20 November 2024

CNWL's Improvement Academy recently welcomed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) for their annual visit, celebrating seven years of Quality Improvement at CNWL and marking another significant milestone in the Trust's ongoing commitment to Quality Improvement (QI).

During their time at the Trust, the IHI representatives engaged with senior leaders and staff members across the organisation, gaining valuable insights into CNWL’s strategic and current improvement priorities. The discussions served as a platform to reflect on the progress made in embedding a culture of continuous improvement and to identify opportunities for further development. 

The IHI spent some time with the Expert by Experience (EbE) forum panel, hearing how CNWL are actively working to ensure involvement in all our improvement work and reflecting on the progress of the EbE forum. The IHI team commented that the level of commitment to involvement at CNWL was one of the highest levels they have seen.

 

Site visits to support improvement

As part of their visit, the IHI team of four faculty members spent time with staff and teams across the Trust's three divisions, hearing first-hand about the impactful improvement work being undertaken. Each team showcased their efforts to enhance patient outcomes, improve patient pathways and foster a positive working environment.  The IHI team used these site visits to also provide coaching, sharing global best practices and providing tailored feedback to help teams further refine their approaches. 

Pedro Delgado, Vice President of IHI said of the visit:

“The Trust’s progress was impressive with a maturity of improvement efforts. We saw enthusiasm of the front line to use the method, met inspirational individuals and evidence of strong clinical and leadership engagement.

The Trust’s improvement ethos and Expert by Experience efforts were evident everywhere!”

 

Reflections and Future Direction

The two day visit concluded with a collaborative reflection session where Improvement Academy Board members reviewed the key takeaways and identified priorities for the coming year. This included discussions on: 

- Strengthening the link between QI and large scale change

- Considering how QI can support productivity

- Continuing to build on successful tests to scale improvements across the organisation and share learning

- Focussing on sustainable improvement in large scale change programmes

"Having the IHI visit is always an energising experience," said Alison Butler, Director of Improvement. "Their expertise and insights help us see our work through a wider lens, and their encouragement reinforces our commitment to making meaningful changes for our patients and staff." 

The annual IHI visit serves as a reminder of the power of partnership and shared learning in supporting quality improvement.