History - Our Journey and 1000 Lives Improvement
Improvement Cymru relaunched in November 2019. Previously known as 1000 Lives Improvement, we have been the national improvement service for NHS Wales over the last 12 years. We are rethinking how we help health and social care organisations in Wales improve what they do and how they do it.
During 2019 we conducted research to understand what health and social care in Wales wanted from an improvement service. After reviewing the feedback, we embarked on an exciting evolution of our brand and service in order to achieve a healthier Wales together.
We’re rethinking how we support health and social care organisations in Wales to improve what they do and how they do it. This will include:
- leading improvement, using our Q Lab Cymru* and Improvement Cymru Framework we deliver a suite of all-Wales Improvement Cymru Programmes.
- embedding improvement skills via our Improvement Cymru Academy. The next step in the Improvement Journey, our Academy offers a variety of courses, tools, coaches and advisers
- championing improvement being the voice for improvement in Wales, providing a platform to share improvement stories and learning as well as opportunities for networking and support.
We will continue to work closely with our partners and colleagues to navigate this journey as we transition into the new NHS Executive.
*in partnership with Q at the Health Foundation
History
Our organisation began in 2008, as a patient safety campaign with NHS health boards and trusts across Wales. The two-year Improvement initiative sought to save an additional 1000 lives and prevent 50,000 episodes of harm in NHS Wales. Data analysed in 2010 showed it reached these goals.
At the end of the Campaign in 2010, the decision was made to evolve the brand into ‘1000 Lives Plus’, a national programme to improve the quality of Welsh healthcare and embed the methodology used by the campaign into new areas.
Later, in 2013 the brand evolved further to become ‘1000 Lives Improvement’– the national quality improvement team within Public Health Wales, supporting NHS Wales and its staff to improve outcomes for people using it’s services.
Read more about some of our achievements as a team here.
During 2019 we conducted research to find out what health and social care in Wales wants and needs from their improvement service. As a result, we embarked on an exciting evolution of our brand and service. In November 2019, we relaunched as Improvement Cymru and will continue our transition to our new brand.
