Central Surrey Health (CSH), a not-for-profit organisation that provides community nursing and therapy services in Central Surrey. Co-owned and run by the nursing and therapy teams it employs, CSH combine the values and principles of the NHS with the ‘can-do’ culture of a successfully run business. It means that the people who are most in touch with patients’ needs are in charge of running CSH’s services.

The Goal

As with many healthcare organisations, CSH were facing external pressures to reduce costs alongside future public service spending restrictions. There was a need to turnaround efficiency levels! Instead of taking a ‘slash and burn’ approach that would effectively put jobsat risk, the Executive team wanted to build a strong culture and capability that would produce quantifiable year-on- year efficiencies, drive higher quality patient care and enable continuous improvement in the longer term.

“We chose Four Points because we share similar values and were impressed by their ethos of transferring skills and their track record. We liked their ability to put themselves in our shoes and adapt to our needs.”
Tricia McGregor, Managing Director, Central Surrey Health

Working in partnership with CSH, our task was to help the organisation undertake a significant change programme that improved processes, removed waste activities and reduced costs whilst safeguarding co-owner jobs and patient care services.

The Achievements

  • 10% waste was identified by observations and data analysis. Rapid deployment enabled this waste to be removed in 12 weeks.
  • 13% productivity improvement and a reduction in patient waiting times from 13 to 6 weeks was achieved.
  • A new in-house Quality, Innovation and Change team was established to generate continued efficiencies and sustain a productive, agile and quality-focused organisation.
  • Staff empowered to make changes happen within an enhanced ‘can-do’ culture that places efficiency and quality improvement at the forefront of delivering services to patients.

The Journey

Utilising a range of business improvement, change and project management techniques, we created a phased transformation programme of 40 projects. Each and every project had defined objectives, scope and milestones all tailored to the sensitivities and requirements of the CSH culture and its social enterprise model.

Owned and executed by CSH staff, the programme only used Four Points if the specific skills or experience required were not already available within. Where there were skill gaps, we trained staff and provided on-the-job skills transfer, thereby ensuring future internal capability. We also:

  • Reviewed organisational strategy, financial accounts, key metrics, process performance service delivery and incorporated staff and patient views.
  • Challenged every facet of the organisation to obtain a holistic view of the entire business.
  • Based decisions on evidence historically not readily available in community services.
  • Worked with all levels of the organisation, from the Board to front-line clinicians and administration staff, to deliver change founded on excellent communication, rigorous detail and exceptional documentation.

Sustaining the Change

  • CSH won the Highly Commended HSJ Efficiency Initiative of the Year Award.
  • The organisation has continued to drive year-on-year efficiencies each and every year thereon.