Who are we?
In 2001, Virtual Angina took over responsibility for patient-centred service redesign from the National Refractory Angina Centre. This enabled NRAC to concentrate on developing the UK’s best patient-centred angina service. Over the past six years Virtual angina has emerged as the UK’s leading specialist in delivering modern patient-centred angina services.
What we do
Successful service redesign requires a simple understandable model that becomes self-sustaining. Virtual Angina’s approach to service redesign is a sophisticated version of, “Ramsay’s kitchen nightmares,” but without the bullying. We are committed to delivering a level of service that consistently delights our customers. Throughout the service delivery process Virtual Angina uses an award winning service excellence approach to develop a sustainable constructive partnership with our clients.
Why is a patient-centred angina service design business needed?
There is a growing realisation that the costs associated with managing angina patients in secondary care are unsustainable. Virtual Angina specialises in delivering a self-sustaining, high quality alternative to costly secondary care treatment.
Benefits: Service enhancement & avoiding waste
We have shown that NRAC’s award winning patient-centred optimal medical care service can be delivered in the community. Because the Virtual Angina redesign model involves skills transfer to primary care teams, clinical teams will be able to transfer their skills to other long term conditions.
Rapid and maximum financial benefit is achieved by providing the service to two distinct patient groups:
- End of line chronic refractory angina patients who frequently attend accident and emergency;
- Low to moderate risk angina patients being considered for palliative revascularisation. Link to ready reckoner.
Credentials
Genuine patient-centred care involves a fundamental change management and NRAC has won major awards and accolades, including the NHS’s most prestigious awards for modernisation and innovation. NRAC’s commitment to safety was has also been recognised. Senior figures in the NHS have testified to NRAC’s values. In 2000, the Prime Minister described NRAC as, “representing the very best of the NHS.” The Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn stated, “NRAC is leading modernisation in the NHS” and in 2003 Sir Nigel Crisp stated, “NRAC is an essential service that is leading the way in modern patient centred care.” In 2003, the Commission for Health Improvement described NRAC’s innovation in the design and evolution of patient centred services, as: “something from which the rest of the NHS could learn.”
In 2006, Bob Ricketts Senior commissioner at the DoH wrote to Duncan Selbie, Director General of the NHS: “I heard Mike [Chester] present at Harrogate and have also discussed with Ian Rutter and others the underpinning evidence. This is deeply impressive work which could generate substantial benefits in terms of improved patient care and value for money.”
In a Westminster Hall debate on 15th Oct 2008, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ann Keen) stated: “The NRAC provides an extensive and comprehensive service for those with this chronic disease [refractory angina]. The centre is to be congratulated on what it has achieved and, although the provision of such services locally is ultimately something for local service commissioners and providers to decide, I hope that the NRAC and how it has been developed and run will act as an exemplar for developing or planned services elsewhere in England.”
In stating: “We must all do what we can to ensure that the lessons learned from that collaborative approach are used to develop not just other refractory angina services, but patient-centred chronic disease management generally” the Undersecretary recognises that although NRAC was designed for refractory angina patients, our pragmatic, iterative, patient-centred service evolution model is applicable to other chronic conditions.
Virtual Angina Limited
Patient-Centred Service Redesign
Company No 6633976 VAT 937 4485 86