St Joseph's Hospice upgrades using IHP

St Joseph’s Hospice, based in Thornton, on the outskirts of Liverpool, was established by Father Francis O’Leary in 1974. It provides quality, end of life care for 25 terminally ill patients from the surrounding area, regardless of their faith. St Joseph’s, otherwise known as Jospice, prides itself on the quality of its nursing care, and the support it gives to families during these difficult times.

In autumn 2011, Jospice was awarded a Department of Health grant for £600,000 designated to be used for the upgrade and fit-out of one of the site buildings in order to create ten en-suite rooms, comfortable and attractive living/dining areas; specialist bathrooms with state-of-the-art spa treatments; work-efficient kitchens and clean, uncluttered office areas for staff.

An upgrade to exacting specifications, the hospice needed specialist fixtures, fittings and furnishings from reputable companies and advice regarding how to obtain the best products for the best price. Nessa Wells, Site and Services Supervisor, used the services of Independent Healthcare Procurement (IHP) to obtain best value for money, quality and reliability from suppliers across the UK. IHP is the only consortium that is dedicated to Independent Healthcare. Their focus is on delivering the best service, cost savings and quality.

Jospice used the Office Furniture, Residential Furniture, Infection Control, Patient Handling, Audio/Visual Equipment and General Medical frameworks, amongst others, through IHP and, due to the discounts IHP have negotiated for Members through their consortium buying power, Jospice was able to purchase higher specification goods, with longer warrantees, and still come within budget.

The finished building is light, airy, safe, comfortable and efficient. State-of-the-art hoists enable nurses and carers to transfer those patients who are no longer able to move themselves from the bed through to the bathroom with the minimum of fuss, discomfort and inconvenience. Furniture in the communal dining/living areas has been designed to give support, ease of movement and comfort to the patients, and the décor, in striking mulberry and cream, could grace the pages of any Homes & Garden magazine! A spa treatment bathroom with a bariatric-sized bath has been integrated into the ground floor area. The spa will help to relieve stiffness, aches and sores for the patients as well as have a relaxing effect.

Nessa found the advice and experience from IHP invaluable. “With the back-up of the IHP team behind me, I knew that I was able to share any problems that I might encounter and IHP was there to sort them out straight away. Suppliers are very willing to work with IHP Members and give them excellent service. The Central Billing system offered by IHP makes bills and payments so simple – one invoice every month, detailing all the outgoings. It’s so simple to consolidate – and query. Any anomalies can be checked with the Central Billing accounts team who will iron out any issues before releasing monies.

“When you use IHP, you never feel as though you are on your own – there’s a great team supporting you, who will do all they can to help you out, leaving you to get on with more pressing matters.”

Independent Healthcare Procurement has a significant Member base consisting of adults' and children's hospices, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, public sector unions, residential homes and day care nurseries. Today, IHP is the only procurement consortium dedicated exclusively to independent healthcare organisations. They understand the needs of the sector and have a proven track record in meeting them. To find out more about becoming an IHP Member, please telephone 0845 077 5542 or email info@ihponline.co.uk