Project Name: West of Scotland (Wishaw Cluster) - Heart Failure Audit and Medicines Optimisation Collaborative Working
Project Summary:
The Collaborative Working Project (CWP) with 6 general medical practices (Wishaw Cluster Practices) within NHS Lanarkshire has three main aims:
- To identify known patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in each general practice and optimise their current heart failure (HF) medications in line with local HF guidelines within the primary care setting.
- To identify suspected, but currently undiagnosed, HF patients and refer such patients via the NHS Lanarkshire Heart Failure Diagnostic Pathway for formal diagnosis via echocardiogram.
- The review and update of HF registers within the 6 practices will provide an improved benchmark from which to proactively manage HFrEF patient care.
Planned Milestones:
| Milestone | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Complete date base search |
| 2 | Completion of Practice 1 |
| 3 | Completion of Practice 2 |
| 4 | Completion of Practice 3 |
| 5 | Completion of Practice 4 |
| 6 | Completion of Practice 5 |
| 7 | Completion of Practice 6 |
| 8 | Analysis of CWP data, submission of Final Project Report, Submission of Outcomes Summary |
Expected Benefits:
Benefits to Patients
- Improved access to diagnosis and treatment
- More equitable and consistent care and access to care
- Enhanced experience for patients and their carers who live with HF, this project aims to deliver care closer to home, and potentially prevent traumatic HF decompensations and hospitalisations.
Benefits to NHS Organisations
- The review and update of HF registers within the 6 practices will provide an improved benchmark from which the practices can proactively manage HF care
- Increase the overall quality of care and improve equity of access to primary and specialist care for patients with HF
- Access to shadowing of Interface Clinical Services pharmacists will allow improved knowledge and competence of existing NHS staff to better understand and manage HF
- Opportunity for other practices in Scotland who are conducting similar projects to connect to share best practice and amalgamate learnings in order to develop an ‘HF Toolkit’, which may inform ongoing redesign and workforce planning at a national level through Heart Failure Hub Scotland
Benefits to Novartis
- Further opportunities for the appropriate use of HF licensed medicines in line with local guidelines, including Novartis’ medicines
- Ethical, professional, and transparent relationship between Novartis and the Healthcare Organisations
- Opportunity to facilitate the development of a HF Toolkit, which highlights the need to standardise HF databases and patient care.
Start Date & Duration:
Initiation: December 2022
Duration: 24 months
UK | May 2024 | UK2405286975
Project Name: West of Scotland (Wishaw Cluster) - Heart Failure Audit and Medicines Optimisation Collaborative Working.
Partner Organisation(s): The Houldsworth Centre of Kenilworth Avenue Wishaw ML2 7LP on behalf of Wishaw General Practice Cluster
Completion Date: October 2024
Outcome Summary:
This project achieved its aim of optimising heart failure (HF) medication in known HF patients, referring patients with suspected HF to secondary care for an echocardiogram, and increasing the total number of patients on the HF register.
Key Project Outcomes Data:
Across the West of Scotland Wishaw cluster, the total number of heart failure patients reached within this project was 416, as follows.
- The total number of additional patients now on the HF and HFrEF Register is 388.
- 21 patients were optimised on guideline directed HF medicines within the practices.
- 7 patients with suspected HF were referred to secondary care for formal diagnosis via echocardiogram.
Quote from Partner:
“Very worthwhile Quality Improvement Activity resulting in much improved Heart Failure registers in the Wishaw cluster, and more importantly patient care”. Kenneth Gallacher
Conclusion:
This project achieved its aim through the improvement of identifying and managing HF patients in the Wishaw Cluster.
FA-1377299 | March 2025