What is Quality Improvement in the NHS?

9th January 2025

by Craig Willis

Quality Improvement (QI) in the National Health Service (NHS) is the continuous effort to enhance patient care, safety and satisfaction. At its core, Quality Improvement involves systematic processes and tools to identify areas of improvement and implement changes that lead to better outcomes. One of the most effective tools available is process mapping, which helps teams visualise and analyse their workflows.

This blog will explore the importance of process mapping and improvement in Quality Improvement, why the NHS needs it and how tools like Netcall’s Liberty Spark can facilitate these improvements.

Why is Quality Improvement important?

Quality Improvement is essential in healthcare for several reasons:

• Patient safety: Ensuring that patients receive safe care is paramount. Quality Improvement initiatives help identify and mitigate risks, reducing the likelihood of errors and adverse events.
• Efficiency: Streamlining processes can lead to more efficient use of resources, reducing waste and improving the overall functioning of healthcare services.
• Patient satisfaction: Improving the quality of care directly impacts patient satisfaction. When patients receive timely, effective and compassionate care, their overall experience improves.
• Cost reduction: By improving processes and reducing inefficiencies, healthcare organisations can lower costs, making better use of limited resources.
• Compliance: Adhering to regulatory standards and guidelines is crucial. Quality Improvement helps ensure that healthcare providers meet these requirements consistently.

What is process improvement? 

Process improvement involves analysing and enhancing existing workflows to achieve better outcomes. It is a systematic approach that includes:

• Identifying areas for improvement: This involves recognising processes that are inefficient, error-prone or outdated.
• Mapping current processes: Visualising the current state of processes helps teams understand how work is currently done and where bottlenecks or issues exist.
• Analysing data: Collecting and analysing data on current processes provides insights into performance and areas needing improvement.
• Developing future state processes: Based on the analysis, teams can map out how they would like the process to work going forward and identify any steps that could be automated to save time and money.
• Implementing changes: Based on the analysis, teams can implement the changes aimed at improving efficiency, safety and quality.
• Monitoring and evaluating: Continuous monitoring and evaluation ensure that the changes lead to sustained improvements. Plus, well-documented processes make excellent training documents for staff.

Why the NHS needs process improvement  

The NHS, being one of the largest healthcare systems in the world, faces unique challenges that make process improvement essential:

• Complexity: We know the NHS deals with a vast array of services, departments and patient needs. This complexity can lead to inefficiencies and communication breakdowns.
• Resource constraints: With limited resources and increasing demand, the NHS must find ways to do more with less. Process improvement helps optimise resource use.
• Patient expectations: Patients today expect high-quality, timely care. Meeting these expectations requires continuous improvement in how services are delivered.
• Regulatory pressures: The NHS must comply with numerous regulations and standards. Process improvement helps ensure compliance and reduces the risk of penalties.
• Technological advancements: As new technologies emerge, the NHS must adapt its processes to integrate these advancements effectively.

How process mapping helps teams with Quality Improvement in the NHS 

Process mapping is a powerful tool for quality improvement. It involves creating a visual representation of a process, which helps teams understand and analyse their workflows. Here’s how process mapping benefits the NHS:

• Visual clarity: Process maps provide a clear, visual representation of workflows, making it easier to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
• Engagement: Involving team members in process mapping fosters collaboration and engagement. Everyone can contribute their insights and ideas for improvement. Mapping your processes using online software means that your processes are accessible to everyone and easy to comment on and update.
• Identification of bottlenecks: By mapping out processes, teams can identify bottlenecks and areas where delays or errors occur, allowing them to address these issues effectively.
• Standardisation: Process mapping helps standardise workflows, ensuring that best practices are followed consistently across the organisation. This is especially true if you choose a simple process notation to use like UPN which ensures that everyone in your team can read and understand your processes.
• Training and onboarding: As previously mentioned, new staff can use process maps to understand workflows quickly, improving training and onboarding processes. And, if any steps are then automated, the process maps can work as a way to train up existing staff on new procedures too.
• Continuous improvement: Process maps are not static; they can be updated as processes change. This supports a culture of continuous improvement. Using software that’s easy to update and find, means that your processes become a way to ensure that everyone on your team is working the same way – and the right way.

Liberty Spark: A tool for Quality Improvement in the NHS

Liberty Spark is our advanced process improvement and mapping tool designed to help organisations like the NHS achieve their quality improvement goals. Here’s how Liberty Spark can support Quality Improvement in the NHS:

• Ease of use: Spark offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teams to create and update process maps. This accessibility ensures that all team members can participate in process improvement efforts. It is easy to understand so there is no room for confusion or misinterpretation.
• Collaboration: The tool supports collaborative workshops, allowing teams to work together in real-time to map out processes and identify areas for improvement. Workshops can be run either online or face to face.
• Data-driven insights: Spark provides robust reporting and analytics, helping teams uncover insights and make data-driven decisions.
• Integration: The tool integrates seamlessly with other systems, ensuring that process maps are connected to the broader organisational workflow.
• Scalability: Spark is scalable, making it suitable for organisations of all sizes. Whether you are a small clinic or a large hospital, the tool can adapt to your needs
• Continuous improvement: With Spark, process maps can be continuously updated and refined, supporting a culture of ongoing improvement.

Lancashire County Council has successfully implemented Liberty Spark to bring their essential processes to life. By running collaborative workshops and mapping out processes at the speed of conversation, they have created a culture of continuous improvement.

The Liberty platform plays a crucial role in driving quality improvement within the NHS by harnessing advanced, AI-powered technology to enhance process automation and patient engagement. By streamlining workflows, Liberty empowers healthcare organisations to achieve their goals more efficiently, delivering better patient outcomes and supporting staff with improved processes.

A recent example of this is Netcall’s expanded partnership with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust – driving significant quality improvement through the integration of its AI-powered cloud contact centre solution within the Trust’s Booking Centre. This implementation is helping to streamline processes and enhance the overall experience for both patients and agents, contributing to better service delivery.

Download our process workshop agenda template

In just the first week of deployment, the Trust has seen a remarkable 50% reduction in call abandonment rates and a substantial decrease in call answering times. As a result, the Trust has been able to reduce their call back window from five minutes to just two minutes, reflecting faster response times and improved patient satisfaction. Netcall’s Automated Voice Assistant (AVA) is now handling approximately 30% of calls, offering self-service options and efficiently directing patients to the appropriate departments, which further supports quality improvement by reducing wait times and improving workflow efficiency.

A vital part of Quality Improvement in the NHS

Quality Improvement is a critical component of healthcare and process mapping is a vital tool in this effort. For the NHS, process improvement is not just about enhancing efficiency, it’s about providing better care for patients, meeting regulatory requirements and making the best use of limited resources. Tools like Liberty Spark make it easier for NHS teams to visualise, analyse and improve their processes, leading to better outcomes for patients and staff alike.

By embracing process mapping and continuous improvement, the NHS can navigate its complexities with precision and clarity, ensuring that it remains responsive to the needs of patients and providers. Investing in tools like Liberty Spark can give the NHS the edge it needs to succeed in today’s healthcare landscape and make a significant difference in the lives of patients.

If you have any questions or need further information on how to implement process mapping and improvement in your organisation, please get in touch.