In late 2008, Bridge was asked to design and facilitate a 1.5 day Accelerated Solutions Design (ASD) workshop, in partnership with U.S.-based Premier healthcare a lliance, to support a new NHS quality initiative being launched in response to Lord Darzi's call for quality reform and innovative solutions to the current and future challenges facing UK healthcare

The initiative was sponsored by David Dalton, the Chief Executive of Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Bridge was asked to carry out the work by Premier, a leading US healthcare company, with whom we have been working for some time in the US. This was our first joint project in the UK.

More than 50 senior NHS Trust leaders attended the workshop, from 28 NHS Trusts including 10 Chief Executives and more than 40 Medical Directors, Directors of Nursing, and other senior members of the Trusts' management teams.

In order to achieve the ambitious objectives set for the workshop, we utilised a range of acceleration techniques including real-time graphic facilitation, rapid group iterations, and focussed action planning.

During the workshop, Premier's CEO, Rick Norling provided participants with insight and experience from Premier's highly successful QUEST initiative in the US. We also used a trade show approach to expose the participants to the latest thinking in healthcare quality improvement from both the UK and the US.

In a highly accelerated approach participants collaboratively defined the scope of the project in five different domains of quality; (mortality; harm avoidance; evidence-based care; productivity; and patient experience.) They also planned four workstreams of activities (measurement approaches; building the capability and capacity; encouraging innovation; and effective communications) and developed a group action plan for commencing work on this ambitious and important initiative.

Read the Health Service Journal feature: Foundation trust group aims to be 'the elite' - 29 January 2009