AS THE NHS doubles down on efficiency and use of its resources, the Vanguard initiative is something we're all going to hear more about.

Taking place nationally, Vanguard teams look at ways of better integrating the services of the NHS and ‘Developing One NHS in Dorset’ involves teams from Dorset County Hospital, Poole Hospital and The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals.

Developed to foster greater collaboration, the Dorset Vanguard is one of

13 acute teams developing new care models for the NHS and recently took time out from its brief to hear a presentation by internationally renowned health systems expert, Professor Don Berwick.

The team explained to Prof Berwick how they looking at different patient and support services – stroke, ophthalmology, women’s health, paediatrics, cardiology, non-surgical cancer, pathology, radiology, health informatics and business support services – and how they are involving patients in the re-design.

Professor Berwick has been touring the country visiting vanguards to find out more about what they have achieved so that the learning can be shared across the health system.

The work of the Dorset Vanguard will feed into the county’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) – a partnership of NHS organisations and local councils set up to develop proposals to make improvements to health and care, built around the needs of local people.

Attendees were treated to a presentation by Professor Berwick and a discussion with local health and care leaders.