The Black Country Acute Provider Collaborative (BCAPC) was formed in September 2020 as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and a way to manage the practicalities and pressures of patient care across organisations. The initial focus of the collaborative was centred on establishing a clinical improvement programme which was driven by a recognition of entrenched health inequalities, poor cancer outcomes, and a range of surgical specialties for whom access had deteriorated significantly.
Action taken
The clinical improvement programme includes the setup of eleven clinical networks which has allowed clinicians within specialities across the system to build relationships, increasing their ability to work effectively together. Each clinical network meets monthly and is led by an appointed clinical lead supported by a project manager, and in some instances an operational manager to deliver agreed priorities. In addition, monthly strategic support is provided to help focus their work and 'unblock' arising issues through a regular '2:1 meeting' with the BCAPC managing director and chief medical officer.
Outcomes and impact
As part of their clinical improvement work, the collaborative has been able to transform services in some of their clinical areas, for example dermatology, by centralising the pathways for specialist treatments, such as Mohs micrographic surgery, and repurposing buildings to act as system hubs for particular services, which specialist clinicians from across the system can access.
Significant progress is also being made with the establishment of new arrangements for urological cancer services. This is expected to help the system improve access to urological cancer services, which in turn should support much needed improvements with cancer health outcomes for patients across the system.
The Black Country Acute Provider Collaborative's partner organisations are The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. You can read more about this work in our case study here.