Huddersfield health staff are new champions: story and picture
Nov 5 2008 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
HOSPITAL workers in Huddersfield have been recognised for efforts to reduce waste and improve patient care.
Ten employees of the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust have gained Business Improvement Techniques NVQ level 2 qualifications, making them the trust’s first Lean Champions.
The qualification recognises staff for improving efficiency, saving time and cutting costs.
It is delivered widely throughout manufacturing but has only recently become available in the NHS.
The recipients were:
Tania King, service improvement manager; Ellie Sheehan, general manager ENT and A&E; Joanne Womack, project manager for service development; Anne Catchpole, service improvement manager for Calderdale PCT; Jayne Walsh, team leader for health records; Kirsty Akroyd, service improvement facilitator/children’s safeguarding nurse; Michelle Griffiths, service lead in radiology; Ellen Howie, service lead radiology; Janine Hart, biomedical scientist for microbiology; and Melanie Johnson, risk manager.
Lesley Hill, director of service development with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS, who presented the certificates, said: “We are recognised as being among the top-performing hospitals in the country.
“We are continuing to modernise and invest in our health services to improve the way in which we can keep people across our region healthy.
“The achievements of our first group of Lean Champions demonstrate how, by working together and listening to the good ideas of our staff, we can make a real difference for patients and the public by reducing waiting times and raising the safety, quality and delivery of care.
“It is vital that we build on our initial successes by rolling them out more widely across the trust.
“Our new champions will play a keynote role in this mission.”
The trust embarked on the programme in May, focusing on the radiology and blood testing departments and children’s and women’s divisional offices.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS, which provides healthcare for more than 435,000 people across Calderdale and Kirklees, has worked in partnership with the Lean Healthcare Academy in Ilkley.
Services available to its 21-strong network of NHS member trusts across the North and Midlands include staff training, development and implementation support and flexible online learning programmes.
