It’s time to enter this year’s Guidelines in Practice Awards

The judges give practical advice on submitting entries for the 2006 Awards plus their tips for success

This month we are launching the fifth annual Guidelines in Practice Awards for innovative primary and shared care initiatives to implement national evidence-based guidance in the NHS.

Entry to the Guidelines in Practice main Award category is open to GPs and other members of the primary healthcare team, members of PCOs, and other healthcare professionals within the NHS involved in implementing national evidence-based guidance in any clinical area. The winning team will receive a cheque for £4000 to help continue their project.

In addition, there is a wide range of sponsored categories for primary and shared care projects to implement national evidence-based guidance in the NHS in specific clinical areas (see 'How to enter').The winning team in each of these categories will receive £3000.

Projects to implement the indicators in the nGMS contract as well as initiatives based on the NSFs and NICE, SIGN or academic professional body guidance are eligible for entry.

Across the country many healthcare teams are working hard to implement national evidence-based guidelines locally and are tackling the indicators in the nGMS contract.

Below we have set out some examples of changes you may have made in your practice which have enabled you to tackle the indicators, in one or more disease areas, successfully. Check through the list to see which elements may apply in your practice and could form the basis for, or be part of, your entry. Many of these examples are vital components in any approach to service change and are also relevant in the implementation of national guidance.

If you are involved in an innovative or creative project that meets the entry criteria, then do submit it.

We have provided some tips to help you succeed (Box), and you may find the following general observations about previous years' entries useful.

Establishing or redesigning a service or model of care, especially if a novel approach is taken, is important if patient care is to be improved, but you must show it works.
Disseminating information and improving the knowledge and competency of health professionals is something to aim for, but you must also show that you have put the improved skills into practice.
Prescribing reviews are an important component of good clinical care, but carrying out a desk-top audit and forgetting about the patient is far from ideal.
Keep it simple. Care pathways must not be too complicated, and it is essential to avoid a multi-agency project mushrooming and soaking up a huge amount of resources – at least, until it has been shown to be effective.

Many of last year's projects were at an early stage, with work in progress but showing lots of potential, so please continue with your good work and we look forward to receiving both new and updated entries this year.The closing date for entries is 30 June 2006. Click here for details on how to enter.

Judges' tips for success

Keep the project simple
Being innovative is important and will catch the judges’ attention
Ensure that any change in clinical practice will improve patient care
Set clear audit criteria and agreed standards
An educational component is important but not sufficient on its own
A multifaceted approach to implementation is the ideal
Re-audit your work to show that your intervention has been effective
Re-audit the same parameters so that they are directly comparable
Rolling audit programmes over a period of time which show a continuing improvement in patient care are always impressive

Have you taken an innovative approach to tackling the nGMS contract?
Examples of practice changes you may have made to achieve the indicators

New ways of working
Building the process into scheduled care
Changes in consulting arrangements
Development of specific clinics led by: nurse/doctor/pharmacist/other healthcare professional

Team working
Developing specific roles
Introduction of lead clinician: nurse/doctor/other healthcare professional
Involving other staff: new/additional/community
Initiating a process to encourage greater collaboration

Skill mix
Addressing training needs: in-house/local or national courses
Extending staff roles even across professional boundaries
Using/employing new professional groups

Developing protocols
Defining individual staff roles
Ensuring comprehensive care
Clearly defined exception reporting

Methods of communication
Includes all team members/associated professionals/patients
Keeping everyone informed, e.g. by newsletter/bulletin board/intranet

IT
Data capture methods and computer input
Processes for updating database/registers
Inputting laboratory results

Providing incentives
Encouraging patients to attend/using extended home visiting
Extended hours access
Staff incentives

Liaison with other services
Primary care organisation run services, e.g. smoking cessation clinics
Local agencies/charities/voluntary sector/specialist services, e.g. Macmillan Nurses

Engaging with patients
Developing concept of expert patient
Local campaigns: flu/BP/stroke days
Health promotion: specific initiatives/using new methods of dissemination

Audit: showing an improvement
Show that changes that are introduced are effective and lead to improvements in care