Multi-Speciality Community Providers in the NHS

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Ash Practice is in partnership with 14 practices across Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Sandwich and Ash. These 14 practices have come together as part of a Multi-Speciality Community Provider (MCP) group known as Encompass who aim to work together to provide services for the 170,000 patients in their local communities.

We are part of something called a vanguard programme, which means we have made a bid to NHS England for special funding to improve the health of local people by testing new models of care.

Being a vanguard means we can speed up the changes to do things differently. We want to use our valuable resources wisely and continue to provide our patients with high quality, joined up services which meet the growing demands in the future

So How Will This Be Different?

Working together in partnership we will:

• Avoid Duplication: Share relevant aspects of your care record to avoid every service asking you for the same information
• Use the funding we have wisely: Working together, sharing information, identify gaps in your care or helping to diagnose quicker
• Keep you well at home to avoid going into hospital: By working together we can predict a decline in your health without hospital care through a community paramedic team
• Have a directory of services available in the community: You may have a need for community support; with lifestyle changes, combating loneliness, dealing with bereavement, maintaining fitness etc. We will find something to support and help meet your requirements.

Our aspiration is to bring NHS, Kent County Council, the Voluntary and Care Sectors together to provide high quality joined up services to tackle these issues.

We will be asking you for:

• Your views
• Ideas, and
• Consent to share relevant aspects of your care between the named organisations mentioned

If you want to talk to us please contact the Practice Manager via our secure online form

Given the 14 practices cover a large area, the development of the services has been split into smaller parts, or CHOCs as they are becoming known.

1. What is a Choc?

Community Hub Operating Centres (CHOCs) are a means whereby all professionals come together and share their knowledge and skills to co-ordinate how local people are supported to improve their own health and well-being and when people are ill or need help, they receive the best possible joined up care.  A CHOC can be face to face or virtual.

2. What is Choc Integrated Case Management (ICM)?

This is a step up to intensive MDT, from the normal practice MDTs.   It is for high risk patients before they become acute. The intensive may not only be medical but there may be a social care need such as carer breakdown for example.  These CHOC patients go up at a time of more high risk need for a period of time until their need  stabilises and then they go back into the normal system of care . It does not affect the normal MDT process.

3. Who Attends an ICM Choc?

Representation from all parties in Health and Social Care - GP, Community Nursing, Paramedics, ICT, AHPs, Adult Social Care, Mental Health, Voluntary and Care Sector including Red Zebra for social prescribing.

4. How Does It Work Out of Hours (OOHs)?

For OOH professionals the  CHOC patient will have their care plan in the house, with information of all the agreed actions and contact details for emergency or escalation which would be used as the first line of action with ambulance call as the last resort.