The Transforming Cancer Services Team (TCST) in collaboration with the Elective Care Improvement Support Team (IST) have been supporting with demand and capacity modelling for imaging and endoscopy services across Southwest London since Autumn 2020, and more recently modelling endoscopy services in North Central London.
The work has been commissioned by Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and cancer alliances to provide diagnostic services and systems with a demand and capacity baseline, assist with future planning for community diagnostic hubs and/or mutual aid for instance. The modelling also helps to identify a range of improvement opportunities within single providers and across the systems.
The demand and capacity modelling exercise was introduced as part of endoscopy and imaging network meetings. Relationships were built at pace to highlight expectations, agree the scope of work and schedule. Clinical, operational, and business intelligence colleagues were identified from each trust within the sectors.
To support the modelling, regular meetings with providers were implemented along with focussed data workshops to assist informatic colleagues with the data requirements. Governance arrangements were put in place to enable issues to be raised regarding delivery of the project.
Once the modelling phase is complete, analysis of the data is required to inform comprehensive provider and system reports which are presented back to the networks. The provider outputs are aggregated up into a system view which is helpful from a comparative perspective and to understand the variance across the sector and where the opportunities are.
The demand and capacity outputs include
· Executive Summary
· Statistical Process Control charts (SPC) for historical demand along with a summary
· Available and required capacity review and summary
· Historical growth over time, also split by urgency and modality
· Waiting list size, the sustainable waiting list range and backlog clearance recommendations
· Efficiency information (removals, cancellations and did not attend (DNA)
· Areas for action/recommendations
The demand and capacity work is and has been successfully delivered using the National Demand and Capacity team (NHSE/I) Core Model and has been delivered entirely virtually which is incredible. We feel delighted to support and deliver such an ambitious scope at this scale with diagnostic colleagues in London.
We are keen to encourage sharing of outputs from this ambitious piece of work widely as we believe it will provide a range of highly valuable intelligence for providers in the London region along with constructive learning and best practice.
The success of the programme is largely due to the collaborative working, clinical leadership, engagement and positive relationship building.
We have gathered written and video feedback from colleagues about the demand and capacity exercise they have undertaken which is extremely positive and will be uploaded onto the TCST website.
For more information contact Sarah Cooper, Cancer Waits Improvement Facilitator – sarah.cooper57@nhs.net
In: TCST Newsletter