Using live operational data and improvement science to help primary care teams deliver better patient care: the Tower Hamlets EQUIP programme

In Tower Hamlets in London, the primary care workload is around 33% more than current funding can pay for, and 86% of GP staff believe general practice will need to change to meet current and future demands.

The current problems with implementing operational changes in GP practices are that the changes are often not based on a clear evidence base or on data, are not driven by the whole team, or are top-down directives from commissioners.

The EQUIP (Enabling Quality Improvement In Practice) programme, led by Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), aims to help GP practices work smarter using existing resources, supplemented by live operational data and coaching/training, to make effective operational changes.

GP practices will be provided with quality improvement training and coaching, and diagnostic and operational support to help bring about operational improvements, which will help them meet the current workload challenges.

It will equip practices with real-time data, and the skills to use that data to drive improvements. It will embed quality improvement capabilities in every practice through weekly sessions with a quality improvement coach, and training for practice staff.

Team development interventions will also be delivered, to ensure the team is able to communicate and make decisions to deliver the changes. Tools, templates, case studies and learnings from other practices will be provided, as well as the opportunity to be part of a collaborative of practices to work through the most complex problems.

The project will involve 26 GP practices and the Tower Hamlets out-of-hours service, which covers all patients in Tower Hamlets.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Tom Margham, GP, Jubilee Street Practice, London, and Clinical Lead EQUIP Tower Hamlets CCG.