The UK government has shared plans for two reviews exploring patient safety within the health system, examining firstly the roles and remits within six organisations overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care with a “significant” impact on patient safety, with a view to making recommendations on whether a different approach could offer improvements; and secondly focusing on quality and governance.
The organisations – including CQC, National Guardian’s Office and HealthWatch England – will be assessed on whether they deliver effective leadership, listening, learning, and regulation to the health and care systems in relation to patient and user safety. Mapping is to be undertaken to explore organisational activities around quality and safety, standard setting in this area, and the handling of quality and safety as part of their remit. Additionally, processes for collecting patient experience feedback will be examined to check “how this could be more effectively channelled” and utilised as a basis for assessment and improvement.
The outcomes of the assessment will support the development of recommendations for a change in approach or delivery model, whilst the mapping work is to offer context for the review of each of the six organisations along with insights to inform the government’s 10-year health plan.
The two new reports follow a review of the CQC’s operational effectiveness which highlighted concerns around data quality and a deterioration in the regulator’s ability to identify and support improvements in poor performance.
Spotlight on patient safety, data quality, challenges and reform
The publication of Lord Darzi’s report last month highlighted key findings around “untapped” NHS data, missed opportunities for digital transformation, and issues relating to quality of healthcare provision and overall performance across the healthcare system. HTN’s call for comment resulted in a raft of feedback and reactions to these findings from leaders across the health sector, who reflected on these “missed opportunities”, the role of digital and data in helping to secure the future of the NHS, and more.
NHSE’s winter priorities also outlined a focus on how data will be used to support patient safety, quality of care and transformation, announcing how the winter operating function will aim to provide capabilities seven days a week such as situational reporting, designed to help organisations respond to pressures in real time; and plans for a Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) data-led review of the support needs across all acute sites.
NHSE’s board meeting from October also focused on key points of discussion around data improvements, community mental health review, primary care surveys, and more, with comments around how the NHS can support the government’s planned shift towards preventative, digital and community-based care.
At the end of last month, NHSE’s patient safety strategy for primary care noted the role of digital and data in areas such as automatically flagging patient safety issues to support reliability, and supporting clinical decision-making by digitally embedding diagnosis advice and safety netting.
Highlighting recommendations and best practice for the use of data
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting delivered a speech at the Royal College of General Practitioners this month, emphasising the role of technology in rebuilding and reforming general practice and emphasising data as “the future of the NHS”.
HTN conducted a case study on Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (BTHFT) Command Centre, a designated room described to be “optimised for cross-team working and data-driven interventions”, supporting patients and front-line caregivers through the use of real-time analytics generated through the Command Centre’s advanced technologies and data integration processes.
Our special report into the use of digital and data across Scotland also explored the landscape of digital healthcare, looking to strategic direction, key focuses, and insight from representatives of the Scottish Government, NHS National Services Scotland and Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre.
