Policy responses and statements

Name of organisation:

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland/NHS Education for Scotland

Name of policy document:

Quality Assurance Framework for NHSScotland Knowledge Services: Draft for Consultation

Deadline for response:

31 March 2006

Background: The purpose of this framework, the first of its kind in NHS Scotland, is to lay foundations for continuous improvement of knowledge support for delivery of health and healthcare. It aims to support realisation of the vision, and application of the values, expressed in 'Exploiting the Power of Knowledge in NHS Scotland' and 'From Knowing to Doing' - namely, a commitment to equity of knowledge support throughout all stages of the patient journey, covering all sectors, functions and geographic areas involved in delivery of health care.

The Framework has been developed by NHS Scotland Librarians, facilitated and supported jointly by NHS Education for Scotland and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. It is designed for immediate application to library and information services, including the NHS Scotland e-Library and other online information systems, and Managed Knowledge Networks. While its origins lie in the urgent need for a coherent infrastructure for development of library and information services, it is intended that, in future, aspects of this Framework should be extensible to a broader spectrum of knowledge management functions - eg information technology; workforce and organisational development; health intelligence. With this wider future applicability in mind, the Framework is explicity derived from generic principles and models and is extensively cross-referenced to service-wide standards for Clinical Governance and Staff Governance.

Four broad standards are defined:

A. Strategy
B. Equity of access to the knowledge base - resources and processes
C. Enabling people
D. Outcomes

COMMENTS ONCOMMENTS ON
NHS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SCOTLAND/
NHS EDUCATION FOR SCOTLAND
QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK FOR NHSSCOTLAND KNOWLEDGE SERVICES: DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is pleased to respond to NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland on the Quality Assurance Framework for NHS Scotland Knowledge Services Draft for Consultation.

Quality assurance and accreditation are useful tools for empowering staff and encouraging them to achieve and the College welcomes this opportunity to comment on the current NHS Scotland initiative to raise standards. The College already works with NHS Knowledge Services (mainly through its Education and Standards and Library and Information Services departments) and it is keen to continue to work cooperatively with NES to improve access to education and knowledge.

11.1 Coverage a & b

At present there is some disparity in the level of service NHS Library Services can provide. NHS Library Services also differ organisationally from both the NHS Scotland E Library and other Managed Knowledge Services. This Quality Assurance Framework Draft takes account of these disparities and wants to be relevant to all sectors but this, perhaps inevitably, does make some parts of it a little abstract.

11.2 Assessment a-f

As Level 1 is set at quite a low level it is likely that most services will have achieved this level already.

A simplified evaluation process which concentrated on a small group of defined measurable targets might work better.

The averaging of discrete criteria may prove problematic and the reference point - 60% complete gives no indication of what the most important criteria are. This might be solved by including some weighting in the checklists that are envisaged as part of the evaluation process.

There are a lot of organisations involved in the external evaluation process and it is possible that the exercise could become unhelpfully bureaucratic. It will be important to ensure the evaluation process fits in with the existing clinical governance arrangements.

11.3 Usability a – d

There is some overlap between Standard A Strategy for Knowledge Services (A1-6) and Standard D Outcomes (D1-6) which could cause confusion.

Some of the terminology used in the document is a little opaque for those new to the quality assurance process.

The College recognises that NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland are consulting a wide range of stakeholders before finalising this draft. It hopes that the final document that emerges from the consultation process will prove a useful tool that can contribute to raising the standards of the differing service points providing access to knowledge in the Scottish NHS.

Copies of this response are available from:

Lesley Lockhart,
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,
9 Queen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1JQ.

Tel: 0131 225 7324    ext 608
Fax: 0131 220 3939

[28 March 2006]