Background
Both directors of the Clinical Audit Support Centre spent a number of years working with primary care professionals during their time in the NHS. Indeed, the work carried out by Stephen and Tracy at Leicestershire Primary Care Audit Group gained both local and national praise. CASC work across all healthcare sectors but we continue to provide a number of useful resources to assist our friends in primary care. The emphasis is on creating innovative, simple and useful tools and training. More details appear below.
Work on reducing DNA’s
Many practices encounter problems with high numbers of patients that ‘do not attend’ (DNA) for appointments. CASC are eager to assist practices in trying to reduce their DNA rate and with this in mind we have created a DNA Excel Tracker, click here to download this. The Excel document creates a run chart that allows practices to monitor their DNA rate on a week-by-week basis. For more details, click here to watch the short film that we have created with the help of Practice Index. In addition, in July 2017 we commenced work on a six-month project to see if we could help practices reduce their DNAs by way of making small and simple interventions. A number of practices participated in this project and some reported a reduction in their DNA rate of up to 25%. CASC are now working on a DNA guide and this will be available soon. Click here, for a sample of relevant factsheets.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardians
Since September 2017 all GP practices have had to appoint at least one Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUG). This initiative originates from a number of important recent national reports (Francis, Keogh and Berwick – all published in 2013) and the focus is all about providing staff with guidance and support on how to raise concerns. CASC have a special interest in this work as Tracy was appointed FTSUG for Rainbows Hospice in April 2017. Tracy has created a factsheet that provides more details on FTSUG initiative and you can access this by clicking here.
Significant Event Audit
For over 15 years, CASC Directors have supported practices to learn from incidents and improve patient safety by using significant event audit (SEA). We have created an array of tools that you will find useful. Through collaboration with Practice Index we have developed a barometer that allows you to compare your SEA work with best practice – this takes 10 minutes to complete and provides you with instant feedback. Visit www.practiceindex.co.uk to access this resource. Click here for more details. We have also created a four-page guide based on feedback from the Care Quality Commission that highlights the approach taken to SEA by practices rated as outstanding. This document has received excellent feedback and is available here. Click here to download this. Further, we provide accredited training in SEA and more details are available here.
Clinical Audit
We offer accredited training in clinical audit and this can be delivered via a number of methods: central courses, in-house training and distance-learning. We have had many GPs and practices nurses complete an audit via the distance-learning course as they can do this at their own pace and this helps them meet revalidation and appraisal requirements. Click here, for more details on our clinical audit training. In addition, we are working with a number of IT experts who are able to interrogate your computer system using SNOWMED in order to conduct effective clinical audit projects. Indeed, we have access to experts who can assist in all elements of data extraction, e.g. identifying all your patients who have served in the armed forces, etc.
Patient Participation Groups
CASC have a special interest in PPGs. This stems from the recent work that Stephen has undertaken by volunteering to be a PPG member at his local practice. From 2014-16 Stephen was the PPG chairman of Merridale Medical Centre in Leicester and their work was featured in a HQIP case study. Since 2017, Stephen has been a member of his PPG at Hockley Farm practice in Leicester. As part of his role as a PPG member, Stephen has spent considerable time researching PPGs with particular focus on feedback received via Care Quality Commission inspections. Click here, for our flyer that explains seven ways in which PPGs can be more effective.
Conducting effective surveys
Across the NHS services are increasingly expected to conduct surveys to obtain direct feedback from patients, families, carers, etc. in order to help shape and improve care. Practices are expected to offer patients the opportunity to provide feedback via the Friends and Family Test (FFT). In addition, practices will often conduct annual and one-off surveys often with the input of their PPG. However, many surveys are poorly constructed and include biased and leading questions. CASC can assist you in constructing surveys that are fit-for-purpose and robust. We can also take the strain and stress away by developing and running surveys for you. We have created a short guide to assist you in running local surveys, click here for more details.
Protected learning time/away day support
We are happy to help plan and facilitate practice away-days and work with a number of inspirational speakers. Our focus is on helping teams function more effectively and helping all practice staff understand that whatever their role they are a vital cog in the practice machine. We also run a one-day course on leadership skills. In addition, we have been asked to present at a number of protected-learning time events and conferences. Our approach is to make our training and talks, interactive, practical and fun. Please contact us to find out how we can assist you with local events.