Welcome to the Clinical Audit Support Centre
Subscription funding arrangements announced
After months of speculation, the Department of Health has finally released details of plans to make nine NCAPOP audits subscription-based. Details of the new arrangements are outlined in a letter sent to all Trusts by Sir Bruce Keogh. For information, Sir Bruce has been appointed as the Medical Director for the NHS Commissioning Board and his responsibilities will include clinical audit. The letter outlines how changes in funding will be introduced from April 2012 and Trusts will pay up to a maximum of £23,500 per year. The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership will collect the annual subscriptions from NHS providers during the second quarter and HQIP will provide further guidance about the process in due course. Full details of the new arrangements and the letter from Sir Bruce are available via the HQIP website. Click here for more details. There is also an active discussion on the subject of subscription funding for NCA’s on the National Clinical Audit Forum.
CASC’s online survey results now available
In December 2011, CASC conducted their annual online survey for the second time. The survey was supported by Snap Surveys and a total of 158 respondents with an interest in clinical audit took the time to participate. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who completed the survey. The draft results are now available and a full report is scheduled for the start of May 2012. The results of the survey provide an independent barometer of the current state of clinical audit in the UK and this year we have been able to compare findings with results from 2010. To read the e-postcard sent to all CASC members, please click here.
NCAAG changes into NAGCAE and calls for ‘new vision’!
From 1st January 2012 the National Clinical Audit Advisory Group is to be known as the National Advisory Group on Clinical Audit and Enquiries. We understand that the main reason for the amendment occurred because the NCAAG name suggested that the group only had a role in national clinical audit. This is not the case as the group also have a responsibility for helping to reinvigorate local clinical audit. We would encourage all those with an interest in audit to read the NCAAG minutes from December 2011 as these include news of some significant developments – not least those outlined on pages 7-9. NAGCAE have set up a number of sub-groups: including one to focus on improving the quality of national audits and one to look at links between local and national audit. Within the minutes there is a call for a ‘new vision as to the role and responsibilities of audit staff in Trusts’. To read the NAGCAE minutes, click here.
Winning posters from Junior Doctor competition now online
We are delighted to announce that following the great success of our second annual Junior Doctor Clinical Audit of the Year competition, the two winning posters can now be viewed online. Over 100 initial entries were received and finalists were invited to display their posters at the conference in Leicester on 17th November 2011. Two awards were made this year – one selected by audit expert Martin Ferris and one voted for by delegates at the conference. The winners of the ‘Martin Ferris Award’ were Drs Lees, Harrison and Reed (pictured) from Northumbria Healthcare Trust. Clear winners of the ‘Junior Doctor Audit of the Year’ competition were Drs Maughan, Eyre, Hanna, Fawcett and Reckless from John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for their ‘An Apple a Day keeps a VTE at bay’ poster. To see the winning posters, please click here.
CASC’s ‘State of Clinical Audit’ report updated
In December 2010, the Clinical Audit Support Centre, in conjunction with SNAP surveys, conducted a survey of those with an interest in clinical audit. A total of 182 respondents completed the anonymous survey, 67% of who classified themselves as ‘clinical audit professionals’. The results of the survey provide a fantastic barometer of the state of clinical audit at the end of 2010 and data includes views on national clinical audit, the re-invigoration agenda, re-audit data and clinical audit resourcing. We would also like to make you aware that the document has recently been updated to include concluding remarks from the Clinical Audit Support Centre. Click here to read the report.
Distance learning course provides flexible options
The Clinical Audit Support Centre’s distance learning course is well established and provides those wanting to learn about how to conduct a successful clinical audit project the opportunity to conduct learning at their own pace without having to attend central training. All learners identify a subject to audit and receive full guidance and support from either: Stephen Ashmore, Tracy Ruthven or Louise Hazelwood. All three tutors have qualifications in clinical audit, all have worked in clinical audit for over 15 years and all three were involved in writing the methodology sections for the New Principles of Best Practice in Clinical Audit. To find out more, please click here.
Book now for 2012 ‘CA and Improvement’ conference
Healthcare Conferences have released details for their Clinical Audit and Improvement conference that is taking place in London from 7-8 February 2012. The event is being chaired by Robin Burgess and includes a series of HQIP masterclasses looking at: Training and Educating Clinical Audit, Cross Sector Pathway Audit and Social Care Audit. Simon Bennett will be providing national updates from the Department of Health and HQIP clinical champions will be facilitating a number of sessions. The event will also feature presentations by local audit professionals that include: making cost savings though clinical audit and involving patients in clinical audit. The event is sponsored by HQIP and clinical audit staff who book onto the conference can gain a 30% discount on the current two-day NHS rate of £594. For more details of the event, please click here.
CASCexcel spreadsheet now available
CASC Directors, Stephen and Tracy have always tried to make clinical audit simple and accessible and since 2005 we have utilised self-analysing excel spreadsheets to speed up data analysis. With this in mind we have been working with KALU Training and Consultancy to develop a series of simple excel spreadsheets. The first spreadsheet we have produced allows healthcare staff to collect audit data on 20 criteria across up to 50 patients/cases. As data is added number counts are updated, red-amber-green coding can be adjusted and a results graph is automatically produced. If you wish to download the CASCexcel spreadsheet in xlsx format, please click here. If you wish to obtain the xls version, please click here. This is free-to-use software but we kindly ask that if you develop audits using the resource you send your templates to CASC so that we can develop a library of excel audits to share with others working in audit. Please Note: The CASC spreadsheet is in xlsx format and requires up-to-date software to open.
Issue 71 of audit jobs bulletin now available
The Clinical Audit Support Centre launched their Clinical Audit Jobs Bulletin in June 2009. Every two weeks we search through all of the clinical audit-related jobs advertised on the NHS jobs website and produce a relevant document that will enable audit professionals to see what jobs are currently available. We list the main descriptors for each role, e.g. employing organisation, job title, salary, location and closing date. We have also noted the job reference number that will allow you to find further details of jobs that you want more information on without spending lots of time searching the entire NHS jobsite database. To download the Jobs Bulletin, click here.
Request your CASC information pack
CASC have developed a series of promotional materials that provides you with more details of the work that we support. The wallet of information includes a set of inserts: Introducing CASC, training and accreditation, support and consultancy, sharing best practice, event management and CASC case studies. The materials provide a great overview of how we work with healthcare professionals to improve the care that they deliver and there are a number of excellent case studies that show how our work has enabled organisations and teams to collaborate with us on ventures that have improved care, assured best practice and led saved money. If you would like to receive your copy, please email your name and full postal address to info@clinicalauditsupport.com
Register for the CASC E-News!
Since we launched our E Newsletter in February 2007 over 1,000 healthcare professionals have signed up! The E News is free and delivered direct to your email account every two months. The newsletter provides you with a mix of CASC-related and other clinical audit news to help you keep up to date with what is happening in the world of clinical audit. If you have missed a previous issue of E News please visit the community section of our website where all previous issues are archived. Follow this link to sign up for your copy.