South West Hospital Standards in Dementia Care
South West Hospital Standards in Dementia Care – Timetable and next steps
The timetable and next steps to support the implementation of the South West Hospital Standards in Dementia Care is explained in more detail and illustrated by the diagram below.
Step 1: by 31 January 2011
The responsible NHS commissioner should coordinate arrangements to ensure that these standards are presented to relevant leads and groups established to support implementation of the National Dementia Strategy. This should include any sub group focussing on delivery of Objective 8 of the National Dementia Strategy, improved quality of care for people with dementia in general hospitals. Members of these groups should ensure that the organisation they represent is briefed about these standards.
Step 2: January 2011 to March 2011
Each general hospital should undertake a self-assessment of current practice against the 8 standards outlined below, using the NHS South West Self Assessment Framework for Dementia Care in Hospitals.
Steps 3: by 30 June 2011
The results of this self-assessment should be presented and discussed with the members of the relevant local National Dementia Strategy leads and implementation groups, and the priority areas for action to deliver the standards should be determined.
A comprehensive hospital improvement plan for the period 2011/12 should be agreed, including monitoring and governance arrangements, accountabilities, milestones and key dates for reporting to key leads and group/s. Hospitals, with their commissioners and local stake holders should also indicate when they will be publishing the outcomes and arrangements for continued improvement.
Commissioners are asked to submit a copy of the hospital improvement plan to NHS South West, by 30 June 2011, using the template provided at Annex 3.
Step 4: Peer Review
The Regional Expert Reference Group will undertake a peer review of dementia care in general hospitals, in the period September 2011 to January 2012. The purpose of the review is to engage with local leadership and stake holders; validate the self-assessment process and update the hospital’s position; review the hospital improvement plan; and identify and disseminate positive practice. A report of the peer review will be produced for each stakeholder group, and an overview report of the implementation of the South West Hospital Standards will be published. A briefing will be produced for the South West Dementia Partnership, and the NHS South West Board.
Step 5: by 31 March 2012
The hospital improvement plan should be reviewed at agreed intervals by commissioners with hospital National Dementia Strategy leads and implementation groups, and the priority areas for action to deliver the standards should be determined. This should take into account the final report of the National Audit of Dementia Care (general hospitals), due to be published in the Autumn 2012, and the outcome of the regional peer review.
A comprehensive general hospital improvement plan for the period 2012/13 should be agreed, including monitoring and governance arrangements, accountabilities, milestones and key dates for reporting to key leads and group/s. General hospitals should also indicate when they will be publishing the outcomes and arrangements for continued improvement.
