- Bupa UK Insurance is the first health insurer to be rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
- The service was rated ‘good’ in all five areas of the report.
Bupa UK has become the first health insurer to be rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - receiving an overall rating of ‘Good’. The CQC looked at whether services were safe, effective, caring, responsive to the needs of customers, and well-led, rating Bupa ‘Good’ in all five areas.
Inspectors assessed Bupa’s specialist patient support services, which offer insurance customers access to a team of specialist clinicians including oncology and cardiac nurses. They provide medical advice and support on health and wellbeing over the phone, handling over 6,000 calls a day. It includes Bupa Direct Access - a telephone-based self-referral service, which removes the need for a GP referral and allows customers to access specialist diagnosis services if they’re worried about cancer symptoms, mental health, or musculoskeletal injuries. The result is earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for patients.
Staff were praised for their compassionate care, with inspectors highlighting that they “involved and treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.” Staff also understood customers’ personal, cultural, social and religious needs, and “displayed an understanding and non-judgemental attitude to all customers”.
Alex Perry, CEO, Bupa UK Insurance, said: “I am incredibly proud of the team for being rated ‘Good’ in all areas of the CQC report. We are committed to driving quality throughout our business and are the first insurer to go through a CQC inspection and receive a rating. We value the insight external inspection can give and welcome these conclusions to ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of care for our customers.”
Bupa is recognised for its good safety record in the report, and inspectors cited many examples of good practice, including:
- Good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen.
- An understanding from staff of their responsibilities to manage emergencies and to recognise when customers need urgent medical attention – for example those with severe infections.
- Routine reviews of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provides to ensure care and treatment is delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
- Clear systems to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
The service was also commended for its acts of kindness scheme, which allows staff to send a personal gift each month to a customer who might be going through a tough time. Since launching in May 2018, more than 750 gifts have been sent.
Dr Luke James, Medical Director, Bupa UK Insurance said: “In the past insurers haven’t been regulated and rated by the CQC, however the consultants and hospitals we work with are. As our specialist support teams offer patients help alongside the care provided by their consultants, we believe it’s important that we demonstrate the quality of the advice and support we’re offering.”
Notes to editor
For further information please contact George Allen, Corporate Communications Manager, on 0207 833 7040, or [email protected].
About Bupa’s specialist patient support services
- The centre is based in Salford Quays, Manchester, and staff speak with members from all over the United Kingdom.
- Members using these services do not visit this location and all advice is given over the telephone.
- The service handles over 6,000 calls a day.
- The service offers access to a team of specialist nurses including oncology and cardiac nurses, who provide medical advice and triage of symptoms to members.
- Clinical review at key stages within a member’s treatment and case management of clinical pathways is also provided to members.
- Members are offered advice relating to their care and treatment and are provided with ongoing support. This could include if a member has any questions or concerns relating to treatment, then they can contact a nurse for advice.
- The service employs 59 clinical nurses as well as a team of non-clinical call handlers and a leadership team.
About Bupa
Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.
We are an international healthcare company serving over 31 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers.
We directly employ around 85,000 people, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Middle East and Ireland. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia and India.
