TIAN News - July 2023
Introduction
I am delighted to welcome you to our fifth edition of TIAN News. This edition spans another wide range of articles on important risk and governance issues, including:
- A checklist developed to help provide assurance over Trust’s arrangements for managing Waiting Lists;
- Update regarding the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) being introduced across the NHS;
- New and increasing fraud risks arising from the development and growing use of Artificial Intelligence; and
- Key learning, and important lessons for all from a major IT incident which hit Guys & St Thomas at the peak of last summer’s heatwave.
Louise Cobain, Executive Director of Assurance, MIAA.
Waiting List Management – Assurance Checklist
The 2023/24 NHS planning guidance includes a national objective to “reduce elective long waits and cancer backlogs and improve performance against the core diagnostic standards.” It requires all NHS healthcare providers to maximise elective activity, and expects providers to ensure ongoing clinically led review and validation of waiting lists.
In May, MIAA published a checklist to support NHS organisations by providing a framework for documenting and reviewing their waiting list management systems and processes.
Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)
The longstanding Serious Incident Framework in use by all NHS bodies for managing and reporting on adverse incidents has recently been subjected to a major overhaul. The new PSIRF regime is designed to promote a proportionate approach to responding to patient safety incidents by ensuring resources allocated to learning are balanced with those needed to deliver improvement.
Artificial Intelligence – Future Fraudster?
Audit Yorkshire’s counter fraud specialists have been supporting their NHS clients recently by raising awareness about the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence. The article below from Rosie Dickinson, a Local Counter Fraud Specialist within their Anti-Crime Team, summarises some of the problems arising from this new technology - and ways to protect against them.
NHS Audit Committee Workplans – Good Practice
MIAA recently issued a briefing note to support NHS Audit Committees in reviewing their coverage and programme of work through the year. Establishing an Annual Work plan for the Committee is a key tool to support its effective operation. The summary briefing highlights areas of good practice identified from a review of the plans developed by a large number of NHS Audit Committees.
Learning from IT Critical Incident
It is important to learn and share lessons arising from problems - which are often caused by factors facing many other NHS bodies. During the peak of the heatwave last summer, London experienced record-breaking high temperatures up to 40°C. Over the course of a day, on the 19th July, two separate data centres at Guy’s Hospital and at St Thomas’ Hospital both suffered failures associated with the heatwave. This took down most of the clinical IT systems at Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Evelina London hospitals.
Data Analytics Case Study – E-Rostering
Audit Yorkshire recently used data analytics software (Arbutus) to add value to an audit of a client Trust’s E-Rostering system. The aim of the review was to determine if the rostering system was being used effectively.
Events Round Up
TIAN members organise and facilitate a number of Groups and Forums across the country to support and develop NHS governance. e.g. Regional Audit Committee Chair meetings. A wide range of other education, training and networking events are also run, with many of these sessions now held virtually and being accessible to all TIAN member’s NHS clients. These include:
- All Together Fairer in 2023, 13th July 2023 – This NW Collaborative Masterclass run by MIAA will explore Marmot’s approach to reducing Health Inequalities.
- Procurement, 11th September 2023 - Procurement Rules are changing and will have a significant impact on NHS procurement. This half day virtual session organised by Audit Yorkshire and 360 Assurance will consider the Procurement Rules, Supply Chain Sustainability and the possibility of Mandate Fraud.
- Strengthening our sector, 15th September 2023 - This NW Collaborative Masterclass run by MIAA will consider how we can harness our community assets through effective community leadership.
- Hewitt Review, 17th November 2023 – This NW Collaborative Masterclass run by MIAA will delve into how the NHS can best leverage opportunities within Integrated Care Systems.
- System Working, 5th December 2023 - This half-day virtual event organised by Audit Yorkshire and 360 Assurance will consider the progress made in working across new partnerships to deliver health and social care in an equitable and sustainable way.
Watch Back:
You can watch back recordings of MIAA NW Collaborative Masterclasses or read about all the previous sessions by visiting the North West Collaborative YouTube channel. Similarly, details of past events organised by Audit Yorkshire and 360 Assurance are available.
Institute of Internal Auditors Awards!
Two TIAN members were recently recognised by the IIA(UK) in their national awards for 2023. Both Barts Assurance and MIAA were finalists in the “Outstanding Team – Public Sector” category, while MIAA were also shortlisted in the “Best Innovation in Training & Development” category too!
The Awards Evening held in London on 22nd June was a great event, and despite not coming away with a win it was inspiring to hear about all the exceptional work being done across the profession.
Photo, from left to right: Louise Cobain, Sarah Dowbekin and Anne-Marie Harrop from MIAA; alongside Mike Townsend and Sharon Donovan from Barts Assurance.
