Safe Quality Assured Services in Reconstructive Science

Details

Title

Safe Quality Assured Services in Reconstructive Science

Type

Stage One

Module code

HPE404

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of this module the Clinical Scientist in HSST will be able to demonstrate their active contribution to work- based quality management and quality improvement activities that underpin safe, quality assured services in Reconstructive Science. They will apply their expert knowledge with respect to health and safety legislation and guidance both locally and nationally, in order to practise safely in laboratory, clinical or other settings and advise on safe practice. The Clinical Scientist in HSST will also be expected to lead, implement, monitor and improve quality assurance processes, perform risk assessments and develop, refine and evaluate health and safety precautions relating to patient treatment and management. They will consistently demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for the role of a Consultant Clinical Scientist.

The knowledge, skills and experience gained by meeting the learning outcomes of this module will underpin practice throughout this Reconstructive Science programme.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of this module the Clinical Scientist in HSST will analyse, synthesise, evaluate and critically apply their knowledge, including:

Quality Management and Quality Improvement

The purpose and structure of a clinical governance framework to unite a range of quality improvement activities to safeguard standards and facilitate quality improvements in clinical services, incorporating:

• the role of risk management in the delivery of a safe, high-quality service;
• the principles of and need for quality and safety improvement in healthcare;
• how care plans can be used to improve patient safety;
• local major incident planning and their potential role in any such incident;
• the purpose, generation and review of clinical guidelines;
• the benefits and limitations of guidelines and care pathways;
• systems of quality assurance and clinical improvement in clinical and scientific work and training;
• the principles and practice of quality control, external quality assessment, and quality management and quality improvement as applied to relevant areas of healthcare science;
• certification and accreditation schemes, e.g. the Improving Clinical Engineering and Physical Science Services (iCEPSS) programme;
• the quality improvement process;
• the role of audit and the audit cycle and its use as a tool to facilitate continuous quality improvement;
• opportunities for improving the reliability of care following audit, adverse events, or ‘near misses’;
• root-cause analysis;
• importance of reporting, discussing and learning from all incidents and concerns related to patient safety, and reporting to the relevant authority, e.g. MHRA and/or the NHS reporting system such as DATIX;
• features of an effective audit that leads to real and sustained changes in practice.

Health and Safety and the Regulatory Framework

Clinical Scientists in HSST will need to keep up to date as new or revised legislation is introduced following the publication of this curriculum, with a particular focus on:

• current health and safety legislation and guidance for the workplace;
• the requirements of the professional, regulatory and statutory bodies in the area of dental and healthcare technology and clinical practice;
• working within professional boundaries (scope of practice);
• the Health and Safety Executive’s role with respect to the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and other relevant legislation;
• the statutory requirements related to Reconstructive Science practice;
• the governance of medical devices in a specific healthcare organisation, and the value and development of standards, guidance and best practice as developed by professional bodies.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of this module the Clinical Scientist in HSST will demonstrate a critical understanding of current best practice and legislation and their application to the provision of a Reconstructive Science service. They will perform risk assessments using a range of risk assessment tools, including risk matrices when required, for all therapeutic, technical and clinical procedures relating to treatment and management of patients and will:

Quality Management

• initiate and lead a system of quality assurance and service improvement in a clinical scientific setting;
• design, implement and evaluate a quality improvement project and disseminate the findings, instigating changes in practice as necessary;
• evaluate current quality assurance protocols and update departmental equipment and materials, quality assurance processes/programmes;
• evaluate and use information and communication technology to improve service quality and delivery;
• critically reflect on the challenges of implementing, maintaining and improving services building on a critique of available evidence base.

Health and Safety

• perform risk assessments using a range of tools, including risk matrices, for all investigations and procedures relating to technical, clinical and therapeutic management of patients, e.g. applying a facial prosthesis when treating a patient with latex allergy;
• promote the importance of health and safety standards in the working environment, both clinical and technical, ensuring they are up to date and compliant with legislative changes and best practice;
• identify and justify actions that will improve health and safety;
• ensure regular maintenance and performance testing is carried out on equipment used within the department, e.g. electrical safety testing;
• evaluate current guidance of appropriate cleaning methods of equipment to ensure good infection control;
• listen, influence and lead continuous quality improvement in scientific services.

Clinical skills

By the end of this module the Clinical Scientist in HSST will be able to perform a  range of clinical skills contributing to quality management and  improvement processes and promoting a safe working environment, and will:

Quality Management and Quality Improvement

• set, apply and maintain quality standards and related quality control, assessment and management techniques to assure the validity of clinical, scientific and technical investigations;
• implement and monitor systems to ensure the privacy, dignity, comfort and security of patients are respected;
• assess and manage the risks associated with the clinical service, to include new equipment and materials used in direct treatment of patients;
• influence, lead and support staff in the department/organisation to create a culture that recognises the importance of quality and quality improvement in the delivery of Reconstructive Science services;
• influence the formulation of policy, standards and guidance on a local and national scale;
• record contemporaneous medical device data for the life of the device as per regulatory authority.

Health and Safety

• work within professional boundaries (scope of practice) and recognise personal and other team members’ limitations commensurate with their current level of experience;
• actively contribute to services to ensure they are safe, effective and accessible;
• implement and monitor systems to identify and manage the risks associated with hazardous materials;
• ensure cleaning protocols are understood by other members of the team and are adhered to;
• create a culture of health and safety awareness, identification and resolution of issues, and modification of systems to enhance health and safety;
• review and report on health and safety issues, sharing good practice with individuals, the team and wider organisation.