Working together to make a difference: how Improvement Cymru is accelerating improvements with NHS Wales.
We at Improvement Cymru are delighted to be able to share with you our first Annual Report. Over the last 12 months, we have seen the breadth and depth of our work increase. A key focus has been to work in partnership with NHS Wales organisations to provide cross-system oversight and support to build the conditions, capability and systems to enable improvement to flourish.
Join us in reflecting on some of the incredible improvement work taking place across the NHS system in Wales to deliver safe, effective, and reliable care in the right place and at the right time.
System level improvements
We launched the Safe Care Partnership with NHS Wales organisations and the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to accelerate the pace and scale of improvements in patient safety on a national scale. An aspect of this partnership is focused on common safety priorities, providing tailored coaching expertise through the Safe Care Collaborative. We are supporting a large number of improvement projects throughout the NHS in Wales, across four workstreams, leadership, acute care, ambulatory care and community care. The collaborative is thought to be the widest ever ranging improvement activity to unite the Welsh health system.
Mental Health and Learning Disability improvements
Mental Health Improvement Cymru have delivered Learning Disability Improvement Cymru has undertaken the physical health work programme, developing resources for people with a learning disability, launching online training and co-producing an accessible vaccines campaign.
Targeted safety improvements
We undertook a national Discovery phase for a new NHS Wales Maternity and Neonatal Safety Support Programme (MatNeoSSP) to ensure there are clear and consistent improved approaches to maternity and neonatal safety within all services in Wales. 14 MatNeoSSP Local Champions have been embedded within Welsh Ambulance Services Trust and across each health board to deliver the programme. Our partnership with the Wales Cancer Network has also strengthened as we continue to support work towards improving the time in the cancer pathway, from the point of suspicion to a date of diagnosis.
Building capability
The Improvement Cymru Academy has increased its improvement training portfolio by developing five new courses. These courses are free and available now to all health and care workers interested in learning and developing their improvement skills.
Looking ahead
These are only a few highlights of the fantastic work that has been achieved over the past 12 months. Together with our partners and colleagues across NHS Wales, we are laying the foundations to create a sustainable approach to improvement and patient safety. Over the next year, there will be significant opportunities to further scale and enhance their partnerships as they gradually transition into the new NHS Wales Executive in April 2024.
