Inside Story - University College London Hospitals
Inside Story - University College London Hospitals
Inside Story - University College London Hospitals
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quality, efficiency and productivity<br />
QEP: one year on<br />
A series of special events are on the horizon to mark the first<br />
anniversary of the Trust’s Quality, Efficiency and Productivity (QEP)<br />
programme.<br />
Staff are invited to activities and workshops to showcase and share<br />
the impressive work that is underway across the Trust. National NHS<br />
efficiency lead Jim Easton returns as guest speaker.<br />
In this edition of <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Story</strong>, we are looking at the achievements of the<br />
past year – ways we have improved quality of care, treated more patients<br />
and saved money. Plus, we’ll be looking at the important challenges that lie<br />
ahead.<br />
For more information on QEP week, which is<br />
beginning on 28 February, click the QEP button on<br />
the front page of Insight.<br />
Improving the way we care for the elderly<br />
The elderly care team has redesigned the way it cares for patients to help them<br />
recover quickly. As well as proving popular with patients, 1,542 bed days have<br />
been saved. This is helping us treat more people needing care.<br />
How did they do it?<br />
Elderly patients are now assessed by a<br />
specialist consultant soon after arriving on the<br />
Acute Medical Unit, rather than when<br />
transferred to a ward. Care is coordinated from<br />
the outset and often requires a complex<br />
package of health and social care assessment.<br />
Once on the ward, nursing staff regularly visit the bedside to reassure and support<br />
the elderly patients.<br />
The team has achieved the highest pre-11am discharge<br />
in the trust with 40% of patients leaving hospital<br />
promptly in the mornings.<br />
Regular outpatient clinics with specialist consultants help<br />
minimise re-admissions.<br />
Success stories<br />
QEP champions<br />
among those who<br />
Trust's Improvem<br />
provides practical<br />
to help them del<br />
projects in the<br />
We are on target to save £32m this financial year<br />
Streamlining surgery<br />
Clinical teams at the NHNN have worked hard to<br />
reduce the length of time non-elective patients stay in<br />
hospital before and after their operation. For<br />
example, where patients have been transferred from<br />
other hospitals for specialist brain and spinal surgery,<br />
the average stay is down from 16 to 13 days.<br />
How has this been achieved?<br />
Surgery times are booked as soon as a patient is<br />
accepted for treatment and admissions planned more<br />
thoroughly. Improved communication means patients<br />
on urgent standby are fully ready for their operation at<br />
short notice.<br />
Post surgery, length of stay was shortened by more<br />
efficient assessments after the operation; improved<br />
protocols and a new discharge lounge has<br />
streamlined transfers to another hospital or home.<br />
Developing strong relationships and high levels of<br />
trust with teams in partner hospitals has been vital.<br />
The number of agency staff has been halved,<br />
saving around £12m. But the aim is to have no<br />
agency staff, (achieved by maternity, paediatrics,<br />
medical specialities and infection division last<br />
month)<br />
We are treating more patients than ever before<br />
We have reduced waiting times (eg IVF clinic);<br />
reduced length of stay following surgery (eg The<br />
Heart Hospital and care of the elderly); increased<br />
outpatient care; increased theatre use at UCH by<br />
10%; increased pre-11am discharge across all<br />
areas<br />
Quality indicators are performing well, with<br />
mortality rates now among the best in the<br />
country, and recently at a record low for the<br />
Trust<br />
4
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