Scottish Quality Management Discussion Group Meeting: 18th May 2010

Steele Lecture Theatre, Perth

The twelfth national Quality Management Discussion Group, for all disciplines, was held under the auspices of the IBMS Scotland, at the Steele Lecture Theatre, Perth and was attended by 45 delegates, some attending for the first time.

Jill Vickerman with Eric Martindale

Our May event is almost entirely dedicated to discussion with a single guest speaker to help stimulate debate.

Our guest speaker was Jill Vickerman, Deputy Director, Healthcare Planning Division of the Scottish Government who presented on an obvious choice of subject this year with the launch of NHS Scotland’s “Quality Strategy”. Jill was given a bit of a rough time of it with knowing little of the “quality work” achieved by laboratories in recent times but she wasn’t fazed and coped admirably with the many questions put to her. A most stimulating debate ensued. This strategy is reported to be not just another management fad but for the long haul.

Our good practices will be taken back to St Andrew’s House and delegates are encouraged to seek out their own individual “Quality Champions” from their respective Boards.

Googling “NHS and cuts” yielded the following quotes:

“More than ever we need good-quality management”
“ensure that quality of care is not sacrificed”
“priority to focus the NHS on prevention, quality and innovation”
“I fear the NHS quality strategy will be strangled at birth”

It’s notable that the word “quality” appeared in every quote.

The rest of the day consisted of breakout group discussions (a format recently adopted by CPA-UK Ltd at their conference). Topics are never prescriptive but included:

What the NHS Scotland Quality Strategy means for you?
Quality indicators
POCT (new standard released by CPA)
Being assessed to ISO 15189:2011
Competence measurement

Presentations

NHS Scotland Healthcare Quality Strategy (PowerPoint Document)
SQMDG Audit (Excel Document)

Next quality event

Please note the next meeting is Friday 19th November 2010, in the "Teacher" building, St Enoch Square, Glasgow (same venue and format as in previous years).

Eric Martindale CSci FIBMS MCQI CQP
Chair
SQMDG
25/05/10

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