This project was awarded £360,000 to introduce the
'Experience-Based Co-Design' (EBCD) approach to improve the
experience and quality of care of patients using breast, lung,
colorectal and gynaecological cancer services at King's
College Hospital and Guy's and St Thomas'. The EBCD model was
developed in collaboration with King's College London and The
King's Fund.
EBCD involves staff, patients and carers sharing their
experience through discussion, observation and filmed interviews.
Small co-design groups involving patients and staff, at all levels,
then work together to bring about improvements. The patient
experience has been improved in a range of areas, such as:
- Patients are now given a 30 minute notice period before
treatment in day surgery - so that they can stay with a friend or
relative for as long as possible (in their own clothes)
- Private rooms have been set aside for breaking bad news or
discussing impending surgery.
The initiative reflects the Charity's commitment towards
promoting world class cancer services locally, as well as its
belief in combining the experience and knowledge of clinicians,
patients and others towards finding solutions to address flaws in
current NHS practice.
An independent
evaluation report (256KB, PDF) on this project has been
produced by the King's Fund.
An EBCD toolkit
has also been developed by Catherine Dale, Progamme Manager for
Patient Centred Care and published on the King's Fund's website to
enable the approach to be used more widely across the NHS.
Catherine said: "The approach of patients and staff working
together in this way has been so successful it has now become an
integral part of much of our work in the Integrated Cancer
Centre."