New mobile clinical unit managers for Care UK in Manchester

Company news

Dec 20, 2008

Care UK, the company that will operate Mobile Clinical Units as part of the Greater Manchester Clinical Assessment & Treatment Service (CATS), has appointed two new Unit Managers.

Caroline Stamper will have responsibility for the South Manchester locations in which CATS operates – including Salford, Longsight and Stretford and Diane Carole will look after the North Manchester sites including Denton, Oldham, Rochdale and Bolton.  Both Caroline and Diane have the advantage of living locally, which gives them a real feel for the needs of the communities which they serve.

Caroline has extensive experience in the healthcare trade, having worked as head of radiology and physiotherapy in a Manchester hospital for two years and before that for another major healthcare provider for five years.

Diane Carole previously worked as a care group manager for a local Primary Care Trust, looking after a full range of services from district nursing to speech and language.  She has also worked for five years as a counseling services manager for a local Primary Care Trust.

John O’Brien, Operations Director for Care UK, explains: “Both Diane and Caroline have lots of relevant experience in a healthcare environment and will play a vital role both in ensuring that we meet our clinical targets and that our patients are completely satisfied with the service they receive.  Caroline and Diane are ultimately responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of the units for the benefit of everyone.  We are very excited about launching our new service in February and are confident that it will provide a very positive experience for patients in the Greater Manchester area.”

As unit managers, Diane and Caroline will have day to day responsibility for the performance management of the mobile units that are a vital part of the Greater Manchester CATS programme.  This will include everything from ensuring clinical performance targets are being met, to the recruitment of staff and ultimately achieving patient satisfaction.  Diane and Caroline will be supported by the GP liaison managers, who have recently been appointed; Sarah Stewart-Jones and Tina Sohail.

The Care UK trailer units will be unlike anything seen before in terms of extensive equipment and facilities. They will offer Consultant-led assessments and treatments, including outpatient-based minor surgical procedures in Musculoskeletal (Orthopaedic and Rheumatology), General Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Gynaecology and Urology specialties supported by a wide range of diagnostic services.  Consultants may also carry out a number of tests including MRI, CT scans, X-ray, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures.

The Mobile Clinical Units are designed to provide a more convenient service for patients both through their ease of access and their longer opening hours - 7.45am to 8pm, with weekend appointments available at most sites, which is especially useful for people who are unable to visit during normal working hours. 

Their locations promote increased easy access for patients, as each site is near to public transport links and has ample car parking spaces.  The Mobile Clinical Units will also support the local NHS in further improving waiting times. 

CATS provides as far as possible a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ approach to outpatient services, where they can be seen by a Consultant and have most diagnostic tests that they may need during the same outpatient visit.

The CATS programme is expected to create over 160 jobs in the Manchester area in the next six months, which will include Consultants, receptionists, administration and call centre staff.

Patients can make an appointment to be seen in one of the Mobile Clinical Units, either by being referred by their GP or via the NHS.   For more information contact Care UK on 0333 200 4042.