Updated 28 November 2019
BUPA Insurance Services Limited is based in a telephone contact centre and offers telephone advice and support concerning health and well-being to members who are members of the service. BUPA Insurance staff also process medical insurance claims. The processing of insurance claims did not relate to the regulated activity and therefore not within the scope of this inspection.
The centre is based in Salford Quays 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 260,000 calls a month.
The service operates from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on a Saturday. 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 during this time. 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 50 clinical nurses as well as a team of non-clinical call handlers and a leadership team. The governance team is formed of clinical and non-clinical leads.
Information from the service was submitted and reviewed prior to the inspection. This included information relating to staff, members, complaints, significant events, and audits of the service.
To get to the heart of members’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:
• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to members’ needs?
• Is it well-led?
These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.