We love to tell you more about who works here, what they do and how it impacts you, the patient, and today we’re going to look at an area that you probably know very little about.
Clinical Audit is now recognised as an effective mechanism for improving the quality of care patients receive as a whole. It offers a crucial component of the drive to improve quality throughout our organisation.
Dr Joanne Finney is DHU’s Head of Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement, she has over 30 years of Nursing experience, she said: “I’ve worked in many fields of Healthcare, including Acute Trusts, Community Trusts, East Midland Ambulance Service, Primary Care and joined DHU in 2007. I had a short break to work in another setting before re-joining DHU in 2014 as a Senior Nurse Practitioner, working throughout Derbyshire in many clinical settings.
“I joined the Audit Team for Derbyshire in 2016 after gaining more experience and took up the opportunity to become the Lead for Audit Urgent Care Derbyshire, concentrating on Divisional Audit and raising the profile locally. Then in 2019 I was successful in becoming the Head of Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement, covering all contracts within the Urgent and Emergency Care Division across DHU Healthcare.”
Joanne has a clear passion for Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement, and completed a Quality Improvement Project regarding Marginalised Groups and gaining access to Health Care. Following the successful write up, Joanne was invited to present this at the National Clinical Audit Summit 2019 in London.
Joanne added: “I’m also part of the East Midlands Clinical Audit Network and this year became a Co-opted member of the National Quality Improvement and Clinical Audit, working with a network of colleagues undertaking audit and improvement across England. It was as a result of joining this professional network that I was invited to speak at the Clinical Audit for Improvement 22nd Annual Conference this year, to introduce DHU Healthcare and speak about the different Services and Urgent Care Audits we do.
“For me, in broad terms, clinical audit is part of a cycle of quality improvement that measures the effectiveness of the care we provide against agreed and proven standards for high quality. This means that, as an organisation, DHU continuously strives to improve its own standards and Clinical Audit is at the heart of that, measuring those improvement levels and looking at where we can improve further.
“As with all health organisations, DHU Healthcare is a mix of Clinical and Non-Clinical Services that work with and support each other to ensure that level of care is always at its highest. Clinical Audit is a process that is embedded at all levels within this organisation. All colleagues get involved in this process to create a culture that is committed to learning and continual development, and providing evidence that the quality of our services and our patient care is central to the decisions we make.”
If you would like to know more, or consider undertaking a Quality Improvement Project yourselves in the area that you work in, or would like to know more, please feel free to contacting Joanne via email drjoanne.finney@dhuhealthcare.nhs.uk
Thanks to Jo for telling us about her role and keep your eyes peeled for DHU’s next #WhatDoYouDo.
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