A Liverpool-based healthcare firm has won a bid to provide its stoma care services to a number of Clinical Commissioning Groups (GCG) across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Bullen Healthcare, a family-owned home delivery company for stoma, urology and woundcare products, will initially supply its services across six CCGs under the first two phases of rollout, it said.
It has a contract value of potentially £6m, the firm said, depending on the scale of further rollout across the region.
The company will also create new jobs across the region.
Its new “centralised” community service will “ensure patients receive support from specialist stoma nurses, it said, and “provide more accessible community support for patients following discharge from hospital”.
Bullen Healthcare’s managing director Paul Bullen said: “This is great news for stoma patients across the local area and we are looking forward to working closely with our NHS partners to deliver a first-class service to patients.
“We have recently strengthened our stoma nursing team and this new service will create additional new jobs in Merseyside.”
Bullen Healthcare said the new service will aim to improve the quality of life for patients by ensuring the service is well coordinated and responsive, while freeing up GP time and reducing the need for emergency care for patients.
Most Read
Patients will still have a choice of which community pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) delivers their prescriptions, it said.
Cheshire and Merseyside stoma programme manager Shoshana Bloom said: “This project has been a great example of cooperation and collaboration between commissioners; working together to ensure the best possible care is delivered for patients across the Cheshire and Merseyside region.
“The decision to select Bullen Healthcare as a provider for this service was based on a robust assessment that considered both the quality and cost effectiveness of the proposed delivery approach.
“The decision was reflective of the company’s understanding of the service required as well as local needs.”