Source: Advancing Quality Alliance
Publication format: Website
Date of publication: n/a
Summary of driver: The Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) is the North West’s health care quality improvement organisation. AQuA aims to:
- promote and share best practice
- provide improvement training to strengthen NHS organisations locally
- provide intelligence and comparative information to stimulate innovation
Key features of driver:
AQuA run a number of projects, including Advancing Quality, Stroke 90:10, the North West Reducing Mortality Collaborative, Developing Safety Networks programme, plus a number of training packages.
AQuA also run the AQuA Observatory, which aims to compile intelligence and knowledge in order to ‘stimulate innovation’, share good practice and benchmarked quality intelligence within the North West.
AQuA also support local NHS Trusts in developing their own ‘improvement capacity’ and the training opportunities available are listed on their Portfolio of Improvement Activities.
Primary audience: All NHS Trusts. AQuA’s main focus is commissioner and provider organisations within the NHS. AQuA works with organisational leaders, boards and senior managers and clinicians, as well as with frontline staff.
Impact on library policy/practice: AQuA can provide a useful resource to library staff in highlighting areas of improvement in the NHS. As part of its Innovation Portal, AQuA collates case studies (and produces an accompanying RSS feed) which provide examples of innovation from across the region. These case studies may be useful for library staff in providing examples of good practice to library users via literature searching or current awareness services.
The AQuA website signposts a number of resources for clinical evidence (including NHS Evidence). HCLU are working closely with AQuA to ensure that NHS library and information services are on their ‘map’ of the information world.
Libraries should be aware of the work of AQuA, identify their Trust’s AQuA Associate and liaise accordingly. There is an opportunity that they could raise the profile of libraries. AQuA also provide free courses e.g. on Lean via Webex.
Case studies /Project plan examples mapping to this driver: None as of 30.12.10
Date last updated: 30.12.10
Due for review: 31.12.11
Group member responsible: Not yet identified
Tagged: Innovation, Quality and Improvement