Acute with community game

Overview

This game allows participants to understand how an acute provider earns its income and where it spends its money. It illustrates in a very practical way that operational decisions have an effect on the financial position of the organisation as well as its quality rating. It also demonstrates that decisions made to meet a financial target impact on the running of the organisation as well as the quality of care that it provides to its patients.

Each participant takes on a different job in the acute trust. The teams make decisions about waiting lists, delivering targets within resources available, financially, clinically and operationally. Participants are introduced to the way that money flows around the NHS, the challenges faced on a daily basis.

The game is flexible and can take into account particular issues facing the host organisation. For example, if agency staffing levels are a problem then the game can be adapted to reflect that issue and allow participants to consider how it might be resolved. 

Learning outcomes
 

For the NHS
• Higher clinical engagement in financial matters
• Remove barriers to communication between departments
• Learning how clinical, financial and operation issues interact
• Understand finance terminology and how finance works in the NHS
• Understand how operational and financial decisions make an impact on service quality 
• Understand the challenges presented with follow on providers and services. E.g community and social care.

For NHS Suppliers
• Strengthen engagement between your staff and NHS
• Remove barriers to communication by using common language
• Enhance your team’s understanding of the healthcare business
• Understand finance terminology and how the money flows in the NHS
• Learning how clinical, financial and operation issues interact
• Understanding how and why certain decisions are made by NHS.