Service Strategy Development
Supporting strategy development is a major part of our work. We undertake full acute service and whole health community reviews, and manage all the necessary stakeholder involvement that this entails. We also regularly produce reviews of particular clinical specialties and have been appointed to lead reviews of tertiary level services.
Acute service and whole community reviews
Acute service reviews have always been a major element of our work. Examples of our work include reviews for the health communities of Bristol, Merton, Sutton and Mid Surrey, Leicester and Buckinghamshire. In the past we have assisted many other parts of the country through this process, including South West London. We are actively involved in helping to develop the LIFT initiative, including the development of Strategic Service Development Plans (SSDPs), and detailed financial advice.
Clinical service reviews
We have carried out clinical service reviews for the full range of acute hospital specialties. As delivery of care continues to develop, so does our experience in working in these areas. For example, we completed a surgical services review for Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust. We also carried out the review of cancer services in Belfast which led to the establishment of Belfast City Hospital as the agreed cancer centre for Northern Ireland. We have worked extensively on the development of clinical support services and, in particular, have supported several Trusts in developing their future strategies for pathology services.
Tertiary level reviews
We have regularly undertaken specialty reviews at tertiary level. These most notably include six major reviews on cardiac and cardiothoracic services, including support to the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group in a national study of cardiothoracic transplantation. We undertook a review of future site options for the delivery of services including the possible transfer of cardiothoracic transplant services from Harefield to Royal Brompton Hospital or to a new site in Paddington. We also worked closely with the former South East Regional Office to develop a regional revascularisation strategy. Additional tertiary level services where we have had a significant input include cleft lip and palate, where we supported work across the South and South West of England to identify and agree the centres for cleft lip and palate surgery. In the field of plastics and burns we undertook reviews of services in both North and South Thames. In 2001, we worked with the South East Regional Specialist Commissioning Group to develop a strategic framework for the future provision of Neonatal Intensive Care Services.