NHS Impact

What is NHS IMPACT?

NHS IMPACT (Improving Patient Care Together) is NHS England’s single improvement approach to support healthcare organisations, systems and providers to shape their strategy. Underpinning this with continuous improvement, NHS organisations can share best practice and learn from one another. NHS IMPACT does not prescribe an improvement methodology but instead focuses on the ‘DNA’ that underpins all evidenced based improvement methods.

The National Improvement Board

The ongoing work of NHS IMPACT is underpinned by the National Improvement Board which brings together NHS executives, directors and clinical leaders to collectively set the direction of organisation wide improvement.

Successful implementation of NHS IMPACT

Implementing NHS IMPACT involves five components from this improvement DNA which underpin a systematic approach to continuous improvement:

~ Building a shared purpose and vision
~ Investing in people and culture
~ Developing leadership behaviours
~ Building improvement capability and capacity
~ Embedding improvement into management systems and processes

Evidence shows that when these five principles of NHS IMPACT are consistently used, NHS providers develop a systematic approach, creating the right conditions for organisation wide improvement to happen and high performance to take place. They can respond to today’s challenges and in turn deliver better care for patients and better outcomes for communities.

So how does the FCA relate to these principles?

At the heart of the FCA are our own 6 guiding principles which are based on our learning and evidence of the improvement DNA that forms our foundations. Although there are differences, there are striking similarities which in part explains why the FCA has cited case studies within recent NHS IMPACT communications and webinars.

The FCA provides a methodology for pathway improvement and has authenticity and evaluated evidence that applying our methodology works. Where organisational conditions and leadership are aligned, success and sustainability have been shown to be even greater. Although our methodology can work in isolation our, evidence and experience shows that investment in training multiple coaches helps support the conditions for success. Meaningful leadership sponsorship aligned around organisational priorities and a commitment to a continuous improvement strategy complete the picture. We predict the emerging development of quality management systems will further support the principles of the FCA.

So where does the FCA align with NHS IMPACT?

Building a shared purpose and vision.

FCA methodology is organised around our roadmap for improvement that is brought to life during our immersive training. Coaches actively apply their new knowledge and build relationships during pre-phase work before they bring key stakeholders together in a regular improvement meeting we call a Big Room. Our assessment phase, the 5V’s, has Vision as a core element and the Big Room collectively works to define this to help align purpose and the ultimate goal of the improvement work.

Investing in people and culture.

The FCA way makes no excuses that complex pathway improvement takes time and commitment. It relies heavily on human interactions, relationship building and a deep routed belief that in order to improve care it is essential to invest in the people who provide the care and those who experience it. Big Rooms are a continuous improvement approach and by default can run indefinitely. Coaches encourage the development of a continuous improvement culture within the Big Rooms and actively work with people as the greatest improvement resource available.

Developing leadership behaviours.

Coaches themselves inherently develop leadership behaviours by virtue of the training and the application of it. Our course and approach is 80% human and 20% technical meaning a change in approach and perspective for many of our coaches and Big Room participants over time. As Big Rooms begin to show improvements over time senior leaders also develop new skills in leading and supporting improvement as they begin to see the power of the work and how effective collaboration can result in improvements that matter.

Building improvement capability and capacity.

Our coaches are not the only ones to benefit from our training and coaching development. Because the Big Room follows a roadmap, a regular way and time for meeting, habits of improvement are built. Coaches are actively engaged in learning new coaching skills and improvement tools, techniques and associated theories. We encourage coaches to learn together how to coach these tools, techniques and theories in the Big Room to help develop capability and capacity within others. Ultimately the coaching role becomes less as others learn the new habits of improvement.

Embedding improvement into management systems and processes.

The FCA doesn’t suggest or build the development of quality management systems into its course or processes. In this emerging field we do however have alignment in the balance of quality improvement, assurance and the connections across multiple stakeholders that align around a shared purpose and vision. We believe the FCA has the potential to align with any quality management that seeks a pathway improvement methodology as part of its management systems and processes.

NHS IMPACT is an emerging and important moment for the NHS. As a case study our partners in Lancashire Teaching Hospitals have codified their journey on the way to becoming a continuous improvement organisation.

How they are doing this and the inherent links to the 5 principles of NHS IMPACT can be found in Creating a Continuous Improvement Culture @ Lancashire Teaching Hospitals