King’s Cancer Quality Improvement (QI) Programme
What is quality improvement?
Quality improvement (QI) is a process designed to improve service quality, efficiency and safety. We work to make sure the healthcare services we deliver are ‘patient centred, safer, effective and equitable’.
The Cancer QI programme at King’s was launched in March 2020, in response to feedback from our patients. It aims to improve the experience of care for all patients diagnosed with or treated for cancer at the Trust.
Our patients are key to the success of the programme. We are keen to work together and hear your ideas about how we can improve the way we deliver care to improve your experience.
Examples of our work
1. King’s Cancer Patient Voices Advisory Group (Voices)
The King’s Cancer Patient Experience Programme was created to support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan priorities to improve the quality of care and access to cancer treatment for patients living with and beyond cancer.
The programme was co-designed with a group of people who have been diagnosed and/or treated for cancer at King’s, and their family members or carers (our Voices group). The Voices group works alongside King’s cancer clinical nurse specialists and quality improvement colleagues.
This programme has addressed over 23 quality improvement projects to date, each involving at least one member of our Voices group. This ensures the voice of our patients is woven through all improvements that are identified and implemented.
2. Addressing health inequalities in breast cancer patients at King’s
The project was originally focused on improving patients’ understanding of diagnostic tests. Feedback from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) between 2015 and 2019 showed a significant variation in experience between our adult patient population from a white background and patients from a Black and minority ethnic background.
Our discussions with patients and patient partners from a Black and minority ethnic background showed that they did not find understanding diagnostics difficult. The main theme to emerge in this project is that patients saw communication with clinicians and staff as an extension and an indicator of the care they receive, particularly at their most vulnerable.
Following the patients’ feedback, the team identified five improvements to support patients to be prepared for their appointments, know what to expect and ensure they are treated with dignity and compassion. The improvements were successfully implemented and positively received by patients.
3. Improving patients’ access to their cancer nurses
This project focused on improving access to cancer clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), in response to feedback in the CPES. Our aim was for a new service model, offering patients a single point of contact (Cancer Support Workers Service) to improve access to support, help address any concerns and ensure patients are signposted to the help they need.
This service model is now fully established in teams including breast, haematology, liver, lung and upper gastrointestinal (GI). Plans are underway to expand to support patients and nurses in other cancer teams.
4. Improving the provision of patient information, communications and events planning
We provide opportunities for patients or members of the public to become involved in the delivery of patient information and communication and the planning of events in cancer services.
Our Patient Information and Communications Group reviews all information produced for patients, including leaflets, surveys and website information. The group helps us to ensure that the information we produce is clear and is presented in a sensitive and supportive way.
5. Addressing health inequalities for people with learning disabilities and autism
This project is focused on improving the experience of care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism by reducing the variation in standards of care for these patients. This work is a collaboration between the Trusts within the South East London Cancer Alliance (King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trusts and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust).
So far, we have created a standardised process for communication between our internal teams. This identifies reasonable adjustments that need to be made for patients and ensures they are communicated to the right teams at the right time, to provide a better patient experience.
Get in touch
If you would like to hear more about working with the King’s Cancer Improvement Programme or would like to get involved, please contact the Macmillan Information and Support Centre by email [email protected] or call 020 3299 5228. We are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (except bank holidays).