HealthNetHomecare

Updated 8 September 2022

HealthNet Homecare is operated by HealthNet Homecare (UK) Limited and is based in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire. The service opened in 2018 and has had a registered manager in post since registration. At the time of the inspection, the service provided 63 service lines or medications for which they provided training. They employed 58 staff on a national level, including Scotland. The service provides care primarily for adults, but also provides care for children via an asthma service line whereby training is provided to their parents.

HealthNet Homecare services include healthcare professionals visiting patients at home to provide support and training or regular home visits to administer medicines until patients are confident to self-administer. In all cases the clinical responsibility for the patient remains with the clinical referring centre or prescriber.

HealthNet Homecare provides national patient support, dispensing, nursing support and controlled delivery services on behalf of the NHS, pharmaceutical companies and the private sector. Most services are provided for NHS patients with 80% of the clinical homecare services cost funded by the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the medicines. The remainder of the services are commissioned directly by the NHS or provided to private patients.

The service provides advice in relation to treatment administration, for example, sub-cutaneous injections (under the skin), nursing advice in relation to the administration of treatment, storage of product, disposal of clinical waste and undertaking validated assessments such as patient activation measure which describes the knowledge, skills and confidence a person has in managing their own health and care.

What people who use the service say

People who used the service were profoundly impressed by the nursing service. They said staff always arrived on time and scheduled appointments around their own routines. People said that staff had travelled to their college or workplace to provide services. This had helped them keep their routine disruption to a minimum.

Most people said that they had waited a long time to try the medication and without the training support would not have been able to self-administer.

Updated 8 September 2022

This was our first inspection of the service. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service ensured that all staff, including those from partner organisations, were up to date in their training. Staff received bespoke training in new service lines from pharmaceutical companies whose drugs they administered and carried demo devices that helped them in training patients for the same.
• The service controlled infection risk well and performed well in their audits against this. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well.
• The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff had access to this learning during staff meetings, staff email updates and supervision.
• Staff provided good care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment. Staff consistently met their referral to contact and treatment targets.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
• Leaders and staff had strong working relationships with the pharmaceutical companies and referring clinics and used this to provide high standards of care for patients. They flagged any issues of concern directly to the clinic for further action and ensured that all parties involved in the patient’s care had up to date information on their progress with the administration and training programme.

However,

• Staff supporting long-term patients did not always revisit the environmental risk assessment following any changes to the property or equipment.

Updated 8 September 2022