Visit www.kmsprofessionals.co.uk or talk to oneof our team on 0203 282 1233 to find out more

Whatever your requirements, KMS have the experience, resilience and knowledge to provide a solution that’s just right for you, your practice and your patients.

practice management

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Leading provider of stress-free private practice support

compliance and regulation

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website and social media

10 FEATURE FEATURE 11

february 2018 independent practitioner todayindependent practitioner today february 2018

Healthcare professionals working in the UK health industry are ideally placed to identify problems experienced by patients and colleagues. Every day they see the issues that could be improved by a new way of doing things, and many are now using their medical knowledge to address these problem areas in innovative, creative ways.

The magic ofthe entrepreneur

What makes a doctor entrepreneur?Some medics make the transition from medical school straight to business and do not complete spe-cialist training. Some doctors con-tinue their training and develop their ideas while continuing to practise.

Others are consultants or GPs who use their specialist knowl-edge to bring quality, problem-solving tech solutions to market. The medical backgrounds can be varied, but one thing is consistent – the entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to see a problem and fix it with a great solution.

However, insider knowledge of the healthcare industry does not mean that an idea will automati-cally translate into a successful business. Doctors will have been medically trained, but many will have had little to no experience in relation to building a successful business based on a new idea.

To build a business and be a suc-cessful entrepreneur, several key traits are needed, including an ability to analyse problems and the self-belief to take those solu-tions all the way.

Furthermore, at some point there will be a need to know how to run a business and this includes knowing how to lay its founda-tions, deal with administration, finance and human resources.

Knowing when to delegate and hand over tasks like this to other experts is also a skill that needs to be learnt.

Success storiesDoctify This website combines patient reviews, specialist information and appointment booking to pro-vide a one-stop shop for patients looking for a private specialist in London.

Co-founded by Stephanie Eltz

and Suman Saha – along with chief executive Oliver Thomas and chief finance officer Daniel Jung – these doctors joined forces in 2015 to develop their vision of creating a service that brought doctors and patients together.

Generation Medics An online community focused on medical students and junior doc-tors, Generation Medics was for-merly known as ‘Help Me, I’m A

Medic’ and is the brainchild of Dr Hinnah Rafique.

Since 2013, the website has grown to be the UK’s largest online community for medics, with a community of more than 4,000 members. Generation Medics has won two UnLtd national awards, and provides medics with online support, revi-sion aides and access to national conferences.

GeekyMedics Dr Lewis Potter’s GeekyMedics site focuses on supporting junior doctors by making revision ‘less painful and more productive’.

Video guides, quizzes and case studies make this Newcastle University graduate and Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow’s network hugely popular, with more than four million downloads world-wide and over 130,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Insider knowledge of the healthcare industry does not mean that an idea will automatically translate into a successful business

➱ p12Jane Braithwaite looks at some success stories, what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and what support is out there to help doctors bring their innovative ideas to market

BUsinEss visionARiEs

Visit www.kmsprofessionals.co.uk or talk to oneof our team on 0203 282 1233 to find out more

Whatever your requirements, KMS have the experience, resilience and knowledge to provide a solution that’s just right for you, your practice and your patients.

practice management

billing and collection

transcription service

overflow phone answering

scanning

Leading provider of stress-free private practice support

compliance and regulation

credit control

medico-legal

short term PA cover

website and social media

10 FEATURE FEATURE 11

february 2018 independent practitioner todayindependent practitioner today february 2018

Healthcare professionals working in the UK health industry are ideally placed to identify problems experienced by patients and colleagues. Every day they see the issues that could be improved by a new way of doing things, and many are now using their medical knowledge to address these problem areas in innovative, creative ways.

The magic ofthe entrepreneur

What makes a doctor entrepreneur?Some medics make the transition from medical school straight to business and do not complete spe-cialist training. Some doctors con-tinue their training and develop their ideas while continuing to practise.

Others are consultants or GPs who use their specialist knowl-edge to bring quality, problem-solving tech solutions to market. The medical backgrounds can be varied, but one thing is consistent – the entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to see a problem and fix it with a great solution.

However, insider knowledge of the healthcare industry does not mean that an idea will automati-cally translate into a successful business. Doctors will have been medically trained, but many will have had little to no experience in relation to building a successful business based on a new idea.

To build a business and be a suc-cessful entrepreneur, several key traits are needed, including an ability to analyse problems and the self-belief to take those solu-tions all the way.

Furthermore, at some point there will be a need to know how to run a business and this includes knowing how to lay its founda-tions, deal with administration, finance and human resources.

Knowing when to delegate and hand over tasks like this to other experts is also a skill that needs to be learnt.

Success storiesDoctify This website combines patient reviews, specialist information and appointment booking to pro-vide a one-stop shop for patients looking for a private specialist in London.

Co-founded by Stephanie Eltz

and Suman Saha – along with chief executive Oliver Thomas and chief finance officer Daniel Jung – these doctors joined forces in 2015 to develop their vision of creating a service that brought doctors and patients together.

Generation Medics An online community focused on medical students and junior doc-tors, Generation Medics was for-merly known as ‘Help Me, I’m A

Medic’ and is the brainchild of Dr Hinnah Rafique.

Since 2013, the website has grown to be the UK’s largest online community for medics, with a community of more than 4,000 members. Generation Medics has won two UnLtd national awards, and provides medics with online support, revi-sion aides and access to national conferences.

GeekyMedics Dr Lewis Potter’s GeekyMedics site focuses on supporting junior doctors by making revision ‘less painful and more productive’.

Video guides, quizzes and case studies make this Newcastle University graduate and Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow’s network hugely popular, with more than four million downloads world-wide and over 130,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Insider knowledge of the healthcare industry does not mean that an idea will automatically translate into a successful business

➱ p12Jane Braithwaite looks at some success stories, what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and what support is out there to help doctors bring their innovative ideas to market

BUsinEss visionARiEs

12 FEATURE

independent practitioner today february 2018

myHealthspecialist Co-founded by Dr Kartik Modha, a north London GP, myHealth-Specialist is an online resource for patients and GPs to find doctor-recommended private and NHS specialists.

With more than 3,000 GPs and specialists listed, the site aims to improve care and save time by connecting patients with the right specialists.

support servicesThe need to help doctors develop their business skills is recognised by several organisations, with pro-grammes and networks in place to build these skills. These are:

Clinical Entrepreneur Training ProgrammeA joint venture between NHS England and Health Education England, launched in 2016. This programme aims to provide guid-ance to junior doctors with inno-vative ideas, helping them to develop their product or service with the goal of bringing it to market.

Doctors will be able to develop the knowledge, skills and leader-ship capabilities required if they are to successfully bring their ideas to market. The initial suc-cess of this unique scheme has led to it being extended; as of last year, dentists and healthcare sci-entists can also apply.

Successes include Dr Suman Saha, co-founder of Doctify, and Dr Lewis Potter, founder of GeekyMedics.

Doctorpreneurs start-up school Doctorpreneurs is an online com-munity aimed at connecting doc-tors with similar interests in entrepreneurship and health tech.

Founded in 2011, the company originally focused on organising events, providing interested par-ties with a way to network. The team grew in 2014, and the com-pany now boasts an impressive events schedule, student ambas-sador network and start-up school.

Digital Health London Supported by the office of the Mayor of London and NHS England, Digital Health London provides support to those looking to bring ground-breaking ideas to the UK healthcare industry.

By providing innovators with guidance in relation to intellec-tual property, commercialisation and finance, Digital Health London aims to generate eco-nomic growth and improve health outcomes and experiences.

So the opportunities for net-working, developing and exper-tise-sharing are available, and with the UK’s small business mar-ket growing with a record 5.5m private-sector enterprises in busi-ness at the start of 2016 – up 97,000 on the previous year –could it be time to start thinking creatively and find a solution to a problem?

Top tips➲ Do your research – With so many new and innovative health-care services out there, doing some background research is invaluable. Check out your com-petition and see how you can dif-ferentiate your idea from others.

➲ Perfect your pitch – ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.’ You should keep in mind that not eve-ryone will have your frame of ref-erence and people will sometimes just want to know – very simply – what your product is and how it will help them.

➲ Set clear and achievable mile-stones – Avoid wasting time and overthinking your concept. Set

yourself some realistic milestones that lead to clear goals.

➲ Recognise your weaknesses – As a doctor, business skills may not be your forte. Take advantage of online resources and commu-nities to help build those skills and develop your understanding of what it takes to run a successful business.

➲ Call in favours – Working in healthcare means your colleagues will have experience and talent in many areas: communications, IT, and marketing. These colleagues could potentially help you develop your idea or could even be future business partners.

➲ Network – Go to conferences and industry meetings. This will help build your understanding of areas of the industry unfamiliar to you and build your network of industry connections.

➲ Don’t give up the day job – Your medical expertise and posi-tion provides you with in-depth healthcare knowledge. Remember that you are where you are today because of your interest in medi-cine; keep up to date on develop-ments in healthcare and keep up your connections within the NHS and private healthcare.

➲ Save people money – Creating a service or product that lowers cost will help to increase uptake of your product or service once it comes to market.

➲ Help everyone – A product tha t he lp s one g roup o f stakeholders but not another will not go far. Make sure that your product does not make life more difficult for a certain group of users/workers. Look at feedback from users to determine how you can go about making this happen.

➲ Be willing to take a risk – Not all business ideas are successful, but this does not mean you shouldn’t try. Even if an idea does not come to fruition, you will undoubtedly learn some valuable lessons along the way.

Jane Braithwaite (below) is manag-ing director of Designated Medical

Avoid wasting time and overthinking your concept. Set yourself some realistic milestones that lead to clear goals

Creating a service or product that lowers cost will help to increase uptake of your product or service once it comes to market

YOUR DESTINATION FOR TRAVEL VACCINES

WILL THEY BE ENJOYING SOME R&R...

...OR RUSHING TO A&E?

Check if your patients need vaccination againstrabies before they go:1

• Visiting an area where rabies is common and taking part in higher risk activities e.g. cycling or running?

• Working abroad in close contact with animals?• Staying in an at-risk area for more than 1 month?

Rabies Vaccine BP from Sanofi Pasteur offers pre- and post-exposure protection against rabies.2

Order at www.vaxishop.co.uk or telephone our Customer Service team on 0800 854 430

PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

Rabies Vaccine BP ≥2.5 IU/ml, Powder and solvent for suspension for injectionRefer to Summary of Product Characteristics for full product information.Presentation: A single dose vial of powdered vaccine and pre-fi lled syringe of solvent for suspension for injection. After reconstitution, each 1 millilitre dose contains rabies virus (inactivated, strain PM/WI 38 1503-3M) not less than 2.5 International Units of rabies antigen. Indications: Prophylactic immunisation against rabies and treatment of patients following suspected rabies contact. Dosage and administration: The dose of reconstituted vaccine in all cases is 1 millilitre given by intramuscular injection into the deltoid region. Reconstitute with the solvent supplied and shake carefully to ensure complete reconstitution. Following reconstitution the vaccine will be a pinkish colour and free from particles. Once reconstituted, the vaccine must be used immediately. DOSAGE FOR PROPHYLAXIS: 1 millilitre given on days 0, 7 and 28. For those at regular and continuing risk, a single reinforcing dose of vaccine should be given at 1 year after the primary course has been completed. Further doses should be given at three- to fi ve-year intervals thereafter. For travellers at intermittent risk of exposure, booster doses may be given in line with offi cial recommendations. DOSAGE FOR TREATMENT: For those known to have adequate prophylaxis - 1 millilitre should be given on day 0 and on day 3 following contact with a suspected rabid animal. For those with no, or possibly inadequate prophylaxis - the fi rst injection should be given as soon as possible after suspected contact (day 0) and followed by four further 1 millilitre doses on days 3, 7, 14 and 30 (the earliest that the 5th dose can be given is day 28 as per WHO recommendations). The use of Rabies Immunoglobulin should be considered in unimmunised or incompletely immunised subjects or those with uncertain immune status in accordance with offi cial recommendations and/or expert advice. The treatment schedule may be stopped if the animal concerned is found conclusively to be free of rabies. Subjects with incomplete prophylaxis or unknown history of immunisation should be treated as non- immune. Contra-indications: Pre-exposure: Known systemic hypersensitivity to Rabies Vaccine BP or any of its components; febrile and/or acute disease. Post-exposure: no contra-indications. Warnings and precautions: Appropriate facilities and medicines should be readily available in case of anaphylaxis or hypersensitivity following injection. The vaccine may contain traces of neomycin and betapropiolactone which are used during the manufacturing process. If Rabies Immunoglobulin is indicated in addition to Rabies Vaccine BP, then it must be administered at a different anatomical site to the vaccination site. Rabies Vaccine BP should not be administered to patients with bleeding disorders or to persons on anticoagulant therapy unless the potential benefi t outweighs the risk of administration. The potential risk of apnoea and the need for respiratory monitoring for 48- 72 h should be considered when administering the primary immunisation series to very premature infants (born ≤ 28 weeks of gestation) and particularly for those with a previous history of respiratory immaturity. As the benefi t of vaccination is high in this group of infants, vaccination should not be withheld or delayed. Anxiety-related reactions, including vasovagal reactions (syncope), hyperventilation or stress-related reactions can occur following, or even before, any vaccination as a psychogenic response to the needle injection. This can be accompanied by several neurological signs such as transient visual disturbance and paraesthesia. It is important that procedures are in place to avoid injury from faints. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatments may interfere with antibody production, check antibodies 2 to 4 weeks after course. Pregnancy: The potential risk of administration of Rabies Vaccine BP during pregnancy is unknown. Due to the severity of the disease, pregnancy is not considered to be a contra-indication to post-exposure prophylaxis. If risk of exposure is substantial, pre- exposure prophylaxis may also be indicated. Lactation: It is not known whether the vaccine is excreted in human breast milk. Due to the severity of the disease, breast-feeding is not considered a contra-indication. Undesirable effects: Very common side effects include: lymphadenopathy, nausea, diarrhoea, injection site reactions (pain, erythema, pruritus, induration), chills, malaise, headache, arthralgia and myalgia. Common side effects: injection site bruising, dizziness, respiratory manifestations (dyspnoea, wheezing), angioedema, pyrexia, abdominal pain, vomiting and allergic reactions with skin disorders (urticaria, rash, pruritus). Other undesirable effects have been reported, although their frequency is not known. These include serum sickness type reactions, anaphylactic reactions, oedema, encephalitis, convulsion, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, paresis, neuropathy, paraesthesia and asthenia. For a complete list of undesirable effects please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics. Marketing authorisation holder: Sanofi Pasteur Europe, 2 Avenue Pont Pasteur, 69007 Lyon, France. Further information is available from the Distributor: UK: Sanofi , One Onslow Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4YS Tel: 0845 372 7101; Ireland: sanofi -aventis Ireland T/A SANOFI, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland Tel: 01 403 5600 Package quantities and basic NHS cost: One single dose vial (powder) and one pre-fi lled disposable syringe containing 1 millilitre of solvent with 2 separate needles, basic NHS cost £40.84. Legal category: POM Marketing authorisation number: UK: PL 46602/0004 Ireland: PA 2131/004/001Date of last review: February 2017

References: 1. Department of Health. Immunisation against infectious disease. Chapter 27: Rabies. Accessed November 2017 2. Rabies Vaccine BP Summary of Product CharacteristicsSAGB.RABIE.17.10.1326 11/17

Suspected adverse events should be reportedReporting forms and information can be found

at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard and www.hpra.ieSuspected adverse events should also be reported

to Sanofi Tel: 08000 902 314 (for UK) andTel: 01 403 5600 (for Ireland).

BC_4479_SP_SP Travel WP - Rabies_V5_Independent Practitioner Today_FINAL.indd 1 29/11/2017 10:05