Participants Welcome Guide: Innovation Burst

1. Participants’ welcome guide
Innovation Burst
Improving ambulance services with frontline
staff and patients
26th and 27th September 2018

2. Contents
The story so far……………………………................................................... 3
The story so far continued…...................................................................... 4
What is an innovation burst?...................................................................... 5
What problems is the burst trying to solve?................................................ 6
Nationwide and local teams....................................................................... 7
Who’s in the local team?............................................................................ 8
More detail on the days………....……………………………........................ 9
Be prepared.……………………………………………………………………. 10
Full timetable………………………….………………………………………... 11
The winners??………….…………………………………………………….. 12
The technical bit….………………...……………………………...…………... 13
Social media……………………………….……………………………………. 14
Virtual production……………………………………………………………….. 15
Help and support……………………………………………………………….. 16+
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3. 3
The story so far
The programme of improvement for ambulance services with frontline staff and patients
was announced by Simon Stevens (Chief Executive NHS England) in March 2018. The
aim of the work is to allow front line ambulance staff and patients to have a voice in
improvement of ambulance services.
The work was commissioned through NHS Horizons working in partnership with the
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The aim of the partnership is to mobilise
frontline staff and patients to develop ideas for improvement that can be implemented
across the service – large or small. This requires not only the support of people on the
ground but senior level sponsorship to make things happen. Undoubtedly this is a unique
opportunity to affect change and we now require your ongoing support in making the
change happen.

4. The story so far continued
The programme was launched on the 28th June at Glaziers Hall in London. At this launch,
we had over 180 people from across the 10 English ambulance Trusts with
representation from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and a few critical friends and
partners. The day provided a basis to discuss aspirations for the service and 16 films
were made about big ideas for improvement. #ProjectA was launched.
In the second week of July we opened a ‘crowdsourcing platform’ – asking for ideas for
improvement across five different themes. The platform was open to all members of the
ambulance service and general public. Coupled with five Tweet chats the response on
closing the platform at the end of August far outweighed our expectations with 608 ideas
submitted to the platform and over 23,000 interactions.
Over the last two weeks a decision making group encompassing Quality Leads from
ambulance services, the #ProjectA design team and critical friends have been analysing
all 608 ideas to determine which of these ideas we would like you to test and prototype
over through the innovation burst. The decision group has identified twelve ideas to test.
4

5. What is an innovation burst?
An innovation burst is an event where people come together
for a short period of time to collaborate on a practical project,
build something to test and find out what might work. This
innovation burst is virtual, meaning that the teams taking part
won’t be in the same physical place as the other teams.
Each team will stay in their own local area and communicate
with the other teams virtually, so there is no need to travel.
Groups of people in different places will work together and
communicate using a range of online platforms such as
conference call facilities and Zoom (for which support and
training will be provided).
You will be able to choose the best place for you and your
team. This could be a meeting room in your station, a
conference facility or even a local coffee shop.
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6. What problems is the innovation
burst seeking to solve?
The teams will work together either geographically or online to come up with a solution to
one of the following:
Teams will have access to resources and templates to help them shape their ideas and
solutions.
6
Idea Idea
1 Mental health response 7 Fast track care for ambulance staff
2 Use of Technology 8 Improving handover
3 Engaging our community 9 Our response to falls
4 Meeting needs of high volume patient
groups
10 Releasing time to care
5 Improving staff wellbeing 11 Rotation
6 Make ready teams 12 Quick wins

7. Nationwide teams and local teams
Each idea that we are testing has a
design problem statement and a design
brief. The problem statement shows the
issue we are seeking to tackle over the
two days. The design brief sets out the
important questions we want to answer
about that idea during the innovation
burst.
In order to answer all the questions in
the design brief, you will need to do
some work with other teams in other
parts of the country who are also
working on the same idea. So, we are
asking all the teams who are focused on
the same idea to spend some time
working together as a nationwide team
and some time trying out and testing
things locally. So during the two days,
you will be working as both a local team
and a nationwide team. Your coach will
support you to do this. 7

8. Who’s in the local team?
It will be helpful to involve other colleagues who can provide you with specialist support, for
example:
• Communications colleagues
• Strategy leaders
No previous experience of either innovation bursts or virtual platforms is needed. Enthusiasm,
energy and the desire to make a difference is essential.
We would suggest you seek diversity of background, experience, grade and views within the
team. Diverse teams generally perform better in innovation bursts.
8
Teams should consist of 4 to 10 members
who can be:
• Any frontline ambulance staff
• Decision makers from within the Trust
• Students
• Other members of the wider multi-
disciplinary teams

9. More detail on the days
Each team will nominate a captain, who will be
the liaison point for the team. Every team will also
be allocated its own innovation burst coach who
will support them before, during and after the
burst. We also have access to a range of critical
friends and of course your colleagues in other
ambulance trusts if desired. The NHS Horizons
team will be on hand to support teams
throughout.
The innovation burst will begin online at 9.30am
on Wednesday 26 September, and will end in the
afternoon of the 27th September. Our expectation
is that all teams should have finished their
prototyping and planning by 5pm on the 27th at
the latest.
The Horizons team will schedule virtual check in
points that teams should attend, but aside from
these, teams are free to manage their own time
during the two days. Access to coaches is as and
when you require.
9
All materials for the two
days will be available:
http://horizonsnhs.com/projecta/

10. Be prepared
First time zoom?
We know that the ambulance service are great with technology and hence we
will be using the virtual platform to connect. If your team has no experience of
zoom or has not use it before please contact pwoodley@nhs.net or
dominic.cushnan@nhs.net who will be happy to help with technology and
access prior to the innovation burst.
Pre work
You may find it useful to do some pre work on those ideas where you may be
able to support others in developing. Consider what you do well and how you
completed your proforma choices in relation to this. What would you advise
others? How can your good practice be extended across other services?
What can others learn? What are the pitfalls?
Be open, welcoming and curious
We believe that one of the biggest benefits to #ProjectA is its ability to join
people up across the services. We would really like you to connect with others
during the innovation burst and test your understanding as well as challenge
each other. Stay curious.
10
To help you prepare for the innovation burst we would suggest the following

11. Full timetable [needs changing]
11
Wed
27 Sept
9.30am Innovation burst begins – Zoom – Overview by Horizons
10.30am Teams work on themes
1.00pm Zoom check in for teams (Patient themes / Internal)
2.00pm Teams work on themes
4.00pm Zoom check in – where have we got to? (Patient themes / internal)
5.30pm Day 1 Close
Thurs
27 Sept
9.30am Zoom Check In for Teams – Where we need to get to……?
10.30am Teams work on themes
12.30pm Zoom Check in – Reaching conclusions
1.00pm Teams work on themes
3.30pm Final zoom – feedback on where we have got to – You Tube Live
5.00pm Close of innovation burst

12. What happens after the
innovation burst?
Unlike the launch event we do not intend to hold a vote about
which idea is the best. The innovation burst is aimed at
creating a safe space and time for colleagues to come
together to test and shape a number of ideas.
All the contributions are valid – what we will have to consider
after the innovation burst is how we provide feedback to all
parties on the 4 or 5 big ideas that could start to be
implemented during this winter.
We have 10th October scheduled as the deadline.
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13. The technical bit…
We will be using Zoom for the virtual check
points. Zoom is an online collaboration
package that allows you to communicate with
others by video link.
We would recommend that you test that Zoom
is compatible with your equipment and you
are able to use them, prior to the innovation
burst. You can register for a free Zoom
account and test it out here: https://zoom.us/
You will need access to either:
a Windows or Mac computer; or
an Apple or Android tablet
A phone
http://horizonsnhs.com/projecta/
13

14. Social media In the run up and throughout the
innovation burst we will be using the
hashtag #ProjectA. Please make sure
any messages you post about the event
include this hashtag, as it will help you
connect with other participants and us
measure the hackathon’s reach.
The NHS Horizons twitter account is
@horizonsnhs. In addition AACE are our
partners in #ProjectA and use the account
@AACE_org. Please do tag us.
If you would like to contact us or other
teams then Twitter is a great way of
getting in touch.
We do encourage participants to create a
Twitter account if they haven’t already.
This blog post contains some useful
information if you’re new to Twitter:
https://nhshorizons.passle.net/post/102et
2i/getting-started-on-twitter
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15. Other virtual production tools
15
Slack
Slack allows instant
messages to be sent
around project channels
allowing asynchronous
communication. It is also a
quick way to share files
and communicate with
everyone working.
https://projectambulance.
slack.com

16. Help and support
More information and support around the innovation burst will be shared during the
Zooms
All the materials can be found at:
http://horizonsnhs.com/projecta/
Or you can contact Ian Baines
#Project A Programme Lead (Associate Transformation – NHS Horizons):
i.baines@nhs.net
Tel: 07702 411420
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17. Help and support - Coaches
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Idea Coach Idea Coach
1 - Mental health
response
Ian Baines - 07702411420
Angela Boyle - 07730391592
7 - Fast track care
for ambulance staff
Horizons
2 - Use of technology Dominic Cushnan
07590288865
8 - Improving
handover
Kate Pound
07990667121
3 - Engaging our
community
Catherine Wilton
07866610200
Beverley Taylor- 07702411012
Carol Munt - 07881911429
Kathryn Perera - 07730374749
9 - Our response to
falls
Diane Ketley
07775730538
4 - Meeting needs of
high volume patient
groups
Sasha Karakusevic
07825522319
10 - Releasing time
to care
Bev Mathews
07717345798
Helen Bevan
07766443625
5 - Improving staff
wellbeing
Rosanna Hunt - 07770704056 11 - Rotation Jude Goddard
07786518644
6 - Make ready teams Zoe Lord - 07721761744 12 - Quick wins Helen Bevan
07766443625
Bev Mathews

18. Contacts – Other Trusts
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Trust Lead Idea Lead
East Midlands Paul Benton 07799473417 Yorkshire Erin Payne
07771941102
London Adam Levy
07585966652
South Central Nick Smith
07780471403
North East David Morgan
07813350069
North West Julie Treharne
07812304330
South East Coast Dean Rigg
07584385241
East of England Dan Relavic
07711788862
South West Sarah Lennard
07810124624
Scotland
(27th Only)
Andrew Parker
07557203943
West Midlands Andy Proctor
07837111275
Wales Jacqui Jones
07990085017
Northern Ireland Ciaran McKenna
07769268665

19. Who is doing what?
19
East of
England London
North
East
South
East
Coast
South
West
West
Midlands Yorkshire
South
Central
North
West
East
Midlands Scotland Wales NI
Mental health responses
Technology
Public engagement
High volume patient groups
Staff wellbeing
Make ready teams
Fast track for carers
Improvementsin handover
An improved response to falls
Productive ambulance
Rotation
Directory of quick wins