Service Redesign and Transformation
18 Weeks Service Redesign and Transformation Programme
The 18 Weeks Service Redesign and Transformation Programme's Improvement and Support Team (IST) supported NHSScotland to deliver the 18 Weeks Referral to Treatment (RTT) Standard with a three- year Service Redesign and Transformation Programme. Programme Planning Guidance for the National Improvement Programmes for 2008 - 2011 was issued in March 2008.
Building on learning from NHSScotland and from across the world
The programme built on learning from current service innovations and across the UK and internationally as appropriate, this included:
- Better use of information to identify bottlenecks through tools which use NHS data to identify service improvement priorities.
- Lean initiatives that could be built into lean hospital test beds, increasing productivity, efficiency, safety and reliability.
- Technology as an enabler to improved processes by working with the Scottish Centre for Telehealth and the eHealth Programme to improve the quality and responsiveness of planned care.
- Workforce development such as extended and new roles that improve the quality and responsiveness of care, improve flow and provide rewarding careers for NHS staff.
Five Key Changes
The 18 Weeks Service Redesign and Transformation Programme has developed 'Five Key Changes' to support the service transformation required to achieve the 18 Weeks RTT Standard.
- Improve referral and diagnostic pathways
- Treat day surgery as the norm
- Actively manage admissions to hospital
- Actively manage discharge and length of stay
- Actively manage follow ups
Quality and Efficiency Support Team
In 2011/12 IST became the Quality and Efficiency Support Team (QuEST). Emerging from IST's work on 18 Weeks RTT is a new Acute Flow and Capacity Management workstream. This will provide a transition from the predominately elective focus of the 18 Weeks Service Redesign and Transformation work to one which addresses a whole hospital flow and capacity management in support of the wider quality and efficiency agenda.
Last updated on 14 May 2012.