UK firm to help SDHB find itself

A London-based consulting firm hired to run patient feedback sessions will help the Southern District Health Board to find its ‘‘vision, values, and behaviour'', chief executive Carole Heatly says.

Tim Keogh, a partner at April Strategy, of London, would ‘‘facilitate'' public feedback sessions next month in Dunedin, Invercargill, and Alexandra.

‘‘His team will be responsible for analysing the data collected, and working with us to reach our agreed vision, values and behaviour, and to embed those in how our teams deliver care - in a way that we can locally sustain,'' Ms Heatly said in a statement.

The sessions were part of a ‘‘major change programme'' to set the agenda for the region's healthcare for the next five years.

A big focus was improving staff morale.

‘‘This isn't something that will happen overnight, but with the building blocks in place, we will have a firm foundation from which we can make it better for staff and importantly, our patients and our communities,'' Ms Heatly said. 

April Strategy had previously been engaged by at least four other district health boards for similar work.

‘‘Results in those DHBs mirror April Strategy's success in supporting improvement (in) patient experience and team working at healthcare organisations in the US and UK,'' Ms Heatly said.

Patients needed to register for the sessions.

‘‘Patients can include anyone who has used any DHB service for any reason in the last 18 months.''

The first feedback sessions are in Dunedin on March 7. Those unable to go could complete a survey on the board's website.

Deputy commissioner Graham Crombie is leading the project alongside Ms Heatly.

‘‘We are really keen to listen to the experience and views of our patients and their families, whether they have had a positive experience or whether they feel there is room for improvement,'' Mr Crombie said in a press release.

eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

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