Quality Governance Committee Assurance Report - February 2025
Meeting: Public Meeting
Date: 12 February 2025
Report Title: Quality Governance Committee Assurance Report
Agenda Item: PUB24/11/5.2
Committee Date: 20 November 2024
Meeting Chair: Catherine Glickman – Non-Executive Director
Meeting Quorate: Yes
Purpose: Assurance
Recommendation: The Board is asked to receive assurance from the business discussed at the meeting and to review the matters for escalation and referral.
Link to Strategic Objective:
- Provide outstanding quality of care and performance
Summary of Items Considered at the Meeting
| Issue | Consideration | Resolution/Outcome | Assurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Follow up on Previous Actions | Stroke Video Triage Project: funding had been secured from NHS England to continue the work in 2025/26. Corpuls Software: this was being installed on the 600 devices as they are serviced. Hubs: Band 6 Clinicians were appointed; Advanced Practitioners (APs) would be deployed where most effective, eg. supporting C2 segmentation and Hear & Treat. | The Committee welcomed the confirmation that this valuable project will continue next year. The Committee asked for a report in the Autumn on how the software had supported identifying STEMIs. The Committee supported the prioritisation of APs where most effective, asking that clear communication on the Hub staffing model be shared with the systems. | |
| Quality Metrics | The Director of Quality gave an overview of the metrics, specifically the increase in Structured Judgment Reviews, Safeguarding compliance, Patient Experience improvement and an expected improvement in Infection Prevention and Control with the award of a new cleaning contract. | The Committee received the report. It was agreed that risks associated with overdue PSIRF actions be reported to the Committee for awareness. Documentation completion will improve as the 18 new Clinical Supervisors oversee the work of clinicians. | Substantial |
| Clinical Strategy | The current strategy ends in March 2025, with a report to the Committee in May. Work is in progress, as part of EEAST’s 5-year strategic update, to develop the Clinical Strategy in line with the Trust’s priorities. | The Committee received the update: the new strategy will come to the Committee for review in September 2025. It was asked that volunteers be included. | |
| Clinical Education | The Deputy Director of Education presented the case for the reintroduction of apprenticeships at EEAST, following a massive amount of work to address past issues. Ofsted had reviewed the progress and been impressed and supportive; Practice Educators were trained and in place. | The Committee supported the reintroduction of a programme of up to 270 apprentices in cohorts of 25 from a ‘Quality’ perspective, subject to ELT decision. People Committee would oversee progress and retention. Quality Governance Committee would receive reports on the supervision of apprentices’ clinical development and quality. | |
| PSIRF Thematic Review: Non-Conveyance | This was the second PSIRF Thematic Review. Over a one year period, 100 incidents had been reviewed. The Safe Discharge Care Bundle, when used fully, was 99% effective. It was recommended that this be made an internal KPI and a mandatory element of the Patient Care Record. The NHS Service Finder will be used to identify correct care pathways. Communication to clinicians was also being planned. A review will be carried out after 12-months. | The Committee congratulated the Patient Safety team on a second excellent report. The Committee encouraged the Patient Safety team to try and involve patients in reviews, wherever possible. It was noted that there was a correlation between incidents and weekends, and a likely peak in Q1 2025/26. The Head of Patient Safety confirmed that the identified actions should be completed before the peak. | Substantial |
| Claims and Litigation | The annual report was reviewed: 60 inquests had been supported, 72 claims closed, with good feedback from Regional Coroners on the quality and responsiveness of the team. | The Committee recognised that the small team was dealing with a high volume of cases, providing information of a high quality and thanked the team. The work would continue to be monitored by the Committee. | Reasonable |
| Private Ambulance Service (PAS) | A report was tabled on the performance of the service. | The Committee noted the report. | Reasonable |
| LeDeR Review | The Committee reviewed the report, which showed that ambulance teams were trained and aware of signs and symptoms that indicated learning disabilities; referral rates for both safeguarding and alerts were high. | The Committee asked for a review to ensure that, where there is the data, the ambulance teams were acting as the patient’s advocate, ensuring that they receive appropriate treatment, particularly when the systems or staff were under pressure. | Substantial |
| Regulatory Assurance | The Committee reviewed and noted the progress against the CQC Quality Improvement Programme. | The Committee supported the progress made and will continue to monitor progress against the Must Dos and Should Dos. | Moderate |
| Board Assurance Framework | The residual risks remain high. | The committee supported the conclusions of the paper | Moderate |
| Group Assurance Report | The Committee reviewed the report. | Groups are meeting regularly with good attendance, providing comprehensive updates, and providing good assurance. | Moderate |
| Committee Terms of Reference | The Committee received the updated Terms of Reference. | The Committee approved them. | |
| Research and Development Annual Report 2023/24 | The report was presented for discussion and approval, noting that the team had hosted the EMS 999 Conference and there had been a mix of clinical and staff welfare projects. | The Committee recognised the work done by the team and the quality of the output, including the securing of grants: in 2025/26 this would include a Research Fellow in leadership to focus on ‘Time To Lead’. | Approved Report for publication |
Matters for escalation or referral
| Issue | To | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Handover 45 – report to come to Quality Governance Committee on the impact on patient experience and safety for the next meeting. | To review the impact of the change to handover with A&E departments. |
