The CCH Frontrunners programme invites staff to consider a challenge or area of improvement in their current service, then supports them to lead on ideas and innovations that will inform new ways of working at Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
Watch a video about the launch of Frontrunners Cohort 2
Link: https://youtu.be/tzU5A2H_Rvg
After the success of the inaugural Frontrunners programme last year, the Cambridge Children’s Hospital project team has welcomed 14 new staff to the programme, from Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS), as well as representatives from other NHS Trusts within our region.
Over the course of six months, they will be working on projects that aim to create meaningful improvements in current services, ahead of the transition into the new hospital. This cohort’s projects span a wide range of service improvements, including:
- Exploring the experiences of young people who present to A&E in mental health crisis
- Developing a new care pathway for children with restricted food intake disorder
- Exploring provision of age-appropriate support for adolescents receiving cancer care in Cambridge Children's Hospital, linking in with TYA cancer services at Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
Senior project manager Kelsey Graber, who is managing the scheme, said she was excited to champion the Frontrunners to be leaders in their services and within the children’s hospital staff network.
We had such an engaged group of first Frontrunners that really want to help and support future Frontrunners to be involved not only with the children’s hospital but also to connect their project ideas across units, across disciplines, across trusts and support other staff members to bring their projects to fruition.
Kelsey Graber, Senior Project Manager
Throughout the programme, staff receive training in implementing quality improvement initiatives and have dedicated time during five in-person workshop days to collaborate with a diverse array of professional colleagues on tackling their individual projects. There are also opportunities for participants to learn from others such as the children’s hospital team, experts in technological innovation and AI, and patient and family advocates.
Frontrunners is a transformation programme based on a highly successful initiative at the new Mary Elizabeth’s Children’s Hospital in Copenhagen. It is open to staff from all professional levels and disciplines at our partner organisations CUH and CPFT, as well as paediatric staff working across the region.
The first two sessions were held at Innovate Cambridge (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), giving the new Frontrunners a chance to get to know each other and talk about their project goals. Following sessions will be held at the University of Cambridge’s West Hub.
The programme is the start of a future integrated workforce. It is a key way of working together to develop new models of holistic care for children, young people, and their families, based on the expertise of those who know these services best.