Are you up to the £10bn challenge?

With the treasury announcing that they will be seeking £10bn worth of savings from the NHS yesterday it means even tighter belts and completely different ways of delivering care. Are you up to the challenge?

The real challenge will be to identify the key strategic activities that will drive the biggest improvements rather than tackling isolated issues. It will mean working across organisations and across political boundaries between health and social care to ensure that care is delivered in the right setting by the right professional in the most cost effective manner. This will be difficult and will require a different way of working for many leaders and senior teams.

The start of this process is to link the strategic objectives of your organisation to the activities that will drive the improvement and then to engage your health and social care partners. This is the process of Transformation Mapping and something that will increasingly be of importance in the ‘new world’ of the NHS.

To find out more about transformation mapping, or simply just to bounce ideas off someone independent, contact Amnis on info@amnis.uk.com or visit www.amnis.uk.com.

The Four Leadership Principles in Healthcare

In Jim Easton’s recent article in the Health Service Journal he relates the four leadership principles that the Department of Health want NHS organisations to align to as they try to improve quality and efficiency. These four principles are summarised as:

1. To work together to design new solutions

2. To manage improvements at the appropriate level

3. To value clinical leadership and engagement

4. To pull in the same direction

These are worthy principles but lack any indication as to how to do them, or substance to explain what actions this means in practice. The fact that these four principles lack any substance will mean their impact will be extremely limited. 

From a recent article we have produced on creating the right environment to ensure organisations are able to implement change successfully, we identified six key principles that differentiate those organisations who will be successful from those who will struggle and these are;

• Link improvement activities to things that really matter
• Make improvement is everyone’s responsibility
• Be responsive and flexible
• Celebrate and communicate every success
• Constantly adapt and evolve
• Build partnership within and outside the organisation

For each of these principles we have identified some of the key things that leaders actually need to do to ensure success and to find out more visit our website, join our network and be amongst the first people to receive a series of 3 white papers on how to create and effective environment and effectively manage organisational performance.

Just visit www.amnis.uk.com or ring 0870-446-1002 for details of how to sign up to our newsletter.

Will integration in Wales bring efficiencies in healthcare?

The article below was published in the HSJ earlier this year. This decision to merge a Welsh health board into a council will drive them along the same lines being adopted by some English PCTs as they ‘de-merge’ Commissioning and Provider Arms, with some of the commissioning organisations finding some financial efficiencies through integrating with local councils.

The model proposed is even closer to that operated by the HSE (Health Service Executive) in Ireland where social care and healthcare are closely aligned (although mostly in primary care). Has this led to efficiency gains in the provision of services in Ireland? Well, it seems that whilst the relationship between health and social care in a primary setting might have been improved, the problems of a disconnect between secondary care and primary health and social care remains, and in some areas may actually be worse than having separate organisations.

The problem is the need to ensure that systems, processes and cultures are all in alignment ideally before but at worse case as soon as the organisations have merged.

To find out more about how we can help organisations to integrate and achieve efficiencies call us on 0870-446-1002 or email info(a)amnis.uk.com.

 

 

Welsh health board plots merger with council

Powys teaching local health board is set to merge with Powys county council in the latest example of pioneering joint leadership arrangements.

 A report commissioned by the two bodies said they had made progress in their co-operation but needed to go further if they were to improve efficiency and services.

The report recommends a full merger and is likely to be voted on by councillors in September.

 Chris Mann, chairman of the health board, welcomed the report’s recommendations.

 “It marks the start of what could be very exciting developments that could put Powys at the forefront of improving public services in Wales,” he said.

Council leader Michael Jones (Ind) said: “While we already work closely with the local health board in a number of ways, we know we can do even more. 

“This report is significant and could lead to radical and innovative changes in the way public services in Powys are organised. Most importantly, it could lead to further improvements in the services we provide to the people of Powys”    

Powys’s English neighbour Herefordshire council merged its operational structure with Herefordshire PCT last year. They share a single management team and chief executive. 

Now Is The Time To Accelerate In Community Services

Community Services are less prepared for any reduction in funding that many other healthcare organisations. There are also many opportunities to innovate and improve the efficiency within the services. The transformation that has gone on with primary care over the last few years, from mergers to the seperation of commissioning and provider arms has created many new challenges for community service organisations and meant that their investment in building robust and efficient processses has slowed in many areas.

The time is now for community service organisations to transform the way they deliver services if they are to be ready for the expected  funding squeeze. Some of the success will come from the creation of an effective improvement strategy that focuses on the identification of needs and opportunities for efficiency gains, but this will have to be coupled with the effective implementation of change, and all of this done is around the same time (or less) than organisations have taken to create their new organisations.

Are they up for the challenge? Time will tell who was and who wasn’t ready…………and those who start working on it now will be in the front of the pack.

To find out how we can help contact us on 0870-446-1002 or email info@amnis.uk.com.

Visit our website: www.amnis.uk.com

More than achieving 18 weeks, it is now about sustaining it……

Whilst many NHS organisations managed to achieve the required performance for 18 weeks in 2008, the resurgence of organisations looking to redesign their clinical pathways demonstrates that achieving it is one thing but sustaining it is significantly harder to achieve.

More than ‘flash in the pan’ Rapid Improvement Events, the need for long term changes in behaviours and systems is required to achieve long-term change in the way healthcare organisations work. All aspects of QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity & Prevention) need to be tackled to ensure that any work done does not fizzle out a few weeks after completion.

Whilst a few organisations we work with are now starting the drive to achieve 16 weeks (and in one case 14 weeks) from referral to treatment, we are seeing a growing number of healthcare organisations looking to make real change in the way their 18 week pathways work simply due to the fact that either capacity and demand are not in balance or the underlying problems and inconsistencies in the pathway were not tackled with completely and continue to drag down performance.

To achieve long-term success in 18 weeks requires a focus on redesigning the pathway, but more importantly a focus on continuous improvement, communications and a clear, shared sense of purpose.

For more information about how we can help you sustain 18 weeks contact us at info(a)amnis.uk.com.

Amnis offers healthcare professionals an important adjunct to PRINCE2 training

Healthcare professionals who are concerned that their organisation’s project management performance has not improved despite their staff receiving training on PRINCE2 project management techniques can take advantage of ‘People Based Project Management’ – a programme providing the essential skills required to plan and run successful projects. Developed by the specialist healthcare quality, innovation and productivity improvement enabler, Amnis, the programme is relevant for any project manager – irrespective of whether they have had PRINCE2 training or not.

Amnis’ Mark Eaton, observed: “It is curious that, with many healthcare organisations investing in PRINCE2 training and qualifications, a significant number of them are asking for further advice on how to run projects.

“For large scale, high intensity projects with a complex structure, such as the redesign of a new hospital, creation of an autonomous provider organisation (APO) in primary care or similar, PRINCE2 provides a valuable structure,” he added.

“However, most projects in healthcare are far less complex and rely far more on interactions between individuals, a simple structure and effective management skills.

“PRINCE2 provides an excellent methodology for project management but, in order for a project to be successfully implemented, you also need people and management skills. Amnis’ three day People Based Project Management programme focuses on these key areas,” he said.

“Amnis trainers can take complex concepts and communicate them in a way that is both understandable and easy to grasp,” commented Bridget Fitzsimon, Quality & Professional Standards Manager, Addiction Service, at Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust (WCPCT).

“Students can take these concepts away with them and apply the practical principles, methods and techniques immediately.

“The training provides straightforward techniques which are necessary to make any project happen. I felt I could leave the training room and have a go at sorting out pretty much anything,” she added.

For further details of Amnis’ People Based Project Management programme, contact Amnis’ Ruth Bodman at ruthbodman@amnis.uk.com or call 0870 446 1002.

End

About PRINCE2

PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE) is a project management method. It covers the management, control and organisation of a project. ‘PRINCE2’ refers to the second major version of this method and is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), an independent office of HM Treasury of the United Kingdom.

PRINCE2 is derived from the earlier PRINCE project management method, which was developed in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) as a UK Government standard for information systems (IT) project management. However, it became regularly applied outside the purely IT environment. PRINCE2 was released in 1996 as a generic project management method. PRINCE2 is now a de facto standard for project management in the UK and has spread beyond the UK to more than 50 other countries. The most current revision was released in 2009 as part of the Prince2:2009 refresh project by the OGC.

About Amnis Limited

Working with both public and private sector organisations, Amnis is a consultancy which specialises in innovation, transformation and organisational improvement, helping clients plan and deploy strategies for successful transformation. Its goal is to help clients not only deliver sustainable change but also to develop their capability to tackle their next challenges.

Providing both consultancy and training services, Amnis’ team includes specialists in Lean/Six Sigma, organisational development, strategic planning, change management and systems thinking.

Further information from:

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 00 44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Amnis and IOM training partnership enters fifth successful year

Amnis, the quality, innovation and productivity enabler, has announced a collaborative training programme with The Institute of Operations Management (IOM), an executive arm of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and the professional organisation for operational management professionals.

This is the fifth year that Amnis and the IOM have collaborated to deliver a high quality training programme and to date this has benefited many hundreds of members and non-institute members of the IOM.

Amnis’ Mark Eaton, said: “The partnership between Amnis and the IOM works very well as it enables us to bring our high quality training and support to a much wider audience and, at the same time, adds real value to IOM members as well as raising the profile of the institute and its excellent work.”

The programme for 2010 includes a broad range of topics around Lean and Transformational Change – including how to change cultures and how to ensure that Lean becomes embedded inside organisations.

Leonie Edwards, manager of the IOM on behalf of the CILT, commented: “The workshops and masterclasses we have run with Amnis have proved hugely popular with Institute members and non-members alike. They have given value to hundreds of people over the last four years.

“Our 2010 programme with Amnis contains existing favourite workshops and exciting new ones. With Amnis, we are also offering institute members and non-members the opportunity to participate in the extremely practical ‘Accelerated Lean Skills Programme’ on 29th and 30th September and 1st October 2009 and, again, in April 2010.”

More information is available from Ruth Bodman on +44 (0) 870 446 1002. End About the Amnis/ IOM training programme

The training courses are:

 • Understanding Lean – 9th March 2010, London

 • Value Stream Mapping – 23rd March 2010, Corby

• Lean for Managers & Executives – 20th April 2010, London

• Lean, 5S and Standard Work – 4th May 2010, Corby

 • Expert in Lean Masterclass – 8th June 2010, London

• Sustaining Lean – 22nd June 2010, Corby

About Amnis

Working with both public and private sector organisations, Amnis is a consultancy which specialises in innovation, transformation and organisational improvement, helping clients plan and deploy strategies for successful transformation. Its goal is to help clients not only deliver sustainable change but also to develop their capability to tackle their next challenges. Providing both consultancy and training services, Amnis’ team includes specialists in Lean/Six Sigma, organisational development, strategic planning, change management and systems thinking.

Further information from:

Ruth Bodman, Amnis, 00 44 (0) 870 446 1002; ruthbodman@amnis.uk.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 00 44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Healthcare organisations urged: “‘Don’t give up on ‘Lean'”

Healthcare organisations – including hospitals – are giving up too soon on ‘Lean’ based improvement initiatives, according to specialist healthcare quality, innovation and productivity improvement enabler, Amnis.

Amnis’ Mark Eaton, explained: “A number of improvement initiatives underway in the healthcare sector are based on the concepts of ‘Lean’ and ‘Lean Sigma’ but, like many organisations in manufacturing where Lean has its origins, there is already evidence that some healthcare organisations are giving up on these initiatives before they realise real results or are simply changing processes and doing nothing to change the underlying culture and behaviours.”

According to Eaton – author of the book ‘Lean for practitioners’ – the top five reasons why this happens are:

1. Lean is not a Board issue but, instead, is launched at divisional or even individual department level. This leads rapidly to fragmentation of activity and dissipation of effort.

2. Not ensuring that the productivity improvements expected through Lean are aligned with the organisation’s objectives. This leads to Lean being ‘out prioritised’ by other activities and put on hold and, once it is on hold, it is one step from being mothballed.

3. Not building on previous experience. This is where Lean tries to undo all of the good things that have gone on – and are currently going on – and this builds resentment from frontline teams.

4. Building reliance on external consultancies or agencies. Building internal capability and, even more importantly, involving a healthcare organisation’s frontline teams, is the only way to get Lean out of the textbook and into the clinic.

5. Many organisations simply give up when they encounter problems, resistance or changing priorities because they have not built up the resilience that is needed to get through the initial period of turbulence.

“Starting out by treating Lean as a Board level issue, approaching it in a flexible manner and recognising the difference between changing processes and changing behaviours are the keys to long-term success,” said Eaton.

To help organisations to understand how Lean helps drive improvements in quality, innovation and productivity, Amnis runs a number of workshops for executives and front-line teams – including its Accelerated Lean Skills Programme.

 In partnership with the Institute of Operations Management, Amnis is running an ‘open’ version of this programme from 8th to 10th September 2009. For more information, contact Amnis at info@amnis.uk.com or call 0870 446 1002.

About ‘Lean’ and ‘Lean Sigma’

Six Sigma is a business management strategy, initially implemented by Motorola, which enjoys widespread application in many sectors of industry. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and variation in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organisation who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organisation follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).

Lean Sigma incorporates the speed and impact of ‘lean’ with the quality and variation control of Six Sigma.

Coined by Jim Womack’s research team at MIT in the 1990s, ‘Lean’ means doing more with less. The core idea behind ‘Lean’ is to maximise customer value while minimising waste. A Lean organisation understands customer value and focuses its key processes to continually meet those needs.

About Amnis

Working with both public and private sector organisations, Amnis is a consultancy which specialises in quality, innovation and productivity improvement, helping clients plan and deploy strategies for successful transformation. Its goal is to help clients not only deliver sustainable change but also to develop their capability to tackle their next challenges.

Providing both consultancy and training services, Amnis’ team are leaders in Lean/Six Sigma, organisational development, strategic planning, change management and systems thinking.

Further information from: Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 00 44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com