New report reveals response to COVID-19 has driven rapid healthcare service transformation
Posted: 22nd September 2020
In a time of unprecedented crisis, the response from health and care organisations across the region to COVID-19 has shown that it is possible to develop and implement rapid innovative solutions to support the health and care needs of patients and local communities in a safe way.
As part of the NHS Evaluation and Reset, Rapid Insights reports have been commissioned to help capture the key changes implemented during the pandemic. Yorkshire & Humber AHSN in partnership with three ICSs across Yorkshire and Humber, and in collaboration with North East and North Cumbria AHSN and their ICS, have now completed the first phase of this work. Today HCV Health and Care Partnership has published the first of these reports.
These reports provide many examples of innovative solutions devised by health and care teams across the region to support the needs of patients and local communities in a safe way during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reports provide analysis of the changes to help health and care organisations to improve the way they provide services both now and in the longer term. The evaluation of the changes implemented during the COVID-19 response plays a key part in a broader plan to rebuild and reset the health and care system across the region.
Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “This evaluation work is vital to better understand the impact of the changes that were made to allow the health service to continue to function as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. We have seen how many rapid changes and service improvements were made to working practices. Previously these changes would have taken at least a few months to design and implement, but they were accomplished in days or weeks.
We have supported four integrated care systems (ICSs) across the North East and Yorkshire including the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership as well as West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System and North England and North Cumbria AHSN and their ICS through the development of Rapid Insights reports to capture the innovations and best practices that should remain as healthcare systems try to go back to business as usual, whilst continuing to respond to the changing COVID-19 situation.”
Some of the positive outcomes highlighted in the Rapid Insights reports show how increased collaboration between teams and organisations has helped to develop solutions to shared issues and provide mutual aid. The use of technology has enabled staff to continue to care for patients even while shielding. There has been a lot of work from all sectors to continue care for patients as much as possible whilst reducing face to face interactions to protect patients and staff.
The next step is for the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN to work with its partners to ensure the learning from the COVID-19 response is shared, adopted and adapted where appropriate to continue to deliver quality health and care services that are safe for people across the region.