Step 5: Gathering your data

To make your case as robust as possible, you’ll need to back up your claims with evidence.

Use case studies and success stories from the past in which other trusts have made similar changes and seen improvements. Local audits and annual reports are a good source of raw data to complement your case studies.

Gather together the current relevant data for your own department, including the information gathered through job plans, and think about where your proposed changes are going to make savings and generate income.

There are lots of cases of IBD teams adding value and saving costs in the NHS. New IBD pathways in King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust, for example, made savings of around £800,000 in operational costs, drug costs, avoided admissions, and reduced length of stay. Many would agree that this justifies the salaries of an IBD team.

Take into account operational costs, drug costs, admissions, advice line use, inpatient spells and any other relevant information. Compare these to other trusts and the projected outcomes of your business plan.

Questions to ask yourself now:

• Is there data available that supports my case?
• What savings would we make based on the data?
• Is the return on investment good enough?
• What challenges could get in the way?

Further Reading

• Job descriptions
• HSJ: A powerful case for specialist nurses

Step 6: Involving patients

The service you provide is ultimately for the benefit of the patients and providing primary evidence of patient need and involvement could really boost you case. Finding out the patient priorities could also help guide your strategy for building the service.

Some steps to involving your patients include:

• Use patient feedback
• Keep ‘thank yous’ and letters of support
• Look through complaints
• Use patient surveys
• Think about forming a patient panel

Questions to ask yourself now:

• What feedback are we getting from patients?
• How can we address their concerns and meet their needs?

Further Reading

• • Crohn's & Colitis UK's Patient Engagement Toolkit
  • E-Action infographic (pdf)
  • HSJ: The Value of IBD Nurse Specialists (pdf)