High Quality Patient Care and Treatment
In this section:
- Clinical Quality Strategy
- Clinical Supervision and Values Based Reflective Practice (VBRP) for Ward-based Nurses
- Monitoring and Measuring Care Quality
- Clinical Audit
- Standards and Guidelines
- Research
In 2019/20 the highlight was once again on Quality Improvement (QI) via the TSH3030 QI initiative. Building on last year’s success, TSH3030 was launched in September 2019 with 28 teams qualifying for the awards ceremony on 19 December 2019. Overall 146 staff and 64 patients were engaged with over 20 QI methods utilised. Projects ranged from increasing patient engagement
& activity and staff health & wellbeing, to improving processes in the Hospital, and raising awareness of services and activities. Two days QI training was offered to teams by QI mentors prior to projects commencing.
Evaluation was positive with teams highlighting the benefits of multi-disciplinary working and the support provided to projects from across the Hospital.
The organisation’s QI focus was recognised externally with the TSH3030 QI Project Team having been shortlisted for the ‘Psychiatric Team of the Year: Quality Improvement Award’ by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The project was also commended by the Scottish Government Service Reform Team in their publication “Finding a Way Forward”.
Clinical Quality Strategy 2017/20
Clinical Supervision and Values Based Reflective Practice (VBRP) for Ward-based Nurses
The Clinical Supervision and Values Based Reflective Practice (VBRP) for Ward-based Nurses policy was implemented during 2019/20 with a standard of six sessions of supervision per year.
Monitoring and Measuring Care Quality
Assurance that clinical service delivery is safe, effective and person centred was enhanced in 2019/20 through the introduction of Excellence in Care, a nationally agreed set of clearly defined key measures / indicators of
high-quality nursing care. These core and mental health specific nursing quality measures were introduced as part of the national assurance framework, focusing on areas such as culture, leadership, safety, effectiveness, person centredness and quality improvement.
Nursing representatives from The State Hospital played a key role in developing these measures during the year, working alongside other territorial boards and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.
Work on a Care Assurance Information Resource (CAIR) dashboard progressed well, with information analyst time being funded to support this work.
During 2019/20, 23 clinical audit projects were undertaken (25 in 2018/19). These aim to provide feedback and assurance to a range of stakeholders that clinical policies are being adhered to. All clinical audit reports contain recommendations to ensure continuous quality improvement and action plans are discussed at the commissioning group.
In 2019/20, 184 publications (pieces of guidance / reports / standards) were issued setting out the priority areas for quality improvement in health and social care, compared to 206 in 2018/19. Of these, 42 had some relevance to the Hospital and 13 underwent a full evaluation with identified areas for improvement being embedded within relevant work-streams.
Throughout 2019/20 research activity continued to focus on both conducting research and on implementing research findings into practice. Over the year, 13 studies were completed with 10 new studies approved to commence within the Hospital, giving a total of 27 studies ongoing at year end.
The annual State Hospital and Forensic Network Research Conferences were both conducted with considerable contribution from State Hospital staff, and very positive feedback from those who attended.
The Research Committee Annual Report 2019/20 notes 15 published journal articles, and the delivery of 31 research focused presentations across local, national and international events.
The State Hospital also has in place a Research Strategy 2016/20.
