A Chat with Claire Goodall, CEO at Telehealth Company: Well by Vertis

Tell us about Well by Vertis

Vertis is a federation of GP practices that was formed in 2013 to enable us to work more effectively at scale on contracts that delivered primary care services to patients in Worcestershire.
The landscape of general practice has changed considerably since that time and we have adapted our services to include supporting Primary Care Networks with functions that wouldn’t be efficiently delivered on a small scale, such as Human Resources and Finance.

Ultimately, our aim is to protect and support our GP members to ensure that they can continue to provide an exceptional service for many years to come.

Building on that, at the beginning of this year we launched Well by Vertis. Well by Vertis operates in the digital health space. It specialises in GLP-1 injections for weight loss, with service users supported by consistent, one-to-one telehealth appointments with UK-registered GPs and specialist nurses.

Well by Vertis’ telehealth model fills a critical gap in the market by offering an affordable, clinically safe service with expert medical oversight and the convenience of remote video consultations at every step. Each patient’s regular video consultations are conducted by a senior GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner trained in GLP-1 prescribing and weight management.
These consultations provide ongoing monitoring, tailored advice, and adjustments to treatment plans as needed. By focusing on comprehensive care and holistic health, coupled with the convenience of digital touchpoints, Well by Vertis aims to deliver better patient outcomes compared to online pharmacies.

In addition to improving individual health outcomes, Well by Vertis has a unique community-first approach. Revenues from the service are reinvested into local Primary Care services, improving the healthcare infrastructure for Worcestershire and beyond.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

Vertis was originally formed by a group of local GPs who acknowledged the threat of private companies bidding for NHS contracts and removing funding from the system for general practice. They felt strongly that primary care was best delivered by your own GP practice and the funding available for services should be reinvested in the NHS rather than paying shareholder dividends in private companies. That’s always been our ethos—whether it’s with our NHS commissioned services, or with a private service like Well by Vertis, we want to protect local NHS services through reinvestment and continued growth.

The launch of Well by Vertis has been inspired by growing patient demand for effective weight management solutions. Our UK-based GPs and weight loss nurses aim to help patients move away from buying weight loss drugs from unlicensed providers online, which can be incredibly dangerous, and offer a safe, affordable alternative with expert care delivered by medical professionals.

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

You never know what is round the next corner. It’s vital to be agile and adaptable to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. An example for us, was the opportunity to run the three Covid Vaccination centres for Worcestershire during the pandemic. We had six weeks to mobilise, which included taking on 900 new staff members from all walks of life. As a result, we administered 700,000 vaccines delivered to patients in our local community in just under eighteen months.

What most excites you about Well by Vertis?

The constant challenge to grow the business and build our reputation. Not only are we diversifying our services, but we’re also reviewing internal processes to maximise quality and efficiency—which means we’re always able to reflect and grow.

We focus heavily on data and digital development to continually improve patient care. We’ve also designed new digital reporting solutions which will further drive measurable improvements in health outcomes. We also continue to develop our tech stack to better serve our community and service users.

How has the company evolved over the last couple of years

With the successful development of Primary Care Networks, naturally many NHS services are now being delivered by them at a neighbourhood level. That requires us to think and act on a bigger scale, becoming an invaluable provider that bridges the gap between secondary and primary care, whilst also being able to deliver a range of services to private customers.

What can we hope to see from Well by Vertis in the future?

More diversification! We plan to enhance our suite of private services at Well, whilst also taking on the challenge of “left shift” from hospital settings in our core business, Vertis Health – delivering outpatient care, in community settings, in our local community.

Well gives us the opportunity to reinvest and better support services like this, which in turn helps us uplift patient experience in our area—so we’re really excited about what lies ahead.