Teams of clinicians in the East Midlands region went head-to-head last month in pitching their innovative ideas to a Dragon’s Den style panel as part of the Transforming Community Services Multi Professional Leadership Challenge.
The challenge was the second in a series of national events taking place and was open to clinicians within the NHS who have a local idea which could improve primary or community care services.
Each event brings together the skills of clinicians in how best to design and deliver high quality, seamless care, including child and family-centred public health from the beginning of life to end of life care.
A total of 11 different teams from the NHS East Midlands region - made up of GPs, allied health professionals and nurses - competed for a regional prize of £50,000 to implement their idea.
The East Midlands Leadership Academy hosted the event in Nottinghamshire.
Teams presented their business case to a panel of experts in the style of Dragon’s Den who assessed them on their leadership skills and the validity of their idea. The panels were made up of credible local professionals from the NHS such as directors for finance, innovation, nursing and quality as well as patient representatives.
Regional winners will now be invited to a final event to share their learning and best practice ideas and the national winner will receive their award by from Public Health Minister Anne Milton in London on 24th March.
Professor Rachel Muntonfrom East Midlands Leadership Academy, who was on the panel said:
“Patients and communities view and judge their overall experience by the quality care they receive and their interaction with healthcare professionals. I am delighted to see the high level of involvement in this regional event.
“Strong leadership in any part of the NHS is clearly valuable and I encourage healthcare professionals to get involved in events like these so that they can work with experts from other disciplines, and areas of the community and improve outcomes for patients.”
The teams came together from acute trusts, mental health, social care and community organisations and will present their idea on how to improve a service.
For example, at the East Midlands event, ideas ranged from helping diabetes sufferers manage their condition to improving levels of breastfeeding.
All ideas came from talking to patients or other professionals about care in their local communities. On the day itself the ideas were turned into a robust business case that take into account local priorities and the best use of resources.
Each regional winner will be supported for a year to develop, implement and deliver their idea by the East Midlands Leadership Academy, NHS East midlands and other relevant stakeholders. All the teams who take part in the day will have the benefit of working with other clinical leads including local GPs. They will also get to translate their ideas into a viable business case, which will be submitted for use in the future by the new local GP consortia to inform service improvement and enhance patient experience.
NB - The Intravenous Therapy Service, part of Lincolnshire Community Health Services, was the regional winner.
