Update from the Future Hospital Programme ========================================= * Mark Temple * Frank Joseph ## About this section This part of the *Future Hospital Journal* is where you will find regular overview updates on progress made by the Future Hospital Programme of the Royal College of Physicians, together with its partners, in realising the vision of the Future Hospital Commission. We very much welcome your feedback. If you have any comments, or would like to be involved in the work of the Programme, please contact futurehospital{at}rcplondon.ac.uk. Follow the Future Hospital Programme on Twitter: [@RCPFutureHosp](https://twitter.com/RCPFutureHosp) ## Introduction Autumn 2017 is an important milestone for the Future Hospital Programme (FHP). The development site programme will conclude with a comprehensive report on the impact of Future Hospital Commission-aligned practice on patient care. Evaluation of the first year of the chief registrar project will also be available to enable refinement and expansion of this training programme. ## Future Hospital development sites The Future Hospital Programme began working with the four phase 1 development sites in Autumn 2014. Their projects are focused on improving care for frail, older people. In contrast, the four phase 2 development sites started later (March 2016) and were selected following a call for projects within the broad theme of integrated care. * **February 2017 – phase 1 teams present to national stakeholders.** This event was organised to showcase the work of phase 1 sites to national stakeholders, including patients, nurses, geriatricians and representatives from NHS England vanguards and primary care. Lively discussion occurred with attendees encouraged to provide critical feedback to the project teams on their findings to date. Development site teams received key feedback on what were the most important findings and messages, with guidance on how best to consolidate their project activity ahead of the final report, which is due for publication in November. * **May 2017 – delivering the Future Hospital.** Following on from the successful showcase event in February, all eight development site teams presented their work to peers and a panel made up of Royal College of Physicians (RCP) senior officers and representatives from the policy, communications and the *Future Healthcare Journal* teams. The development sites were interviewed by a team from the University of Liverpool that has been contracted to evaluate the FHP. They also attended workshops on assessing the impact of their work on patient experience and how to disseminate their findings. View this table: [Box 1.](http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/4/2/78/T1) Box 1. Visit by Welsh secretary of state for health to Betsi Cadwaladr ## The chief registrar project ### Developing the clinical leaders of the future The first cohort of 21 RCP chief registrars have made a significant impact in 18 trusts around the UK, leading projects that have transformed services, improved patient experience and boosted staff morale. Key elements of the scheme include: * **Quality improvement and service redesign** – chief registrars are leading change within their organisations, benefiting both patients and their colleagues. In his blog on the RCP website, Amar Puttanna describes how he set out to reduce patient wait times and prevent unnecessary delays in discharges at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust (**[www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/quality-improvement-action-my-experience-chief-registrar](http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/quality-improvement-action-my-experience-chief-registrar)**) * **Training and education** – the RCP Education Department and the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) have developed a dedicated education and training programme to develop the chief registrars’ skills in leadership and management. * **Evaluation** – a formal, external evaluation of the role is underway by the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham, looking at the impact on trainee professional development and organisational culture. The first cohort of chief registrars will present their experiences to key national stakeholders at a special celebratory event at the RCP in June. Recruitment for the second phase of the project is now closed for 2017–18. If you would like to recruit a chief registrar at your organisation, or if you are a trainee doctor hoping to become a chief registrar, please contact the FHP team to register your interest for the next recruitment phase: futurehospital{at}rcplondon.ac.uk View this table: [Box 2.](http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/4/2/78/T2) Box 2. Future Hospital Programme: 2017 final report and celebration event ## Tell us your story Through the *Tell us your story* initiative, the FHP is collecting case studies of clinically led service improvement projects throughout the UK. The stories can be found in an online library arranged into themes that align to the 11 principles of patient care identified in the 2013 Future Hospital Commission report. Visit the RCP website to browse the *Tell us your story* library and find out how you can submit your story: **[www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/future-hospital-your-stories](http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/future-hospital-your-stories)** ### Electronic patient records: bridging the gap between primary and secondary care In their story, Dr John Stoves – renal clinical lead and consultant nephrologist, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation – and Dr John Connolly – primary care physician – describe how electronic patient record sharing between primary and secondary care can support renal pathways and improve patient care. Reflecting on the outcomes of their service improvement project, the team said:*A formal evaluation of the service established that: e-consultation strengthens working relationships between GPs and hospital specialists; increases GP confidence in managing chronic kidney disease in the community; and reduces transport and other environmental costs.* Download the story here: **[www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/your-stories-integrated-care](http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/your-stories-integrated-care)** ## Partners Network Through the Partners Network, the FHP continues to share the lessons learned by the programme and the Future Hospital development sites. The growing network of peers, experts, academics, organisations and patients, who are key supporters of the Future Hospital vision, receive a monthly newsletter that collates and spreads good practice and fosters examples of system-wide improvement in the care of medical patients. To join the Partners Network and receive our monthly newsletter, visit **[www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/future-hospital-partners-network](http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/future-hospital-partners-network)** or contact the FHP team via futurehospital{at}rcplondon.ac.uk If you have any comments or would like to be involved in the work of the FHP, we would very much like to hear from you. Please contact futurehospital{at}rcplondon.ac.uk * © Royal College of Physicians 2017. All rights reserved.