Spending Challenge

The Spending Challenge is an open invitation for public sector workers to contribute to the government’s Spending Review, helping to rethink public services to deliver more for less. It’s open initially to public sector workers between now and July 8th, when it will be opened to the wider public.
The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have committed that the government will look at every single idea that comes in. All the suggestions will be considered by a team of officials at the heart of government. The final Spending Review, which will set out detailed spending plans for all government departments, will be published on October 20th.
Click here to find out more

Improving NHS productivity with the Horizon Enterprise Visibility tool

Improving productivity and performance and improving patient care is central to the future of the NHS. As NHS trusts face increasingly austere cost efficiency measures over the coming years, anything that helps them reduce long term cost, increase the efficiency and productivity of clinical staff and improve the quality of patient care can only be welcomed.
At Walsall Hospitals Trust in the Midlands and at London’s Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust, a new display system that gives staff access to real time data showing patient, bed and ward information is having such an effect. Click here to find out more

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PCT procurement guide for improving services for patients

This guide outlines the use of procurement to improve services for patients. It reflects the overarching principles of transparency, proportionality, non-discrimination and equality of treatment.

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Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: Profound Results, Profound Challenges

The public sector is facing increasing pressure to reduce costs, in this seminar you are shown how Vanguard’s pioneering work applying Systems methods in service organisations leads to dramatic improvements in service, cost, revenue and morale.
At the seminar you will learn why traditional approaches to change and improvement have made services worse and costs higher. You will be given advice on dealing with these key issues from a systems point of view focussing on value to design service systems against citizens’ demands, and to deliver financial savings and improved services at the same time.
The dates are Thursday 19th August – Leeds, Thursday 16th September - Manchester, Other dates to be announced.

The event is for public sector and government personnel, academics and journalists ONLY. This offer is limited and on a first-come first-served basis, so to reserve your place(s) please call 01280 822255 or email pr@vanguardconsult.co.uk for a booking form. The cost is £95 + VAT per delegate, to cover the event costs. Lunch is included, and delegates will also receive a free copy of John Seddon’s latest book.

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FREE Improvement Tools

For the last three years, the Improvement Network has been offering free access to a suite of improvement tools to help support the needs of managers. These are accessible to public sector managers and practitioners across health, local government and police sectors. The tools cover a range of 16 topics including communication, change management and partnership working.
Register now for free access the Improvement Network's Improvement Tools

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E-Health Awards 2010 - applications open!

Have your team used IT to improve the safety of patients? Made services more efficient? Transformed the working lives of clinicians?
Entries for the E-Health Insider Awards 2010 are now open and free to enter. Click here for further information and to submit your application. Nominations close on 4th June 2010!

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Helping Leaders “Blink” Correctly

In the first of two articles, IHI’s Bob Lloyd describes two of four core skills health care leaders need to use data appropriately in decision making: understanding the messiness of improving health care, and determining why you are measuring. Without these capacities, Dr. Lloyd argues, we run the risk of going off in the wrong direction in the “blink of an eye.”
Read the article in Healthcare Executive

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Realising the benefits: IAPT full roll out

Realising the Benefits details the next steps in the move towards the full roll out of improving access to psychological therapy (IAPT) services. The guidance provides support for established and developing services, focusing on quality standards and analysing the progress that has been made in rolling out services to date.
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Sir David Nicholson: be ambitious to meet NHS challenges in 2010

NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson talks to HealthExecTV about the keys to success for the NHS as it enters the toughest financial climate it has ever known. Sir David identifies ways to drive the biggest efficiency savings and quality improvements, and challenges leaders to be ambitious in their approach to change and innovation. To view the interview, click here!

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OncoAlert Launched

The NHS Institute has launched OncoAlert, a toolkit to help cancer professionals work with other hospital teams to streamline the pathway for patients who enter hospital via the emergency route.
Packaged as a CD-ROM with a variety of tools and templates that teams can use to make pathway improvements, OncoAlert was developed following an investigation into the pathway for sick patients with suspected cancer.
Read the Focus on: Sick Patients with Suspected Cancer report »
Order a copy of OncoAlert »

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New programme for Patient Safety Leaders

The NHS Institute launches a new programme for Patient Safety Leaders on 23 February with another programme planned for September. The programme is delivered through three separate units totalling six days. It equips staff with the passion, confidence and skills to improve patient safety. The aim is to help trusts build the capacity and capability for safety improvement within teams of frontline staff.
The programme is practical and hands on and shows how to use concepts such as Plan, Do, Study Act (PDSA) and the Model for Improvement (MFI.) It includes presentations, interactive discussions and teaching sessions led by leading improvement science specialists from the Safer Care teaching faculty, Warwick University, Professor Jean Penny from Derby University, the wider NHS and elsewhere. Please contact debbie.savage@institute.nhs.uk for more information.

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Innovations Competition 2010

The Yorkshire & Humber NHS Innovation Awards & Showcase 2010 aims to identify individuals and teams working for the NHS whose ideas or inventions have directly led to or could lead to improvements in patient care and must be capable of being scaled up for wider implementation across the NHS.

The competition is open to all NHS staff in the Yorkshire and Humber region (individuals and teams) or anyone working with an NHS employee in this area.

Closing Date: 5pm on Friday, 26th February 2010

For further information and submitting your entries go to the website

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Passport: Guiding Your Journey to Exceptional Care

IHI invites you to join Passport, a new cost-effective membership program for hospitals. When your organization joins Passport, your whole staff gains easy access to the practical tools and ongoing expert support for frontline teams as they improve key processes outlined in the IHI Improvement Map, the new online planning tool. Learn more about Passport membership

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The Search is on for the Top Ten High Impact Actions for Nursing & Midwifery

A search is on for the Top Ten High Impact Actions for Nursing and Midwifery. NHS Live know that you are likely to be involved in innovative projects that improve the quality of care for patients and reduce costs. If you are a nurse or midwife, NHS Live want you to let your colleagues know about your improvement so that they can do it too! If you aren’t, but you know of some fantastic improvements being made by nursing and midwifery colleagues, please forward this on to them. This is joint initiative by the Department of Health, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. It is looking for changes that you have already made within your organisation that have improved quality for patients and reduced costs that, if replicated nationally, would have a huge impact on the quality and cost of patient care. The top ten actions selected will be announced at the CNO’s conference on 11 November. Click here for further information.

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Process Mapping and Analysis for performance improvement A one-day workshop from Vanguard

This workshop provides comprehensive, straightforward guidance that takes the delegates step by step through how to define, map and analyse processes. It introduces delegates to simple practical and relevant tools that will help them to engage people and keep them focused on activity that will lead to improvements in efficiency and service to customers. Its being held on Thursday 10th September 2009 and Tuesday 6th October 2009 at Villiers Conference Centre, Buckingham. For further information and a booking form, please contact Maria at office@vanguardconsult.co.uk.

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New Horizons: towards a shared vision for mental health

This consultation sets out to take mental health care to a new level, by improving prevention of mental illness and supporting the local development of higher quality, more personalised services.

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IHI Call for Abstracts on quality Improvement or New Patient Initiatives

Does your organisation have quality improvement work or a new patient initiative to share? If so, IHI are eager to hear about your work that led to an improvement. You are invited to submit an abstract that will be considered for a poster presentation or session at the IHI/BMJ International Forum on Quality and Safety in Health Care in Nice, France, on April 20-23, 2010. The deadline for submissions is September 21, 2009. By submitting an abstract you can showcase your achievements to key international opinion leaders, Communicate your organisation’s work, Enhance your organisation’s profile amd Network with others in your field.
Click here for more information or to submit your abstract now.
To find out more about the Forum, watch this video from the 2009 International Forum.

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Invitation to East Midlands Rapid Improvement Event on Friday 17th July

You are invited to the East Midlands Rapid Improvement Event will be held on Friday 17th July at the Leicester Marriot.
This will feature best practice tips and lessons learned from trusts nationally and from the East Midlands’ pilot sites - University Hospitals of Leicester and United Lincolnshire Hospitals and is being supported by the National Institute High volume Care – Orthopaedic Rapid Improvement Programme Team. View the agenda for the day and the information pack for the event.
If you are interested in attending, please email Bernie Stocks.


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New guide for practice managers promotes access and responsiveness

A comprehensive guide is now available online for practice managers seeking new ways to improve access to and responsiveness of general practice. The DH-sponsored document is the result of collaboration by NHS Alliance, the British Medical Association, the National Association of Primary Care, the Institute for Healthcare Management, AMSPAR, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Family Doctor Association. An interactive version of the guide will be produced later in the year along with a revamped website. The existing site also includes a registration form for the practice managers' network, which has attracted more than 1,000 registrations since it went live earlier this year.

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The Productive Ward survey for maternity and delivery units

The Productive Series is carrying out a survey into how it can benefit maternity services/delivery units. We would like to hear from organisations that have implemented the programme in both maternity wards/delivery units, including those that have not done so yet but are interested in doing so. Please click here to participate in the survey.

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