Paediatric Services – Cumbria Success Regime
Other
The Cumbria Success Regime (CSR) Maternity and Child Health work stream developed a number of options for reconfiguring paediatric services across North, West and East Cumbria.
The work stream had developed detailed clinical models of care but needed extra support in order to understand each option’s workforce requirements
The Challenge
The WRaPT team was tasked with quantifying the change in staff and skill mix in order to deliver each option. The options to be modelled were:
- A short stay paediatric assessment unit (SSPAU) with overnight beds.
- A short stay paediatric assessment unit with no overnight beds.
- Outpatient service only.
Our Approach
The WRaPT team developed an activity based model to determine the workforce requirements across multiple sites.
Given the complex nature of the reconfiguration, the modelling was based on multiple activities including: Number of attendances, numbers of beds, number of bed days, hours of care senior medical care required.
Modelling was performed in conjunction with service leads in order to ensure that any assumptions made were valid and reflected the front-line delivery of clinical care.
The Outcome
The WRaPT team and tool demonstrated that the various options for paediatrics had significantly different impacts on the workforce.
- Full consolidation of the services demonstrated the greatest efficiencies in terms of finances and workforce. However, it did not result in significant financial savings owing to the number of senior medical staff required to provide front line care.
- An SSPAU at West Cumberland Hospital pm one site would reduce the requirement for premium pay staff but would require additional support from Advanced Nurse Practitioners in order to provide sufficient out of hours cover.
The models produced by the WRaPT tool were able to further the decision making process, providing clarity over the potential benefits and challenges with each option outlined by the paediatric work streams.
The work formed the basis for discussion at options appraisal workshops and was used to inform decision making on how the Cumbria Success Regime determined its preferred option for the pre consultation business case.
Related Case Studies
Radiology Service Transformation – North Cumbria University Hospitals
Acute
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust is a medium sized acute Trust which delivers radiology services across two acute sites and several community hospitals in the North of England.
The hospital is in the process of improving its trauma services. In order to do this effectively, the Trust needs to provide a 24 hour on-site CT service at one of its acute sites.
Cardiology Pathway Redesign – Warrington and Halton Hospitals
Acute
Over the last few years England has been experiencing increasing demands on its urgent and emergency care services which has put unprecedented pressures on the NHS and its workforce. NHS England has commissioned a review into Urgent and Emergency Care which Health Education England (HEE) is supporting through its Emergency Medicine Workforce Implementation Group (EMWIG) and supporting programmes.
Acute Medical Staffing – West Cumberland Hospital
Acute
The West Cumberland Hospital (WCH) of North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust has been struggling with issues regarding the recruitment and retention of acute Medical Registrars for a number of years. This has led to a situation where all the out of hours acute medical senior decision maker cover has been provided using premium pay staff.
East Lancashire Hospitals – Surgical Triage Unit
Acute
The East Lancashire Surgical Triage Unit were seeing changes in both the demand of patients attending the STU and the delivery of surgical care