'Your Care Connected' is a patient record sharing programme involving seventeen organisations, targeting the sharing of 1.8 million patient records from 318 GP practices across NHS secondary care organisations in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. After 18 months of running the programme had stalled, having failed to deliver a robust data sharing agreement, been forced to abandon its original technical specification, and subject to a loss of stakeholder confidence following a costly aborted mail out.
GE Healthcare Finnamore was commissioned initially to complete a full audit of the programme, identifying key issues and blockages, and subsequently to bring the programme back on track and successfully deliver a trial phase known as a 'proof of concept'.
The GEHCF consultants embedded themselves into the existing programme management team, with a Director of the company taking on the role of Programme Director and a Consultant working day-today in tandem with the incumbent programme manager. Our support was delivered in four key stages, shaped around the GE change acceleration programme:
- Programme Audit (Creating a Shared Need & Shaping a Vision)
- Programme Recovery (Mobilising Commitment)
- Proof of Concept Delivery (Making Change Last)
- Ongoing Support and Handover (Monitoring Progress)
The resultant change in dynamics and the introduction of robust programme management techniques enabled rapid change. The 18 month deadlock was turned around within 3 months and the project was brought back on track, successfully delivering the proof of concept phase and gaining programme board sign off for the full rollout.
In addition to the successful turnaround of the programme, the team led the development of a revised business case and user requirements document, the universal signing of an enhanced data sharing agreement and the successful coaching of the incumbent team. By providing financial and procurement expertise, the team also identified budgetary savings of circa 20% (£600k).