#CAAW25: Key resources on Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

3 Jun 2025

As part of Clinical Audit Awareness Week (#CAAW25), which is designed to share the value of clinical audit and quality improvement in improving patient outcomes, we are signposting to useful resources from HQIP, the clinical audit community and the wider healthcare sector relating to Patient and Public Involvement (PPI):

NEW FOR #CAAW25

Video on Patient Advocacy in Healthcare, with HQIP’s Head of Patient Engagement, Kim Rezel, and members of HQIP’s Service User Network: https://youtu.be/GqEzUPQ6M_c (YouTube).
Video on Shared Decision Making, with HQIP’s Head of Patient Engagement, Kim Rezel, and members of HQIP’s Service User Network: https://youtu.be/W4ybDpAiRNo (YouTube).
Article: My Data, My Health (Patient engagement in data access), featuring patient members of HQIP’s Data Access Request Group: www.hqip.org.uk/patients-darg.

Involving patients and carers is at the heart of everything we do at HQIP. This includes commissioning, resource development and governance structures. There are many ways to involve patients in clinical audit and we have a range of case studies which demonstrate the effectiveness of this.
Prior to the finalisation of topic specification, patient and carer feedback is collated from a range of engagement activities such as focus groups, questionnaires and representation at specification development meetings. The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit, Sentinel Stroke National Audit and the National Vascular Registry are just a few examples of this.
Once the specification is finalised, the topic is put out to tender and 10% of the final score relates specifically to patient and public involvement (PPI).
A key area where patients and carers can contribute feedback is in the resources produced by each audit or programme. Infographics are regularly published alongside audit reports to highlight key findings and recommendations in lay terms. Some examples of this include the National Diabetes Audit – National Diabetes Footcare Audit, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit and the Medical and Surgical Clinical Outcome Review Programme- Prison Healthcare. The programmes also contribute to other publications such as patient information leaflets. How a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) can help men who have a broken bone was produced as men are often less likely to seek help after a fracture, despite having a higher mortality rate and potential underlying health issues following a fracture.
If you have lived experience as a patient or carer and would like to be involved in an advisory capacity to help improve the quality of healthcare services, please join the HQIP Service User Network (SUN).
Case study: Listening to marginalised voices in maternity
Embedding patient voice in procurement case study: hqip.org.uk/news/patient-voice-in-procurement-case-study-1.
Blog: Increasing value by embedding the patient voice in procurement: hqip.org.uk/embedding-patient-voice-in-procurement.
Article: In CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT!, Kim Rezel, Head of Patient and Carer Engagement at HQIP, discusses how can we involve patients to improve healthcare – pdf (article on pages 18-21).
Article: In Patient and Public Engagement in Practice, we hear from two award-winning projects about how engaging patients and carers is a win-win for healthcare providers and patients alike – HQIP_Cornerstone_2024.pdf (article on pages 4-8).

Note that, for those published outside of HQIP, we are unable to take responsibility for the content within – please contact the provider direct if you have any questions.

Also on Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) for #CAAW25

Tues 3 June, 12.30–1.45pm: Online Lunch & Learn – Patient & Public Involvement (PPI), hosted by NQICAN with HQIP’s Head of Patient Engagement Kim Rezel, and featuring the PPI award announcement (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE).

Clinical Audit Awareness Week, featuring the Clinical Audit Heroes awards

There is a packed agenda of events and activities across the week of 2-6 June 2025 – everything is FREE, but please note that you will need to register in advance for live events:

Wed 4 June, 1.45–2.30pm: Webinar and Q&A – Better cardiovascular care through data. Register here
Thurs 5 June, 2.15–3.00pm: Webinar – Data-Driven Improvements in Maternity Care: A Regional Medical Director’s Perspective. Register here
Fri 5 June, 10–11am: Webinar –Clinical Audit Heroes Commendation Awards, with presentations by winning projects that 1) use NCAPOP data to drive healthcare improvements, and 2) communicate effectively. Register here

Who are the Clinical Audit Heroes? There is also a series of daily Lunch & Learn events, hosted by N-QI-CAN, on each of the Clinical Audit Heroes awards main categories from 2-6 June 2025 (registration required). The winners these awards are announced at these events; while two new commendation awards are announced at this event on Friday 6th June. Further information: Clinical Audit Awareness Week.

Don’t miss out!

To find out about all award winners, resources and events relating to #CAAW25, subscribe to HQIP’s mailing list (you will normally receive two emails per month). You can also follow HQIP on X, and on LinkedIn, where information will be posted daily from 2-6 June (look out for and use #CAAW25). And don’t forget to join in the fun by sharing online, using #CAAW25!

Have your say

Tell us what you thought of #CAAW25 using this short online feedback form.

NEW case study: Improving sepsis care through local audit at Haywood Hospital

2 Jun 2025

As part of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 (2–6 June 2025, #CAAW25), HQIP is pleased to share a new case study showcasing how Haywood Community Hospital uses clinical audit to strengthen sepsis recognition, escalation and treatment.

Led by Lyn Charlton, Modern Matron at Haywood Hospital (Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust), this project assessed compliance with sepsis screening and management policies between November 2023 and March 2024.

Key achievements include:

100% of audited patients had a completed sepsis screening tool
Timely treatment in confirmed sepsis cases aligned with national guidance
Trust-wide learning, with audit action plan developed and shared with clinical and governance teams as a result.

The audit also identified areas for further improvement, particularly around documentation of escalation, and reinforced the importance of consistent use of screening tools like NEWS2 and the Sepsis Six bundle. This case study is a powerful example of how local clinical audit can support safer care, earlier recognition of sepsis and improved patient outcomes.

Click this link to read the case study (pdf).

Please share this resource on social media using the hashtag #CAAW25, and explore other available #CAAW25 event videos and resources by heading over to the #CAAW25 main page.

Patient Safety Hero 2025 award announced

2 Jun 2025

The winners of the Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 Patient Safety Hero award have been announced! Congratulations to: WINNER: Neonatal Occupational Therapy to Improve Positioning Practices (Sarah Willis); Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust

Designed to evaluate the impact of a new therapeutic provision, this project focuses on improving positioning practices for neonates (a key component of developmental care, especially for premature and medically fragile infants) and uses PDSA cycles, PESTLE analysis, stakeholder mapping and the Hunter positioning audit tool. At the outset, monthly audits revealed that 100% of neonates required major repositioning however, by month 9, all neonates required only minor positioning adjustments – and this trend was sustained in subsequent audits. Key interventions included bedside demonstrations, staff training, parent engagement and collaborative dialogue with stakeholders. The judges were particularly impressed with how the iterative audit-feedback cycle helped identify improvements in real time, and fostered staff empowerment.

JOINT RUNNER-UP: Safety Planning Audit in Liaison Psychiatry 2023-2024 (Mosab Elbasuny & Thomas Manders); Liaison Psychiatry-Torbay Hospital, Devon Partnership Trust A multi-site clinical audit focuses on patients presenting to Emergency Departments with suicidal ideation and self-harm — a high risk group. A robust five-cycle audit was conducted from June 2023 to December 2024, with clear outcome measures, tracking the inclusion of four core safety plan domains: coping strategies, support networks, means restriction, and service provision and follow-up. Interventions included a structured safety plan template, staff training, and MDT feedback loops, and results showed a substantial and sustained improvement in documentation quality and consistency. JOINT RUNNER-UP: In-utero transfer (Dr Swasti Jain, Dr Subhasree Biswas, Mr Pradumna Jamjute, Claire Winthrop); West Cumberland Hospital, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust

This clinical audit evaluated the timeliness and quality of in-utero transfers for women ≤30 weeks pregnant with threatened preterm labour, critical to reducing neonatal mortality in this setting. It revealed suboptimal compliance with key elements of the national transfer care bundle, highlighting significant gaps in clinical practice and resulting in recommendations for improvement. These included ensuring availability of fFN kits, consistent documentation of QUIPP scores, inter-unit communication on steroid regimes, and re-categorisation of ambulance categories.

Clinical Audit Heroes awards

This award is one of seven categories in this year’s Clinical Audit Heroes Awards. The winners of each main category award are announced at a series of daily Lunch & Learn events, hosted by N-QI-CAN, on each of the award topics from 2-6 June 2025; while two new commendation awards are announced at an event on Friday 6 June. Further information about the awards: Clinical Audit Heroes awards.

Clinical Audit Awareness Week

In addition to the award announcements and the above events (at which the award announcements are made), there is a packed agenda of FREE events, activities and resources across the week of 2-6 June 2025. Find out more: Clinical Audit Awareness Week.

Don’t miss out!

To find out about all award winners, resources and events relating to #CAAW25, subscribe to HQIP’s mailing list (you will normally receive two emails per month). You can also follow HQIP on X, and on LinkedIn, where information will be posted daily from 2-6 June (look out for and use #CAAW25). Finally, don’t forget to join in the fun by sharing online, using #CAAW25!

Have your say

Tell us what you thought of #CAAW25 using this short online feedback form.

#CAAW25: Key resources on Patient Safety

2 Jun 2025

NEW FOR #CAAW25

Video on Improving sepsis care through clinical audit, with HQIP’s Chair, Celia Ingham Clark, and Clinical Fellow, Dr Ollie Burton
Case study showcasing how Haywood Community Hospital is using clinical audit to strengthen sepsis recognition, escalation and treatment.

The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) is the NHS’s approach to responding to patient safety incidents and a major step towards establishing a system-wide safety management system. This is mandatory for services provided under the NHS Standard Contract including acute, ambulance, mental health, and community healthcare providers. To help organisations transition to PSIRF, a preparation guide has been developed.
NHS case studies show the direct action taken in response to patient safety events recorded by organisations, staff and the public, and how their actions support the NHS to protect patients from harm. One example, from NHS England, of direct action is how the retained surgical instrumentation and complex procedures involving multiple teams and equipment lead to the development of NatSSIPs2.
National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPS) are intended to enable safe, reliable and efficient care to every patient having an invasive procedure. A NatSSIPS summary and infographic have also been developed to distribute within trusts. NatSSIPs now recommends that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (LocSSIPs) be developed locally, based on NatSSIPs 2. Checklists are the recommended tool to support teams in following the NatSSIPs and LocSSIPs, and to support team behaviours. However, checklists alone are not a solution in themselves and are dependent on the system and culture in which they are used.
Article: In Safety in Numbers, Tina Strack, Associate Director for Quality and Development (NCAPOP) at HQIP, explores the importance of taking a holistic, evidence-based approach to patient safety – pdf (article on pages 7-9).
Webinar: Patients and PSIRF: Changing culture (rcp.ac.uk) – in this webinar, experts from the Royal College of Physicians discuss how the patient safety incident response framework (PSIRF) is changing the culture amongst healthcare workers and what this means for individuals.
Guidance to support root-cause analysis (used in local patient safety investigation) from HQIP can be found in A guide to quality improvement tools.
Patient safety case study from the winner of the 2024 Clinical Audit Hero award, Improving the in-patient care of people with Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s Disease Quality Improvement Project (QIP) Team at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust): hqip.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CAAW24-Patient-Safety-Case-Study.pdf.

Note that, for those published outside of HQIP, we are unable to take responsibility for the content within – please contact the provider direct if you have any questions.

Also on Patient Safety for #CAAW25

Mon 2 June, 12.30–1.45pm: Online Lunch & Learn – Patient Safety, hosted by NQICAN and featuring Hester Wain, Head of Patient Safety Policy at NHS England, as well as the Patient Safety award announcement (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE).

Clinical Audit Awareness Week, featuring the Clinical Audit Heroes awards

There is a packed agenda of events and activities across the week of 2-6 June 2025 – everything is FREE, but please note that you will need to register in advance for live events:

Wed 4 June, 1.45–2.30pm: Webinar and Q&A – Better cardiovascular care through data. Register here
Thurs 5 June, 2.15–3.00pm: Webinar – Data-Driven Improvements in Maternity Care: A Regional Medical Director’s Perspective. Register here
Fri 5 June, 10–11am: Webinar –Clinical Audit Heroes Commendation Awards, with presentations by winning projects that 1) use NCAPOP data to drive healthcare improvements, and 2) communicate effectively. Register here

Don’t miss out!

Have your say

Tell us what you thought of #CAAW25 using this short online feedback form.

#CAAW25 webinar: Clinical Audit Heroes Awards 2025 Commendations winners

30 May 2025

Friday 6 June 2025 | 10:00am–11:00am | Online via Microso ft Teams (pre-registration is required) HQIP is delighted to invite you to attend our webinar for the Clinical Audit Heroes Awards 2025 – Commendations winners presentation. This live online event will introduce the Clinical Audit Heroes Awards 2025 Commendations winners — a highlight of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 (#CAAW25). Join us as we celebrate excellence and announce the recipients of the brand-new commendations introduced this year! Hosted by HQIP’s Rachael Sample, the session will showcase the best in national clinical audit practice and the teams and individuals who are driving change through data and communication. Standout projects will be recognised in the following categories:

NCAPOP Commendation – Celebrating projects that use National Clinical Audit Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) data to drive healthcare improvements
Communicating for Impact Commendation – Recognising excellence in effectively communicating project impact

The winners will present their projects and offer practical insights, key lessons learned, and inspiration to help you unlock the full potential of clinical audit in your own setting. As an attendee, you will:

Celebrate with the Commendations winners
Take away ideas for using data to influence change in your own organisation
Connect with a community committed to raising the bar for quality improvement in healthcare.

Whether you work in clinical audit, quality improvement, commissioning, policy, or patient engagement—this event is a must-attend for anyone passionate about improving healthcare through data and effective impact communication.

Register today

This is a FREE webinar, but advance registration is required. Register here to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you on Friday 6 June! Take a look at all of the exciting events planned 2-6 June 2025, and sign up here.

Latest news: May 2025 eBulletin

29 May 2025

May’s edition of HQIP’s eBulletin is available now. It features the most recent clinical audit and quality improvement updates, including:

Latest report
Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 – what’s on
Clinical Audit Heroes Awards 2025
HQIP wins Best Procurement Delivery at the GO Awards
Article – Untapped potential in NHS EPRs
Meet our team on stand E2 at NHS ConfedExpo!
Job opportunity – Associate Director
Non-Executive Trustee posts – last chance to apply!

Read the eBulletin here.

Don’t forget to sign up: Keep up to date with our latest news, events and work programmes by subscribing to our mailing list today. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and X: @HQIP

HQIP wins Best Procurement Delivery Award at the Go Awards

22 May 2025

Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) is delighted to have won the Best Procurement Delivery Award at the UK National Go Awards 2025. The awards ceremony celebrates the very best procurement achievements from across the UK’s public, private and third sector organisations. Our Best Procurement Delivery nomination focused on the creation of the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) to host all NHS national cancer audits within the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP). HQIP proposed an innovative umbrella approach to tendering, rather than commissioning individual projects. NATCAN has made excellent progress since the start of contract. It places particular emphasis on patient engagement, with a patient and public involvement forum in place for each of the audits. Patients are contributing to the development of the work right from the start and are involved in the co-creation of outputs specifically designed to be public-facing and patient-friendly.

“I am beyond delighted for the HQIP team for winning this award. Only 2.5 years into the contract, NATCAN is already exceeding expectations. The Centre has been established as a centre of clinical, data science, methodological, and epidemiological expertise. The data now available is enabling the NHS to identify and address areas of variation in patient care. It’s great to see HQIP recognised and rewarded for the work that we do, with this award demonstrating our commitment to delivering better outcomes for patients.” Judith Hughes, HQIP Associate Director of Procurement

As well as winning the Best Procurement Delivery Award, HQIP was a finalist in two other categories:

Jon Williams, Senior Procurement Manager at HQIP, was a finalist in the Next Generation award category. Jon’s nomination recognised the tenacity and innovation that he has brought to his role since joining the organisation in 2021, and his commitment to social value.
The Best Procurement Team nomination recognised HQIP’s unique approach to value-based procurement, combining expertise in procurement, patient engagement, and quality improvement. It also notes the support that HQIP’s expert procurement team offer to other organisations, helping them to improve the value and outcomes of their procurement.

Our specialist healthcare procurement team provide:

Expert consultancy and bespoke training to embed quality, value, and patient voice into procurement
Flexible resourcing, from needs definition to contract award
Stakeholder, patient, and supplier engagement to shape procurement strategies and improve outcomes

Find out more about our Procurement+ approach or contact the team directly on workwithus@hqip.org.uk

#CAAW25 webinar: Better cardiovascular care through data

20 May 2025

Wednesday 4 June 2025 | 1:45–2pm | Online via Microsoft Teams (pre-registration is required)

Join us for CVDPREVENT: Better Cardiovascular Care Through Data – a free expert panel webinar on how to use the CVDPREVENT audit and Data & Improvement Tool to support cardiovascular care and address healthcare inequalities (#CAAW25).

The webinar, which is hosted by HQIP and part of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025, will focus on using data to transform cardiovascular disease (CVD) care and tackle healthcare inequalities, and will showcase how the CVDPREVENT audit and the Data & Improvement Tool can help healthcare professionals make informed, equity-driven improvements in CVD care.

Panel experts:

Dr Peter Green, GP and Clinical Lead for CVDPREVENT
Liz Corteville, Quality Improvement Lead at CVDPREVENT
Dr Veena Raleigh, Senior Fellow in Policy at The King’s Fund

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from experts and join the conversation on transforming care through better use of data.

Register today

This is a free, live webinar, but advance registration advance is required. Register here to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 4 June! Also, take a look at all of the exciting events and activities planned Clinical Audit Awareness Week (2-6 June 2025), and sign up here.

#CAAW25 webinar: Data-driven improvements in maternity care

19 May 2025

Thursday 5 June 2025 | 2:15pm–3:00pm | Online via Microsoft Teams (pre-registration is required)

Discover how data is driving real change in maternity care in this free live webinar and Q&A, Data-driven improvements in maternity care: A regional Medical Director’s perspective. Hosted by HQIP in collaboration with N-QI-CAN, this event is part of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 (#CAAW25).

Join NHS England’s Dr Edward Morris CBE FRCOG, Regional Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer, and HQIP’s Tina Strack, Associate Director at the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) to learn how data is transforming maternity care at a regional level. As Chair of the National Quality, Surveillance and Performance Committee, Edward will share insights into how data is shaping national strategies to enhance healthcare quality and performance.

Why attend?

Learn how data is being used to drive clinical quality and patient outcomes in maternity care at a regional level.
Gain insight from senior leaders at NHS England and HQIP.

This event is ideal for maternity clinicians, service managers, data analysts, commissioners, and patient advocates.

Register today

This is a free webinar, but advance registration is essential. Register here to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 5 June! Take a look at all of the exciting events planned during #CAAW25 (2-6 June 2025), and sign up here.

CANCELLED NHS IMPACT #CAAW25 webinar

18 May 2025

CANCELLED – Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been cancelled. All registrants have been notified. NHS IMPACT and HQIP live webinar and Q&A on healthcare improvement, originally planned on 5 June 2025 as part of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 (#CAAW25).

More from #CAAW25

Take a look at all of the other exciting events and activities planned for 2-6 June 2025, and sign up here.

The untapped potential in NHS EPRs got me thinking about the time we cut preventable VTE by 48%

13 May 2025

Turning clinical audit into action

By Clare Fountain

The Health Foundation recently released a timely piece on electronic patient records (EPRs) and NHS strategy. It makes a strong case for the potential of EPRs to deliver safer, more efficient care – if we can get the design, integration, and usage right. Yet as the report makes clear, potential doesn’t equal impact. We still face major gaps in how data is shared and used at the front line. Data needs to flow to those who need it, in real time, to support better decision making. This got me reflecting on a project I led over a decade ago, during a sabbatical from the NHS at Baylor Health System in Texas (now Baylor Scott & White) in 2009-11. It was a different context, but the principles – especially around standardisation, reliability, and frontline usability – feel more relevant than ever.

Real-time guidance, not retrospective learning

At Baylor, we set out to tackle the preventable harm caused by hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE). A familiar NHS initiative. Instead of relying on static protocols or disconnected audits, we embedded a standardised, evidence-based VTE order set directly into the EPR – as a decision support tool. I worked with clinicians to turn US VTE guidelines into an algorithm, coded into the EPR. It was tailored in real time to each patient, triggered by their risk factors at admission. The headlines:

The process was clinically-led, mandated by all 13 hospital Clinical Directors, and focused on process reliability, not just education.
We didn’t ask clinicians to remember the guidelines, we built them into the workflow – and so made it easier to do the right thing than not.
At the same time as standardising the default, clinicians could use their clinical experience to deviate, and document why.

The result? A 48% drop in hospital-acquired VTE

The impact of the initiative, documented in my MSc dissertation, was clear:

VTE prophylaxis prescribing became more consistent and appropriate (often chemical and physical prophylaxis combined)
Real-time data improved adherence and feedback loops
Hospital-acquired VTE fell by 48% in just six months

These results weren’t achieved through heroic effort or top-down compliance. They came from:

Standardising what we knew worked
Making it visible and useable at the point of care
Focusing on system reliability, not individual blame

It aligned well with improvement theories I’d studied, including Juran and Deming’s concepts of ‘designing in quality’ – standardise until you need to customise – and Nolan’s framework of reliability in healthcare systems. When we moved beyond hoping clinicians would remember the latest, changing guidance and started designing for consistent performance, things changed.

The opportunity for the NHS

We’re seeing promising signs of clinical decision support in UK EPR systems – particularly in primary care, where tools like EMIS and SystmOne routinely include alerts, risk scores, and prescribing prompts. But secondary care adoption is more uneven. While some trusts using systems like Cerner or EPIC are embedding real-time decision support, others are still grappling with fragmented workflows and inconsistent functionality. That’s a major opportunity: to standardise not just data collection, but decision support – and to design it into clinician workflows, just as we did at Baylor. To make real-time decision support work reliably at scale, we need agreed definitions of what ‘good care’ looks like in each clinical scenario. Ideally these should be evidence-based, with clinician and patient input, regularly updated, and already widely recognised. That’s where existing work done in support of national clinical audits could fit in. The NCAPOP programme, commissioned by HQIP, already provides a rich set of measures grounded in clinical and patient consensus, often aligned with NICE guidelines. These aren’t just useful for retrospective performance reports – they could also be used to power real-time prompts and care pathways within EPRs. Given that we already have these measures across a huge number of specialties, are we maximising their benefit? Could we move from collecting data retrospectively to using these same measures to support care as it happens? Decision support tools may improve consistency and outcome of direct care, as my project showed. And the digital data they generate in doing so is then ripe for secondary use, such as comparative national clinical audit, and also for real time outcomes monitoring. I’ve seen what’s possible when evidence is built into systems, not just policies. When standardisation reduces variation where we don’t need it, we free up doctors’ cognitive load to focus on clinical judgement for the complex and nuanced decisions where it matters most. In the NHS today, we are reaching 100% EHR coverage. But reading the Health Foundation report made me wonder:

How do we enable this kind of intelligent, real-time support at scale across a health system with multiple EPR providers, local variations, and varied digital maturity?
Does AI bring new opportunity for real-time clinical decision support using national clinical audit measures?

I hope before too many more years pass that we will see for every national clinical audit:

Data captured once, in real time at the point of care
Data collated nationally, for benchmarking and equity analysis
Data interrogated locally, for variation and improvement
Measures used to support evidence-based care now, with real-time decision support

This isn’t about replacing audit. It’s about realising the full value of the work already being done – turning measures into daily decision support, in addition to retrospective systemic learning.

A role for HQIP and our partners

HQIP has been at the forefront of clinical audit for over 15 years. From the outset, we have championed the use of digital, point-of-care data as the gold standard for audit. But we now need to go further. We are proactively engaging with EPR vendors to explore how audit measures could be integrated into their platforms. We want to work with clinical leaders, digital teams, and patient representatives to co-design decision support tools rooted in the very measures that national audits already use. If we succeed, we can reduce unwarranted variation, drive up the quality of care, and generate real-time data that serves both direct care and systemic learning. The Health Foundation’s call to action is clear. Real-time data is only valuable if it informs real-time decisions. We already have the measures. We are rapidly acquiring the infrastructure. The missing link is intelligent design and shared commitment. I have seen what is possible when evidence is embedded into systems, not policies. When we stop hoping clinicians will remember the latest guidance and start building reliability into the workflow, the results speak for themselves. The question is no longer whether we can do this. It is whether we are willing to.

More information

Discover more about how HQIP supports organisations use clinical audit to drive improvement
Contact us on workwithus@hqip.org.uk for an initial conversation

New resource published in May 2025

8 May 2025

We are pleased to announce that the following new resource from HQIP-commissioned audits and programmes has been published, and includes an infographic, data and recommendations to support quality improvement: UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance 2023 report, Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme (MBRRACE-UK) This MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance report focuses on UK perinatal deaths of babies born in 2023. It finds that extended perinatal mortality rates across the UK continued to decline in 2023 (primarily driven by a reduction in stillbirths), highlighting continued progress in reducing perinatal mortality. However, it also underscores the need for targeted interventions to address disparities by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gestational age. Read this report in full.

All reports: All HQIP-commissioned reports can be accessed via our dedicated reports webpage. Stay up to date: Join our mailing list to receive notifications when new reports are published.

REGISTER NOW for Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 live webinars and Q&As

7 May 2025

Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 (#CAAW25) is just around the corner! You’re invited to take part in an exciting, jam-packed agenda of events and activities from 2–6 June 2025, run by HQIP in collaboration with N-QI-CAN. All sessions are completely FREE, though please remember that advance registration is required for live webinars. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and connect throughout the week!

LIVE WEBINARS:

Wednesday 4 June 2025, 1.45pm–2.30pm: Webinar and Q&A: Better cardiovascular care through data

With CVDPREVENT’s Dr. Peter Green, GP and Clinical Lead; Liz Corteville, QI Lead, NHS Benchmarking Network; and Dr Veena Raleigh, Senior Fellow, Policy, The King’s Fund (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE)

Thursday 5 June 2025, 11am–12 noon: Webinar and Q&A: NHS IMPACT & HQIP’s Healthcare Improvement

Featuring NHS IMPACT’s Jody O’Brien, Collaboration and Partnerships Lead; and Amy Hodgkinson, Head of Deployment (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE)

Thursday 5 June 2025, 2.15pm–3.00pm: Webinar and Q&A: Data-driven improvements in maternity care: a regional medical director’s perspective

With NHS England’s Dr Edward Morris CBE FRCOG & HQIP Associate Director Tina Strack (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE)

Friday 6 June 2025, 10am–11am: Webinar and Q&A: Clinical Audit Heroes Commendation Awards 2025

With presentations by winning projects that 1) use NCAPOP data to drive healthcare improvements, and 2) communicate effectively (use this link to REGISTER IN ADVANCE)

OTHER ACTIVITIES & EVENTS DURING #CAAW25:

Don’t forget to register for the daily online Lunch & Learn events happening throughout #CAAW25 (2-6 June) and explore our resources page for other activities. Highlights include a new video on improving sepsis care, a live Q&A on HQIP’s X on balancing learning and patient safety, real stories of Patient & Public Involvement, a new podcast on tackling healthcare inequalities through clinical audit, and more!

Stay up to date on activities taking place during #CAAW25 by following HQIP and N-QI-CAN on X, and HQIP’s LinkedIn, or going to the dedicated #CAAW25 main webpage.

Join HQIP as a Non-Executive Trustee

7 May 2025

Closing Date for Applications: 30 May 2025, 17:00

Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) is pleased to announce the recruitment of three new Non-Executive Trustees to join its Board. These voluntary positions offer a chance to help shape the national agenda for healthcare quality improvement. All of the opportunities are primarily remote, with around three meetings per year held in London.

We are currently seeking experienced and passionate leaders for the following trustee roles:

1. Senior Clinical Leader

We are looking for a senior NHS clinical leader – ideally a current or recent Medical Director or Deputy Medical Director – with a strong track record in improving quality, safety, and outcomes. This is an opportunity to bring clinical leadership to the forefront of national healthcare improvement efforts.
Find full details of the role and how to apply here.

2. Communications and Marketing Leader

If you are a senior professional in communications, marketing, or public affairs and understand the power of strategic messaging and storytelling, this role offers the chance to amplify HQIP’s mission on a national stage. Your expertise will help drive engagement and support meaningful change in healthcare quality.
Find full details of the role and how to apply here.

3. Integrated Care Board (ICB) Leader

We are seeking a senior executive within an Integrated Care Board who is committed to data-driven improvement and system transformation. This trustee role provides a platform to ensure that national audit intelligence supports integrated care priorities and leads to tangible outcomes across the NHS.
Find full details of the role and how to apply here.

Latest news: April 2025 eBulletin

24 Apr 2025

April’s edition of HQIP’s eBulletin is available now. It features the most recent clinical audit and quality improvement updates, including:

Latest reports
Article: Using data to maximise resources
Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025: awards deadline 27 April and initial events line-up announced!
2025-26 Directory
Meet the HQIP team at NHS ConfedExpo and Picker Symposium events
The National Joint Registry (NJR) Patient Board representative role
The British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) – Patient Voices course
HQIP a finalist for three procurement UK National Go Awards
Article: Patient and Public Engagement in practice

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