands and ways of operation.
For instance, collaboration has become standard in clinical practice and the national health system, thanks to integrated care systems (ICSs). ICSs emphasise collaboration in several ways, including sharing data, training, and resources amongst the myriad healthcare services in the UK.
Another area that has a big impact on healthcare in the UK is technology. Changes include:
- Remote consultations, either by phone or video.
- Automation has taken over many repetitive tasks, leaving NHS providers to focus on their areas of speciality whether that’s mental health services or ambulance services.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) analyses complex data and uses the information to carry out certain tasks, like disease detection.
- Innovation, especially in AI, accelerates the diagnosis of certain conditions and enables health and social care providers to develop highly personalised treatment plans.
Public sector suppliers have also had to adjust to the changing trends in the UK healthcare system. Those who have risen to the challenge have become leading suppliers in the public health industry.
The Top Public Sector Suppliers In Healthcare
Here are 10 of the top suppliers in the UK’s public healthcare services.
Cumbria View Care Services: Homecare
Cumbria provides homecare visits and live-in care for people with mental health problems, as well as people who need palliative care, respite care, and support for clients with physical and learning disabilities and sensory impairments.
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Cumbria’s overall rating in the United Kingdom’s public health care system is: Good.
Note: Cumbria View Care is run by Esteem Care Cumbria Ltd.
Chiltern Healthcare: Other human health activities
Chiltern Healthcare provides live-in care services and complex care services that not only improve quality of life but also support independence by enabling clients to navigate everyday challenges with determination and dignity. Services are available for children through to the elderly in the United Kingdom.
Barchester Healthcare Homes: Other human health activities
Barchester Healthcare provides personalised healthcare services that focus on dignity, choice, and independence, especially when it comes to rehabilitative goals designed to deliver the best possible health outcomes. Services include short- and long-term residential care and assisted living for people with physical disabilities and mental health needs.
Bellcare Domiciliary Care Services: Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled
Bellcare provides a range of healthcare services for the elderly and disabled. It also has specialist services for dementia care. Specific services are available for clients with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and substance misuse problems.
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Bellcare’s overall rating for healthcare in the United Kingdom is: Good.
Mountbatton Care: Other human health activities; Other service activities not elsewhere classified
Mountbatton provides a comprehensive range of health and social care services for different conditions, including Asperger’s Syndrome, autism, palliative care, spinal injuries, diabetes, and mental health. Support services include in-home support, companionship, rehabilitation after time in hospital, and personal care.
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Mountbatton’s overall rating for health care and services in the United Kingdom is: Good.
Community Care Direct: Other human health activities
Community Care Direct provides domiciliary services that include in-home healthcare, palliative care, and 24-hour care for a variety of ill health problems, for example, post-surgery recovery, age-related difficulties, and in-home support.
Twilight Years: Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled
Twilight Years is an Independent Home Care Agency that provides healthcare and community services to people of all ages and not just the elderly. Services include end-of-life care, food prep, personal hygiene, support for mobility disabilities, light household chores, and companionship.
Westminster Homecare: Other human health activities
Westminster follows a ‘live a better life’ philosophy, which is evident in its commitment to independence, dignity, and personal choice. It has many types of healthcare services for different living circumstances, including live-in care, palliative care, dementia support, and reablement services.
(Reablement is short-term care, usually in-house, to help clients return to daily life after sudden changes in circumstances, like a stroke or an accident.)
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Westminster’s overall rating for healthcare in the United Kingdom is: Good.
Heritage Healthcare Milton Keynes: Activities of other holding companies not elsewhere classified
Heritage Healthcare specialises in in-home support services, helping clients retain their independence while improving their quality of life. Services include personal care, dementia care, respite care, household care, and companionship.
Mayfair Homecare: Other human health activities
Mayfair Homecare provides in-home health care services for many different life circumstances, services include personal care, practical care, companionship, and even caring for carers services.
According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Mayfair is a top ten National Care Provider in the United Kingdom. Its performance excellence is further demonstrated by its many awards, including the Investors in People Award, which is renowned globally.
Quick Tips To Up Your Marketing Game
The public healthcare system in the United Kingdom is growing in leaps and bounds, becoming one of the biggest contributors to the country’s economy. The NHS is a big part of this, spending an impressive £27 billion a year purchasing goods and services.
There’s plenty of room for new public health suppliers to enter the market. SMEs are particularly well placed to capitalise on new health systems that include preventive services, emergency care and services, and strategies to address health inequalities in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
However, there’s a difference between being well-placed and grabbing the bull by the horns. Often, successful marketing is that difference.
Create a successful marketing strategy to win over public and private healthcare
National health in the UK blends elements of the public sector with the private sector. Health and social care service providers and suppliers that capture that blend have a good chance of success in the healthcare industry.
Here are four marketing tips to help promising suppliers attract the attention of local NHS authorities as well as those in central government.
1) Find the Local Authorities
According to the UK health policy, NHS authorities don’t need an approval process to purchase goods, services, or works.
So, it’s a good idea for healthcare suppliers to look at the finance and procurement teams or even the practitioners in NHS hospitals to find key decision-makers in national health spending.
Early engagement is your friend here. Establish good relationships with influential players in the national health service and half your work is done.
2) Leverage the NHS Supply Chain
The NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) plays an essential role in public health procurement, and the role is reportedly increasing. This presents prime opportunities for suppliers with the right skills, products, or works to get a toe-hold in the UK healthcare system.
SMEs who collaborate with larger, more established suppliers already operating in the NHS system can take advantage of these opportunities without having to go through tendering processes or submitting proposals to the local authority overseeing health and medical care.
All they need is a willing partner from either public or private healthcare.
3) National Framework Collaborations
Another option for SMEs to indirectly get a foothold in the healthcare sector is to become part of national framework collaborations. The idea is to join up with private healthcare providers who submit collaborative purchasing contracts to the NHS.
Again, SMEs don’t have to submit bids directly to local authorities in the healthcare system. Instead, they can piggyback on robust and influential private companies, benefiting from increased visibility in the NHS system without the risk.
4) Keep an Eye On Contract Notices
Sign up for contract alerts on tendering portals dedicated to public health services. You’ll receive an alert whenever a contract that fits your parameters is published.
Give some thought to another collaborative venture to capture your share of the NHS budget.
SMEs that want to compete with the big boys in health and social care procurement can form a consortium with other companies offering varied healthcare services. The consortium can bid on large public health contracts that would otherwise be out of reach.
After all, there’s safety in numbers and shared risks are safer than going at it alone.
Leave Health Services Marketing To The Professionals
The UK healthcare system might be big – and growing – but it is also crowded. Public and private contractors in health services must use every trick in the book to enter – and conquer – the market.
You need time to perfect your skills and earn a reputation for outstanding performance in healthcare in the United Kingdom. You don’t have time to prepare proposals for NHS services, keep your business ticking over, and market your company simultaneously.
Public sector marketing agencies can at least take one of those burdens off your shoulders so that you can focus on enhancing your business operations in your area of specialisation in the healthcare system.
Cadence Marketing, as part of BiP Solutions, has a decades-long history of creating successful marketing strategies for its clients in the B2G (business-to-government) arena.
Book a free consultation with one of our marketing specialists and find out how we can make our experience work for your business in public health.
