From a maths graduate at Southampton University to the CEO of Nurse Next Door England, a Canadian elderly care organisation, Prash Patel’s journey demonstrates the power of care ambition and adaptability.
With a start in optometry that led to a successful partnership with Specsavers, Patel, alongside his wife, built a business that not only won countless service awards but also set records that still stand. His entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop there. In 2014, he ventured into home care by founding Care More, a move that earned him an invitation to Leaders of Great Britain in 2020. Last year marked a new chapter as Patel and his wife Karen struck a deal with Nurse Next Door, rebranding Care More and spearheading their expansion into Europe with the launch of new franchises.
Innovating Home Care
Prash Patel’s professional journey is a demonstration of leveraging past experiences to innovate within the healthcare sector. “What we learned at Specsavers was essential,” Patel reflects, “they taught us how to run businesses, how to market, how to incentivise staff and management.” This comprehensive business education proved invaluable when Patel formed the partnership with Nurse Next Door, where he applies these principles to revolutionise home care.
Emphasising the strategic importance of the organisation, Patel says, “Nurse Next Door is completely different to any other home care company in the world,” a bold claim substantiated by their unique ‘happier ageing’ philosophy. This approach, which seeks to enrich the lives of the elderly by fulfilling their long-lost passions, was inspired by Patel’s belief in the power of asking the right questions: “What is it that you used to love doing that you can’t do?” By integrating his multifaceted business acumen with a genuine desire to impact lives positively, Patel has positioned Nurse Next Door England as an exemplary organisation in the care sector.
Addressing Key Concerns
But when it comes to the challenges faced by the sector, Prash is candid. “Recruitment is a challenge every industry is suffering from,” Patel admits, highlighting the stark reduction of European workers, which used to constitute 70% of their workforce. To address this, Nurse Next Door has increased pay rates, though Patel acknowledges this is a double-edged sword: “If they come to us because we pay them a bit more, another care company has probably lost out.”
Patel has consciously steered clear of the visa route for recruitment, citing the unpredictability of rules and the inability to offer guaranteed hours as deterrents. “It just seemed fraught with danger,” he explains, emphasising the importance of focusing on UK-based staff to maintain service consistency.
Beyond recruitment, Patel is pioneering a service model that sets Nurse Next Door apart. Unlike other home care companies, they employ nurses directly, alleviating the strain on overworked district nurses and enhancing patient care. “We’ve got nurses on board who can actually just go out in 10 minutes time and get that sorted,” says Patel, illustrating the organisation’s agility and commitment to timely care. This innovative approach not only improves service quality but also promises cost savings for the healthcare system. Patel is actively engaging with councils and CCGs to expand this model, aiming to establish a network of nurses across England and ultimately elevate community nursing services. “That is our goal,” Patel asserts, “and that will improve all the services for nursing in the community.”
A Pillar for Transforming Care
Alongside recruitment is a rapidly ageing population and the consequent strain on social care, and the Nurse Next Door CEO offers a clarion call to leaders and policymakers: “social care needs fixing,” he asserts. Patel highlights the dire need for adequate funding, lamenting the futile expenditure on surveys that fail to catalyse change. “It's really a case of funding it,” he says.
What about the ideal leader in the care sector? For Patel, this would be someone who possesses a genuine passion and the ability to spearhead necessary transformations. He admires the founders of Nurse Next Door for their innovative approach, stating, “They sat down over the years and thought about the customer… they’re the kind of people who inspire me to think differently.”
Patel’s vision is embodied in the vibrant pink hue of Nurse Next Door’s brand, a deliberate choice to stand out and challenge norms. “It’s not the normal colour that two guys would normally think of,” he explains, “they chose it because they looked at the whole market and thought “ there’s no pink, it’s obvious we need it!”” This bold branding strategy, Patel says, is emblematic of the forward-thinking and distinct identity that care sector leaders should aspire to cultivate.
Prash’s insights ought to be heeded by those navigating the complexities of leadership in the care sector. His emphasis on thoughtful customer-centric strategies and the courage to break the mould are invaluable lessons for leaders striving to make a tangible difference in a landscape marked by challenges and opportunities.
