Peer Reviews are a supportive opportunity to improve quality and outcomes using both national standards and best practice. The real strength is the use of ‘peers’ (those doing the same job as you) who understand the challenges of delivering the service, and with whom a robust professional conversation about improvement and quality can be held.
Both reviewers and those being reviewed gain a lot of professional and service development from the review.
Patient and service users are an important member of review teams to ensure the patient voice and patient experience is strongly heard.
QRS Reviews are:
Credible: QRS reviews are taken seriously by commissioners and providers. The reports lead to change and improvement.
Impartial: The review is written in the words of our reviewers, whose only interest in the service is to support improvement.
Each reviewers’ contribution is of equal value.
Quality: The ‘Quality’ in Quality Review Service is clear. A robust methodology and use of clinicians and patients who are fully trained in peer review.
Search our reviews database for reports of reviews undertaken.
For example search ‘Theatres’ for reviews using the Theatres and Anaesthetics Standards or ‘Children’ for reviews using the Towards Children & Young People’s Emotional Health standards or the Critically Ill Children Standards.
You can also search by location e.g. Wolverhampton or Walsall which will identify all reviews in that locality regardless of standards used.
Standards based peer review
A team of peers review the service(s) against agreed standards. Reports identify both compliance with standards and improvements required. It also highlights good practice. This is the most robust approach as it is standards based.
Strategic Reviews
Designed to tackle whole system strategic direction challenges. Peers take evidence from stakeholders. The panel includes local decision makers. The peers support the evidence based decision making.
Formative Review
Peers review the service(s) against a pre-agreed set of questions designed to help organisations resolve complex quality and outcome issues. Involve less preparatory work for health economies. Useful for answering specific questions.
also see action planning workshops below
Action planning workshops
Usually aligned to formative reviews, a group of peers support clinicians with understanding the outcomes from reviews and develop an action plan with the help of ‘fresh eyes’ and experience.
Facilitated Self-Assessment
QRS team meet with a clinical team to work through the Quality Standards and evidence to identify gaps in compliance.
Facilitated Workshops
These are used when a health economy or organisation requires support in developing plans or clinical strategies for delivery.
A group of peers will support the service with critical friend challenge and sharing of ideas and best practice. This allows clinicians to take advantage of multiple inputs from other organisations.
Standards based peer review
Standards based peer review
A team of peers review the service(s) against agreed standards. Reports identify both compliance with standards and improvements required. It also highlights good practice. This is the most robust approach as it is standards based.
Strategic Reviews
Strategic Reviews
Designed to tackle whole system strategic direction challenges. Peers take evidence from stakeholders. The panel includes local decision makers. The peers support the evidence based decision making.
Formative Review
Formative Review
Peers review the service(s) against a pre-agreed set of questions designed to help organisations resolve complex quality and outcome issues. Involve less preparatory work for health economies. Useful for answering specific questions.
also see action planning workshops below
Action planning workshops
Action planning workshops
Usually aligned to formative reviews, a group of peers support clinicians with understanding the outcomes from reviews and develop an action plan with the help of ‘fresh eyes’ and experience.
Facilitated Self-Assessment
Facilitated Self-Assessment
QRS team meet with a clinical team to work through the Quality Standards and evidence to identify gaps in compliance.
Facilitated workshops
Facilitated Workshops
These are used when a health economy or organisation requires support in developing plans or clinical strategies for delivery.
A group of peers will support the service with critical friend challenge and sharing of ideas and best practice. This allows clinicians to take advantage of multiple inputs from other organisations.
For some review programmes, a steering group will normally be created with responsibility for oversight of the QRS work-stream. For services and pathways without a steering group, the QRS Quality Assurance Group quality assures QRS Quality Standards, considers and approves reports of quality review visits, ensures consistency of interpretation of the Quality Standards, and advises on other aspects of the work of QRS as required.
Contact usYou may have a need for a specific set of standards in a specialist area. QRS has a process for developing specific standards sets that is accredited by UKAS. Our team can work with you to meet your needs.
Contact us