The fourth QI learning event

Over sixty CNWL staff, QI coaches, Trust Governors and London Commissioners attended the fourth QI learning event since the programme’s inception. The theme was ‘improving safety.’

Ten QI projects were awarded certificates to recognise the achievement of a demonstrable or sustained improvement in a QI service. Dr Cornelius Kelly, CNWL Medical Director, hosted the event and awarded QI certificates to representatives from each of the QI project teams that have used QI methodology to make real service improvements. 

Dr Kelly said “It is a great pleasure to award these certificates and it is most important to recognise the achievements of all of our colleagues who have contributed to successful QI projects, knowing that this work makes a difference to the lives of service users, carers and staff.”

Delegates heard a wide range of QI success stories:

• Sexual health services achieved an improvement rate of up to 100% in three months with the implementation of a WHO style checklist, pre Intrauterine device (also known as the coil) insertion.
• Milton Keynes project:  Improving services for people with mental health needs who present to A&E reduced the rate of attendance at A&E by 20% in 12 months
• Offender Care ran a project to decrease the number of Do Not Attends (DNAs) to psychology group sessions and reduced that number by 60% in nine months.
• Addictions Services wanted 80% of clients to receive wellbeing interventions over a six week period. The Willesden Centre for health care increased its percentage of clients that have had a significant positive experience using a group format to 89% in two months.
• Milton Keynes Mental Health aimed to increase patient counselling on medication at discharge, and managed to increase that percentage by 60% in eight months.

The theme was improving safety and aimed to provide a stimulating and varied experience where attendees could immerse themselves in QI thinking, network with colleagues and learn from examples of QI projects that are currently in progress across CNWL services.

Delegates heard from external speakers Dr Bob Klaber, Deputy Medical Director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Dr Charlotte Hopkins, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Barts Health NHS Trust.  

Talking about their respective QI journeys, Bob described a similar experience to CNWL; building capacity and will at all levels over time are vital to embedding an improvement culture.  Whilst Charlotte’s message was one of encouragement; keep going, don’t give up and you will get there.

Feedback from the event suggests staff want to spend more time in discussion, so the ‘all teach, all learn’ ethos of QI seems to be seeping into our thinking.

The next QI event will take place in April 2020. Look out for announcements in the QI newsletter, in weekly news and on twitter at @QiCnwl.