Access QI is a new programme of work focused on supporting NHS boards to deploy quality improvement (QI) expertise to meet the challenge of delivering sustainable improvements in waiting times whilst maintaining or improving the quality of care.
The programme has four components:
- Building the capability within teams and across pathways of care to deploy QI to improve waiting times whilst maintaining or improving the quality of care
- Providing support to ensure infrastructures and culture enable application of QI expertise to priority areas of access improvement work
- Developing new and strengthening existing systems to share learning about what is and isn't working
- Working with the existing national programmes to ensure readily accessible information and guidance is available on High Impact Changes, Change packages and Measurement.
The design of the programme has been agreed by Scottish Government and a more detailed document can be accessed here.
This programme is currently funded by Scottish Government to run till October 2020 with an agreement that:
- With the resources available, the focus will initially be on three accelerator sites, though we will put in place a Scotland-wide learning system to ensure rapid sharing of learning more broadly.
- An extension beyond October 2020 is dependent on Scottish Government securing further funding.
The three accelerator sites have now been recruited and are NHS Grampian, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside.
We are currently in the process of recruiting staff to support this programme of work and co-designing with the three sites the exact focus of the work for the next year.
We will formally launch this programme on 30 October 2019.