Inaugural North of England Regional Conference
On the 2nd June 2014, FMLM held a hugely successful inaugural North of England Regional Conference at Leeds General Infirmary. The event was a day of education, information sharing and networking, with some fantastic speakers sharing their expert knowledge on medical leadership and quality improvement. We are grateful to Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust and the GMC who supported the day.
The day aimed to provide education about quality improvement theory, share experiences and service improvement knowledge, to understand behaviour change theory and to provide a forum for networking.
The morning consisted of three workshops. Delegates heard Dr Nikki Kanani (FMLM Quality Improvement Lead and GP) talking about delivering quality services, how to lead change and she encouraged delegates to share their experiences. Rachel Hinde (Senior Associate NHS IQ) discussed the NHS Change Model, explaining that the model is for everyone to engage with, and the importance of each aspect of the model for the quality improvement process. Delegates also heard from Professor Lawton (Professor in Psychology of Healthcare, University of Leeds) who spoke about using behaviour change theory to improve patient safety.
Lunch and coffee breaks provided time for networking and poster viewing. There was a particularly high standard of poster presentations at this event, representing quality improvement projects in the North of England.
During the afternoon, delegates heard from Dr Ali Cracknell (Consultant Geriatrician, Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust) talking about her experiences of overcoming challenges faced during the quality improvement process and implementing the successful ‘TAPS model’ with the help of a committed multi-disciplinary team.
Congratulations to Hannah Baird, North West Deanery FY2 doctor, who was selected to present her poster submission to the conference. She gave a refreshing insight into how junior doctors can lead change and service improvement.
Patrick Richmond (MCA Manager) and Dr Duncan Miller (Anaesthetist) told the conference about the Sheffield Microsystems Coaching Academy (MCA) and how this is building capability for quality improvement in Sheffield. Paul Harriman (Sheffield Service Improvement Manager) talked about the exciting developments of the Frailty Service in Sheffield NHS Foundation Trust, and how this has transformed elderly care services in their organisation. This was a fascinating talk that explained the process of using quality improvement science to work with front line teams to help them re-design the services they deliver.
In addition to these stimulating presentations, Phil Ayres updated delegates about what FMLM are doing in the North of England and nationally. He encouraged clinicians to “Discover, Decide, Diagnose and Do!” The day was rounded off with an evening of networking at a local pub, ensuring that there were ample opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing throughout the day.
Overall the event was is a unique opportunity for all doctors to learn about different improvement models and to hear from those working with healthcare service and quality improvement models in the region. Delegates engaged with all aspects of the event, and many interesting experiences were shared.
Nicola Kersey
