Initiatives to help you do your job

The following projects are part of the drive to free-up our systems to allow rapid, flexible responses.

Individual Performance Planning and Development (training needs analysis)

by 1 October 2009. Bruce McGregor. GM Human Resources Align organisation with policy, and guide our investment in staff training.

Capacity Planning

by 1 October 2009 Anne McLean. GM Hospital Servcies The use of software tools designed for capacity planning will enable demand to be predicted so that resources can be arranged in advance. This will assist the DHB and employees to schedule annual leave better, thus avoiding the need to close or open additional beds, and reduce unscheduled resource use.

Business Intelligence / Business Planning and Forecasting

by 30 November 2009. Eric Sinclair. Chief Financial Officer Implement the 'Fingertips' tool - an Organisational Performance Management system which provides three core components: reporting, planning and an executive dashboard. Enables better understanding of the past to better manage the future. Includes 18-month rolling forecasts.

Information Technology Initiatives Reprioritisation

by 31 May 2009. Eric Sinclair. Information Technology (IT) is a key enabler for a number of the initiatives within this Good to Great plan. High prioritiesassociated with the programme include the Health Management System, Fingertips and improved electronic internal communications including upgrade of the intranet.

'Releasing Time To Care' Initiative

by 1 October 2009. Helen Pocknall Director of Nursing Has been partially implemented in the Emergency Department at Wairarapa Hospital. Will enable ward teams to redesign their own processes and release nurses to spend as much time as possible on patient care. Empowers front line staff to make necessary changes to improve patient outcomes.

Shared Services Initiative

by 30 September 2009. Eric Sinclair. Chief Financial Officer Commenced in 2008. Wairarapa, Whanganui and Mid Central DHB's are investigating synergies in corporate and commercial services. Will provide each DHB with a series of business cases on options - could range from a full shared service environment through common IT platforms, common processes/protocols/policies to status quo where each DHB does its own thing. Initial data collection undertaken. Further work underway to ensure data comparisons can be made in the next stage of business case formulation.

Project Management Support

Carol MacDonald is now full time on the Wairarapa Clinical Services Action Plan. Projects that Carol was managing will be either put on hold or redirected to another member of staff. Maureen Breukers will work three days per week supporting designated reviews. The records management initiative Maureen is currently leading being put on hold. Additional resource is being investigated to support the workforce projects. This will be funded from within existing budgets

Facility Developments

The development of the new Clinical Support Centre and the Community Health facilities will provide an opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided internally and externally to the community. All key stakeholders will be asked to sign up to the delivery of realisable benefits that will then be tracked through the internal business planning process.

Workforce and Service efficiency projects

Nursing Workforce Project

by 31 August Helen Pocknall, Director of Nursing.

Improving the quality of patient/client care and safety is a priority for Wairarapa DHB. It has been a key principle in the development of services in recent years.

Efficiency and effectiveness means having the right number of nursing staff with the right skill mix matched to planned service delivery. Nurses need time to focus on safe, quality care by spending maximum time caring for patients/clients.

Clinical leadership and engagement is a fundamental driver for better patient/client outcomes.

To be held accountable for the quality of care they deliver, nurses need the authority to engage in how those services are delivered. An organisational and nursing structure that empowers nurses to make good effective decisions in a multidisciplinary team based environment will improve patient/ client experiences and outcomes, increase safety and improve patient/client flows.

The project goals are to make recommendations in regard to the DHBâ€™s nursing profile and nursing resources in order to ensure the right resource is matched to planned service delivery and recommend a nursing structure which will enhance clinical leadership and engagement .

This will improve patient/client experiences of care, the quality of care delivered through a more responsive nursing workforce and enable nurses to make the most efficient and effective decisions in the delivery of patient care.

Corporate Functions

by 31 May, Tracey Adamson, CEO. Draft benchmarking report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers received.

Senior Leadership Team

by 31 May, Tracey Adamson, CEO.

A review of the senior leadership team structure (including support structures like personal assistants) will occur, with recommendations to be proposed for the June 2009 Board meeting.

Hospital Management Team

by 30 June, Anne McLean, GM Hospital Services.

A review of the Hospital team structure has been underway for some time. The recommendations from this review, prior to formal consultation, will be presented to the June 2009 Board meeting. The proposed structure will need to facilitate stronger clinical leadership.

Clinical Administration Project

by 30 August, Simon Everitt, Interim Director, Planning and Funding.

This project will consider the clinical administration support requirements for front line clinicians with the aim of 'releasing time to care'. The review will examine the use of the casual clerical pool. medical typists and administration support to inpatient and outpatient services

Review of FOCUS Structure

by 30 June, Maggie Morgan, GM Community and Mental Health Services.

The aim is to review and evaluate FOCUS to ensure that there is a service that is fit for purpose, is efficient, effective and sustainable, and able to meet the challenges of changing needs and demand. The FOCUS service should enable people to access services efficiently - right service, right place, and right time.

Immediate cost management initiatives

Locum use

(Anne McLean, GM Hospital Services)

A number of specialties continue to rely on the regular use of locums due to national / international labour supply issues. The Wairarapa Clinical Services Action Plan will consider these 'vulnerable' services. Arrangement for contracting locum services are being reviewed. Ambulance roster amendments are being implemented.

Improved supply use

(Helen Pocknall, DoN)

Orthopaedic prosthetics being reviewed. Staff have started to suggest ways in which supply usage can be improved (eg.: alternative paper towels in non-clinical areas, increased intranet usage, reduced electricity consumption, reduced printing and colour printing). Cost benefit analysis may or may not have been undertaken for new clinical supplies - new products introduced in the last 12 months will be reviewed. Private calls from DHB mobile phones - a system to enable easy payment for private calls will be introduced.

Improve management of diagnostic services and costs of service delivery

(Alan Shirley, Chief Medical Advisor)

Improve PRL contract terms, review MRI ordering and renegotiate cost per procedure, require Consultant request for call out, complete radiology service review.

Increase ACC revenue