It’s a ‘data’ remember, as the team behind our new digital system to improve patient care has picked up a Highly Commended national partnership award.
The judges in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) award for Best Consultancy Partnership with the NHS, were impressed with our introduction of a new system for storing and recovering clinical data, which has helped us to improve the care we provide and the experience of our patients.
We developed the Clinical Data Improvement Programme (CDIP) in consultation with the talented team at Grant Thornton LLP.
As a result of the work, we have improved our planning, helping to ensure that patients are treated efficiently and effectively.
It has also made it easier for us to feed in information at a national level.
Benefits of the new digital system
Jug Johal, director of estates and facilities and senior responsible officer for the work, said: “As a Trust, we are really seeing the benefits of this new digital system, which has had a really positive effect on how we support and treat our patients.
“This wasn’t something we could have done on our own – we needed the insight and expert support of the Grant Thornton team to improve our systems.
“However, I also knew that the only way this change would be sustainable was if the programme could be a true partnership, so that the Trust felt genuine ownership of the changes being implemented, and so my staff could develop their own technical knowledge and improvement skills through the programme.”
Dr Shankar Kamath, consultant physician and geriatrician added that he believed there were still further benefits to come from the partnership.
He said: “We should be able to use this approach to solve some of the other difficult issues that face us.
“The process has truly been a team effort. It has included work from clinicians looking at diagnostic groups of patients, coders and staff from Grant Thornton.
“The medical directors have then taken the project forward and members of the Trust board (including the SRO) have ensured that the resources and facilities were available with investment of time and effort.”