Posted on: 10 June 2022
Hello, my name is Amy.
I have the huge privilege of being the new Innovation Hub Director for West Yorkshire. I sit between the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (YH AHSN) and the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership to help to identify, spread and adopt innovations across the wide geography of West Yorkshire. From brand new innovations coming through, to spreading best practice across the system, the hub is being set up to ensure that all our West Yorkshire citizens can benefit from transformational innovation by ensuring that we are the leading partnership in healthcare innovation.
We truly are on the start of an incredible journey, and in the few months I have been in post, the enthusiasm and passion for innovation that I see daily is astounding. Each day presents new opportunities for deep rooted collaboration and learning at all levels within the system- and this is what I want to focus on in this post.
Innovation, especially healthcare innovation, can often be a daunting idea for many. It often brings images of high-tech equipment such as surgical robots, or complex AI driven imaging technology; and whilst these are core parts of the healthcare innovation landscape, they are only part of the wider innovation world.
I am a registered nurse and have worked in both adult and neonatal intensive care for most of my career. If you had asked me at the start of my career, if I could I see myself as an Innovation Hub Director, I would have said absolutely not. I would have said how I knew nothing about innovation, yet every day I would be exposed to it, be part of it and even initiate it in my practice without even realising.
The past few years have highlighted the incredible innovative practice we have brought into the world in response to one of the biggest healthcare challenges seen in generations. This has changed the way many see innovation and has given so many people a platform to be creative and innovative in how we respond to challenges. A great example of this within West Yorkshire itself is the adoption of Tytocare remote monitoring. Tytocare is a small handheld device that allows clinicians, community care teams and patients and their families to perform medical examinations anytime and anywhere. Initially brought into the system as part of the Joined-Up-Care Programme between NHS England and NHSXs rapid response to COVID-19, the innovation is now utilised across multiple clinical pathways, from paediatric cleft palate service to urgent and elderly medicine virtual hubs.
This has been one of my biggest lessons over the last few years and one that has sparked my passion for healthcare innovation.
Although we have seen a huge amount of innovation and change in the healthcare landscape, innovation still can be intimidating too so many.
So, how do we break down these barriers so that people see themselves as innovators no matter their role or experience? Here are a few of my thoughts.
1. We need to give people time and headspace to think
We are working in a fast paced and challenging climate within the health and care system at the moment, so setting time aside to think and make plans or even explore a simple idea can be challenging. Supporting people to have time to think creatively can be tough, but it is vital in helping people to develop innovative ideas.
Having this time helps to build a strong culture where ingenuity and change are embraced and valued. This is not to say that we all have time to carve out a day a week to do this- but how can we utilise some of our time to give innovation more of a platform. Could a team meeting have a dedicated space to discuss ideas of how a new innovative idea could be trialled? This could be anything from a simple change in a form to reduce patients waiting time, to looking at new technology introduction to help with automation of tasks to help with increasing people’s capacity. Having time to think and explore is vital to give you time to see where innovation can help to support you do your job.
2. Encourage conversation and collaboration
Conversation and collaboration are the linchpin of innovation- a problem you may be facing will no doubt be the same for another team and working collaboratively to help solve a problem in an innovative way ensures that we break down silos.
Starting a conversation is a great way to do this- ask if anyone else has an innovative way of completing a task, ask if anyone has used new technology and what they think of this, or even reach out to the wider system to start to understand what is out there. Conversation will find you your people to help develop your ideas and connect you with people who can support you. The NHS is great at inventing, but poor at adopting. We need to spend less time trying to build things from scratch, and much more time stealing with pride from neighbouring wards, hospitals, practices, regions, and countries.
3. Start small, and aim high
Innovation can be done at a huge scale, my role is to look at what innovation can be adopted not only at a local level, but all the way to a system level which covers millions of people- however, every innovation, from complex immunotherapy development to digital care records all will have started small and aimed high.
Starting small does not mean you are lacking ambition, what it does is give you time to develop, adapt, be agile in response to challenges and be able to learn any lessons from failure. Innovation is a place where failure is must be embraced as it rules out ways of how to not do things and brings you closer to the final successful version.
Think of innovation as a spectrum: at one end, smaller, incremental changes can be introduced before moving up to the more disruptive and transformative innovations on the other end.
4. Shout about your success
This, for me, is one of the most important parts of breaking barriers down. Shouting about your successful innovation project is not only great to highlight the amazing work your team have accomplished- but it opens doors for people to learn and adopt your innovation into their system and bring the brilliant changes and impact to a wider footprint.
We want to know what has worked well, what hasn’t, what were the challenges and what were the enablers? All of these questions can help to start bigger conversations, wider collaborations, and more robust connections. It breaks down silo working and builds a community of innovators that can support one another.
I truly believe that everyone has an inner innovator ready to push through and explore the ideas that have been sat developing in their mind. I hope that the new WY Innovation Hub helps to foster, support and champion this kind of innovation culture across West Yorkshire for many years to come. I am so looking forward to working with you all.
Have a lovely weekend,
Amy.
What else has been happening this week?
Congratulations to everyone on The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honours List, including colleagues from across our area.
- Julian Hartley, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust CEO has received a Knighthood
- Richard Barker, NHS England Northeast and Yorkshire Director, received a CBE
- Dr Fiona Mary Campbell, Consultant Pediatrician, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, for services to children and young people with diabetes received a CBE
- Dr Andrew Simon Furber, Regional Director, Northwest and NHS Regional Director of Public Health, Northwest received a CBE
- Chris Slater. Chris managed the procurement and supply of essential personal protective equipment and supplies to support frontline NHS staff and patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals as well as at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber in Harrogate. He received an MBE
- Nancy O’Neill is the deputy chief officer and strategic director of transformation and change at Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group. Nancy was awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS, particularly during the pandemic
- Dr Joshi has been made an MBE for his voluntary work during the pandemic
- Christine May, the Head of Libraries at Bradford Council, has received an MBE for her services to public libraries
- Rukeya Miah, the Deputy Associate Director of Nursing and a Senior Midwife at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been awarded a BME for her services to maternity and healthcare education, particularly during the pandemic
- Lorraine Kennedy, Senior Manager, Patient Support, Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, for services to the NHS, a BEM.
Carers Week 2022 – Making West Yorkshire’s carers visible, valued and supported
This week is Carers Week 2022 and the year’s theme is ‘Visible, Valued and Supported’.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face and recognising the valuable contribution they make to families and communities.
The West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) are using carers week to reach the estimated 400,000 unpaid carers across West Yorkshire. They will be highlighting a different theme during each of the seven days. Resources were made alongside local carer organisations were made available online. These include a young carer education pack and a ‘Working Carers Passport’ guide for managers. The ‘Message in a Bottle’ Lions Charity International initiative has also been promoted. You can follow all the activity during the week by following @WYpartnership on twitter or visit www.
You can read a blog about the week from Richard Parry, Strategic Director Adults and Health, Kirklees Council and Co-Chair of the Partnership’s Unpaid Carers Programme and Fatima Khan Shah, Associate Director for the Partnership’s Unpaid Carers Programme. This was also featured in the Yorkshire Post on Wednesday.
Watch this film with a message from Rob Webster, CEO Lead for the Partnership
Celebrating our volunteers in West Yorkshire
This week is Volunteer Week when we celebrate the contribution of our wonderful volunteers across West Yorkshire.
In West Yorkshire we have an estimated 147,000 volunteers in the voluntary community social enterprise sector alone, who give their time on a regular basis. And there are many more regular volunteers working within our hospitals, ambulance service and primary care – working alongside NHS staff to ensure patients receive the best care and support possible.
In the last couple of years volunteers have demonstrated the critical role they play in supporting people through the pandemic. They have connected with those who are isolated, or for whom a little support and encouragement, a weekly activity group, a local lunch club or men’s group – is a critical part of maintaining their health and wellbeing. Working across all age ranges, all population groups and working alongside communities who often face the greatest health inequalities, our volunteers are an essential and much valued part of our workforce.
We would like to say a big thank you to each one of you who have given your time, energy, and expertise to support people living in our region.
The West Yorkshire Clinical Forum
The Clinical Forum met virtually on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by Dr James Thomas. Forum members include medical directors, GPs, pharmacists, allied health professionals, lead nurses and NHS E colleagues.
The meeting included a discussion on provider collaboratives, such as the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts and Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme who are a key part of system working. These forums are one way in which our providers work together to plan, deliver, and transform services.
The West Yorkshire Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups
The West Yorkshire Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) met in public for the last time on Tuesday (7 June). From 1 July 2022, the Committee’s responsibilities will transfer to the new NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. Members discussed the next steps for the harmonisation of commissioning policies across West Yorkshire, Healthy Hearts, and a summary report on the Joint Committee’s achievements before it hands over its responsibilities to the new West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board on 1 July 2022. You can read the papers and watch the meeting on our website.
Members of the public were invited to send questions to the Partnership Team and asked them direct to the Committee. There were questions on eye care (including commissioning cataract surgery), stroke services and improving planned care. All responses will be followed through and published on our website.
Partnership Board
The Partnership Board met on Tuesday 7 June. The meeting was chaired by Cllr Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council. You can read the papers and watch the live stream on our website.
The Board received an update on the progress made on the delivery of the tackling health inequalities race review action plan against the themes of population planning and mental health.
The Improving Population Health Programme continues its commitment to ensure services understand and respond to the needs of different groups in our population. This includes:
- Supporting and understanding the system response for migrants and refugees, particularly the needs of Ukrainian refugees
- Roll out and success of the West Yorkshire Health Equity Fellows Programme and planning for year two
- Secured £200,000 funding from NHS England for five projects across West Yorkshire to support partnership approaches to preventing heart disease and working between primary care networks and voluntary community organisations.
We have established a CORE20Plus5 leadership group for the Partnership with programme and place membership established to ensure a joined-up system approach for the allocation of the £10,724,000 recurrent and additional resource across West Yorkshire to support targeted reductions in health inequalities for 2022/23.
The Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative has reviewed progress against the initial actions set through the review and set a range of next stage actions to be taken forwards during 2022/23. Actions include those relating to the development of the Staff Mental Wellbeing Hub and enhancing inequalities leadership at West Yorkshire level through new appointments.
There was also an agenda item on migrants, refugees, and asylum seeker population and seeing people as an asset to our cities, towns, and communities not a burden. Providing a safe and welcoming place of sanctuary for individuals and families should be seen as an opportunity not a threat.
We aspire to be a place where we build on the strengths of our refugee and migrant population and realise the opportunities by creating an enabling environment that provide stability and support to reduce the barriers, facilitate access to learning, training, good health, and wellbeing.
Each of the five places of West Yorkshire (Bradford District and Craven; Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield) have developed and achieved sanctuary status and the Partnership of Sanctuary aims to support local work and ensure West Yorkshire is a safe, welcoming, and county where refugees, migrants and asylum seekers can thrive and live healthy lives. You can read more about their work in the paper on our website. All the recommendations were agreed by the Board.
Board members also discussed the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) – constitution and governance. From 1 July 2022, the ICB will take on the commissioning responsibilities of clinical commissioning groups and lead the integration of health and care services across West Yorkshire. Board members received an update on the final ICB constitution, as agreed by NHS England, and discussed ‘work in progress’ on some of the key governance documents that will be brought together in the ICB governance handbook. The governance handbook is designed to give us the flexibility to adapt our arrangements. None of the documents or governance arrangement that will be in place on 1 July are ‘set in stone’ - we will need to refine them considering learning from operating in statutory form. Formal review at 12 and 18 months have been built into all aspects of our arrangements.
Support for children and young people
The range of all-age support that the Mental health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme offers includes the NightOWLS pilot project currently running across West Yorkshire. NightOWLS is a co-designed service which offers free telephone, text and online chat to children, young people, and their family members from 8pm to 8am every day. The service is delivered by Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service. The young people involved have made this video explainer about the service.
Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism. Three provider collaboratives now live in West Yorkshire
NHS-Led Provider Collaboratives (also described as Lead Provider Collaboratives or LPCs) are a new way of planning and providing the mental health, learning disability and autism services that have previously been commissioned by the Specialised Commissioning team at NHS England and NHS Improvement.
In West Yorkshire, we now have three live Provider Collaboratives. These are;
The NHS-Led Provider Collaborative webpage lists all the Provider Collaboratives that launched on 1 October 2021 and includes a link to their “get involved” pages and a list of live Provider Collaboratives here.
Update from the Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
We have been made aware of a glitch in the self-referral process for one-to-one therapy on the Hub website. This has now been fixed and all the forms are pulling through correctly. There is currently no waiting list for therapy, and we are turning referrals around within 24 hours and allocating first appointments within a week.
The West Yorkshire Area Partnership Group (unions)
Colleagues and union representatives meet today (Friday) as part of their regular catch ups. They will be discussing the Health and Care Act, and what the new statutory arrangements mean for colleagues, as well as other workforce topics and internal staff campaigns.
NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board Constitution
Under the Health and Care Act 2022, 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will be established on 1 July 2022. Each ICB will have a constitution setting out the board membership and governance arrangements for the organisation. As required by the Act, Clinical Commissioning Groups, working with designate ICB leaders, have engaged with key local stakeholders in developing the constitutions for each ICB before proposing them to NHS England. NHS England will bring the following constitutions into effect through the order that will establish ICBs on 1 July 2022.
Each ICB’s supplementary governance documents, for example details of committees it is establishing, will be made available on the relevant ICB website when live. You can find out more on the NHS England website.
Following submission of our ICB constitution to NHS England / Improvement in May 2022, our constitution has been approved.