Who you gonna call? IC24

By Angela Prichard,

Providing 24-hour support every day of the year is a vital part of our NHS, and a team of 120 people working shifts with Integrated Care 24 (IC24) at Masterlord Office Village has been a lifeline for patients during the pandemic.

Right through lockdown, with many working from home, the not-for-profit social enterprise offered access to urgent health and social care through the NHS 111 phone service, covering mid and south Essex from their Ipswich contact centre.

IC24 has been at the forefront of urgent care for over 25 years. But the pandemic tested the resourcefulness and resilience of the staff based in Ipswich, showing empathy and reassurance with every patient amid higher than normal call volumes.

Reducing pressure on hospital and GP surgeries for non life-threatening conditions, IC24 has health advisors as a first point of contact. They use triage software, NHS Pathways, to identify the right course of action for a patient, whether that is a referral to a senior clinical advisor or mental health services, an ambulance response for hospital care, a prescription or advice on self-care.

‘Masterlord Office Village is a real business community and in a perfect location for us, with easy access to the A14 and all the facilities we need.  With a 24/7 operation, we have to be agile in responding to demand.’

Abbie Snelling, Head of Estates and Facilities, IC24

An estimated 50% of ambulance call outs are unnecessary, and many people are sent home from A&E having only needed advice. IC24 relieves some of the pressure on the emergency care sector by assessing and helping patients and giving them appropriate care.

But it’s not only about patient care, as the IC24 team at Masterlord Office Village also raised £3,300 for East Anglia’s Children Hospice this year. EACH supports families with children across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk who have life-threatening health conditions.

For Danielle Quigley, the rewards of having a positive impact on a patient or colleague are an important part of her job at IC24, with no two days the same.  She gained a first class honours degree in criminology and youth studies and worked with young offenders before joining IC24 in 2017 as a health advisor. A keen traveller and runner, she’s now a service delivery manager at the Ipswich contact centre. 

‘Like everyone else in the healthcare arena, my role did change at the beginning of the virus, as there were so many ‘what ifs’. This was the first global pandemic my generation had witnessed. Not knowing what to expect and ensuring that everyone felt safe was obviously difficult. Now, it’s exciting to take part in ongoing learning, developing new skills.’

Danielle Quigley, IC24 Service Delivery Manager for Mid & South Essex

 

Have a look at their website to find out more.

Insight Energy

By Angela Prichard,

Founded by two brothers, Adam and Kristian Day, Insight Energy is a joint venture that aims to have a positive impact in the world.

As parents they often ask themselves what the future will be like for their children, and how they can make it better. This question was the inspiration for what they wanted to do.

Growing up and living in a world which is sustainable must be high on the agenda. So, they set out to combine their skills and passion to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future.

Adam’s background is in mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering (MEP). Kristian’s expertise is in marketing and sales.  During lockdown they researched opportunities in the renewable energy sector and Insight Energy was born. “I couldn’t do this without him, and he couldn’t do it without me!” says Kristian.

With everyone conscious of climate change, carbon footprint and renewable energy, Insight Energy’s holistic approach offers air and ground source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations to both domestic and commercial clients.

 

‘There’s a heightened awareness to save energy and resources, go green, be sustainable and reduce waste. With new-build homes, they will have solar panels to generate power, heat pumps to deliver low carbon heating, battery storage and an electric vehicle charging point to charge their cars.  Electric and hybrid cars are the future, they’re everywhere now, and they all need charging stations.  Solar panels are efficient and can generate income by feeding power into the national grid. And heat pumps offer a low carbon heating solution that can be four times as efficient as a traditional gas boiler.’

Kristian Day, Insight Energy  

Insight Energy aims to be accredited with The Carbon Trust, a sign that the company is committed to providing sustainable energy resources. Quality control, compliance and accreditation for all installations are vital elements of the company’s future success. The company has Trustmark, NAPIT, RECC and MCS certification, providing reassurance to residential and commercial customers.

After initially operating the business at their homes, Adam and Kristian decided a serviced office at Epsilon House was essential for growth.  With Masterlord’s rooftop solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations, the estate is already aligned with Insight Energy’s mission.

‘There’s a great business community at Epsilon House, with all the resources we need. Moving in was simplicity itself. We looked at a number of options, but Masterlord was by far the best. There’s a professional atmosphere, they have a good reputation and I can park my electric Mini right outside!’
Kristian Day, Insight Energy