Vision and Ambition
Improving patient services
There is a major opportunity to improve patient services in primary care, both in terms of quality of care and ease of access to services (opening times, local availability). Greenbrook delivers on these aims in the following ways:
First class primary care through medical excellence
Greenbrook is taking proven care methodologies from a commended academic teaching practice and applying them to a wider range of clinical activities. Greenbrook’s Founder, Dr David Wingfield, has strong links to Imperial College. Greenbrook’s services deliver a range of training for multidisciplinary teams together with NHS partners with an aim to build a strong teaching and research organisation.
Applying commercial insight to deliver better care and better value for money
A modern GP practice is a complex organisation with multi-disciplined teams of professionals running complex processes which are often computerised and with low tolerance for mistakes. Traditionally doctors have overseen these organisational aspects of GP practices on top of their clinical responsibilities. Greenbrook is able to bring its commercial expertise and healthcare system experience to make significant improvements to how general practices are run. Greenbrook has links with INSEAD, one of the world’s leading business schools.
More practice-based services…
Greenbrook’s vision is for patients to receive a far greater proportion of their medical care needs within a local community practice setting. Example services include diagnostics (e.g. X-ray, ultrasound), minor surgery, chronic disease treatment (e.g. diabetes, heart conditions) as well as many other services.
…less need to visit a hospital
Too often patients have to go to hospital to receive care where an appropriately qualified and equipped GP or practice nurse would be able to provide clinically safe and effective care at a lower cost.
Advantages of practice based treatment:
- Faster referral and follow-up
- Joined up treatment from diagnosis through treatment
- All local treatments are recorded on the GP patient record
- Lower risk from hospital infections
- Greater peace of mind – treatment in a familiar community practice setting
- Lower cost to NHS
The practice at the heart of the healthcare community
Greenbrook plans to build general practice’s importance within the healthcare economy. A significant part of this vision is forging links between the traditional GP practice and other healthcare providers such as pharmacies as well as other therapists (physiotherapy, counsellors and alternative therapists) and social services and mental health services.
Clinical scope
Greenbrook practices will deliver the full range of compulsory and optional services provided for in the GP contract.
Greenbrook is exploring new models to make patient care more accessible to patients and continue to widen the range of services available at the GP surgery (rather than in hospitals).
In addition Greenbrook is developing new models of care including:
- Integrated Care Centres – grouping GPs together to allow longer opening hours and a wider range of patient services. Investment and management costs are shared across more patients to allow a improved care. For example diagnostic equipment usually associated with hospitals (x-ray, ultrasound etc) can be located in the same premises as GPs to reduce waiting times and cost, and improve continuity of care for patients.
- Primary Care Urgent Care Centres – where simple Accident & Emergency cases are treated by GPs, so that urgent care appropriate for primary care can be delivered outside a hospital setting.
- Home care and eHealth – Care at a patient’s home to allow shorter hospital stays or avoid hospital admissions altogether. Based on a mix of doctor and nurse home visits combined with proven electronic monitoring techniques.
Geography
Greenbrook has ambitions to become a regional provider of primary healthcare services in the South East of England. Starting from its base in West London, Greenbrook is exploring opportunities across the region to deliver high quality healthcare.