Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry
Introduction The 500 community hospitals in the UK provide a range of services to their communities. The response of these small, mainly rural, hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been examined and so this study sought to address this gap.Method Appreciative inquiry was used to understand...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-10-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Quality |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/11/4/e001958.full |
| _version_ | 1798029172810973184 |
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| author | Helen Tucker Evelyn Prodger David Anthony Seamark Trish Jay Emma Gibbard |
| author_facet | Helen Tucker Evelyn Prodger David Anthony Seamark Trish Jay Emma Gibbard |
| author_sort | Helen Tucker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction The 500 community hospitals in the UK provide a range of services to their communities. The response of these small, mainly rural, hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been examined and so this study sought to address this gap.Method Appreciative inquiry was used to understand staff perspectives of how community hospitals responded to the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. A total of 20 organisations participated, representing 168 (34%) community hospitals in the UK. Qualitative interviews were conducted, with a total of 85 staff members, using an online video platform. 30 case studies were developed from these interviews.Results Staff described positive changes that were made in the context of the fear and uncertainty experienced in the pandemic. Quality improvements were reported in a wide range of services and models of care such as the use of the inpatient beds, and the access and management of urgent care services. Rapid changes were made in the way that services were managed, such as communications and leadership. Programmes of accelerated training were offered for existing and redeployed staff. Attention to staff health and well-being was a feature and there were a variety of innovations designed to support patients and their families. The impact of the changes was viewed as strengthening of integrated working between staff and sectors, the ability to rapidly innovate and improve quality, and the scope to use local decision-making to make changes.Conclusion Staff of community hospitals described innovative and rapid quality improvements in their community hospitals in response to the pandemic. The case studies illustrated the features of community hospitals, showing that they can be resilient, flexible, responsive, creative, compassionate and integrated. The case studies of quality improvements are being used to encourage sharing and learning across community hospitals and beyond. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:20:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81afc7b4e63c40bcbc2487d329c9f6a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-6641 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:20:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Quality |
| spelling | doaj.art-81afc7b4e63c40bcbc2487d329c9f6a72022-12-22T04:07:19ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412022-10-0111410.1136/bmjoq-2022-001958Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiryHelen Tucker0Evelyn Prodger1David Anthony Seamark2Trish Jay3Emma Gibbard48The Community Hospitals Association, Ilminster, UKMartlets Hospice, Hove, UKThe Honiton Surgery, NHS New Devon CCG, Honiton, UKCommunity Hospitals Association, Monmouth, UKResearch and Innovations Services, University of Bath, Bath, UKIntroduction The 500 community hospitals in the UK provide a range of services to their communities. The response of these small, mainly rural, hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been examined and so this study sought to address this gap.Method Appreciative inquiry was used to understand staff perspectives of how community hospitals responded to the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. A total of 20 organisations participated, representing 168 (34%) community hospitals in the UK. Qualitative interviews were conducted, with a total of 85 staff members, using an online video platform. 30 case studies were developed from these interviews.Results Staff described positive changes that were made in the context of the fear and uncertainty experienced in the pandemic. Quality improvements were reported in a wide range of services and models of care such as the use of the inpatient beds, and the access and management of urgent care services. Rapid changes were made in the way that services were managed, such as communications and leadership. Programmes of accelerated training were offered for existing and redeployed staff. Attention to staff health and well-being was a feature and there were a variety of innovations designed to support patients and their families. The impact of the changes was viewed as strengthening of integrated working between staff and sectors, the ability to rapidly innovate and improve quality, and the scope to use local decision-making to make changes.Conclusion Staff of community hospitals described innovative and rapid quality improvements in their community hospitals in response to the pandemic. The case studies illustrated the features of community hospitals, showing that they can be resilient, flexible, responsive, creative, compassionate and integrated. The case studies of quality improvements are being used to encourage sharing and learning across community hospitals and beyond.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/11/4/e001958.full |
| spellingShingle | Helen Tucker Evelyn Prodger David Anthony Seamark Trish Jay Emma Gibbard Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry BMJ Open Quality |
| title | Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry |
| title_full | Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry |
| title_fullStr | Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry |
| title_short | Response of UK community hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: an appreciative inquiry |
| title_sort | response of uk community hospitals to the covid 19 pandemic an appreciative inquiry |
| url | https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/11/4/e001958.full |
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