Clinical Audit and NICE

Once you have decided on your topic you should register your audit project using the latest version of the Clinical audit proposal form with the Trust Audit Facilitators. This will need to be agreed with the Audit Supervisor prior to sending the form to the team. Please see the guidance for help in completing your proposal.

Below are a range of support tools, resources and templates to help you through each stage of your clinical audit.

For a general introduction to clinical audit we suggest watching this video: 

Tools for undertaking a Clinical Audit 

Ecass registration:  Clinical Audit Proposal Form - Clinical Audit System NHS NELFT

  • The implementation of our Electronic Clinical Audit Support System has allowed NELFT staff to register their clinical audit proposal forms electronically and enable staff to access completed clinical audit projects undertaken by clinicians across the Trust.

  • Allows on-line registration of clinical audit projects

  • Allows auditors to search for completed audits

  • Enables auditors to see what the current status of their audit is and allows them to monitor their progression

Online data collection tool: SNAP XMP – Surveys

  • SNAP is an innovative survey solution software that will help you produce online, paper and mobile versions of your questionnaire and combine all your results into one data set for analysis.

  • All audits supported by the Clinical Audit and NICE Team will be carried out using the SNAP software package. This is a web-based system on which data collection tools can be designed and staff can submit the data via the web.

  • SNAP will allow you to design an interactive audit tool or survey and provide a unique and personalised experience every time you use it.

Clinical Audit Templates and Guidance:

Additional External Support

 

Quality Improvement Projects

Below are a range of support tools, resources and templates to help you through each stage of your quality improvement journey.

Life QI Platform

Used by over 600 organisations in 28 countries, Life QI is helping organisations and individuals improve health and social care in communities around the world.

Life QI is more than just a project management system, it is a space for the QI community to learn, share and work together. You can create groups to work together on projects and programmes, start discussions on local issues with colleagues or the big challenges and involve anyone in the QI community.

You need to be validated through https://uk.lifeqisystem.com. NELFT staff or those on NELFT courses click here, external staff would have to check with your own organisation.

Help Centre with guides to support you with your project: https://help.lifeqisystem.com/ .

Funding through the Innovation Cave

Do you have a project or an innovative idea that requires some funding to get started?

The Innovation Cave could help you!

NELFT recognises the importance of encouraging innovation and improvement across the organisation. The Innovation Cave is a means of financially supporting staff and services in seeking new ways to improve the services they provide and helps to put into practice ideas to benefit patients and deliver care more effectively.

How do you apply?

We are now accepting applications!  Download the application form and please submit your application form to: QI@nelft.nhs.uk

Innovation Cave Application form:

Innovation Cave Application Form

What do you need to know?

  • You can apply for any amount from £500 - £10,000. However, please come and speak to us, if you have an idea that exceeds this amount - we may be able to help you explore other funding opportunities!
  • The focus of the Innovation Cave is on innovation and improvement, as opposed to service gaps.
  • Interviews are held for those projects that meet the requirements and this date will be advised in advance to enable you to hold it in your diary.

What support do you have?

  • You are also welcome to come to attend our QI drop-in clinics if you have any questions or would like some guidance with your application:

What happens next?

  • There is a limited budget available, therefore bids will be assessed, and funds awarded to those which appear to offer the greatest benefits to patients or staff.
  • If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview to discuss your project. If successful, you will be required to attend a NELFT QI Foundation Day if you have not already attended.
  • If you are successful, you will be required to submit monthly reports of project progress and to share the results of the project at future internal and external Quality Improvement events. All funds must be used by 31 March of each financial year that the money is awarded, although the project does not have to be completed within this time.

Innovation Cave Flyer

Check out our Innovation Cave Flyer: Innovation Cave

Innovation Cave Projects

  1. Conners project case study review
  2. Waltham Forest Memory Service Audiology Project for QI microsite

1. Beginning your project

NHS England Tools:

 

Model for Improvement: 

Langley GL, Moen R, Nolan KM, Nolan TW, Norman CL, Provost LP. The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance  (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 2009.

 

Life QI Articles:

 

Additional NELFT Tools: 

5Ps Assessment.pdf [pdf] 161KB

STEEEP Slope.pdf [pdf] 104KB

 

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: Understanding Your Systems (click here)
    • Learn about how the systems you work within will influence and help determine the direction of your quality improvement work in this video tutorial.

2. Understanding the problem

NHS England Tools:

 

Life QI Articles:

 

Additional NELFT Tools:

3. Involving others

A stakeholder is anyone who is involved in your project, or anyone who will be affected by the outcome of your project.  This is includes people within your service or team, as well as other professionals or colleagues in other teams who you work closely with.  Stakeholders also includes our patients and their families. It is vital to engage with stakeholders throughout each stage of the process.

NHS England Tools:

 

Additional NELFT Tools:

Stakeholder Workbook.pdf [pdf] 304KB

Perfect 10.pdf [pdf] 79KB

Start, Stop, Continue Change Management Tool.docx [docx] 334KB

Miracle Question.pdf [pdf] 85KB

 

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: Introduction to Stakeholder Engagement (click here)

    • Involving stakeholders is an extremely important element of any improvement work. Use this video tutorial to learn more about identifying who your stakeholders are and how to work with them.

4. Setting the aim

NHS England Tools:

 

NELFT Tools:

 

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: Setting the aim (click here)

    • Learn more about the vital step of setting your aim in your quality improvement project in this video tutorial.

  • QI Bitesize module: Driver Diagrams (click here)

    • In this video tutorial you will learn all about driver diagrams, from how to create them to how they help you determine your measures and change ideas.

5. Measurement and Data

NHS England Tools:

 

Additional NELFT Tools:

 

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: Measurement, data and variation (click here)

    • Understand the importance of accurate measurement in your quality improvement work, and how to use this to inform your improvement work in this video tutorial.

  • QI Bitesize module: Understanding SPC Charts (click here)

    • Learn how to interpret and use Statistical Process Control (SPC) Charts and how they are involved in quality improvement projects in this video tutorial.

7. Testing change

NHS England Tools:

 

Life QI Articles:

 

Additional NELFT tools:

 

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: PDSA Cycle (click here)

    • The Plan Do Study Act cycle is key to quality improvement project, and this video tutorial will teach you all about them and how they are used for testing change ideas.

8. Learning from and sharing your work

NHS England Tools:

 

British Medical Journal (BMJ):

BMJ offer a variety of resources to support you getting started, such as user guides, welcome documents and posters are available on the BMJ Resource centre

They also offer training sessions available, to discuss this please email: training@bmj.com.

BMJ offer support when doing the write-up your quality improvement projects using BMJ Quality and publish them in BMJ Quality Improvement Reports. Their platform guides you through each step of the SQUIRE framework, helping you create high quality reports with excellent publication prospects.

Access is free once you register with BMJ quality https://quality.bmj.com/.

 

Q Community:

"We are a community of thousands of people across the UK and Ireland, collaborating to improve the safety and quality of health and care. Q is delivered by the Health Foundation and supported and co-funded by partners across the UK and Ireland." 

Click here to access

 

Additional NELFT Tools:

NELFT Video Tutorials:

  • QI Bitesize module: Scale up and spread (click here)

    • Use this video tutorial to learn about how to sustain positive change obtained from a quality improvement project, and how this can be spread across teams, the Trust, and the wider NHS.

  • QI Bitesize module: Shring your improvement work (click here)

    • Learn about how you can share your improvement work, both internally within the Trust, and externally through publications and blogs etc.