17 Foreword from Wyn Dignan Introduction by Rod Barnes Chair of North West Ambulance Service Chief Executive Yorkshire Ambulance Service Chair of Northern Ambulance Alliance Chief Executive Northern Ambulance Alliance Programme Board As the first Chair for the Northern Ambulance I’m delighted to be contributing to the first annual Alliance, it is a pleasure for me to be able to take the report of the Northern Ambulance Alliance. I believe time to applaud the efforts of North East Ambulance it is a real testament of our commitment to ongoing Service, North West Ambulance Service and improvement and best practice that we, as three Yorkshire Ambulance Service, as they complete independent organisations, have been able to join their first year, working in partnership, for the benefit together to share our skills and expertise for the of patients across the North of England. greater good of us all. In recognising the current pressures that are evident in the health From the outset, our ambition has been to do better and to be better sector, it has shown a real innovative and determined spirit within and having the Alliance has presented us with a real possibility to our three Trusts that they have formed the Alliance, giving them the apply that thinking to the delivery of a patient-centred, efficient and opportunity to work together to address these challenges in the forward-looking service. most productive way. Our colleagues have undertaken to work together in each functional By taking the initiative with this tri-party approach, they are able to area to share best practice and to identify opportunities for making share best practice and make the most of the combined expertise of improvements in our ways of working. This is particularly relevant in all of their colleagues. It will give them a credible forum to discuss procurement terms as it may enable us to make tangible savings in and develop new ideas and to apply tried and tested solutions that the purchase of vehicles and equipment through economies of have already been trialled in one or more of the partner Trusts. scale and in IT, through the exchange of innovation and expertise. I understand that the Alliance has enabled us to build relationships in the three organisations, not just at the most senior level where Across NWAS, NEAS and YAS, we already have a shared history you would expect to see collaboration but at every level, amongst of mutual aid and support but as the challenges of a changing those staff who have a shared understanding and experience of health landscape add more pressures on our Services, adopting a working in the ambulance service. more unified collaborative approach, under the Alliance banner, will afford us an additional degree of rigour and resilience in our The value of this partner approach should not be underestimated structure which will stand us in good stead for the future. and I know we are going to reap the benefits of working in this way. We are at the start of this process but have already made great Finally, I’d like to add how pleased I am that the Alliance has given strides in identifying and making progress in the various us a platform to showcase the prevailing sense of teamwork that workstreams where we have initially focused our attention, an runs through our three great organisations. This is a tremendous overview of which is provided later in this report. Together with my opportunity for us in the North to show our colleagues around the colleagues, Derek Cartwright at NWAS and Yvonne Ormston at country the way forward and to demonstrate what can be achieved NEAS, we look forward to seeing the results of this positive when we put our heads together! partnership, which ultimately will provide long-term benefits for patients. Across the North... we have we serve 13,500 15.2 million members people of staff weext cover we drive we have 2.3+ 14,630 232 square million ambulance miles PTS stations journeys we handle we take 2.9 m illion 2.5+ million 999 calls NHS111 calls Our Structure Individual Trusts’ Board and Executive Committees (NEAS, NWAS & YAS) NAA Programme Board Rod Barnes, YAS (Chair) Yvonne Ormston, NEAS Janet Paul, NWAS Derek Cartwright (NWAS) Programme/Project Management Workstream 2, Workstream 1 – Digital Workstream 3, Estates, Workstream 4, Workforce Workstream 5, Value for Operations/Quality Yvonne Ormston, NEAS (CEO Fleet & Procurement Derek Cartwright, NWAS (CEO Money Rod Barnes, YAS (CEO Lead) Lead) Rod Barnes, YAS (CEO Lead) Lead) Derek Cartwright, NWAS (CEO Steve Page, YAS (Workstream Mark Bradley, YAS (Workstream Lynne Hodgson, NEAS Mick Forrest, NWAS (Workstream Lead) Lead) Lead) (Workstream Lead) Lead) Steve Page, YAS (Workstream Dave Macklin, YAS Paul Nicholson, NEAS Tracy Ellery, NWAS Caroline Thurlbeck, NEAS Lead) Joanne Baxter, NEAS Paul Lucock, NWAS Emma Bolton, YAS Roberta Barker, YAS Ged Blezard, NWAS Project Workstreams (Each workstream will have a number of core initiatives/projects within them which will include other members of the three organisations to support delivery) Our Aims The aims of the Northern Ambulance Alliance have been agreed: To improve the quality and service delivery for patients To maximise standardisation opportunities at scale and reduce duplication across the three organisations Reduce the overall costs of the collective budgets of the three services Set against the backdrop of four key drivers: NHS Five Year Forward View & Dalton which urges organisations to look beyond traditional organisational boundaries as a means of responding to the challenges currently facing the NHS. Lord Carter’s review which suggested that the NHS can save £5 billion by reducing variation in its ways of working and improving the fundamental approach to care. Local alignment where, in addition to historical relationships, the three ambulance services recognises that collaboration is an essential component to the delivery of clinically and financially sustainability services. NHSI Sector Review which was published in summer 2016. Key Progress to Date Established partnership governance arrangements and joint leadership meetings. NWAS and YAS joint development of a local electronic patient care record for implementation in 2017/2018. The creation of a shared role to support Public Health initiatives across the Alliance. Commencement of a number of joint procurements to reduce the costs of equipment and consumables across all three organisations. Comparison of costs across support service areas for all three Trusts to inform opportunities for sharing best practice. Key Priorities The first phase of priorities for 2016/2017 were agreed to be: Digital Workstream Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion Date Patient Care Resilience Financial Possible common tba CAD (computer-aided despatch system) cross YAS and NWAS Possible common tba telephony across NAA Share learning from tba Airwave Programme Shared Vulnerable tba Patients Database across NAA Feasibility of NEAS End 2018/19 simulation tool being used across NAA Provide a digitised 31/01/2018 Electronic Care Record form (EPCR) across NAA EOC back-up tba sites/shared resilience Possible Wide Area tba Networks to be identified Workforce Workstream Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion Date Patient Care Resilience Financial Identify common 31.03.2018 themes within the staff survey and share plans for improvements Share best practice 31.03.2018 and expertise around the Apprenticeship levy Determine benefits of 31.03.2018 cross-over and shared knowledge on Occupational Health contract (wellbeing) Share learnings and 31.03.2018 best practice to encourage flu vaccine take-up across NAA Explore feasibility of 31.03.2018 shared payroll contract Review band 5 and 6 31.03.2018 paramedic career frameworks to ensure consistency Operations/Quality Workstream Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion Date Patient Care Resilience Financial Share learning and 31.03.2018 resourcing from the Ambulance Response Programme Explore benefits of a 31.03.2018 Paramedic Pathfinder App and/or website for each partner Urgent Care Strategy 31.03.2018 Development using Clinical Service Developments Create a Quality 30.09.2017 Compliance Alliance – practical application of best practice Development of the 31.12.2017 nursing role within the service by identifying common competencies and education needs Enable electronic call 30.06.2017 passing through interoperability module in three EOCs Implement Frequent 30.06.2017 Caller project in NWAS – sharing expertise from YAS Estates, Fleet and Procurement Workstream Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion Date Patient Care Resilience Financial Identify opportunities On-going for shared sustainability ideas Develop a 31.03.2018 specification for a single fleet management system across NAA Agree a joint tba procurement approach for vehicles Agree standard lists 01.01.2018 and approach for medical equipment and kit on vehicles Define and agree 01.07.2018 potential value and approach to use of electric vehicles across NAA Consider benefits of 30.09.2017 sharing contracts options for medical gases across NAA Estates, Fleet and Procurement Workstream - continued Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion date Patient Care Resilience Financial Identify benefits and 31.03.2018 explore options to contract with one supplier to provide tyres for all three NAA organisations YAS to design a make 31.03.2018 ready vehicle preparation specification which could be rolled-out across the NAA estate Define a 31.03.2018 comprehensive approach to the supply and use of bunkered fuel – shelf life, locations, etc. Value for Money Workstream Activity Benefits Status Initial Completion Date Patient Care Resilience Financial Explore and define the 28.02.2017 possibility of a joint CIO role for NWAS and YAS Undertake a Value for 28.02.2017 Money data gathering exercise Establish a 28.02.2018 commercial company within NEAS Establish potential for 30.04.2018 joint working across Legal Services in NAA Northern Ambulance Alliance Board (NAAB) Terms of Reference 1.