Putting Quality and Equity at the Heart of Community Healthcare

Post Date : October 3, 2025
Healthcare
5 minutes read

By Professor Des Breen, Chief Medical Officer

When we talk about the future of healthcare, the conversation too often focuses narrowly on capacity – how to cut waiting times, clear backlogs, and meet rising demand. While those challenges are very real, they are only part of the picture. True sustainability in our health system will come from embedding quality and equity into everything we do, ensuring that every patient, in every community, receives care which is not just timely, but excellent.

Commitment to Quality

For independent providers like CHEC, this is not about operating separately from the NHS but about working within the same ecosystem, in partnership, to deliver better outcomes for patients. Our commitment is to quality first and foremost. In 2024/25, more than 71,000 patient feedback surveys were collected, and 98% of patients told us they were satisfied or very satisfied with their care. Outcomes across all our specialities are consistently better than the national averages, and 99.7% of patients said they would recommend our services to family or friends. This focus on quality care is the foundation of everything we do.

Accessibility and Equity

Accessibility is equally important. Our community-based model conceives of services as hubs and spokes – with CHEC’s multi-specialist local clinics supporting central NHS hub hospitals – located in underserved areas, designed with careful consideration for transport, mobility, language, and local demographics. This means we are not just increasing capacity but actively addressing health inequalities.

Case Study: Increasing Cervical Screening Uptake

A recent partnership with GP Pathfinder Clinics illustrates the impact of this approach. In 2024, GP Pathfinder’s overall practice uptake for cervical screening was just 22%. To change this, we worked together to launch a targeted initiative, using our community hospitals in New Cross and Ilford to host clinics that were easier for patients to access.

The results have been remarkable. By July 2025:

New Cross: 400 patients were contacted, resulting in 209 bookings – a conversion rate of 47.5%. That’s a 115% improvement on previous performance.
Ilford: 628 patients were contacted, leading to 243 bookings and a 38.7% conversion rate – a 76% increase on the baseline, and over 70% better than the NHS average.

For patients, this meant fewer barriers to accessing essential screening, earlier detection of potential health concerns, and greater confidence in their local healthcare services. These outcomes demonstrate what’s possible when healthcare is delivered at the heart of communities, tailored to the realities of the people who live there.

Embedding Inclusion in Care

Quality also means inclusion. In 2024, we began enhancing our services for patients with learning disabilities and autism, drawing on feedback from patients, carers, and staff who had completed

Oliver McGowan Training, the Government’s standardised programme designed to improve awareness and understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism. In partnership with Mencap, we introduced Inclusion Consultants into our “15 Steps Challenge” programme, walking the patient journey to identify where inequalities arise and how to address them. Their feedback has led directly to changes in how we design our environments and patient information, including the creation of cartoon-based materials that are more accessible. This is a clear example of how inclusive design can, co-created with those who use our services, lead to better outcomes and greater equity.

Flexible, Multi-Speciality Care

What sets CHEC apart is our ability to provide this care across multiple pathways. Unlike single-service providers tied to long contracts, our multi-specialty model means we can flex according to local need, whether through endoscopy, dermatology, ENT, gastroenterology, or cataract services. This approach gives NHS Trusts and ICBs the ability to work with one delivery partner across multiple specialities, ensuring consistency and continuity for patients while directing capacity where it is more urgently required. All of this is evidenced through our Annual Quality Report, which provides transparent, data-driven results that commissioners and communities can rely on.

Working in Partnership with the NHS

The NHS will always remain at the centre of acute and complex care, but the ecosystem that supports it thrives when independent partners contribute high-quality, community-based services. By investing in modern facilities, embedding inclusion into service design, and focusing relentlessly on patient experience, we strengthen the health system as a whole. Crucially, this is not about building a parallel structure but about integration – our services are free at the point of use, aligned with NHS pathways, and co-created with local commissioners and communities.

The challenges facing the NHS are immense, but the opportunities are equally significant. By working collaboratively, embracing innovation, and putting quality first, we can build a future where every patient, regardless of background or circumstance, can access the care they need. At CHEC, we are proud to play our part: investing in communities, supporting the NHS, and helping to create a healthcare ecosystem that is stronger, more equitable, and more sustainable.