Bevan Commission Masterclass: A Conversation with Professor Don Berwick MD

We hear a lot about the need to co-produce healthcare by working with people yet how good are clinicians, health care leaders and staff at doing this in common practice?

This question will be the focus of a Bevan Commission Masterclass with Professor Don Berwick MD on November 3 at Voco St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay.

The event, which takes the form of ‘A Conversation With’, will see Professor Berwick, President Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement in the USA, explore how co-production can transform prudent health and care.

Professor Berwick, who is a member of the Bevan Commission, said, “When we talk about co-producing care together do we really understand what we are trying to achieve? How often do we think about what really matters to a patient rather than what’s the matter with the patient?

“Too often we treat people as objects to deal in transactions when what’s really needed is a relationship developed over time and space, and a deep understanding and focusing on what really matters.

“When I’m in Wales I will be talking with you as much as I can about the concept of a system redesign, about what really matters and I predict that Wales, amongst many countries in the world, is one where the ground is very fertile for that kind of healthcare system.”

The interactive Masterclass will begin with a short talk by Professor Berwick about the value and impact co-production can have and how everyone in health and care services including clinicians, leaders, academics, people and patients can improve the use of it in Wales.

This will be followed by an informal discussion and debate with the audience.

The event is the first in a series of Masterclasses organised by the Bevan Commission, who are the leading health and care think tank in Wales.

Hosted and supported by Swansea University, the Commission brings together international health and care experts to provide independent, authoritative advice to the Welsh Government and leaders in Wales, the UK and beyond.

Bevan Commission Director Helen Howson said, “We are really looking forward to hosting this Masterclass with Professor Don Berwick, who is a dedicated member of the Bevan Commission, and grateful that he will be sharing his wisdom with us again in Wales.

“If we are going to deliver sustainable and prudent health and care it has to meet the needs of our population and the only way of ensuring this is by working together to co-produce and co-design our systems.

“This Masterclass will be an exciting opportunity to discuss this in more detail and see how we can all improve moving forward.”

The Masterclass is aimed at clinicians, health planners, academics, industry, policy leads as well patients and people with an interest or role in understanding and applying co- design in practice.

To register for the free event, which takes places from 2pm – 4pm on November 3, click here.

Professor Don Berwick Biography

Professor Berwick is a former adviser to Barack Obama and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the federal agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid). He has served on the faculties of the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health.

In 2013 he carried out a review of patient safety in the NHS on behalf of Prime Minister David Cameron. Recognized as a leading authority on health care quality and improvement, Dr. Berwick has received numerous awards for his contributions. In 2005, he was appointed “Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire” by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his work with the British National Health Service. Dr. Berwick is the author or co-author of over 160 scientific articles and six books. He currently serves as Lecturer in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.