11 August 2016

Two King’s Health Partners staff members report on their experience, one year on into their Darzi Fellowship with the Health Innovation Network.

The Darzi Fellowship Programme is an initiative that benefits both participants and their employing organisations. Over the past seven years, Darzi Fellows have led major service improvements, implemented numerous safety and quality initiatives, and made substantial financial savings for trusts. Fellows are in post full-time for one year, and are expected to undertake one main project for their sponsor in addition to completing their leadership development programme (PG Cert). The programme is run by the London Leadership Academy who commission on behalf of Health Education England in London and is supported by a bespoke leadership development programme from London South Bank University.

Two King’s Health Partners staff members are innovating and spread best practice across south London in their programme areas, and shared their experiences of working at the Health Innovation Network in their own words.

Patient Safety Darzi Fellow: Sarah Curr

Clinical Teacher at King’s College London Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

This year has given me a real opportunity to focus on improving the lives of people living with catheters. The rollout of the catheter care packs across the Sutton care homes has enabled me to fully engage with healthcare staff in this area and really understand the unique challenges they face in care provision. The Darzi programme has provided me with an opportunity to focus on project implementation while engaging in one-to-one coaching, action learning sets and project surgeries. It has enabled me to unpack complex issues and work on ways to address them, giving me both personal and professional insights that will be invaluable in future roles. Overall I will remember the energy and exciting projects being undertaken within the Health Innovation Network, as well as the real focus on a healthy workplace – lunchtime yoga was always an oasis of calm, and well needed in its mid-week slot!

Diabetes Darzi Fellow: Monica Fisk

Principal Podiatrist for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, working in clinical and operational management of community health

My work this year has focused on improving insulin safety on discharge, with a particular emphasis on elderly and vulnerable patients. The project has focused on three key areas – implementing improved discharge planning using the JBDS-IP discharge planning tool for adult inpatients with diabetes, improving staff training on insulin safety, and encouraging the use of insulin passports. Throughout my time as a Darzi Fellow at the Health Innovation Network I have learned a lot about how to design and implement an effective project. I have also felt my confidence grow with the support of the diabetes team and Health Innovation Network staff as a whole. I have really enjoyed working in such a warm and stimulating environment and will miss the Wednesday lunchtime yoga sessions when I move onto pastures new in September!