Leading Better Care: Report of the Senior Charge Nurse Review and Clinical Quality Indicators Project

Foreword for Clinical Quality Indicators Project

Better Health, Better Care recognises that organisations who will best meet the needs of the public are those that focus across the six dimensions of quality: patient centred, safe, effective, efficient, equitable and timely. The direct contribution of nursing and midwifery across the six dimensions of quality is recognised and celebrated in many quarters. However, nursing and midwifery in NHSScotland is driven by the experience of patients and the provision of safe and effective care is a fundamental right for patients that we were determined to understand, as well as capturing the quality of care delivered and making radical improvements where indicated.

It has been a great honour to Chair the CQI Development Project Board and I can confirm that we have, in the delivery of this commitment from Delivering Care, Enabling Health, been driven and guided by the values, principles and aspirations above. Furthermore, I am absolutely confident that not only can this ground-breaking work contribute significantly to the National Patient Experience, Safety and Improvement Agenda, but also offers an unparalleled opportunity for nursing and midwifery professions to be clear and articulate about our contribution to the modernisation, efficiency and productivity commitments within Better Health Better Care.

As a board nurse director, I have seen first hand during the CQI development stages the powerful leadership, action and improvement of care at the bedside. This work ensured that Senior Charge Nurses and their frontline teams had ownership and access to real-time data. These data immediately reflected to the teams the processes and outcomes of the nursing and midwifery care that is delivered each and every day. Crucially, this knowledge, combined with improvement methodology skills, the development of the Senior Charge Nurse role and the focus on leadership that this brings, led to significant and measurable improvements in quality, safety, efficiency and experience of care.

The Data Capture and Reporting System that has been developed by Information Services Division ( eQIPs - Electronic Quality Improvement Programme Scotland) is in itself quite an achievement. It enables frontline teams to make changes in practice and articulate improvement. Our ability in Scotland to use these data to have a clear picture of the quality of patient care places nursing and midwifery in a strong and unique position.

In closing, I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the public, patients, carers and frontline nursing and midwifery staff across Scotland who have actively influenced, participated and shaped this work. In addition, I would wish to express my grateful thanks to the CQI Development Project Board with a particular mention to Eileen McKenna and Diane Campbell for their leadership, energy and commitment to the success of the project and support of the work of the Project Board.

Angela Wallace
Nurse Director