ABSTRACT
Aims The Respiratory Surge in Children Programme, led by the London Transformation and Learning Collaborative (LTLC) a Health Education England and NHS England and Improvement initiative, aimed to prepare healthcare workers for a predicted paediatric respiratory surge, specifically RSV, during 2021/22. An innovate model that had previously been successfully used during the Covid 19 pandemic was used to approach this. This involved the creation of a national, online, open access repository of resources. The aim was to collate materials that differed in both length and style to ensure users had access to a variety of resources to suit their needs. Methods The programme pulled together the best of the existing resources from across the NHS. The content was organised into 6 main categories, including Recognition, Management and Escalation of the Sick Child, Respiratory Support (including CPAP and High flow/High Velocity therapy) and Emergency Stabilisation and Transfer. A team of multi-professional educators reviewed all content and led the curation of the wide-ranging resources, mapping them to a skills matrix whilst assessing them all for accessibility and relevance. Throughout the fast-paced project, the entire programme was regularly reviewed by a multidisciplinary expert advisory group. Working collaboratively and engaging with the group enabled real time feedback which shaped the programme in terms of both content and organisation/accessibility. In order to reach a wide range of practitioners across the spectrum of paediatric care, the team connected to various national bodies and the programme was endorsed by the. To aid the success and increase awareness of the programme, the team engaged with the regional Operational Delivery Networks who were pivotal in disseminating information and updates. There was also a strong push via social media to connect and engage users with the content. Results The programme launched in June 2021, and as of February 2022, 340 resources were categorised and uploaded to the programme hub site. As the project grew and developed the team not only collated resources suited to any user, but were also able to create categories for specific audiences such as educators. The programme has been accessed over 53,000 times by a wide variety of staff, both geographically and organisationally and has ensured the inclusion of a range of professional groups including but not limited to;nurses, doctors, AHPs, students and social care staff. Evaluations continue to demonstrate high degrees of satisfaction, coupled with suggestions for further development. 100% of those that completed the evaluation (n=17) either agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the programme to a colleague. Many respondents have commented about the refreshing and inspiring way the project has brought together paediatrics as a whole. Conclusion This project has worked at pace to create a valuable resource, and has demonstrated the value of sharing resources, skills and ideas. The flexible working environment, strong leadership and innovative use of technology to connect the remotely working team has been an inspiration, kept the team motivated and energised to deliver the key aims and ensure the success of the programme.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the nature of some elements of the UK Government’s response to COVID-19 in England. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is a reflective commentary based on a conceptual framing that reflects in turn on the use of performance measures in the building of trust and the author’s experience as a citizen. Findings: The English Government approach to controlling the progress of COVID-19 has been characterised by long-standing tenets of New Public Management that have undermined rather than created trust in their actions. Originality/value: Originality can be found in the application of existing understandings to the novel situation of seeking to control the COVID-19 pandemic in England. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.