Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has taken the next step to strengthen the GP services it provides to more than 30,000 registered patients in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

After almost two years – and now with five GP surgeries in its portfolio – the Trust has decided it’s the right time to create an ‘arms-length organisation’ (ALO) to recognise that it’s transforming from a traditional style hospital model, to an organisation that provides a full range of healthcare  services and specialties for people across the community.  An ALO can often offer an alternative to services that run ‘in-house’ or through service contracts.

Simon Morritt, Chief Executive at the Royal, will also be on the Board that manages the ALO and comments:-

“This new organisation is a full NHS service that the Trust owns and manages and is fully accountable for.  We remain committed to meeting our aim of offering high quality, patient-focussed GP services in the communities where we have our surgeries.”

Officially registered with Companies House as ‘Derbyshire Primary Care and Commercial Services’ the arms-length organisation is classed as a limited company within the NHS.

Stuart Ellis, General Manager, explains:-

“Our GP services will remain firmly within the NHS ‘family’, but the ALO will allow us to develop other partnerships and contracts like other primary care organisations.

The Royal’s first GP practice came on board in May 2015 and the second followed in July 2016.  The Trust runs a full range of services from surgeries based in Chesterfield (at The Grange, Inkersall and Rectory Road); as well as in North East Derbyshire (Clay Cross and Grassmoor).

Mr Morritt continues:-

“Like many GP Practices across the country the former Holywell Medical Group and Blue Dykes Surgeries were finding it difficult to operate because fewer doctors are choosing to train in primary care medicine.  By linking up with the Trust they not only safeguarded vital services for local people, but their GPs were able to focus on patient care and clinical leadership.  Over the last two years we’ve demonstrated this can work effectively and efficiently.”

The Trust has successfully recruited more GPs, has extended appointments to early mornings, evenings and weekends and is looking at expanding the range of services it provides at surgeries, including ultrasound.  The ALO will enable more new ways of working, creating a team of staff that as well as GP’s, includes advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists and mental health nurses.

Mr Ellis says: –

“The ALO means business as usual for patients, who will continue to contact us as they would do normally for appointments, repeat prescriptions or other queries.

“But it gives us more flexibility to manage the service differently and improve it for everyone.  It’s an exciting step and we are looking forward to continuing to take these GP practices and services forward on a positive footing.”

Local businesses are being urged to take advantage of funding and training opportunities during Skills Bank Week.

The week, which takes place from Monday 27 March, is being held to highlight the opportunities available from the £17 million Skills Bank Fund.

The fund, available to businesses in the Sheffield City Region area (Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield), has already offered training to 1,029 learners across the region.

The Skills Bank helps Chesterfield employees and employers identify courses which best meet the skills of the individual and the needs of the business.

Skills Bank will also calculate how much funding is available and how much each employer will contribute towards the cost of the training.

So far deals have approved for 15 Chesterfield businesses, benefitting 165 learners to a total value of £145,055, of which Skills Bank has contributed £95,845.

Deals in the pipeline for a further 42 businesses which would allow a further 714 employees to benefit from training.

Chesterfield-based letting agents Pinewood Property is one of the companies to have benefitted from funding for training in digital marketing, human resources and management skills.

Stacey Davies-Bowler, Director at Pinewood Lettings, said:-

“Management training for staff would benefit both me and my fellow director hugely. If we had a self-managed team, that would free up more time so we could spend it on business development and trying to bring more business in through the door.

“The better we understand each other, the better we work together, the faster the business will grow.”

Other Chesterfield businesses to have benefitted from Sheffield City Region Skills Bank include Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Palamatic.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-

“Helping local businesses to access the funding available for training is essential to allow them to retain and develop staff as well as to allow them to meet the needs of their customers.

“By putting these skills in place, it offers real opportunities for local people by creating more and better jobs.”

During Skills Bank Week, the Skills Bank are launching a marketing campaign to promote the service across the region to businesses and communicate employers’ success stories.

The Thunderclap campaign will allow a single message to be shared on mass, to rise above the noise of social media and boost the visibility of the Skills Bank to employers across the region. To join the Thunderclap, follow this link to share the tweet on Wednesday 29^th March 2017 at 12pm.

For information on Skills Bank and the training opportunities available click here.

Students and staff in the Fabrication and Welding department at Chesterfield College are celebrating after being named as a Showcase Centre for the third consecutive year by awarding body, ABC Awards.  The department holds on to the Showcase Centre title for another year because of the way it continues to work with learners and employers to ensure both get the skills they need to succeed.

Paul Eeles, Chief Executive at the Skills and Education Group, visited the college to present them with their award. He spent the afternoon meeting students and tutors as well as looking at the facilities in action.

He said:-

“For us this is all about rewarding high quality learning, teaching and assessment as well as sharing good practice. It’s also about the engagement in the wider community, working with employers and developing qualifications that meet their needs. The fabrication and welding team at Chesterfield College certainly ticks all of these boxes for us, hence this Showcase Centre award. This is the second time I’ve been to the college to present this award and it’s fascinating to see how the equipment is being used to develop student skills.”

The Fabrication and Welding department provides courses designed to meet the needs of employers and offers a flexible approach to full time learners who may still be making choices about their future career paths.

Ray Peet, Career Pathway Leader for the department said:-

“It is an honour to be named as a Showcase Centre again. We work really hard to make sure what we do here develops a highly skilled workforce. We see the importance of making links with schools to inspire the next generation of engineers as well as providing outstanding learning opportunities for the students who have already decided that this is the career for them. It is a real achievement to know that the way we work has been recognised as best practice.”

Chesterfield-based Shorts Chartered Accountants has represented Sheffield rail depot equipment manufacturer, Mechan, in its sale to French rail transport specialist, CIM, for an undisclosed sum.

Sheffield-based hlw Keeble Hawson also acted for Mechan on the deal which sees Mechan managing director, Richard Carr, finance director, Zahir Altaf and a 20-strong team continue to operate under the same name from the Sheffield site. They will be supported by CIM whose portfolio of products and services includes railway infrastructure supply and construction projects.

Richard Carr said the takeover would help accelerate the company’s international development:-

“I will continue to lead Mechan’s expert team and as far as existing clients are concerned, it will be business as usual.

“However, we are looking forward to raising CIM’s profile in the UK and becoming part of an organisation that has demonstrated its dynamism through consistent growth.”

Alain Lovambac, Chief Executive of the CIM Group, commented:-

“Mechan is a particularly innovative and successful company whose high-quality products are complementary to our own.

“This acquisition strengthens our ambition to become a world leader in the design and supply of turnkey railway workshop solutions.”

Andy Ryder, Corporate Finance partner with Shorts commented:-

“We are delighted to have advised Richard and Zahir on the successful completion of, what was, a complex transaction. We look forward to seeing Mechan continue its exciting growth story as part of CIM”.

Paul Trudgill, Managing Partner of hlw Keeble Hawson, said:-

“Mechan boasts a strong reputation in its field and we are pleased to have played an instrumental role in the purchase which will enable the business to make global inroads backed by CIM – a highly respected international player.”

Chesterfield based domiciliary care provider Peak Home Care has acquired a Derbyshire based rival provider which supports over 60 clients in the Chesterfield Area.

Pegasus Care LTD was founded by Barbara Sowden in 1992 and has grown and developed over the last 26 years to become one of the preferred providers in Derbyshire. Under Barbara and Stephen Sowden’s guidance and expertise, Pegasus recently received a ‘Good’ CQC report, and built up excellent working relations with Derbyshire County Council.

Speaking of the sale, Barbara and Stephen said:-

“We’re delighted that Peak Home Care have acquired Pegasus Care Ltd. The staff we met from Peak Home Care have the same high standards as Pegasus Care, which made it easier to let Pegasus go. We wish them well for the future.”

Joe Cattee, Director at Peak Home Care added that the acquisition would help the company ‘evolve’, he comments:-

“We have seen Peak Home Care grow over the past 3 years, both in reputation and service provided, and I am immensely proud of all our Staff who have made this happen. The opportunity to acquire a local company which stands for the same principals and ethos as us is an exciting time for us.

“I look forward to welcoming the Pegasus Staff into Peak Home Care, and getting to know them better. We want to say a huge thank you to both Barbara and Stephen for giving us this opportunity, and all at Ironmonger Curtis LLP & Shorts Chartered Accountants, who enabled us to finalise the deal.”

Shorts Chartered Accountants were engaged as Lead Advisers for Pegasus in the sale, researching the market to identify a strategic buyer with Matt Milnes assisting to shape the deal and providing support throughout the transaction and Due Diligence process. Ironmonger Curtis LLP also advised.