A training programme funded by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity is to be rolled out more widely across the Trust, thanks to its success in the first year.
Developed by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, the Microsystem Coaching Academy (MCA) provides staff with the skills to make local level improvements within the organisation that have direct impacts on patient care and staff wellbeing.
The coaches teach staff ‘improvement science’; how to conduct more effective meetings and how to develop behaviours and habits that are consistent with the Trust’s culture of Continuous Improvement.
The Microsystem Coaching Academy has so far taken place on six units across the Trust, reaching more than 70 staff members, including the Trusts’ Medical Assessment Units, Critical Care Unit, Paediatrics and Theatres.
Some significant results of the coaching are those that directly benefit patients, including the improvement of patient flow within the Medical Assessment Units and the development of a new Paediatric observation chart designed to improve safety within paediatric care.
Ailsa Brotherton, Director of Continuous Improvement at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The MCA aims to help frontline staff improve care for patients by supporting them with coaches and helping them to embed Continuous Improvement as part of their professional cultures and mindsets. We are delighted by the MCA’s success in its first year, and we are really proud of our teams who have made strides in improving patient care and staff wellbeing as a result. While the pandemic has meant we haven’t been able to roll out the MCA more widely, we look forward to a time in the near future when more staff can use this training to create exciting and innovative improvements for their patients.
On behalf of the Continuous Improvement Team and all of the staff who have benefitted from the coaching, I want to say a huge thanks to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity for making the programme possible. Their commitment to improving patient care and staff wellbeing within our organisation is inspiring!”
The programme also encourages the involvement of patients, via interviews and case studies, so that staff can understand what their patients really value and can start to create a culture of patient-centred, continuous quality improvement.
Paula Wilson, Head of Charities and Fundraising at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are delighted that the MCA programme has been so successful and we are really privileged to be able to fund such innovative and worthwhile initiatives. Patient safety is our highest priority, and we are extremely proud of all of our staff members who have undertaken this exciting training to make long-term improvements for all of the people who come through our doors needing care. We look forward to seeing the further improvements this training can make for staff and patients at our Trust, and as a result of the programme’s success, we are proud to say we will be launching our very own academy in November!”
"We are delighted by the MCA’s success in its first year, and we are really proud of our teams who have made strides in improving patient care and staff wellbeing as a result."
