23rd March - 27th March & 30th March - 3rd April 2015
Over the past couple of weeks I have been learning about the Hospital monitoring dashboard which Quality Analysts here at Eastern Cheshire CCG have created called ‘Snow White’. ‘Snow White’ was initially created to monitor the local hospitals' performance over the winter period, with seven key functions – hence the name!
The dashboard is used and updated every day by colleagues at the CCG, local hospitals and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). The dashboard requires a member of staff to maintain the data and ensure all the figures are updated to reflect the hospital’s performance. It incorporates past and present A&E attendances, as well as live ambulance data. Working with the Quality Analysts, I have had the opportunity to gain an understanding of how the dashboard works; where the data comes from and where it is then inputted and finalised for publication for colleagues at the local Hospitals to view. The dashboard has been a great innovation which gives us a clear idea of how the Hospital in Macclesfield is performing compared with other local hospitals, using an RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating.
In addition to learning about the dashboard, I have been continuing to develop Quality Schedules and CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) for the local healthcare providers. I am also helping the Contracts Team with creating new contracts for 2015/16, therefore having the opportunity to produce the Quality Requirements and incentives allows me to gain more of an understanding about the structure of a standard NHS Contract.
1 April 2015
13 March 2015
MCA DoLS Event!
9th March – 13th March 2015
On Tuesday, I attended a great event which explained the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) background and policy. The Mental Capacity Act came into play in 2005 and there was been a recent introduction of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, which aims to protect vulnerable people's freedom. The event was held by our CCG, along with our neighbouring CCGs; South Cheshire and Vale Royal. There were several speakers who presented their views on MCA DoLS and how it affected different organisations. Speakers included; head of adult safeguarding from Southern Derbyshire, a barrister who provided the legal context of the policy, the MCA DoLS policy lead from the Department of Health and representatives from Cheshire police.
The MCA DoLS enable vulnerable people, who lack the capacity to make informed decisions to be protected of their liberty. If a person is identified as having a lack of capacity to make decisions, a DoLS application can be sort.
The event allowed me to gain more of an insight into the legal context of the policy and understand what affect it can have from a police perspective. Something which was apparent in all of the speakers’ presentations was their passion towards the policy and ensuring people’s freedom is protected in the correct manner. A number of the speakers made the valid point of ensuring that each MCA DoLS situation is different and must ensure that the person’s wellbeing and best interests are at the heart of everything. A decision made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity, must be done in that person's best interests.
The event was a great success!
On Tuesday, I attended a great event which explained the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) background and policy. The Mental Capacity Act came into play in 2005 and there was been a recent introduction of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, which aims to protect vulnerable people's freedom. The event was held by our CCG, along with our neighbouring CCGs; South Cheshire and Vale Royal. There were several speakers who presented their views on MCA DoLS and how it affected different organisations. Speakers included; head of adult safeguarding from Southern Derbyshire, a barrister who provided the legal context of the policy, the MCA DoLS policy lead from the Department of Health and representatives from Cheshire police.
The MCA DoLS enable vulnerable people, who lack the capacity to make informed decisions to be protected of their liberty. If a person is identified as having a lack of capacity to make decisions, a DoLS application can be sort.
The event allowed me to gain more of an insight into the legal context of the policy and understand what affect it can have from a police perspective. Something which was apparent in all of the speakers’ presentations was their passion towards the policy and ensuring people’s freedom is protected in the correct manner. A number of the speakers made the valid point of ensuring that each MCA DoLS situation is different and must ensure that the person’s wellbeing and best interests are at the heart of everything. A decision made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity, must be done in that person's best interests.
The event was a great success!
6 March 2015
Awaiting the Contract for 2015/16!
2nd March - 6th March 2015
We are currently playing the waiting game... along with other CCGs in England, we are awaiting the national guidance for the NHS Standard Contract which is published each year by NHS England. The NHS Standard Contract template allows the Contracts Team at the CCG to produce new contracts and create contract variations for the local healthcare providers. Each year the NHS Standard Contract varies; the structure and content may differ slightly, therefore we must follow the guidance and template available on a portal to produce the contracts for 2015/16. I will be helping the Contracts Team here at Eastern Cheshire CCG so hopefully the guidance and contracts portal will go live very soon!
The national guidance for CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) has recently been published by NHS England, therefore a number of my tasks this week have involved developing the CQUIN goals for each provider, with particular focus on producing the rationale and the milestones for each goal. Each local provider has a different number of local CQUIN goals which they must achieve. At the CCG, the Quality Team is responsible for producing and implementing the local goals and meeting with the providers to ensure they are realistic and achievable. The process involves a lot of negotiation to ensure the provider is happy with the goal and the milestones they must achieve; working collaboratively with the providers makes sure that high quality care is delivered and patient safety is key.
The local healthcare providers must also achieve National CQUINs which are created by NHS England. The 2015/16 National CQUINs will focus on reducing the rate of AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) and early identification and treatment of SEPSIS within Hospitals. The 2015/16 National CQUINs for Mental Health providers include improving Dementia and Delirium care and also improving the physical health of patients with SMI (Severe Mental Illness).
We are currently playing the waiting game... along with other CCGs in England, we are awaiting the national guidance for the NHS Standard Contract which is published each year by NHS England. The NHS Standard Contract template allows the Contracts Team at the CCG to produce new contracts and create contract variations for the local healthcare providers. Each year the NHS Standard Contract varies; the structure and content may differ slightly, therefore we must follow the guidance and template available on a portal to produce the contracts for 2015/16. I will be helping the Contracts Team here at Eastern Cheshire CCG so hopefully the guidance and contracts portal will go live very soon!
The national guidance for CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) has recently been published by NHS England, therefore a number of my tasks this week have involved developing the CQUIN goals for each provider, with particular focus on producing the rationale and the milestones for each goal. Each local provider has a different number of local CQUIN goals which they must achieve. At the CCG, the Quality Team is responsible for producing and implementing the local goals and meeting with the providers to ensure they are realistic and achievable. The process involves a lot of negotiation to ensure the provider is happy with the goal and the milestones they must achieve; working collaboratively with the providers makes sure that high quality care is delivered and patient safety is key.
The local healthcare providers must also achieve National CQUINs which are created by NHS England. The 2015/16 National CQUINs will focus on reducing the rate of AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) and early identification and treatment of SEPSIS within Hospitals. The 2015/16 National CQUINs for Mental Health providers include improving Dementia and Delirium care and also improving the physical health of patients with SMI (Severe Mental Illness).
26 February 2015
6 Months of full-time work!
16th February - 20th February 2015 & 23rd February - 27th February 2015
Week 24/25 marks six months of being on placement at the CCG! I can't believe how quickly the past few months have gone and how welcome every member of staff has made me feel! I have learnt an incredible amount about the NHS and the healthcare sector and I have gained a number of skills which will be extremely useful during the final year of my Degree. I am now looking forward to working towards the end of the financial year with the Finance and Contracts Team and the next 5/6 months of working before I return to student life!
Over the past two weeks, I have continued to work alongside the Finance Team; coding invoices, checking invoices against predicted data for payment and I have also been chasing invoices from local providers for the schemes which have been funded as part of the winter implementation plan.
I have also had the opportunity to gain more experience within HR (Human Resources). At the CCG, in the Business Team, we are looking to recruit a new Quality Improvement Manager who will be responsible for supporting the development of processes and structures that will improve quality of care and safeguard patients. Along with my manager, we have created a job description and person specification, ready for the vacancy to be advertised online. I have enjoyed being part of the recruitment process within the NHS and the skills I have developed will be extremely beneficial when studying Strategic Human Resource Management when I return to University in September.
On Thursday, I was given the responsibility of checking the NCA (Non-Contract Activity) invoices on our online system against the data from SUS (Secondary Uses Data) which is a healthcare database which allows staff to anaylse a range of data, run off reports and access predicted invoice amounts for certain healthcare treatments that are performed out of our area. I have gone through the process of coding invoices (which is a regular day-to-day task) to then comparing the amount from SUS against the actual amount shown on the invoice, a variance is then provided which can be queried with the provider if there is a significant difference. Once the NCA invoices have been checked against the predicted data, they are then sent to the appropriate member of the Finance Team for payment.
Week 24/25 marks six months of being on placement at the CCG! I can't believe how quickly the past few months have gone and how welcome every member of staff has made me feel! I have learnt an incredible amount about the NHS and the healthcare sector and I have gained a number of skills which will be extremely useful during the final year of my Degree. I am now looking forward to working towards the end of the financial year with the Finance and Contracts Team and the next 5/6 months of working before I return to student life!
Over the past two weeks, I have continued to work alongside the Finance Team; coding invoices, checking invoices against predicted data for payment and I have also been chasing invoices from local providers for the schemes which have been funded as part of the winter implementation plan.
I have also had the opportunity to gain more experience within HR (Human Resources). At the CCG, in the Business Team, we are looking to recruit a new Quality Improvement Manager who will be responsible for supporting the development of processes and structures that will improve quality of care and safeguard patients. Along with my manager, we have created a job description and person specification, ready for the vacancy to be advertised online. I have enjoyed being part of the recruitment process within the NHS and the skills I have developed will be extremely beneficial when studying Strategic Human Resource Management when I return to University in September.
On Thursday, I was given the responsibility of checking the NCA (Non-Contract Activity) invoices on our online system against the data from SUS (Secondary Uses Data) which is a healthcare database which allows staff to anaylse a range of data, run off reports and access predicted invoice amounts for certain healthcare treatments that are performed out of our area. I have gone through the process of coding invoices (which is a regular day-to-day task) to then comparing the amount from SUS against the actual amount shown on the invoice, a variance is then provided which can be queried with the provider if there is a significant difference. Once the NCA invoices have been checked against the predicted data, they are then sent to the appropriate member of the Finance Team for payment.
12 February 2015
Assisting with the Funded Nursing Care Payments;
9th February - 13th February 2015
On Monday, I helped Kim (Finance Assistant) to run off the schedule for February’s FNC (Funded Nursing Care) payments. Every month, Kim runs off the FNC schedule from a system called ‘Broadcare’ which enables her to identify how much each Care Home in the area has spent on funded nursing care. The schedule is downloaded, checked to ensure payments are correct and then sent to the individual Care Homes to allow them to make changes if necessary. It was great to gain an understanding of what happens to the FNC payments once I have coded the invoices on Oracle (the system where the invoices are stored).
I have also been continuing to put together the Local Quality Requirements for a number of healthcare providers, which will be placed within the 2015/16 contracts for each provider. The Local Quality Requirements are included in the Quality Schedule section of a contract, which is reviewed each year and includes the Operational Standards, National Quality Requirements and Never Events (certain events that should never happen) which the provider must comply with.
On Monday, I helped Kim (Finance Assistant) to run off the schedule for February’s FNC (Funded Nursing Care) payments. Every month, Kim runs off the FNC schedule from a system called ‘Broadcare’ which enables her to identify how much each Care Home in the area has spent on funded nursing care. The schedule is downloaded, checked to ensure payments are correct and then sent to the individual Care Homes to allow them to make changes if necessary. It was great to gain an understanding of what happens to the FNC payments once I have coded the invoices on Oracle (the system where the invoices are stored).
I have also been continuing to put together the Local Quality Requirements for a number of healthcare providers, which will be placed within the 2015/16 contracts for each provider. The Local Quality Requirements are included in the Quality Schedule section of a contract, which is reviewed each year and includes the Operational Standards, National Quality Requirements and Never Events (certain events that should never happen) which the provider must comply with.
6 February 2015
Recruiting my Successor!
2nd February - 6th February 2015
On Monday, myself and my manager, Andrew conducted interviews for the new placement student. It was a great opportunity to further develop my skills within Human Resources and to understand more about the NHS recruitment process. We interviewed a number of candidates for the role and we asked them to produce a presentation which explains what a CCG is. All of the candidates produced brilliant, informative presentations which really went into the detail about the core role and values of a CCG. It was an extremely tough decision selecting a candidate for the role, as all interviewees came out with very close scores. We have selected a great candidate and we are now looking forward to our new placement student starting in the summer!
I have really enjoyed gaining experience in HR over the past month, as I have not had an opportunity at University to understand in depth about the Human Resources side of Business. I have been responsible for producing the job advert, contacting local Universities in order to advertise the vacancy, liasing with our HR department to advertise on NHS Jobs, shortlisting candidates and being part of the interview panel. I would definitely consider HR as a potential career in the future! The experience has been invaluable and I have further developed a number of existing skills (which reminds me, I need to update my CV!)
With the new financial year fast approaching, we are in the process of developing new CQUINs for 2015/16. This week I have started to create the CQUIN goal spreadsheets. Each CQUIN is given an indicator number, a description, rationale and milestones to achieve. This is then matched to the specific value of the provider contract. CQUINs offer the local healthcare providers the opportunity to earn an extra 2.5% of their contract value if the CQUIN milestones are met in the appropriate timeframe. We are also in the process of putting together the Local Quality Requirements for each provider, which are included in the Quality Schedule of the contract and lists what the provider must achieve when providing the service.
On Monday, myself and my manager, Andrew conducted interviews for the new placement student. It was a great opportunity to further develop my skills within Human Resources and to understand more about the NHS recruitment process. We interviewed a number of candidates for the role and we asked them to produce a presentation which explains what a CCG is. All of the candidates produced brilliant, informative presentations which really went into the detail about the core role and values of a CCG. It was an extremely tough decision selecting a candidate for the role, as all interviewees came out with very close scores. We have selected a great candidate and we are now looking forward to our new placement student starting in the summer!
I have really enjoyed gaining experience in HR over the past month, as I have not had an opportunity at University to understand in depth about the Human Resources side of Business. I have been responsible for producing the job advert, contacting local Universities in order to advertise the vacancy, liasing with our HR department to advertise on NHS Jobs, shortlisting candidates and being part of the interview panel. I would definitely consider HR as a potential career in the future! The experience has been invaluable and I have further developed a number of existing skills (which reminds me, I need to update my CV!)
With the new financial year fast approaching, we are in the process of developing new CQUINs for 2015/16. This week I have started to create the CQUIN goal spreadsheets. Each CQUIN is given an indicator number, a description, rationale and milestones to achieve. This is then matched to the specific value of the provider contract. CQUINs offer the local healthcare providers the opportunity to earn an extra 2.5% of their contract value if the CQUIN milestones are met in the appropriate timeframe. We are also in the process of putting together the Local Quality Requirements for each provider, which are included in the Quality Schedule of the contract and lists what the provider must achieve when providing the service.
3 February 2015
My first NHS Contract has been issued!
26th January - 30th January 2015
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend the morning in the GP out-of-hours (OOH) department based in the hospital. I met with one of the Doctors who showed me around, specifically looking at the A&E department and the AAU (Acute Assessment Unit) which are all based near the out-of-hours department. The out-of-hours unit is aimed at patients who require assessment, advice and treatment for urgent healthcare problems when a patient is not an emergency, but needs to be seen urgently. The out-of-hours GPs also visit patients at home when they are unable to get to the surgery. The session was really interesting as it allowed me to gain an insight into the clinical side of the services we commission, in addition to also seeing how the hospital operates on a daily basis.
I have now finished drawing up my first NHS Contract! There is a specific structure which can be followed to ensure the correct information and documents are included - this has been great for me, as it has allowed me to easily identify any elements that are missing. I have also been responsible for liaising with the healthcare provider to ensure the correct documentation is included before the contract is issued and signed.
Within the Business Team, at this time of year, we focus on drawing up contracts and implementing new CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) objectives for the local healthcare providers. This week, we held a CQUIN workshop which enabled a variety of staff from the hospital to work together to consider what goals they wish to achieve in 2015/16, in order to receive a 2.5% return of their contract value. The workshop was a really effective way of ensuring that the CQUINs we implement are achievable and realistic and allowed ideas to be shared between the group. There are certain national CQUINs which we must implement from NHS England, in addition to local CQUINs which CCGs are responsible for implementing.
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend the morning in the GP out-of-hours (OOH) department based in the hospital. I met with one of the Doctors who showed me around, specifically looking at the A&E department and the AAU (Acute Assessment Unit) which are all based near the out-of-hours department. The out-of-hours unit is aimed at patients who require assessment, advice and treatment for urgent healthcare problems when a patient is not an emergency, but needs to be seen urgently. The out-of-hours GPs also visit patients at home when they are unable to get to the surgery. The session was really interesting as it allowed me to gain an insight into the clinical side of the services we commission, in addition to also seeing how the hospital operates on a daily basis.
I have now finished drawing up my first NHS Contract! There is a specific structure which can be followed to ensure the correct information and documents are included - this has been great for me, as it has allowed me to easily identify any elements that are missing. I have also been responsible for liaising with the healthcare provider to ensure the correct documentation is included before the contract is issued and signed.
Within the Business Team, at this time of year, we focus on drawing up contracts and implementing new CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) objectives for the local healthcare providers. This week, we held a CQUIN workshop which enabled a variety of staff from the hospital to work together to consider what goals they wish to achieve in 2015/16, in order to receive a 2.5% return of their contract value. The workshop was a really effective way of ensuring that the CQUINs we implement are achievable and realistic and allowed ideas to be shared between the group. There are certain national CQUINs which we must implement from NHS England, in addition to local CQUINs which CCGs are responsible for implementing.
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