Ralph Cook joins healthcare consultancy Channel 3 as Partner

Channel 3 Consulting has added Ralph Cook to its social care team. Heading up the division, Cook hopes to help social care organisations begin their digital journey, as they respond to the changing health and care demands of post-pandemic Britain.

As a result of the ongoing pandemic, the UK’s public health institutions remain under immense strain. While the NHS struggles with rising patient numbers, social care organisations also face pressure relating to spiralling workloads and budgetary issues. There is a major need to exploit new cost-saving innovations – whether through existing digital investments or emerging solutions –  and in this context, consultants who can help the NHS with these issues are subsequently in keen demand across the institution.

Since 2009, Channel 3 Consulting has worked with organisations across the NHS and private healthcare on realising better patient outcomes, improving internal operations and delivering change. While healthcare is its main area of focus, the consulting firm also provides advisory and programme delivery services to the public and third sectors. As demand for the firm’s services grows from the UK’s social care sector, Channel 3 has announced a new Partner.

Respected industry figure Ralph Cook has arrived to spearhead the consultancy’s growth in the social care sector. He brings with him over two decades of experience shaping and delivering complex transformation programmes for government and public health bodies. Most recently these focussed on adult social care and the public’s interface with health.

Commenting on Cook’s appointment, Channel 3 CEO John Howard, said, “I’m absolutely delighted to have Ralph leading our growth into the social care sector. His appointment represents a significant investment in our ambition to make a profound, positive impact in an area of huge national importance that affects the wellbeing of millions of our loved ones. From the first time I met Ralph, I was inspired by his passion for making a difference to peoples’ lives and to helping the care sector deliver truly outstanding services. As a business, we share his passion for the role digital can play in the sector and I’m excited to have Ralph as part of the Channel 3 team.”

Cook arrives from IMPOWER – but has also held consulting roles previously with PwC and Syntegra. A vocal advocate of the need for radical reform in social care, Cook joins Channel 3 to pursue his passion for helping the sector pioneer new thinking and ultimately help people improve their independence and life outcomes.

Although this has been the cornerstone of best practice for years, Cook believes the social care sector has yet to fully realise the benefits that digital solutions can bring. While “huge advances have been made in medicine and pharmacology,”  he believes that if the health and care sectors are to meet the demands of UK citizens throughout their lives, the sectors “must fully embrace the opportunities that digital and data offer.”

“The current model of health and care is not sustainable in its present form,” Cook added. “We will simply never have enough frontline staff to provide the care that is needed to meet future demand. Continuing to do more of the same is no longer an option. The digital opportunities are endless, whether they be wearable and mobile technologies that help people remain independent outside the home, solutions in the home and other care settings that reduce the need for human support or predictive analytics that prevent escalation of need.”

According to Cook, the pandemic has brought the challenges in the current system into focus – but it has also shown that the UK’s population is able to adapt to digital technology to communicate, shop and access support. Now, “even those who’ve been resistant to digitalisation of the sector in the past have come to recognise the need for change,” but with new technologies evolving all the time, “it can be difficult for an organisation to know where to start.”

In this case, Cook concluded, “Consultancies like Channel 3 are invaluable because we are able to provide impartial and  pragmatic advice based on many years’ experience. We help system leaders and frontline staff focus on improving peoples’ lives without having to worry about the technology. Our role is to help deliver fundamental changes that will improve all our lives in the future.”