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Modernising Patient Pathways Work Plan

Strategic Priority 1

Driving transformational and sustainable change to improve planned care patient access and outcomes across NHS Scotland 

Pathways: Development of further national pathways and resources 

Scoping, development and publication of new national pathways and/or resources across a range of Specialties, including the Prehabilitation pathway).

Pathways: Active dissemination, implementation and monitoring of published pathways 

National assessment of implementation carried out in Q1 (via Heatmap process). 

Development of resources to support active dissemination. 

Active dissemination via national and local meetings and events 

SDGs will support local discussions and drive implementation. 

Processes: ACRT / Discharge PIR / Booking in Turn 

Continued focus of Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT) and Discharge Patient Initiated Review (PIR) via the Speciality Delivery Groups (SDGs). This will include a review of processes (via ad-hoc surveys) and variability of outcomes (via Heatmap). 

Establish a workstream focussed on developing a booking-in-turn approach and/or understanding variation in dealing with long wait patients. This will initially be focussed on 1 or 2 specialities. 

Processes: Improving the perioperative pathway 

The Perioperative Delivery Group will deliver recommendations from the task and finish groups that are currently underway.  

Continuing work to promote the hi-flow cataract surgery. 

Ongoing work to promote Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) pathways and day surgery approaches. Explore opportunities to expand work in this area.  

Workforce: Improving the use of the team service planning and use of non-medical roles 

SDGs to promote team service planning approaches, including flexible workforce and Demand Capacity Activity Queue (DCAQ) approaches. 

SDGs to collaborate with NES and NHS Scotland Academy to maximise use of non-medical roles and innovative approaches to workforce. 

Innovation: Continue to support via SDGs as necessary. 

Support ANIA pathway and spread of innovation via SDGs, including horizon scanning to identify new approaches to care. 

Complete Sunrise (Respiratory) evaluation with relevant partners. 

Work with Endoscopy and Innovation Programmes to support migration of Cytoscot digital platform. 

Commissioned work from other organisations 

Development of a cancer prehabilitation pathway. This will include publication, active dissemination and implementation of the pathway, and a review of digital innovations to support it. 

Development of national digital platform infrastructure to provide structured collection and review of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS). 

Ongoing Board engagement and clinical leadership 

Continued development of Board engagement via SDGs. 

Ongoing roll-out of peer review methodology to further specialties. 

Shared prioritisation and Board support via Heatmaps. This will include an initial Heatmap that sets out a shared view of the 2024/2025 ambitions, and ongoing engagement with Board Leadership and operational teams. 

Ongoing development of Clinical Leadership via Clinical Leads group.