How NICE quality Standards can help drive and measure quality improvement

Dylan Jones

Associate Director - Quality Standards

Health and social care quality programme

Presentation overview

• Policy background

• What is a quality standard?

• What makes up a quality standard?

• How they help measure quality improvement.

• How they can drive quality improvement.

Policy BackgroundThe relevant commissioner may direct NICE to prepare statements of standards in relation to the provision of:

a) NHS service b) Public health services orc) Social care

In discharging its duty, the Board/Secretary of State must have regard to the quality standards prepared by NICE.

Organisations improving the quality of health services must have regard to the quality standards prepared by NICE.

Quality standards – three interfaces

What are NICE quality standards?

A NICE Quality Standard is a concise set of statements designed to drive and measure priority quality improvements within a particular area of care. Around 6-8 statements per standard – up to 15 in exceptional circumstances.

A comprehensive set of recommendations for a particular disease or condition, particular need or service

What makes up a QS?

How they help measure quality

Example – Stroke (QS2)

StatementPatients with suspected stroke are admitted directly to a specialist acute stroke unit and assessed for thrombolysis, receiving it if clinically indicated

StructureEvidence of local arrangements to ensure that patients with suspected stroke are admitted directly to a specialist acute stroke unit and are assessed for thrombolysis, receiving it if clinically indicated

Processa)Proportion of patients admitted directly to a specialist acute stroke unit and assessed for thrombolysis

b)Proportion of patients with suspected stroke assessed for thrombolysis who receive it in accordance with NICE technology appraisal guidance 122 (2007) and NICE clinical guideline 68 (2008).

Example – Stroke (QS2)

National Comparison

• Where they can Quality Standards will help inform future national audits

• The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) is an example of this.

• Quality statements 3, 5 and 11 are all considered within the 2012 report

How they can drive improvement

They do not restate essential standards or regulatory requirements. Where there is overlap, statements should be mutually supportive and complementary.

Unsafe Substandard Adequate Good Excellent

NICE quality standards

Standard of services

Proportion of services

CQC- Registration requirements

How they can drive improvement

Commissioner and provider perspectives

Professional and lay perspectives

More information

• All the details regarding the background, the development process, stakeholder involvement and the standards themselves (published and in development) are available on the NICE website (www.nice.org.uk)