Some of the changes the Black Country provider collaborative has implemented are transactional, others are major changes which will take time to embed fully and deliver improvements in patient care and experience.
Managing director Sohaib Khalid was keen to ensure that the clinical teams were given space to develop their relationships, to build trust amongst organisations and the resource to formulate their priorities before any performance or outcome measurements were imposed.
However, all of the clinical networks are now successfully implementing changes and delivering clinical improvements which are beginning to reach patients – as demonstrated by the examples in this case study in dermatology, orthopaedics and urology.
The collaborative has been using Getting it right first time (GIRFT) to identify areas for improvement and measure the effectiveness of their improvement work. Professor Tim Briggs, founder of the GIRFT programme, attended a Black Country clinical summit meeting at which the clinical leads presented the GIRFT data and their approach to managing it, and they are on track to achieve their aims.
The most important factor has been laying strong foundations to get the data where it needs to. The support, resource and time the clinical leads have been given as part of the collaborative has undoubtedly allowed them to get to this position.
Messages to other provider collaboratives
- 'In terms of clinical improvement programmes, we have found that the key is to ensure that there is highly respected clinical leadership which is appropriately resourced and supported – empowered and enabled'.
- 'Ensure that you continue to optimise decision-making processes to ensure successful outcomes are attained and you don’t stifle progress.'
- 'An important motivator for clinical teams is the fact that business cases have gone through which enables people to see action and outputs as a consequence of the provider collaborative.'
- 'Engagement, engagement and engagement – you can't do enough when you're trying to make collaboration work.'