We have taken this learning and developed our new Quality Strategy – Becoming the Best.
We have created a set of priorities for the year (what we will do) and they are underpinned by the Quality Strategy (how we will do it); all of which is supported by our values which celebrate their 10th anniversary this year.
We have not needed to start from scratch. We have already made a wide range of improvements over the last few years through our Quality Commitment, for example for patients with sepsis, and have seen improved outcomes and reduced harm as a result. Our Listening into Action programme has empowered front-line teams to make changes that have improved things for patients and staff.
What we want to do now is to build on what we have achieved to take us further forward.
It will not be all change; our Trust Values, which we hold dear and are ten years old this year, will remain the same. But we will find new ways to allow us to deliver on our Values every day, recognising the barriers that get in the way and working together to remove them.
So what does this mean in practice?
Whilst we are clear on “what good looks like”, there is much work to do on the “how”. This will involve everyone working together with our patients, to do some more detailed thinking about how we deliver the approach which is set out in the Quality Strategy. This is a long term plan, not a quick-fix, and you should not expect to see everything change all at once.
Based on what we have seen work elsewhere, we will be applying the approach below to everything that we do:
- We will understand what is happening in our services, so that we know what needs to be improved
- We will have clear priorities and plans for improvement, so that we are clear about what we are trying to do
- We will develop our culture and leadership, so that everyone is empowered and encouraged to make improvements
- We will adopt a single approach to improvement (our quality improvement methodology), and give people at all levels the skills to use it
- We will always involve our patients when we are making improvements that impact on them and their care
- We will integrate this work with the wider health and social care system, of which we are a part.
The diagram shows how Becoming the Best will look over the next 12 months. The pink and green cogs are the specific priorities that we will be looking to improve or progress this year, using the quality improvement approach shown in the blue cog. This will be underpinned by our Trust Values, with a “golden thread” of patient and public involvement at the centre
