Apr 17, 2013 - From April 2013, a new network of Quality Surveillance Groups will meet ... Group will include the Care Q
Healthwatch and Quality Surveillance Groups - Frequently Asked Questions This note provides information for local Healthwatch about new local and regional Quality Surveillance Groups. It includes initial guidance about your role in these groups. What are Quality Surveillance Groups? From April 2013, a new network of Quality Surveillance Groups will meet locally and regionally to provide leadership for quality improvement. These are part of National Health Service England run by the Local Area Teams. What is the purpose of them? They provide an opportunity for the exchange of information that may indicate an early warning of a problem. They will also provide assurance that appropriate actions are being taken when problems arise. What is the political driver behind these groups? Quality Surveillance Groups will bring together commissioners, regulators, local Healthwatch representatives and other bodies on a regular basis to share information and intelligence about quality across the system. This will include the views of patients and the public, with the aim of proactively spotting potential problems as early as possible. Quality Surveillance Groups will support many of the recommendations made by Robert Francis in relation to the early sharing of information by key players in the NHS. They will also help support the coordination of any action that is needed to respond where risks to patients are identified. How will they operate? Quality Surveillance Groups will operate at two levels: o Local Quality Surveillance Groups - these align to the National Health Service England’s 27 area teams. Each local Quality Surveillance Group will include the Care Quality Commission, Monitor, local Healthwatch, the relevant local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups, and the National Health Service Trust Development Authority. o Regional Quality Surveillance Groups, aligned with the regional teams of the National Health Service England, Care Quality Commission, Monitor and the National Health Service Trust Development Authority.
Is there any formal guidance? National Guidance on Quality Surveillance Groups has been produced which provides useful detail on the role and scope of Quality Surveillance Groups their membership, and ongoing work. It is available here. The National Quality Board has also published a final report setting out how quality will be maintained and improved in the new health system. This report sets out the distinct roles and responsibilities for quality of the different parts of the system, and how the different parts of the system should work together. Why have I not heard of these? This is a new and emerging network, which is not yet fully defined so this is a key opportunity for Healthwatch to shape the way they work and ensure that the people’s voice is taken to these forums. Quality Surveillance Groups are intended to act as a virtual team across a health economy. Do we have to attend these meetings? As local Healthwatch you need to think about how you will participate in local and regional Quality Surveillance Groups. The following principles should shape how you engage with these groups:
Initially, local Healthwatch will want to attend to determine how useful the meetings are to you. When you attend it is important that you engage positively and contribute proactively to the groups in order to shape the meeting. Healthwatch will have to agree locally who is the best person/people to attend for a local area and also the regional meetings. Be clear about who you are representing. In some areas each local Healthwatch may want to attend, in others one individual may represent a number of local Healthwatch. This will be for local determination. It may be necessary to share intelligence prior to the meeting, for example this may be in the form of an Enter and View report or some collated intelligence that is demonstrating concern. It is important to note that given the political driver behind these groups you would be running a significant reputational risk by not contributing intelligence to the forum.
I am attending a local Quality Surveillance Groups what do I need to know to prepare for it? If you are going to be the local Healthwatch representative of a Quality Surveillance Group, here is what you need to know:
Attendance - for local Quality Surveillance Groups, Healthwatch will need to consider how they nominate the most appropriate individual to
attend meetings and to act as point/s of contact. You may identify deputising arrangements or similar. In the early stages a senior representative of the organisation would be best. First meeting - the core membership will be agreed, along with the key local concerns/risks and key issues for reporting. Do seek clarification around the function and purpose of these forums – all members will need to understand what the 'added value' will be. In the pilots to date, the focus has been very much on acute trusts, with no discussion yet on community and mental health trusts. Quality Surveillance Groups need to be transparent about the programme of work at the outset. Agenda management - preparation for the first meeting will be needed, and agenda management will be important going forward. Do ask to see the agenda in advance of the meeting and contribute to it. Frequency – until October 2013, it is proposed that these meetings are monthly; then moved to be bi-monthly. Regional Quality Surveillance Groups will meet quarterly. Information and intelligence - the first meeting will agree how and what will be shared. A lot of this information will be coming from the interactive National Quality Dashboard, which is work in progress. Healthwatch England is looking at what could be generated from the Hub in the longer term to assist at these meetings. The Local Healthwatch representative(s) will need to be prepared to share their insight into service providers including insight into potential concerns or where providers are taking appropriate action in response to concerns. Attendees - It is likely that you will know many of the attendees, this will be a good source of networking and influencing. Coverage - some local Quality Surveillance Groups will span several local authorities, so you may be asked questions about providers/services that you cannot immediately answer. It will be important to ensure that you are briefed by all relevant Healthwatch prior to the meetings. You will not have to answer everything – it is acceptable to send further information to attendees after the meeting. Output of meetings - notes from the meeting should be shared with relevant colleagues and agreed actions completed. Activity with other Quality Surveillance Group members will not be restricted just to the meetings, momentum in local relationships should be built between meetings as well as at them.
Feedback – you will be attending the Quality Surveillance Group on behalf of others so a short briefing after these Quality Surveillance Group meetings may be helpful but full rules of confidentiality will apply. What happens if there is a problem with services identified? A risk summit will be called so that the issue can be focussed on in detail and a plan of action developed. What about the Regional Quality Surveillance Group – who should attend?
It is going to be quite a challenge to decide how intelligence will be shared by the regional network at these four groups. Healthwatch England will be looking at establishing a community of interest around Quality Surveillance Groups and developing some guidance about how to make this representation as effective as possible.
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