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Finding evidence for clinical impact awards: a consultant’s experience with NCIP

As the 27 May deadline for Clinical Impact Award applications approaches, many consultants are gathering evidence to showcase their contributions to patient care and the NHS. We recently spoke with Mr. Taranjit Tatla about how he used the National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP) to support his successful application.

The challenge of evidence

For busy consultants, finding time to compile evidence for award applications can be challenging. This was certainly true for Mr. Tatla, a consultant ENT surgeon at London North-West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

“Ready access to a trusted independent data resource has helped me immensely as a busy clinician-academic. It has saved precious time and allowed comparative illustration of my personal impact in local service delivery for my Clinical Impact Award application.”

A Case Study in Clinical Excellence

Mr. Tatla had implemented an innovative approach to thyroidectomy procedures at his trust, utilising fibrin sealant instead of traditional neck drains – a technique he believed improved patient experience and outcomes while enhancing system efficiency.

But to prove this impact conclusively, he needed comparative data showing how his outcomes stacked up against regional and national benchmarks. This is where NCIP proved invaluable.

The NCIP thyroidectomy dashboard provided Mr. Tatla with comprehensive data covering March 2019 to June 2022, revealing:

  • His trust achieved a day case rate of 30.4% for thyroidectomies – nearly six times higher than the national average of 5.3%
  • Inpatient conversion rates of 53.5% compared to the England average of a much higher 72.3%
  • Readmission rates of just 3.7%, beating the national average of 5.5%
  • His unit had the lowest rate of inpatient conversions among major head and neck units in London

Importantly, these improved efficiency metrics were achieved without compromising patient safety – a crucial factor for the award assessment.

Supporting the application

Mr. Tatla included these insights in his Clinical Impact Award application, particularly in sections related to delivering high quality service and innovation. He said:

“The independent, benchmarked data added credibility to my application. I believe it helped assessors understand the significance of our work.”

Could NCIP help with your application?

If you are preparing for your own Clinical Impact Award application, it might be worth exploring whether NCIP could support your application too.

The platform provides consultant level outcome data, benchmarking capabilities and demographic insights that align well with what Clinical Impact Award assessors are looking for, particularly around delivering high quality care, leadership, and innovation.

Getting access

With the application deadline approaching on 27 May, there’s still time to access NCIP if you think it might be helpful for your submission.

NCIP is available to consultants working in eleven specialities: general surgery, urology, paediatrics, spinal, vascular, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, gynaecology, thoracic, OMFS and ENT.

To get started:

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