Infection Control
Anthony Sewell, Project Manager Showcase Hospital, HCAI Technology Programme, Imperial College healthcare NHS Trust

Service Improvement Project

* Context (e.g., details of ward, department, staff)
* Improvement issue
* Process used to gather information about the problem
* Strategy for improvement and how success was measured
* Evidence of improvement (did it work and how did you know it had worked?)
* Future steps (how will the improvement be sustained?)

Context
The HCAI technology programme has been developed to speed up the development and adoption of technologies to help further combat HCAIs. It identifies which new technologies provide the best value and which will have the most impact.

Improvement issue
Innovation Push
Support for industry
Support for innovators
Making it easier: providing a clear route map through the development and adoption process.
Support with adoption ready-made business cases
Demand Pull:

Process used to gather information about the problem
An RRP1 recommendation means that basic research and development, validation and recent in use evaluations have shown benefits that should be available to NHS bodies to include as appropriate in their cleaning, hygiene or infection control protocols.

There are currently eight Showcase Hospitals around the country, at which RRP1 technologies are placed, during which time a detailed evaluation of their in-use features and adoption characteristics are undertaken.

There are two complementary processes for identifying effective new technologies, which have the potential to impact on reducing HCAIs - the Rapid Review Panel (RRP) and the "Smart Ideas" Programmes.

Strategy for improvement and how success was measured
RRP1 technologies are placed in the Supply Chain catalogue and technologies will be placed in Showcase Hospitals so that in-use features can be more closely examined and adoption-related business cases developed.

Successful RRP2 are offered a free consultancy service and product surgeries

THE NHS "SMART IDEAS" PROGRAMME launch Currently 4 of the 10 Smart Ideas are being taken forward under a commission with the National Innovation Centre (NIC) to specify, design and prototype.

Evidence of improvement (did it work and how did you know it had worked?)
Published evaluations and adoption business case on the HCAI website. Design Bugs out road shows national launch of the programme. Adoption of RRP1 by the showcase hospitals.

Future steps (how will the improvement be sustained?)
PRODUCT SURGERIES
To access advice on their product development programmes and how best to get their technologies into the NHS.:

"DESIGN BUGS OUT" PROGRAMME
creating better designs for critical hospital equipment and furniture.

Further "Smart Ideas" programme,with around 200 small/medium sized firms (SMEs). The National Innovation Centre, along with their Innovation Hubs around the country and the NHS Adoption Hub, has been commissioned to develop the engagement framework through which this will be managed.