Find out how staff at Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust used the Improvement Tools to help problem solve and empower participants during a workshop with a range of health practitioners.

1) What prompted your organisation to use the Improvement Tools?

We were holding a half-day meeting for local GP practices on personal health plans for patients with long-term conditions. We knew this would produce negative antibodies so wanted to ensure all aspects of this issue were considered within the workshops.

2) What particular tool/s did you first look at and why?

We found the 'De Bonos Six Thinking Hats' exercise in the Delegation and Empowerment section of the tools. This seemed a simple idea to get GPs to 'think differently' in a structured directed way, but without the 'herding cats' phenomenon. Also, as there were other health workers and patient representatives present, we thought the exercise would facilitate all dimensions of the problem to be discussed without domination by the GPs.

3) Did you undertake any planning to use the exercise?

As part of the preparation we purchased coloured party hats and created a laminated sheet showing what each colour represented. The leaders of the workshops were briefed in advance about the De Bono exercise. On the day, as an introduction, the attendees received a presentation on how De Bono works.

They then used these colours to discuss the benefits/difficulties of introducing personal care plans with patients suffering from the specified long-term conditions. Each colour was given 10 minutes for discussion in order to gain an overall view of how the plans could work. A note taker assisted the leader of the group and used a flipchart and pen to note the groups comments for feedback at the plenary session at the end the day.

4) What have been the short-term benefits so far, and what do you anticipate the longer-term benefits will be for you and your staff from using the tools?

The session was well received and stimulated a lot of thought and discussion. There was full engagement gained from participants. It made people think more about the patients and how plans would assist them, and it also changed some people's views on how useful they could be by exploring all elements.

In the longer-term we will hopefully use this tool and others to get more out of meetings than just a free for all moaning session.

5) Have you recommended other staff to subscribe to access the Improvement Tools for their own personal development needs?

We have recommended the 'Thinking Creatively' toolkit to other members of team.

6) Are there other topic areas you plan to look at, if so, which ones and why?

Yes, there are a lot of projects underway related to redesign of service provision that the Improvement Tools will be helpful for.

Note: The responses to these questions were provided by Naomi Alecock, Practice Based Commissioning Project Support Officer, and Dr Pauline Brimblecombe from Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust.