Case Study

As part of the 10-week programme, Four Eyes Insight (FEI) produced an integrated activity, workforce, and finance model supported by a compelling narrative describing the benefits of launching a high-volume regional elective hub for an NHS Acute Provider Collaborative (APC), as outlined below.

Activity

• A scenario-based modelling tool to support the planning and delivery of activities was created.
• Activity predictions were built up from procedure-level data based on average touchtimes.
• Clinical agreement to the ability to perform certain procedures through high-performance lists, also known as super-lists was established.
• The ability to manipulate core inputs (utilisation/session duration/session volume/volume of high-performance lists) in an interactive tool allowed flexibility to increase and decrease expectations weekly across the year.

Finance

• A financial strategy options paper provided three main options for decision, largely premised around the profit/risk share model across Trusts.
• Incentivisation options were presented at organisational and workforce levels.
• Financial implications of the hub were considered as part of the integrated modelling with the ability to demonstrate impact due to implementing various scenarios.

Workforce

• There was discussion and impact modelling of the effects of various alternative roles.
• A review of staffing implications for high-performance lists was conducted.
• Workforce modelling was integrated within the demand and capacity analysis and staffing requirements were varied alongside operational plan alterations (e.g., session duration and volumes)
• Supporting documents for the recruitment strategy were developed.
• Consistent and high-quality job descriptions addressing the skill sets and deliverables specific to Elective Hubs were designed.

Engagement and Results

• Subject Matter Expert-led clinical engagement sessions were held to support the ambition for change and improvement.
• Operational delivery model scenarios were agreed.
• A compelling narrative was written to communicate the model across providers.
• Workforce recruitment commenced aligned to the agreed new ways of working.
• Anticipated benefit: the ability to treat an additional 4316 ENT and urology patients annually and 52-week backlog clearance within 3-6 months.
• Almost 2500 hours of capacity was identified for release at non-host sites.