Advancing Quality Alliance AQuA
The purpose of this briefing, provided by Bernie O’Hare of the Advancing Quality Alliance –
AQuA - is to:
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Outline what is the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA)
Outline the role and purpose of AQuA
Outline the role of AQuA in Long Term Conditions
Briefing paper #78
Bernie O’Hare
Programme Manager
Mental Health and Long Term Conditions
AQuA
Email: Bernie.O'Hare@srft.nhs.uk
Tel: 07720945976
The Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) attempts to involve service users to ensure that the
voices of the people who use the services we are involved with have the opportunity to voice
their opinions about the services they receive and the chance to make real, sustainable change
to those services. Additionally, AQuA are presently undertaking a scoping exercise which sets
out a plan on how AQuA can support member organisations to make advances in addressing
health and social care inequalities as a key component of their improvement work.
AQuA operates on a not for profit basis and is funded by healthcare organisations and as the
North West’s ‘health care quality improvement organisation’ it works with all members to
stimulate innovation, spread best practice and support local improvement in health and in the
quality and productivity of health services. Whilst voluntary organisations are not AQuA
members, engagement will provide voluntary organisations with a unique opportunity to work
with AQuA to create a catalyst for change across the North West.
AQuA works in partnership with a wide range of organisations:
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As an advocate for the excellent work undertaken everyday in our communities,
hospitals and GP surgeries.
Alongside advisory organisations such as the Institute for Health Care Improvement and
the National Institute for Innovation and Improvement to secure advice and support.
By developing relationships the Kings Fund, the Nuffield Institute and The Health
Foundation we bring in expertise to stimulate innovation.
AQuA works in the following ways:
AQuA Observatory: Provides easy access to the best available evidence and to examples of
good practice locally and globally. It will supply benchmarked intelligence to highlight
opportunities for improvement and to measure progress.
AQuA Action: Offers a range of quality improvement initiatives to engage frontline staff and
leaders in developing innovative solutions and rapidly spreading best practice.
AQuA Partnerships: Links the membership directly to the best UK and international expertise
through partnerships with organisations such as the King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust.
AQuA Academy: Presents opportunities for learning about improvement for all groups of staff.
It will bring together like minded individuals in 'communities of practice' to develop their
knowledge and skills as part of the AQuA Associates Programme.
AQuA is unique in the NHS. It has not been established by any central edict but as a result of
NHS staff and organisations working together to bring about improvements for patients. As a
membership organisation, AQuA’s success relies on a strong and active engagement of all of its
members. Those members include commissioners and providers, and encompass every aspect
of healthcare provision.
The new NHS Commissioning Board, and the introduction of the improvements that are
expected in the five domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework brings both opportunities and
challenges. Success in each of the five domains is vital and so AQuA have organised their work
for 2012/13 under these five domain headings.
Domain 1: Preventing people from dying prematurely.
Domain 2 : Enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions.
Domain 3 : Helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury.
Domain 4 : Ensuring that people have a positive experience of care.
Domain 5 : Treating and caring for people in a safe environment; and protecting them from
avoidable harm.
The move towards success in the five domains will be supported by the work of AQuA Action,
AQuA Observatory, AQuA Academy and the AQuA Partnerships.
For more information, please contact: http://www.advancingqualityalliance.nhs.uk/
For more information for AQuA members, please contact: https://www.aquanw.nhs.uk/
Long Term Conditions
Caring for people with long-term conditions – for example, heart disease, asthma and diabetes
– is a major element of the NHS’s work. Around 15 million people in England, or almost one in
three of the population, have a long term condition with the prevalence falling more heavily on
the poorest in society.
Matching the level of care to the level need calls for an approach which:
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Increases support for self care
Strengthens usual primary care
Offers responsive specialist care
Manages vulnerable cases by anticipating their needs.
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in the North West are prioritising long term conditions
(LTC) in their commissioning plans and QIPP plans. They are keen to demonstrate that they are
using evidence to redesign services and are measuring improved outcomes that align to the
NHS Outcomes Framework's five domains. AQuA’s LTC programme has been able to offer
support to Commissioners through a range of programmes covering LTCs.
The AQuA Long Term Conditions Programme
Current policy on long-term conditions seeks to reduce burden through prevention and the
development of services that enable people to remain living independently in their own homes.
It also seeks to empower patients, by giving them information about their condition and offer
them choice about where and how they are treated.
There is now a lot of evidence that coordinated management of people with chronic diseases
creates a win-win situation for patients and professionals. The more efficient and effective
management of long term conditions is seen as an important part of the current and future
provider models. This will improve quality of life and should lead to fewer unplanned and
emergency acute admissions.
The LTC programme is made up of a portfolio of projects which includes:
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The LTC Diagnostic tool
NHS and LA Integration: Frail Older People
Dementia Improvement Collaborative
Risk Stratification
New projects are being scoped for 2012/13 which include:
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Self Management
Children & Young People
The programme also works closely with the ‘National LTC QIPP Programme’, AQuA’s Shared
Decision programme and the Advancing Quality (AQ) work which is managed as part of AQuA.
In the near future the programme intends to expand by recruiting an individual for the role of
‘Long Term Conditions - Lived Experience’. (Associate / Affiliate Role). The main purpose of this
job is to consult, engage with and work with service users (patients), providers and agencies in
order to provide a lived experience perspective to the Long term Conditions (LTC) Programme.
If more information is required please contact:
Julie Cullen, Head of Mental Health and Long Term Conditions : Julie.cullen@srft.nhs.uk
or
Lynda Tench , Programme Support: Lynda.tench@srft.nhs.uk
Or visit the AQuA LTC Web page at:
https://www.aquanw.nhs.uk/workspaces/77-long-term-conditions
VSNW (Voluntary Sector North West) is the regional voluntary sector network for the
North West. The purpose of VSNW is to ensure that the voluntary and community
sector (VCS), in all its diversity, takes its full part in shaping the future of the North
West.
VSNW works with 150 members which
 work across the region directly supporting and delivering services for individuals, or
 are VCS infrastructure organisations (LIOs) that work with local voluntary and
community groups.
VSNW members provide community services, regenerate neighbourhoods, support
individuals, promote volunteering and tackle discrimination. The 40 generalist LIOs in
membership of VSNW have a membership of 6,780 VCS groups and are in contact with
19,800 local voluntary and community sector groups in the North West – just under twothirds (63%) of the region’s VCS groups.
Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW)
St Thomas Centre
Ardwick Green North
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: policy@vsnw.org.uk
Web: www.vsnw.org.uk
Registered charity no. 1081654
Company limited by guarantee
Registered in England no. 3988903
Registered office as above
VSNW’s briefing service is funded by The Big Lottery Fund
Briefing Paper #78