Barts Health Quality Improvement Training

Barts Health’s ‘Safe and Compassionate’ plan recognises the enormous value of staff contributing to improvements in their services. This is underpinned by Listening into Action, and supported by training for staff in Quality Improvement. We started by providing a three day course ‘Introduction to Quality Improvement’, initially assisted by the AQuA academy. This includes both a toolkit based around the Model for Improvement including good measurement techniques, sustainability and spread, and some supporting theoretical concepts including the role of human factors in error, stakeholder and team engagement and resilience.

Those attending include members of teams who are actively involved in delivering an improvement and prospective improvement champions.

Following the70:20:10 model of blended learning, we offer facilitation support to the teams both on the training days and in the 3 week intervals between training days, as well as follow up support for three months afterwards. Using this model we have so far supported three cohorts, in total 104 trainees, working on 37 improvements. These improvements covered a wide variety of topics. Examples include: Save the septic – in 3 departments over 2 sites, greatly improved compliance with the ‘sepsis 6 was achieved , with patients now receiving antibiotics within an hour of sepsis being suspected

Improved end of life care – collaborative working across agencies to increase the number of patients dying at home

I have great NEWS for you – training and targeted support to help wards utilise the NEWS scoring system, resulting in higher compliance and more appropriate referrals to the early intervention team

As soft as a baby’s bottom – a skin integrity assessment tool was tested then implemented on a neonatal unit, resulting in a reduction of facial skin trauma related to CPAP and ventilation.

Increased smoking cessation referrals in maternity – use of a validated tool to detect increased carbon monoxide levels was introduced, leading to increased numbers of referrals to the smoking cessation service

Improved pathway following perinatal loss – achieved improved up uptake of post mortem investigations and a smoother follow-up pathway, so that patient experience was easier and better information was available with the potential to reduce recurrence

Reduced SIs due to incorrect demographics in sexual health – process changes to reduce inaccurate demographic information and consequent serious incidents resulting from being unable to contact patients

To supplement this training we also provide three half day courses for the wider team members and others who are interested. These are

Introduction to Improvement

Measurement for Improvement

Managing People Through Change In the first three months we have had over 120 attendances, including some whole teams. Examples include our e-rostering team who wished to learn how to deal with resistance to change, and the Royal London Hospital project support team.

We have actively sought feedback from participants, which has helped us to refine the courses (using PDSA methodology of course!). It has

been very gratifying to receive some fabulous feedback and to receive praise from members of the executive on our first celebration day.

Janice Roper

Change manager

Barts Health

[email protected]