A quality QISTmas event
On Friday 13th December, the Quality Improvement Skills Training (QIST) team at Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) successfully ran QISTmas 2024, their biannual festive themed QI conference. The conference, themed “Adopt, Adapt, Abandon…Innovate,” provided a learning and sharing event for all individuals in training, trainers and other members of multi-disciplinary teams across Wales.
The event provided time for networking, with four morning plenary sessions and focussed workshops facilitated by QI experts in the afternoon. There was also an opportunity for showcasing some of the excellent QI work already in progress across Wales via the poster in the exhibition hall.
Our QISTmas 2024 prize winner was Dr Bethan Jones, with the winning plenary presentation: “Preventing Incorrect Tooth Extraction in Orthodontics throughout South-West Wales: A Quality Improvement Project”. Bethan was judged the unanimous winner of the five poster presentations shortlisted for plenary presentation to the conference, and was awarded a bundle of quality improvement books as the prize.
The HEIW team welcomed a diverse range of delegates and exhibitors attended from across NHS Wales.
Sue Stokes Associate Dean for Improvement and Innovation, HEIW said: “This conference was an important event for discussions about the use of quality improvement in healthcare and provided a collaborative, cutting edge and innovative space for a wide variety of NHS Wales staff.”
Of the feedback received, 99% of respondents said this conference increased their awareness of the principles of Quality Improvement methodology.
One attendee commented, “It was lovely to hear about all the wonderful work going on in various organisations and has taught me so much about quality improvement and how I can contribute to this in future. I will be looking to progress my skills in this area in future.”
Our co-chairs, Dr. Gethin Pugh and Dr. Sue Stokes, welcomed over 100 attendees on the day.
Plenary speakers included Penny Pereira, Q Initiative Managing Director, Health Foundation and Sid Beech, NHS Elect, presented on the topic of Capabilities and Connections for Improvement: What’s Up Ahead?, and Dr. Aidan Fowler National Director of Patient Safety & Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, presented on Safety Past, Present & Future: Is Zero a Useful Aim?
Dr Kathryn Speedy and Dr Yvette Powe ended our plenary sessions with their presentation on Sustainability and Quality Improvement.
Our festive themed Santa’s Workshops ended the day, with delegates being able to choose from:
• Data for Improvement
• Human Factors in Quality Improvement
• PDSA & Leading Change
• Compassionate Leadership