Summary
The Central & North West London (CNWL) NHS FoundationTrust required a technical solution to support the introduction of a Single Point of Access (SPA) in Milton Keynes (MK) for five adult services using the SystmOne electronic patient record (EPR) community module with Shared Admin functionality and the ability to scale up over time. The project involved designing, modelling, building,and implementing a new SPA system, including training staff and communicating with partner organisations. The project faced several challenges, including adapting the design to best fit the provider services and delays to roll-out due to the establishment of a new SPA team. Despite these challenges, the project successfully implemented the new SPA system, resulting in streamlined processes, improved efficiency, and better access to services for the partners of CNWL.
Aims/Objectives
The primary objective of the project was to implement a Single Point of Access (SPA) for five adult services in Milton Keynes using the SystmOne EPR to make it clearer for patients and partners to access local services. Other aims included:
● Streamlining and standardising referral processes
● Remove the need to make multiple referrals to multiple teams Improving access to services for patients and partners
● Enhance efficiency and reducing variation in working practices Increasing knowledge sharing within the services Increasing resilience and align referral support for clinical teams
● Align with other Trusts by implementing a SPA Enabling better reporting and capacity management
● Providing a platform and model that could be scaled up from 5 services to 19 in a phased approach.
What did we do?
We undertook a comprehensive approach to achieve the objectives, including:·
● Establishment of a PRINCE2 project board with monthly meetings to ensure effective governance and communication.
● Collaboration with CNWL leads, IT teams, and the local change team to review current state maps and design future state options.
● Engagement with TPP to enable shared admin functionality in SystmOne
● Development of SPA specific resources in SystmOne, including dashboards, templates, views, letters, protocols, and reports
● Workshops with each of the five initial services to demonstrate the system, explain changes, and standardise referral processes
● Supported external and internal communication through meetings, bulletins, and emails to keep stakeholders informed.
● Training for SPA staff on the new processes and system functionalities
● Onsite support during Go-live and relaunch phases to address issues and provide assistance
● Adaptation and streamlining of processes based on feedback and lessons learned
What was the context / background?
Historically, Milton Keynes health partners faced challenges with their referral processes, including multiple referral points, different methods, and a lack of integration with SystmOne. This led to confusion,inefficiencies, and delays in accessing services. The project aimed to address these challenges by leveraging the widespread use of SystmOne among healthcare partners, particularly GPs in the area (100% SystmOne).
How was it organised and who was involved?
The project followed the PRINCE2 methodology, with adedicated project board overseeing its execution. Key stakeholders involved:·
● CNWL operational team responsible for the SPA service delivery
● CNWL IT team approving technical aspects of the SystmOne implementation based on our recommendations and collaborations
● Channel3 providing consultancy and overarching management.
● Local change team assisting with process mapping and analysis
● TPP the vendor of the SystmOne
● Five initial CNWL adult services benefiting from the SPA implementation –District Nursing (including end of life), Continence, Frailty, Tissue Viability & Virtual Ward.
● GPs and other referring partners integralto the referral process
What resources did you need?
● SystmOne EPR system as the core platform for the SPA
● Project management tools and resources to plan, track, and manage the project
● Technical expertise in SystmOne configuration, development, and support
● Clinical expertise to inform the design and implementation of processes
● Training materials and resources to educate staff on the new system and processes
● Communication channels to engage withstakeholders and disseminate information
● Onsite support personnel to assist staff during Go-live and relaunch
Benefits?
The successful implementation of the SPA brought about several benefits, including:
● Streamlined and standardised referral processes leading to reduced confusion and improved efficiency
● Enhanced access to services for patients and partners through a single point of contact
● Improved efficiency and reduced variation in working practices resulting in time savings and better use of resources
● Increased resilience and knowledge sharing within the services, mitigating the impact of staff absence or turnover
● Improved reporting and capacity management capabilities facilitating data-driven decision-making and service improvements
● Positive feedback from patients and service users highlighting the ease of access and improved communication
● Establishment of a model for future SPA implementations within CNWL, leveraging the lessons learned and best practices
Feedback
Our experience with you and your team was very helpful during this transformation period of our service into Adult SPA. To have you and your team on site with the admin team made this challenging experience more manageable. The processes and IT systems were ever changing during those few weeks and you kindly updated the guide whenever something had changed and this happened quite a few times. You were very calm and approachable. You were all very helpful with this.
Miss Madeha Jabbar
Team Lead for the Adult Single Point Access Team(SPA)
Links
CNWL MK SPA Website