15 June 2021
The Quality Review Scheme (QRS) is an improvement process designed to raise standards across rheumatology services. The voluntary accreditation scheme aims to drive forward patient service and experience across the UK. Several sites took part in the pilot scheme, including Glasgow Royal Infirmary. We spoke to allied health professional (AHP) and honorary consultant Dr Mhairi Brandon about how her service benefited from being one of the pioneering pilots.
How did you feel about your service getting involved?
At the start we thought it would be quite a big job. You do have to spend time gathering up all the information, like your policies and procedures, but the process allowed us to take stock. We spent time thinking about where we are, where we need to go and what we’re lacking.
How did the process work?
With the pilot, it involved an initial application and on-site inspection. QRS works on a three-year cycle, where at the end of the first and second years of the cycle, we submit evidence to demonstrate how we’ve continued a high standard of service and how we’ve developed.
How did you feel on the day of inspection?
Obviously, the thought of it was nerve-wracking, but the team that came were amazing and it was a great experience. It was nice to chat about where we’ve come from, what our journey has been and our highs and lows. We were able to talk through our challenges and how we’ve overcome them to get where we are, including building a purpose-built day ward. Because the experience was so positive, we now have a number of AHPs who want to become reviewers and be part of the programme to help other units move forward.
Patients are part of this process; what do you think they gained from it?
The patients who were involved really enjoyed it. They were able to put forward their thoughts on improvements. They were very positive about our advice line and the one-stop clinics. It was important for them to be able to have input into how we shape our service in the future.
Why would you recommend other services get involved with QRS?
It’s a good opportunity to pull the team together and critically appraise and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Our clinical service manager and general manager were both involved in the process too, which helps to raise awareness of our work throughout the health board.
Also, we were given a lot of pointers about how we could progress, such as patient-initiated follow-up and patient-reported outcome measures. We’ve made some changes as a result of our inspection, and it’s helped us to look at quality improvement initiatives that we can go forward with.
Do you have advice to other services thinking about taking part?
Rather than one person taking it on, bring a team to work on it together and share the gathering of the policies and procedures. It’s a positive experience to improve patient care and rheumatology as a whole.
Thank you to Mhairi for talking to us about their experience. If you’d like to learn more about how QRS could help your service, please watch the below video.