The challenge​

In 2015 providers and commissioners across health and social care in Epsom came together to try and work differently for the benefit of their frail and elderly population.

Our approach 

From 2015 to 2019 we supported the programme through all stages of its development, including:

  • Strategic programme management and programme development: ensuring an outcome focussed approach to change
  • Leadership and wider organisational development: ensuring leaders had a collective vision for the future and staff were empowered to make the change
  • Business case development and service transformation: facilitating the co-design of a new, evidence based, patient centric model of care
  • Implementation planning, continuous improvement and evaluation: making sure that the change was real and delivered real outcomes

Over 3 years, the programme moved from the initial vision to a legally-established partnership delivering enhanced, integrated care services to the frail and elderly population. These services have shown a real impact on system and patient outcomes, with a reduction in non-elective admissions and reduction in delayed transfers of care, and extremely positive feedback from patients who have been cared for by the new services. The service has been so successful that the model has been rolled out in the neighbouring borough of Sutton and is the foundation of the broader integrated provider partnership that now delivers all community health services for Surrey Downs.

Our impact

PPL’s support helped ensure that the complexity of the problem and solution did not hamper progress. Our approach ensured clinicians, operational staff and patients had the space to define the problem and agree practical solutions, while also providing challenge and unblock barriers to change. We supported the partnership to identify small, high-impact changes that could be moved forward quickly and could form the foundation and grow to meet the overall vision. This provided the Epsom Health and Care Partnership the opportunity to test ideas, learn from mistakes, but importantly grow relationships and develop staff organically throughout the process.

“PPL’s focus on making practical change, combined with a long term vision, has been a real asset in supporting our teams with integration.”

Executive Director of Integrated Care​