Clinical Pathways Interface and Implementation Support

1. Clinical Pathways Interface.

The Clinical Pathways Interface is expected to be a website, easily accessible from clinicians’ desktops, tablets and mobile phones, that displays easy-to-read, current, evidence-based clinical pathways, processes and procedures, based on a standard template. The website is expected to be accessible from both within and outside of the secure NHS network. The web pages will be easily and rapidly updated by the Supplier at the request of the NHS Wales organisations both at a national and local level. The web pages will also contain hyperlinks to relevant local services, contact telephone numbers and email addresses, resources for continuing professional development and appraisal, and national or international guidance and case studies relevant to a specific clinical pathway. The solution is required to accommodate whole systems pathways from community prevention (including non-health partners, social prescribing/conservative management options) through to primary and secondary care intervention, discharge, further follow-up and ongoing self-management.

The intended outcome of the implementation support is to maximise the speed of adoption of the Clinical Pathways Interface by all clinicians in all NHS Wales organisations.

2. Implementation Support.

The Implementation Support is expected to act at two levels:

1. Nationally.

a. The supplier will advise and support the national NHS Wales Clinical Lead for Clinical Pathways, and a national supporting team, to devise a strategy and implementation plan to delivering clinical pathways

b. Together with the NHS Wales Clinical Lead for Clinical Pathways, the supplier will work with disease-specific National Clinical Networks and national implementation boards to create and adapt high level clinical pathways, that would then be distributed to Health Boards and Trusts for local adaptation

c. Initially, it is expected that Implementation Support will focus on reducing demand for planned care and urgent/emergency care in hospital settings by empowering clinicians in primary and community care to manage patients outside of hospital.

d. The national focus will be on population pathways.

2. Locally.

a. The supplier will advise and support the Health Board or NHS Trust executive director, and their team, responsible for clinical pathways, to devise a strategy and implementation plan to create/adapt clinical pathways in their organisation, this will be closely aligned to the national strategy and plan.

b. The supplier will support local clinical leaders to create, adapt and implement clinical pathways, including publishing them on the Clinical Pathways Interface. This will include provision of evidence-based clinical pathways that have already been developed and implemented in similar health systems around the world, providing ‘springboards’ for rapid local adaption, adoption and publication.

c. Implementation plans for national roll out and individual Health Board/Trust roll-outs will be required. These plans must include timescales for each Health Board’s testing and go live dates with clear targets. The implementation plan must include the national team’s roll-out as well as a clear communication plan to alert users.

d. Initially, it is expected that Implementation Support will focus on reducing demand for planned care and urgent/emergency care in hospital settings by empowering clinicians in primary and community care to manage patients outside of hospital. NHS Organisations may need to shift resources along organisational pathways to achieve this.

e. The local focus will be on organisational pathways and patient pathways.