The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre (ICC) in Hull, has won a major international award recognising the contribution the building and team has made to improving the lives of frail, older people in the city. The Centre won the prestigious Best Social Infrastructure Project Award at the Partnerships Awards 2020 run by Partnerships Bulletin (Dec 2020).
Since opening in July 2018, the Centre, the first of its kind in the UK, has seen thousands of older people who are at r
isk of admission to hospital. The ICC was built to reduced admissions to hospital and support more patients in the community. The building is mainly single story for easy accessibility, operating as a hub for rapid assessment, co-ordinated care and early intervention for Parkinson’s Disease, dementia and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It houses cardiology, physiotherapy, out-patients services and geriatric medicine teams. In addition, the ICC has diagnostic services including ultrasound, X-ray and phlebotomy.
A fully re-designed community frailty pathway at the ICC is led by local geriatricians and primary care staff meaning that GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, social workers, pharmacists and other specialists are working for the first time as a single system alongside voluntary sector groups and the local fire service. The ICC was opened in July 2018 by the older peoples’ champion fundraiser Jean Bishop BEM, Hull’s ‘bee lady’.
During the first 18 months, outcomes showed the ICC contributed to a 2.6% reduction in emergency hospital admissions for patients aged 80+ and an 11.32% reduction in admission to the local hospital’s Accident and Emergency department for patients in care homes following an ICC assessment.
Dr Dan Harman Consultant Community Geriatrician and Clinical Lead at the Jean Bishop ICC said: “The last few months have been very challenging for our staff, but more importantly for our patients.
“In response to the pandemic, we have been working extended hours and collaborating with system partners in health and social care to continue to provide the best care for frail residents across Hull and East Riding throughout the pandemic.
“We are really proud that the team at the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre has received this prestigious international award.”
The ICC, costing £9.5m, was developed through CHP’s LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust). The building is owned by a subsidiary of the local LIFT company, Citycare Ltd. of which CHP owns 40%. The land was provided by Hull City Council and CHP have taken the 25-year lease for the whole building.
Alan Johnson, Independent Chair of Citycare and former Health Secretary, said: “This project has completely changed how Hull supports its frail and elderly, and is a fantastic example of what a good PPP in health should be about.
Integration has been talked about within the NHS for a long time and this is one of the finest examples you will see of that. Everyone involved is making a real difference on a daily basis in modern, world class facilities in the heart of Hull.
“To win an international award shines a great spotlight on the city and those working hard within it, and is a great testament to the benefits of true collaboration.”
Erica Daley, Chief Operating Officer for NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “I am delighted the Jean Bishop ICC has been recognised on an international stage.
“We are all so proud of the exemplary care given to older people through the service and the difference that it is making to people’s lives. The results we’re seeing from the ICC show the difference we can make by working in collaboration.”
This is the second award for the scheme which won best Community/Primary Care Service Redesign in the North, Midlands and East at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards in November 2019.
