WalkRounds™ were originally designed by the Institute for HealthCare Improvement (IHI). They are an important component of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board governance and assurance framework. They connect senior leaders with people working at the frontline and patients/ service users receiving care.
The purpose of WalkRounds™ is to demonstrate Board commitment to building a culture of safety and improvement. They help us to gain insight and understanding of patient safety and service delivery issues and to identify areas of good practice to share and celebrate. They are informal and last for no longer than one hour.
Executives are partnered with an Independent Board Member. Each couple is scheduled to visit a part of the UHB once a month. The area being visited is notified in advance so they can prepare and raise their concerns and share their successes.
A critical component is the feedback loop. This provides a visible demonstration that staff were heard and that their input is important. It encourages them to continue sharing their safety concerns which promotes safe culture. It also enables the UHB to identify trends and themes, monitor actions and provide information from previous WRs.
At present physical WalkRounds™ are suspended due to COVID-19. We are exploring other options to resume this important function.
The schedule can be found here
Key themes and what we are doing.
Areas of good practice