The nature of clinical service is rapidly evolving with increasing focus on outcomes, and providers and payers striving to achieve high quality care in an economically sustainable manner. Academic Health Solutions can assist in health system redesign with a focus on risk stratified pathways of care for chronic diseases and preventive health strategies.
The health challenges to be met will continue to evolve and we can help clients integrate an evaluative culture as part of a 'learning health system', able to adapt to future demands.
We regard digital maturity as the key enabler to support both high value healthcare and the necessary culture change and can support clients develop and deliver their data science strategy.
Some recent case studies:
1 Norfolk & Waveney Acute Services Collaborative
In 2024 AHS, in partnership with Grant Thornton, was engaged by the Acute Services Collaborative in Norfolk & Waveney to review acute clinical models between the 3 trusts of the Collaborative to identify radical and affordable service configurations. These could then be articulated in proposed hospital rebuilds as part of NHS England’s New Hospital Programme. We deployed a team of expert clinicians across population health, urgent and emergency care and elective care, together with expertise in emerging research on new care models. Our approach reviewed emerging and adoptable developments in science and technology; assessed the opportunities available from data and digital capability development; identified exemplars both in the UK and internationally; and considered the potential to apply elements of these to the Norfolk & Waveney context. For this we conducted a range of interviews and stakeholder sessions, including ICB executives, trust clinicians and executives and the Collaborative leadership. We presented a range of options covering key themes such as safety & quality, affordability and deliverability.
We were pleased, along with our Grant Thornton colleagues, that the Collaborative endorsed our recommended option and took this to their respective Trust Boards. They are now preparing for public consultation. Since the initial project Malcolm Lowe-Lauri has been invited back to facilitate a joint Board session to prepare for the radical acute model changes.
2 Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust
In 2024 AHS, in partnership with Deloitte, began work on new acute care models for Urgent & Emergency Care and Neurosciences. The project involves 2 activities: producing an evidence-based and future-thinking clinical strategy; and identifying the transformational steps necessary to deliver the strategy. We deployed a team of relevant clinical, population health, service modelling and organisational experts. We worked with stakeholders within the trust and across the wider Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board. The latter was important because we were clear the antecedents of acute care needs could ultimately be better dealt with by supporting patients before the onset of illness (eg through risk identification and stratification) and with pre-hospital interventions in the early stages of illness.
We drew on emerging science and technology, the opportunity to strengthen data and digital capability, emerging good practice nationally and internationally. We shared this with stakeholders and created with them a vision for the future acute services, the implementation requirements over 3 stages in 10 years and worked through the challenges that would need to be overcome for the strategy to be realised.
Our work to date has been well received by the key internal and external stakeholders, including the CUHT Board. In 2025 we will move on to building the business case for the redevelopment of the main part of the hospital, necessary changes in pre and post hospital provision and working with clinical and executive leaders to initiate the transformation programme.
Other relevant recent work inlcudes:-
Shanghai Hypertension Institute and Minhang Health District: Development plans for community-based academic chronic disease clinics.
Barts Health: Comprehensive surgical strategy and service rationalisation including academic aspects (with Carnall Farrar).
Leeds Centre for Personalised Medicine and Health: Strategy and Implementation plan.
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