CHSS Celebrates 25 years!

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mg372

On the 4th July 1989 the Health Services Research Unit, led by Professor John Butler, became the Centre for Health Services Studies. Since then the Centre has commented on how political, social and economic changes affect the health services and the people working within it starting with the internal market system of the early nineties through to the recent creation of Clinical Commissioning Groups and the role that local government now plays in Public Health. CHSS has been observing and commenting through its reports, journal articles, conferences and attracting media attention along the way.

Twenty-Five years on it’s now time to take stock and re-acquaint ourselves with what’s gone before. For our twenty-fifth anniversary newsletter we have invited past Directors of the Centre from 1989 onwards to comment on the Centre’s history and successes over the years, culminating in our twenty-fifth anniversary open lecture “Health Services Research: the gradual encroachment of ideas”, to be delivered by Nick Black, Professor of Health Services Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at Coyler-Fergusson Music Hall on Friday 4th July 2014. A flyer with full details, including the abstract is available to download (pdf format).

The 25th Anniversary Newsletter is now available to view or download (pdf format).

A further history of CHSS is available here (pdf format).

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Kent Fungal Group Award

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mg372

Dr Campbell Gourlay, from the Kent Fungal Group in the School of Biosciences, has been successful in attracting a Welcome Trust medical mycology and fungal immunology strategic award to increase our knowledge as to how mitochondria, an essential component of most eukaryotic cells, are involved in controlling the ability of two of the most common human fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Candida glabrata to infect and resist common treatment regimes. The research will identify new factors that are important for the establishment of fungal infections and so will pave the way for the development of new anti-fungal therapeutics.

The award is a joint collaboration with the University of Aberdeen.

cwg_wt_image

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Record success for the “Class of 2014″

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mg372

The School of Biosciences is delighted to report the outstanding achievement of our graduating class. After a furiously intense period of revision, examinations, marking, cataloging and mark input and verification, the final year Examination Board took place this week, attended by academic staff and our two external examiners. Students from the Class of 2014 achieved a record level of achievement for the School, with three-quarters of our students being awarded Upper Second Class Honours or above, as well as a record number being awarded First Class. Our external examiners were impressed by the very high quality of work that our students had submitted in examinations, the wide range of final year projects provided, and the variety of continuous assessments that provide transferable skills for future employability.

This is a real achievement for all concerned – a reflection of the high quality and commitment of our students, and of the the staff who have taught them and supported them over the last 3 or 4 years. Many congratulations to all – we will be celebrating with you at the graduation ceremony next month!

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New BSc in Management in Primary Care

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mg372

This one-year intercalated BSc in Management in Primary Care is designed for medical students who want to prepare themselves for working in primary care and community, public health or management. The course modules are designed to help students develop critical appraisal skills and knowledge of research methods, as well as how to effectively manage a health care organisation. The ability to effectively manage organisations and make difficult decisions around budget allocations is more important than ever with the creation of the Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Fifty per cent of medical graduates may enter general practice and this course is designed to help students develop these essential extra skills. Our BSc in Management in Primary Care allows students to gain clinical experience alongside the learning of academic skills which can be applied to all aspects of the medical field.

This is a full time degree lasting for one academic year. In the autumn term, you will focus on research methods and analysis for understanding the different models of the patient/doctor consultation, determinants of health, public health, primary care systems, and the management of health organisations. You will be attached to a GP Practice and in the spring term, you will spend at least one day a week in a GP practice working on a research project. All students will then be supported to write up the research findings for academic publication. During spring term, you will be able to take a number of optional modules at the Kent Business School.

For more details see the Kent Undergrad courses 2015 page

The University of Kent Undergrad Prospectus 2015

Who is involved?
Rowena Merritt

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Actin filament dynamics unravelled by Kent Fungal Group

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mg372

PhD students in Dan Mulvihill‘s group have recently published a study in which they have uncovered the mechanism by which the physical properties of different populations of actin filaments within cells are fine tuned to undertake different functions (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.05.034). While some of these actin polymers are “fine-tuned” to provide a stable scaffold or framework to the cell, others are more dynamic and allow the cell to rapidly respond to changes in its environment. Matt Johnson and Dan East used a novel molecular biology trick to change the cellular location of different formin “nucleators” which seed actin filament growth. They discovered this led to a switch in the location of molecules which bind to and stabilise the actin polymer and modulate the movement of molecular motors. In this way they uncovered the mechanism which determines the functional characteristics of actin filaments in all cells and orchestrates cellular events in organisms from yeast to man. These findings are likely to have a major impact in the development of therapies for a variety of diseases, such as cancer.Actin_filament-300x229

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Knee Deep in Quantitative Data! – week 2

Posted on July 18, 2014 by mw434

My second week with HTS was revolved around inputting quantitative and qualitative data into Microsoft Excel. It took me a whole week and a bit to finally finish inputting all the Canterbury teams’ data ready to be analysed. From the results I have become more familiar with the system and how HTS is run, in terms of cases I have recognized common trends and patterns among dementia patients.

I was also given a couple of books to read by my supervisor David, who insisted they were good reads, the first book written by clinical psychologist Oliver James called Contented Dementia and another about famous study involving nuns, which I’m sure I’ll spend a significant amount of my lunch time reading. Well that’s it for this week, stay tuned for more.

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KSS AHSN Newsletter – 17 July 2014

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Richard Barber

In this week’s edition:

 

 

I expect many of you are already looking forward to a King’s Fund event on 25 September: “Realising the potential of primary care”. If it hasn’t surfaced on your radar yet, it’s all about how general practice and colleagues from community settings can provide a more co-ordinated experience of care for their patients. It includes a look at the organisational forms and relationships which can help or hinder this objective.

If you’ve had a chance to peruse the agenda, you’ll have seen it includes strong KSS representation. Speakers include Hazel Carpenter, Accountable Officer, South Kent Coast CCG and Thanet CCG, and Jonathan Serjeant, Clinical Director, Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group. ChenMed, visited recently by colleagues from Surrey and earmarked for further engagement, are also presenting. They’ll be talking about their “concierge” service for the oldest and most vulnerable patients.

One of the clear messages from our conference on 17 June about preventable emergency admissions is local effort is underway and planned to coordinate care more. Primary care has a pivotal role to play here.

Building

We expect there to be a group from KSS to hear of the good work in Brighton, East Kent and find relevant overseas learning from ChenMed. Group bookings to The King’s Fund events are cheaper, so if your organisation is a paying member of the AHSN let us know if you’d like to join a group booking.

We’re holding a post-event dinner discussion afterwards for KSS colleagues to explore this theme further and the opportunities to spread what works faster. Please let us know if you’d be of interested in attending.

Please email janet.moore10@nhs.net if you’re interested in a group booking or evening round table discussion on 25 September.

I think it’s going to be a really interesting event and will help to further develop thinking as we build on the ideas and connections of June 17.

Kind regards,
Guy Boersma
Managing Director, KSS AHSN

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Opportunity to Get Involved in the Systems Leadership, Local Vision Programme

The Local Government Authority led, Systems Leadership Steering Group is looking for applications for the second round of Systems Leadership – Local Vision projects across the country. The projects bring people together from across the NHS, public health, local government, social care and other services, in order to create new ways of working on ‘wicked’ issues and achieve measurable improvements in health, care and wellbeing.

Read more here

SEHTA AGM & Medical Technologies Evaluation Conference – Update

In total 65 delegates attended the SEHTA AGM & Medical Technologies Evaluation Conference, held at Leatherhead Food Research on Wednesday 25th June 2014. The event was organised by SEHTA was sponsored by KSS AHSN. We had speakers from NICE, NIHR, KSS AHSN, TSB, NOCRI, APA Parafricta and Cardiocity.

You can now view and download the presentations here.

The 2014 NHS Leadership Recognition Awards – nominations are now open!

The NHS Leadership Recognition Awards celebrate leaders at all levels and across all professions who have ultimately improved people’s health, the public’s experience of the NHS and those leaders who we are truly proud to work alongside.

Nominations are now open. For further information and details, please click here.

Funding Opportunity for Innovations to Improve Healthcare

The Health Foundation is looking for projects that aim to improve health care delivery and/or the way people manage their own health care as part of its new Innovating for Improvement programme.

Successful bidders will receive up to £75,000 of funding, over 15 months, to support the implementation and evaluation of their health care innovation project. Please read the Call for applications on the Health Foundation website and for further information, visit: www.health.org.uk/innovatingimprovement

The deadline for applications is 12 noon, 5 August 2014.

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July 2014 Stakeholder Briefing

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Richard Barber

In this issue…

Welcome

This month’s briefing has a particular focus on technology enhanced learning (TEL), which includes simulation, e-learning and the use of mobile applications to improve access to training and education.

Since we established our HEKSS TEL programme last year, we’ve made great strides in developing a more joined-up, strategic approach to the use of technology to develop the workforce of the future. You can read more below and on our website.

We recently held partnership council meetings, bringing together stakeholders in health and care across each of the counties in Kent, Surrey and Sussex to inform our work. A key outcome from the recent meetings was an agreement to review the workforce development needs of staff in health and justice so that we can ensure they are receiving appropriate support.

The last month also saw a meeting of our Governing Body. It included a very good discussion and debate around specialty medical training and the use of physician associates. We have agreed to carry out reviews in these areas to report back to the September governing body meeting, alongside workforce planning and education commission data, to inform our decision-making.

Governing body and partnership council meeting papers are available on our website.

Last week we held a very valuable workforce planning event to ensure we are commissioning the right numbers of new staff to meet future needs. More work is needed on this and I hope that all providers will give this work the executive-level attention that it requires.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best Wishes,

Philippa

***

Next steps agreed to develop workforce and education plans

Healthcare providers and commissioners across Kent, Surrey and Sussex have agreed that further work is needed to develop next year’s workforce and education commission plans.

HEKSS brought together over 75 representatives of providers, commissioners and local authorities on 9 July to review the five-year workforce and education commission forecasts that trusts have submitted to HEKSS. The event aimed to sense-check the combined figures and ensure they meet the needs and expectations of commissioners.

New education commissions account for around 95% of the £5bn annual budget of Health Education England (HEE) and accurate and realistic forecasting is fundamental to ensure that the NHS has the right staff to meet future needs.

The event concluded with an agreement to hold further events for each of the three counties in early September to review revised data and forecasts.

For more information, please see the HEKSS website.

A year of progress in technology enhanced learning

Representatives from provider trusts and higher education institutions across Kent, Surrey and Sussex met earlier this month to review the progress of the HEKSS technology enhanced learning (TEL) programme.

The programme began in June 2013 and worked with stakeholders to establish a five-year strategy for developing the use of technology enhanced learning across the region.

The strategy aims to meet the needs of a multi-professional workforce in a changing health and social care environment, with a focus on patient safety, organisational collaboration and developing the skills and knowledge to underpin the HEKSS skills development strategy.

Over the last year the programme has supported 34 TEL projects. Attendees at the 2 July event received updates on some of these initiatives and shared their experience and ideas. Among the projects discussed was the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Children’s Simulation Centre (see below).

There is more information on the event, the programme and some of the initiatives underway on the HEKSS website.

Kent, Surrey and Sussex children’s simulation centre opens Brighton

A unique children’s simulation centre was opened at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in June. The centre, funded by HEKSS and led by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, is a collaboration of nine organisations, including primary care, other acute trusts and education providers across the region.

In addition to the dedicated simulation centre, mobile simulation equipment and baby and child training mannequins will also be used for ward-based training and taken for outreach education in primary care and community settings.

Trainers are currently being trained, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and AHPs and this will be extended to include primary and community professionals.

HEE launches 30-day consultation on ‘Beyond Transition’ plans

HEE’s ‘Beyond Transition’ programme explores how it can ensure a sustainable future for the organisation, of which HEKSS is a part. HEE has launched a consultation to engage all staff and partners at a national and local level on it proposed changes.

The deadline for responses is 4 August 2014. Questions for stakeholders are in section 8 on page 15 of the consultation document which is available, along with background information and details of how to respond, on the HEE website.

Questions? Comments? Please contact us:

Phone: 0207 415 3400

Web: www.kss.hee.nhs.uk

Email: heksscommunications@kss.hee.nhs.uk

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KSS AHSN Newsletter – 3 July

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Richard Barber

On 17 June we held a direction-setting, consensus-building conference about preventing emergency admissions and integrated care.

Among the highlights of a full day was the publication of a joint report from The Quality Observatory and Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network showing that almost 20% of all emergency hospital admissions are for ambulatory care conditions.

 Kent, Surrey and Sussex Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Admissions Analysis Report explains that more than half of these admissions are related to just a handful of conditions. Some disproportionately affect older people and others impact primarily on younger patients. It’s a reminder that preventable emergency admissions affect the whole population.

System health

Ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) hospital admission rates are a commonly used indicator of system health and sustainability. Identifying the volume of preventable emergency hospital admissions contributes to an understanding of outstanding opportunities to deliver value for money.

Co-author Kate Cheema, Head of Service, The Quality Observatory,

“The findings of the report illustrate opportunities for change across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex region, but also provide a clear understanding of where best practice is happening.

“Using this kind of analysis for learning and improvement is critical to ensuring that we continue to maintain the best of health services for Kent Surrey and Sussex citizens.”

Over 150 delegates, from industry, academia, health and social care across KSS, contributed to a day full of insight and discussion. It has seeded some exciting multi-sector collaborations to tackle this urgent issue. I’ll keep you posted through this newsletter and via our Twitter feed @KSSAHSN

The attached KSS AHSN Partnership Day Report provides a more detailed account.

Diary date 14 October

We’ll shortly be providing further details of our Industry EXPO and clinical awards conference – please hold October 14 in your diary and look out for more details coming soon!

***

Research Scan latest

[Health Foundation]

Every month, hundreds of studies are published about ways to improve the quality of healthcare. The Research Scan looks at all the studies about improving quality in healthcare and highlight research that might be most helpful and interesting for the people working to improve healthcare services. It focuses on empirical studies that have the potential to support people in making a practical difference.

Read more here.

Innovations in the delivery of care for older people event

[The King’s Fund]

While living longer is a cause for celebration, it can present challenges for the health and social care system. Featuring talks by Professor Lewis Wolpert, David McCullough and John Young, our recent conference explored how local service leaders can improve older people’s care.

For further event information, please click here.

The 2014 NHS Leadership Recognition Awards – nominations are now open!

[Kent, Surrey and Sussex Leadership Collaborative]

The NHS Leadership Recognition Awards celebrate leaders at all levels and across all professions who have ultimately improved people’s health, the public’s experience of the NHS and those leaders who we are truly proud to work alongside.

Nominations are now open. For further information and details, please click here.

Going with change: allowing new models of health care to be provided for NHS patients

[Reform]

A report from the think-tank Reform explores the role of the private and third sectors in transforming health and care services.

Read more here.

Emerging clinical leaders programme

[The King’s Fund]

This programme is for emerging clinical leaders from all professional backgrounds. The challenges for leaders in the current NHS have never been greater. The demands for greater efficiency alongside unprecedented levels of change and low staff morale mean that emerging leaders will need to lead in a different way.

To find out more about the programme, please click here.

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Health research lecture

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Richard Barber

Lecture marks anniversary of centre undertaking research into health services.

Nick Black, Professor of Health Services Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, will deliver the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS) Anniversary Open Lecture at the University’s Canterbury campus on Friday 4 July.

Professor Black’s lecture, titled ‘Health Services Research: the gradual encroachment of ideas’, will mark the 25th anniversary of CHSS, which is part of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research.

The lecture, which is free and open to all, will take place in the University’s Colyer-Fergusson Building from 5-6pm, and will be followed by a question and answer session.

Professor Stephen Peckham, Director of CHSS, said: ‘This year the Centre for Health Services Studies celebrates its 25th anniversary but also a history of health services research at the University of Kent that goes back over 40 years. There have been many changes over the last 25 years but the very fact that the unit continues to thrive is testament not only to the quality of the research undertaken by staff in CHSS but also to the support we have received from funding agencies, the NHS and local health and social care organisations.

‘As Professor Black’s lecture will demonstrate, research has an important role to play in ensuring the delivery of good quality health care and CHSS is proud of its role and contributions we have made to help improve local health care services.’

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