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Case Studies

South East England CCGs

Donna Ockenden was asked to review the existing set up, specifically regarding communications, referral process, right skills and right care provision in the right place and funding within a specific children’s and adolescent inpatient service.

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Case study 1 – Supporting the development of new Clinical leaders

I was appointed as Divisional Director to a large Women and Children’s Division which provided very good quality clinical care but was in urgent need of modernisation in terms of the clinical leadership available. I was successful in integrating multiple , previously separate departments into one cohesive and effective senior leadership team. I supported the appointment of a number of consultant colleagues into clinical management posts in Gynaecology, Obstetrics, Neonatology and Paediatrics. They have now become very credible and successful clinical leaders and managers whilst maintaining their reputation for clinical excellence. I am also a long term mentor to a number of senior midwives and consultant colleagues across London and the South East.

Case Study 2 – Financial turnaround

Shortly after my appointment as Divisional Director of a large Women and Children’s division providing a number of tertiary level services I worked in partnership with a leading Director of Turnaround. The Division was generating a very significant financial loss primarily from its maternity services. The aim of the Turnaround project was to bring the Division under financial control whilst continuing to deliver high quality clinical care and increase clinical engagement. The project took place over a year against a background of significant organisational change whilst the Division prepared for a complex move of all inpatient services to a new hospital site as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) move.

Working with the Director of Turnaround and with the support of the Trust Board a Financial Recovery Plan was developed which reduced most of the deficit. The plan focussed on stopping income leakage, generating new income and activity, increasing clinical productivity, reducing costs and accessing new PCT funding. The clinical leadership team was restructured as part of the Turnaround programme. With enhanced clinical engagement across nursing, midwifery and medical colleagues we were able to meet the challenges of transforming the Division. As a result the Division was able to minimise its deficit and continue to deliver high quality clinical care to its service users.

Case study 3 – International Clinical Management Experience

My international experience includes a number of roles across the Middle East and covers direct clinical work, roles in education (of nurses, midwives and doctors) and hospital specific/regional and national leadership roles. My role as the first British midwife to lead a large regional Maternity, Neonatal and Gynaecology department included work as co author of the first national maternity guidelines and standards in Oman. I also led a multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses, midwives, parents, faith leaders and government ministers on the introduction of a maternity bereavement package that started locally in Muscat but was rolled out nationally in Oman.

Case study 4 – International Clinical Education Experience

Following on from two years as a clinical midwife I spent a year clinical teaching at undergraduate and post graduate level in the UAE. This involved direct clinical practice with student nurses, midwives and medical students through an active programme of ‘hands on’ clinical teaching across multiprofessional learners. As a result of this I was able to support the provision of high quality evidenced based patient care in a number of clinical settings.

Case study 5 – Investigations

Following on from serious concerns raised in a number of clinical settings I have been appointed as both Case Manager and Case Investigator in a number of very complex Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) Investigations (2009 onwards).

As a central part of this work I have cooperated extensively with a number of appropriate regulatory and assessment bodies and external clinical assessors and subject matter experts. During these complex processes I have also liaised with and supported patients and their families.

Case study 6 – Supervision

I led the development of the Supervisor of Midwives teams in a number of Trusts. This included ensuring sustained financial support for the supervisory function. Following on from the merger of three separate maternity services into one large maternity service of circa 10,000 births I worked with both the London Local Supervisory Authority Midwifery Officer (LSAMO) and Kings College University to develop and fund a bespoke leadership programme for Supervisors of Midwives in South London Healthcare NHS Trust. The result of this initiative was to develop one dynamic and forward thinking supervisory team from three teams that had previously not worked together. The Midwifery care provided to women and families was shown to improve considerably as a result of the newly cohesive and proactive supervisory team.

Case study 7 – Falls and Fractures

Donna is currently working on developing a Falls and Fracture Reduction Outcome based strategy in the elderly across 3 CCGs. As part of this work Donna has:

  • Led the process of ensuring all stakeholders are familiar with and agree upon best clinical practice.
  • Facilitated a multi professional provider and commissioner Falls and Fracture Reduction Summit.
  • Worked with a range of local service user representatives.
  • Worked with colleagues across acute, community and primary care, finance and commissioning to shape the service according to local needs.