Co-creating Health: North Bristol NHS Trust

This project aimed to introduce positive benefits from efficient self-management thereby improving people’s confidence and quality of life, and reducing the burden on the NHS. To achieve this they rolled out the three elements of the Co-creating Health programme:

• Self-management Programme (SMP) for people with long-term conditions
• Advanced Development Programme (ADP) for clinicians
• Service Improvement Programme (SIP) to redesign services.

Benefits

The team successfully tested the model in their area. Some of the findings from the three programmes were:

SMP: In order to maximise accessibility, SMPs were run at varying times and days of the week. The majority were run in community venues with a good geographical spread, however the team did find it challenging to engage with some groups. They felt that increased communication with teams commissioning for hard to reach groups would enhance engagement.

Anecdotal evidence reflected strong support for both the successful impact of the programme and for the use of a combined professional-lay tutor delivery model. With a high turnover of lay tutors, the team did, however, feel succession planning was necessary for this model.

SIP: Patient surveys and case-note sampling showed clearly that a culture shift had started to take place after seven clinical teams took part. The use of agenda-setting, goal-setting and follow-up was becoming the norm for clinical consultations in every team involved.

ADP: The team found it difficult to recruit for the ADP, particularly from primary care, however clinicians reported that after attending they had used the strategies to change their usual practice, benefitting themselves and the people they support. They also found the strategies were relevant to any long-term condition.

This project was twinned with the Co-Creating Health project at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.