Pete Clark, HCML’s head of corporate and public sector service development, explains why the solution to ageing case managers lies in its pioneers and a new elite.
As an occupational therapist, I have spent my clinical career concerned about the impact of ageing on our population.
The huge strides made in the past 50 years around understanding of health concerns, medical technology and safety technology mean that our current generations are enjoying the longest lifespans ever.
While this is fantastic, the greater numbers of older individuals with health, mobility and care needs has put tremendous strain on our statutory health and care services.
My profession is in greater demand than ever and clinicians like myself are well prepared to support our ageing population into the next generation. Yet a greater focus on the future and the further strain that will come from an increasingly ageing population is required to ensure that the system does not buckle under pressure.
It is with this view of the future, and a need for preparedness, that HCML has turned its attention to the ageing population of the UK’s existing expert case managers.
HCML employ the best rehabilitation case managers in the UK. These highly skilled nurses, occupational therapists, sports therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists were the true pioneers of case management in the early days, before any of us really knew what it was or would become.
These clinicians have used their clinical knowledge to shape case management whilst delivering excellent outcomes for their rehabilitation clients and satisfying the needs of other stakeholders in the process.
These HCML case managers have also developed strong relationships with insurers and solicitors alike, honing a deep understanding of the varying needs of both sides of the personal injury market. They shaped the Rehabilitation Code and continue to be at the forefront of injury management.
This group of case managers is also a part of our ageing population and themselves will be unable to continue their clinical practice indefinitely.
So we are dedicated to ensure that the achievements of these pioneers continue to influence the future of the profession and that their skills are shared and used to develop the case management elite of the future.
The HCML Academy was launched in 2017 to provide a forum for the sharing of knowledge and experience between the true titans of the case management world and those younger case managers who will be its future champions.
This academy is transforming the already highly skilled multi-track case managers of today into the recognised high end catastrophic injury case managers of tomorrow. This learning comes through a combination of shared knowledge and experience from our veteran case managers, coupled with focused learning opportunities including degree and Masters’ modules and experiential learning.
With HCML’s sights set clearly on the future, on the needs of our customers and on the eventual need to pass on the baton, the future looks bright for case management.