Introduction to capacity and demand

1. Introduction to basic
concepts of
Capacity and Demand
26 June 2015
Alison Crawford
NHS Improving

2. Summary
• Why do we use capacity and demand planning
• Some relevent topics in mental health
• Some definitions
• Dispelling some myths using a model
• An example of a mental health service which was
redesigned using capacity and demand planning
• Questions
• Useful links

3. Why do capacity and demand
planning?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI
Reduce costs

4. Capacity and demand in Mental Health

5. What is demand, capacity, activity
and backlog?
• Demand: All the requests / referrals coming in from all sources and how
many resources they need (equipment time, staff time, room time) to be
dealt with.
• Capacity: Resources available to do work. For example, the number of
pieces of equipment available multiplied by the hours of staff time
available to run it.
• Activity: All the work done. This does not necessarily reflect capacity or
demand on a day to day basis. The activity or the work done on a Monday
may be result of some of Monday's demand (i.e. emergency) and the
previous week's demand. The capacity is the capacity available on the
Monday but activity is often less than available capacity (ideally 80 per
cent of available capacity)
• Backlog: Previous demand that has not yet been dealt with, showing itself
as a backlog of work or a waiting list. It's logical: if you don't deal with
today's demand today, there will be a backlog for tomorrow.
http://www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/dema
nd_and_capacity_-_a_comprehensive_guide.html#sthash.1mRLTRUu.dpuf

6. Some myths about capacity and
demand
1. Waiting lists are caused by too
much demand and not enough
staff
2. The average(mean) number of
patients can help us predict the
demand on services
3. Prioritising urgent patients helps
people get seen faster

7. http://www.internetgroup.ca/clientnet_new/docs/CIM12_3_Silvester.pdf

8. Case study to demonstrate the principles in the paper ‘Reducing waiting
times in the NHS: is lack of capacity the problem?’ Martin Lee , Kate Silvester
2004

9. Principal Community Pathways -
NORTHUMBERLAND TYNE AND WEAR NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
The problem
• ‘why do I have to take a day off work each month for
someone to come to my house for less than an hour
and drink my coffee?’.
• 30-40% of inpatients that need not have been admitted
The solution
• New model of working
• Untried
• Developed with patients and carers
• Review and retest assumptions

10. • Improve quality for service users through the
implementation of new, evidence-based care
pathways.
• Develop highly efficient, new ways of working
that will increase the time staff spend providing
patient care and will allow the new pathways to
be implemented within existing community
resource limits.
• Reduce reliance on inpatient beds and so enable
the Trust to operate fewer wards and sites that
will generate required financial savings.