Attain was commissioned by Suffolk and North East Essex ICS to support West Suffolk NHS FT (WSFT) in improving GIRFT performance across an agreed number of specialties and the development of pan ICS models of care for musculoskeletal (MSK) and eye care. The project included the planning, coordination and delivery of elective recovery for High Volume, Low Complexity (HVLC) procedures at WSFT, as well as overarching programme governance (including reporting, risk management and line management), and dedicated support to improve the MSK pathway, including the implementation of a Waiting Well initiative.

What We did

  • Established a Senior Programme Manager for HVLC. The main element of the role was continued coordination of the elective recovery programme at WSFT and lead for specific improvement work.

  • Undertook an audit of the 29 procedural pathways at WSFT against the national GIRFT surgical pathways, resulting in an agreed action plan and establishment of speciality level work streams.

  • Formed a governance structure to provide oversight of the elective recovery programme.

  • Provided an embedded resource working with Trust clinical and operational teams to identify and implement in MSK.

Outcomes

  • Establishment of an accelerator BI dashboard.

  • Guiding implementation of solutions and approaches for outpatient transformation, i.e. PIFU, advice and guidance, and virtual consultations.

  • Supporting development of revised models of care for eye care and MSK services pan ICS through clinically driven, coproduced approaches.

  • Successful bids for funding to support elective recovery.

  • Piloting a waiting well approach to managing patients on the MSK waiting list, resulting in 7% of patients being removed from the waiting list & 73% reporting a change in a long-term health issue, which may have impacted on their wellness for surgery.