Graduates of The PSC's Leading Improvement programme at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in King’s Lynn have recently shared their experiences via the Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff.

Success on the wards

The graduates – all ward managers at the Trust – led improvement projects on their wards focusing on increasing the number of patients discharged before 12pm to improve the quality of patient care, as well as building trust between staff groups and a culture of clinically-led improvement. Amongst other improvements, this work delivered:

• An 11% increase in the total number of discharges
• A 26% increase in the number of discharges before midday
• A 10% decrease in the median length of stay
• A 28% increase in the use of the discharge lounge

2020 Delivery supported participants through an 8-week programme of training and 1:1 support, which culminated in a presentation of their achievements to the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer.

The 8-week projects, which covered topics ranging from launching afternoon board rounds to encouraging use of the discharge lounge, were part of a programme of locally-owned improvement initiatives across all core inpatient wards at the hospital. The resulting improvements these projects delivered equated to an additional 7 beds per week available before midday, and a total of 25 additional discharges per week. This helped to deliver an improvement in urgent and emergency care patient flow, with patients being seen more quickly in the Emergency Department.

National audience

The case studies have been published on the Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff, an online repository of ideas, innovations and concepts from across the NHS set up by Roy Lilley, of the Institute for Healthcare Management, and Dr Terri Porrett.

These case studies join thousands of examples of improvement and invention from across the health service. The articles have been shared nationwide through the Academy’s popular twitter platform.

A team effort

Reflecting on her experience in the mentoring programme, ward manager Tania Afonso said:

“I didn't think I could make a difference, but now I know I can”

Describing the overall programme Denise Smith, QEHKL Chief Operating Officer, said:

“The PSC have done exactly what they promised, working alongside us as part of our team to help trust staff deliver”

Following these publications, 2020 Delivery Managing Consultant Samuel Rose said:

“The ward teams’ dedication to improving care for patients has been inspirational. QEH have created a blueprint for hospitals across the UK, showing how they can work together to significantly improve care for patients in just a few weeks.”

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