http://www.starmedical.co.uk/ The latest 10 blog items from STAR Medical Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:32:52 GMT en-us http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=22 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=22 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:32:52 GMT Throughout this Review, I have heard clearly and consistently that people want a greater degree of control and influence over their health and healthcare. If anything, this is even more important for those who for a variety of reasons find it harder to seek out services or make themselves heard. Personalising services means making services fit for everyone’s needs, not just those of the people who make the loudest demands. When they need it, all patients want care that is personal to them.(2) That includes those people traditionally less likely to seek help or who find themselves discriminated against in some way. The visions published in each NHS region make clear that more support is needed for all people to help them stay healthy and particularly to improve the health of those most in need. Chapter 3 explains how we will do this including by introducing new measure to: Create an NHS that helps people to stay healthy. For the NHS to be sustainable in the 21st century it needs to focus on improving health as well as treating sickness. This is not about the ‘nanny state’. As a clinician, I believe that the NHS has a responsibility to promote good health as well as tackle illness. Achieving this goal requires the NHS to work in partnership with the many other agencies that also seek to promote health. Much progress on closer working has been made in recent years. In line with my terms of reference, (3) this report focuses on what the NHS can do to improve the prevention of ill health. 2 Opinion Leader Research, Key Findings of 18 September 2007 Our NHS, Our Future nationwide consultative event 3 Terms of reference available at www.ournhs.nhs.uk http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=21 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=21 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:17 GMT My career is dedicated to improving continuously the quality of care we provide for patients. This is what inspires me and my professional colleagues, and it has been the guiding principle for this Review. We need to continue the NHS journey of improvements and move from an NHS that has rightly focused on increasing the quantity of care to one that focuses on improving the quality of care. There is still much more to do to achieve this. I have continued my clinical practice while leading the Review nationally. I have seen and treated patients every week. Maintaining that personal connection with patients has helped me understand the improvements we still need to make. It has driven me to focus this Review on practical action. It is because of this that I have been joined in this Review by 2,000 clinicians and other health and social care professionals from every NHS region in England. Their efforts, in considering the best available evidence and in setting out their own visions for high quality services (described in Chapter 1) have been the centrepiece of this process. Their visions - developed in discussion with patients, carers and members of the general public - set out bold and ambitious plans. I am excited by the local leadership they demonstrate and the commitment of all those who have been involved. In developing the visions, the NHS has had to face up to significant variations in the quality of care that is provided. Tackling this will be our first priority. The NHS needs to be flexible to respond to the needs of local communities, but people need to be confident that standards are high across the board. Delivering the visions will mean tackling head on the variations in the quality of care and giving patients more information and choice. The message they send is that the programme of reform that has been put in place has been unevenly applied and can go much further. We also need to accelerate change for other reasons. Chapter 2 describes the changes facing society and healthcare systems around the world. It sets out how the NHS in the 21st century faces a particular set of challenges, which I would summarise as: rising expectations; demand driven by demographics; the continuing development of our 'information society'; advances in treatments; the changing nature of disease; and changing expectations of the health workplace. These are challenges we cannot avoid. The NHS should anticipate and respond to the challenges of the future. My conclusions, and the measures described in this report, focus on how we can accelerate the changes that frontline staff want to make to meet those challenges, whilst continuing to raise standards. The vision this report sets out is of an NHS that gives patients and the public more information and choice, works in partnership and has quality of care at its heart - quality defined as clinically effective, personal and safe. It will see the NHS deliver high quality care for all users of services in all aspects, not just some. I set out below the key steps we must take to deliver this vision. The full report can be found in our 'Industry Overview' section http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=20 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=20 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:41:18 GMT An NHS that gives patients and the public more information and choice, works in partnership and has quality of care at its heart. Dear Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Secretary of State for Health, This year the NHS is 60 years old. We are paying tribute to a service founded in adversity, from which were established enduring principles of equal access for all based on need and not ability to pay. We are celebrating a national institution that has made an immeasurable difference to millions of people’s lives across the country. Quite simply, the NHS is there when we need it most. It provides round the clock, compassionate care and comfort. It plays a vital role in ensuring that as many of us as possible can enjoy good health for as long as possible – one of the things that matters most to us and to our family and friends. The Journey So Far I know the journey we have all been on from my own experience as an NHS clinician working in partnership with professional colleagues across the service. I used to be the only colo-rectal surgeon in my hospital; today I am a member of a team of four surgeons, working in a network that reaches out into primary care. Ten years ago, we had one part-time stoma nurse. Today we have two full-time stoma nurses, two specialist nurses and a nurse consultant. Ten years ago, my patients would sometimes wait over a year for treatment, and now they wait a few weeks – and even less if cancer is suspected. My patients are treated using keyhole surgery enabling them to leave hospital in days rather than weeks. My team’s conversations about quality take place in weekly multidisciplinary meetings rather than in corridors. Together, these changes have meant real improvements for patients. I have seen for myself the NHS getting better, and I have heard similar stories from other clinical teams throughout the country over the course of this Review. These achievements were enabled by the investment of extra resources, by giving freedom to the frontline through NHS foundation trusts, and by ensuring more funding followed patient choices. They were delivered by the dedication and hard work of NHS staff who were determined to improve services for patients and the public… The full report can be downloaded from our ‘Industry Overview’ page http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=19 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=19 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:21:24 GMT STAR are delighted to welcome Alice Budds to our team as PA to Managing Director Tim Webster. Alice brings a wealth of experience to the role. Having successfully completed a two year Business Administration course at Radstock College, Alice secured an office junior position with a prestigious local consultation firm. In this role, her excellent organisational skills combined with hard work and eye for detail instigated a promotion to Executive Assistant. At STAR, we value employees with a personality to match their professional capabilities, and Alice is no exception! In her spare time, Alice enjoys shopping and socialising with friends over a glass of wine. She is also keen to undertake new challenges, braving the inclement British weather to master the art of surfing. We would like to extend a warm welcome to Alice and look forward to working with her. http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=18 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=18 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:18:16 GMT Here at Star, we continue to live up to our formidable industry reputation, securing exclusive contracts with some of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. We have already established a powerful industry presence by reliably and energetically recruiting and managing outsourced sales teams in the pharmaceutical, nutrition, woundcare and orthopaedics industries; once again, our exceptional, bespoke resourcing solutions have been sourced to assist in the creation of nationwide sales teams. Most recently, we have successfully recruited a sales-force for an esteemed global leader in the production and distribution of dental equipment. Our newly acquired, exclusive client sought candidates prepared to work hard and be flexible whilst embracing and instigating inventive ideas and suggestions. Our team of resourcers and regionally based Account Managers worked diligently and with determination, to ensure our client had the very best people for the job. Such agility and hard work has not gone un-noticed by other pharmaceutical and healthcare market leaders. Rapid expansion throughout Europe and further afield prompted by highly successful product launches necessitated the recruitment of yet another team of medical sales representatives to capitalise on our client’s success. This is where once again, STAR came in and true to form, delivered exceptional service. STAR have proved once more that we can provide the solutions you need and people you trust. Whether you’re looking to take your career to the next level, or looking for exceptional individuals to complement your business, you need to be working with STAR. http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=17 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=17 Wed, 07 May 2008 10:39:30 GMT Marketing Executive Kate Hosker and her husband Bill are now the proud parents of a little girl, Olive. Olive was born on the 19th March weighing a healthy 7lb 10oz (just under 3.5kg). Since then she has made several visits (with her mother) to STAR Head Office in Bath and has been admired and cooed over repeatedly! Now 7 weeks old she has started to make noises other than screaming, much to the relief of Mummy-Kate! She responds particularly well to the music of the great Rolf Harris but not so well to dresses; she much prefers leggings! The more-than-capable Carly Edwards is looking after STAR’s marketing whilst Kate is on maternity leave. She can be reached on carly@starmedical.co.uk. Congratulations Bill and Kate and welcome Olive! http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=16 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=16 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:37:32 GMT STAR welcomes the newest member to the team, Jan Cox. Jan has a long and varied history in the medical sales industry: having been successful as a GP Representative, Hospital Representative, Specialist Representative, Regional Business Manager and National Training Manager, she moved into recruitment where she has been for the last 14 years! Jan has accumulated valuable experience in Business Development, Project Management and Account Management, including contingency business and responsibility for many small and large team builds. Jan’s incredibly broad experience and industry knowledge will certainly be of great benefit to the rest of the STAR team. Determined and fun, Jan is a keen sailor and diver and will soon be learning to kitesurf! http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=15 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=15 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:43:02 GMT With the rapidly growing contract business, STAR are forging strong partnerships with a variety of external providers in order to maximise the training, informatics and analytics they can offer to their clients and staff. The whole STAR team, resourcer, recruiter, account managers and contract representatives alike now have access to Wellards; providing up-to-the-minute online NHS and clinical information, training sessions and best-practice forums. Wellards aims to help medical representatives to carry out their jobs to the highest possible standard through their provision of online learning and discussion of key NHS issues. Access is already proving of great use to the recruitment team, who feel that knowing the industry inside out is essential if they are to provide appropriate resourcing solutions to their clients. http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=14 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=14 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:03:35 GMT Solutions you need. People you trust. Despite the backdrop of recent industry consolidation STAR continues to win hearts, minds and new business. STAR is rapidly becoming the organisation of choice for companies wishing to strategically outsource their sales function to a specialist and flexible partner. With the strength of its recruitment heritage STAR now owns the position as the 'boutique' agency ­delivering precisely tailored solutions rather than an off the shelf package. STAR is an owner led business which means its employees are motivated to partner for the long term and empowered to be flexible and responsive to customers' changing needs. Most importantly, it is not just STAR's home territory of permanent, direct to headcount recruitment where new business wins have been celebrated. STAR has been successful in rapidly expanding the contract sales business and has been entrusted to manage several new sales teams in pharmaceuticals, woundcare, orthopaedics and now, nutrition. In a long term agreement, Nestlé Nutrition has made the strategic decision to outsource their UK sales team to STAR. Nestlé Nutrition is a division of Nestlé, the world¹s largest food and drinks company. There are three Nutrition branches; Infant, Healthcare and Performance. Research-based formulations, high-quality raw materials and advanced production methods combine to provide pleasant tasting, advanced nutrient profiles used as part of the treatment programme for acute and chronically ill children and adults. In the UK, Nestlé Nutrition provides a range of prescription and non-prescription supplements as well as tube feeds and specialist products. In addition to an in-house team of nutritionists and dieticians there are also sales teams who visit healthcare professionals such as dieticians, consultants and nurses to discuss products and research. Their top priorities are to provide a high level of customer service and to offer products that really make a difference to patient care. These highly desirable roles require the very best healthcare representatives who can successfully implement the principles and practices of excellent 'key account management'. "The industry is awash with talk of key account management, but it is genuinely a way of life for our Nestle nutrition team" says Lucy Randle, Managing Director. Michael Burton, Project Director explains that each member of this exciting team has all the tools and support they need to be successful, including: A user friendly, electronic territory management system Development from STAR¹s Investors in People accredited training department Access to Wellard¹s up-to-the-minute NHS and clinical information, training, best practice forum and distance-learning opportunities Smooth operations and logistics from the friendly and efficient sales support team. The team also benefit from a comprehensive compensation package that compares favourably to other healthcare multinationals. STAR believe that a successful outsourcing partnership relies on mutual understanding and alignment of goals, expectations and culture. None of this is possible without openness, honesty and impeccable two way communication. From this platform the set up, running and management of each team can then be uniquely tailored to the client's specific needs and challenges. It was precisely this approach that so attracted Zerqa Malik, National Sales Manager, to the company: "We have partnered with STAR as they understand our priorities and goals. Not only are they well placed to provide the industry's very best healthcare representatives they are also agile enough to tailor their performance management and support systems exactly to our needs. We are looking for a truly committed and flexible provider and STAR fits the bill." For further information please contact the General Press Office at Nestle Nutrition on: 020 8667 6005. 2008 promises to be an exciting year of continued growth seeing yet another STAR partnership flourish to the benefit of all concerned. http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=12 http://www.starmedical.co.uk/star-blog-story.php?news=12 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:32:50 GMT After undergoing recent assessment, STAR retains their Investors in People accreditation. They were first awarded IIP 5 years ago when still a new company of just 2 employees. As the industry and STAR’s reputation have grown, so too has the company. Now a team of 17 and still expanding, they have shown IIP assessors that people management and best practice are still top of their priorities. Systems and processes, attitudes and behaviours continue to improve and despite internal and industry changes the positive culture within the organisation has remained if not strengthened, noted the assessor. They were also pleased to see that non-office based staff, such as contract reps “confirm they have received a professional and timely service from the team”. The Investors in People standard demonstrates that an organisation has no fundamental gaps in their people management systems and that business improvement, productivity and performance are monitored in order to realise their full potential.