A North West-based agency specialising in showing the benefits of technology to frontline health and social care staff is planning a recruitment drive after a record-breaking year.
Redmoor Health, in Preston, saw its turnover soar to £950,000 in 2019 and is targeting £1.6m in 2020.
The company, which was founded by director Marc Schmid in March 2017, is looking to double its workforce from five staff to 11 in the next 12 months after landing a series of UK-wife prestigious contracts.
Redmoor Health has helped introduce the NHS’s £800,000 myGP app across Lancashire and South Cumbria, which enables patients to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and set up medication reminders on their smartphone as well as delivering video consultation programmes in the Midlands.
The company has also been credited with assisting The North Midlands Breast Screening Service buck the national trend of declining attendance rates by the clever use of social media and has been part of a national programme to provide nurses with digital skills so they can support patients to use technology to manage long-term conditions.
Director Richard Stoddart said: “Although we’re delighted with our latest set of results we get more satisfaction in helping people on the ground to improve patientcare. The NHS is blessed with dedicated staff and technology can help relieve some of the pressure in the system.”
Redmoor Health is currently doing some work around supporting GPs and nurses to work remotely to help stop the retention problem affecting the NHS as well as being able to offer more back office support to other Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to take some of the admin away from GPs who want to spend more time talking to patients.
Marc Schmid added: “The NHS is really good at buying kit and dropping it off. When it becomes a challenge is when you’re handholding people through to using the technology. There’s been a mindset change within the NHS now that’s it’s not about the technology but around the culture change that is needed which is really refreshing to see.
“That’s where we come on, whether it’s training or being on hand so when they have some new technology we can guide them through the process of being able to use it.
“Our success has been built on having creative ideas and an energetic team that can deliver them and build relationships.”
Schmid said GP practices are at a tipping point with unprecedented demand coming at a time when record numbers of doctors are leaving the profession.
“GPs aren’t superhuman,” he said. “They face the same pressures we all face and more, working in a high pressure environment treating patients, chasing up tests and interpreting results. They can’t afford to get it wrong.
“The technology is there to allow GPs to do some work remotely, including video consultations, and Artificial Intelligence has the potential to interpret selected low-level test results. Just this week we’ve heard about exciting work using AI to interpret mammogram X-rays.”
Schmid said the myGP app is a good example of how technology can make a difference.
“We were tasked with deploying the myGP app across Lancashire and South Cumbria and more than 80 per cent of the population have access to the technology to enable them to book their appointments and order their prescriptions,” he said. “We’re on target to hit 100 per cent coverage by March 2020.
“The myGP app also gives an element of triage. When somebody wants to book an appointment it will offer alternative services that could be more appropriate, such as pharmacies or community services.
“There’s a real recognition that technology has got a key role to play. The announcement from the Government about further investment in tech will help.
“We just need to make sure it’s not just about the kit and the shiny toys. It’s about the culture shift that needs to accompany any investment. It’s not that people don’t want to use technology but they need to know how to use it and understand the benefits.”
Schmid highlighted the work Redmoor Health had done with The North Midlands Breast Screening Service as giving him the most satisfaction.
“They have some brilliant staff and in 2014 they set up a Facebook page to better reach the sections of the community who weren’t attending screenings,” he said.
“Our team got involved and were able to grow the number of followers from 200 to more than 1,000. The result is that for the second year running the number of women attending screenings was 75 per cent – considerably higher than the national average of 70.5 per cent. It’s saving lives.”
Schmid said Redmoor Health was now embarking on a recruitment campaign as they look to increase their turnover to £1.6m in the next 12 months.
“We know it can be hard to find the time to use technology across health and social care,” he said. “That’s where we can help. We will support clients, whether it is by training and helping them use and embed technology, showcasing the great work they are doing, or helping them learn from experiences we have been part of elsewhere. We enjoy what we do and improving patientcare.”