Clinical Services Action Plan

by 30 July 2009. Joy Cooper, Clinical chair Robert Logan

When faced with a challenge as we are now, it's tempting to leap straight in to 'solutions' without fully understanding either the problem, or the impacts of the hastily imposed 'solutions'. The Clinical Services Action Plan takes the opposite approach. Recognising that we are starting from a position of strength as the national leader on most DHB performance indicators, we are asking 'How can we maintain our leading edge? How will we meet the challenges of the recession?'

We have learned in recent years that continuous change is required to stay on top. We cannot afford (financially or in any other way) to rest on our laurels. We must strive constantly to improve service experiences and health outcomes for our population, and to reduce, or at least, contain expenditure. We need a plan to tell us how we can stay ahead of the game and to address our vulnerabilities.

Despite our strengths, we have significant vulnerabilities - the changing economy, population mix, technology and patient and community expectations mean we are financially unsustainable and we are clinically vulnerable due to workforce demographics and our small numbers.

Our task over the next 3 months is to develop a new Clinical Services Action Plan. It will set out the range of services and models of care that will be clinically sustainable and affordable and give us the greatest improvements in both health outcomes and patients' experience.

First up, we need to understand the challenges and then develop a coherent action plan to address them. We will identify and address the constraints/barriers to our continuing improvement, and the weaknesses or vulnerabilities that put some of our services at risk. We are confident that the Clinical Services Action Plan will be successful because it will be led by, developed by, and implemented by the people who actually provide the services.

The Steering Group of 25 clinicians from across Wairarapa health services met for the first time recently, chaired by independent advisor Dr Robert Logan. Everyone has some ideas about the challenges and what can or should be done to release and realise increased potential to overcome them.

The Steering Group will gather information, discuss and explore ideas, and provide an expert clinical consensus on: 

• The challenges we face 
• The actions we need to take to address them.

You will get updates regularly through InSite on our progress, and may be asked to share your ideas and expertise at times - we look forward to your input and support.

Please direct any queries in the first instance to Simon Everitt.