A quality improvement (QI) project which aimed to reduce waiting times in the Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) has been presented to an international audience.
The project leads, Martyne May and Pip Hardy, were invited to talk about their work at the three-day Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ national conference, held last week. Martyne is the trust’s lead for quality, governance and professional standards in the Adult Speech and Language Therapy and Community Nutrition and Dietetics Service and Pip is a Clinical Service Manager and Professional Lead.
Their presentation, which they delivered virtually, was watched by 120 healthcare professionals, from around the world.
Martyne said: “Pip and I presented the overall service pathway redesign and results. It went very well, we had a great response and it generated many questions.
“At the event I was also able to connect with other speech and language therapists interested or working in QI, through discussion rooms and virtual meet-ups.”
Their project started in March 2019, with the work carried out over 18 months. It aimed to improve how patients move through the system. Asking patients what is important to them was at the heart of all they did.
The conference had a theme of breaking barriers and building better. Delegates were from around the UK and across the globe. The event took place 5 to 7 October.