What is a team review?
A team review is an advisory and voluntary service offered to healthcare organisations that is undertaken by two experienced advisers from Practitioner Performance Advice referred to as ‘reviewers’. At least one of the two reviewers will be from a clinical background. It is commissioned at the request of employing/contracting organisations to provide a better understanding of the barriers to resolving behavioural issues within the team and to suggest options for improving professional relationships.
The team review does not constitute any part of the commissioner’s formal procedures such as a disciplinary process. It is not a service review nor an investigation but seeks through questionnaires and semi structured interviews with team members to understand their views on how the team functions and what the issues in the team may be. A team review does not attempt to verify the veracity of what is heard, merely to understand what is causing the dysfunction.
Where concerns relate to the functioning of a clinical team, we can undertake a team review to identify any barriers to resolving the issues which have been highlighted and to suggest a plan for improving professional relationships within the team.
The circumstances in which we carry out a team review usually involve the following: issues of concern are usually longstanding, complex and deeply rooted; and the situation would benefit significantly from a fair and impartial view to clarify and communicate the net effects of the difficulties, as well as an exploration of the broader organisational context to the issues.
A decision on whether to offer a team review will be made, by our Intervention Consideration Group (ICG), based on the individual circumstances of the case. Please see: Team Reviews – factors to consider in decision making.
Where we have undertaken a team review, we will continue to support the healthcare organisation to implement the actions in order to ensure that necessary change is embedded in the team to achieve a resolution of the concerns.
We have a team of eight Associate Advisers, a small cohort of experts, who will along with Case Advisers help to deliver our growing team review service. They bring a broad array of knowledge and skills from across the NHS healthcare environment and will invaluable to the development of the service.
Facilitated meetings
We can also offer a facilitated meeting to organisations experiencing difficulties with challenging working relationships within a team.
A facilitated meeting is a single meeting, or a series of meetings, which can be held between a Case Manager and a practitioner or between other parties who are having difficulty working together to resolve a problem. The aim is to try to reach agreement on the way forwards.
Difference between a facilitated meeting and a team review
A facilitated meeting differs from our team review service – which is used where there are recognised barriers to the team working effectively together which need further exploration and a plan for how to manage these.
For more information please see facilitated meetings.
Case studies
We have created two team review case studies, which are designed to explore the process, explain why a team review may be necessary and the outcomes. While not describing real cases, they draw on real events and lessons learnt through cases referred to us:
Maternity team reviews
Maternity team reviews have been designed to play a valuable role in helping to address some of the factors that impact maternity services performance. Learn more on our maternity team reviews webpage.
How to request a team review?
Team reviews may be undertaken online virtually or on a face-to-face basis depending on what has been agreed with the commissioner of the service. Requests for team reviews can be made by NHS employing and contracting organisations, from both primary and secondary care, as well as private healthcare organisations and health authorities in other jurisdictions.
The first step to requesting a team review is a discussion with your link adviser. Alternatively, contact nhsr.Advice@nhs.net who will put you in touch with the correct adviser.
Insights
Our Insight publications share analysis and research which draw on our in-depth experience providing expert, impartial advice and interventions to healthcare organisations to effectively manage and resolve concerns raised about the practice of individual healthcare practitioners.
Our team review Insight looks at key themes and data from the reviews completed between November 2016 and March 2021. It is intended to share information about team dysfunction and the adverse consequences that can arise from it, as well as our experience of what helps to enact positive change.
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