Quality Improvement in a day: Enhancing patient care, team culture and communication
Date: Wednesday 24th September 2025
Opening times: Welcome and registration 08:30. Sessions 09:15 - 17:00
Venue: Novotel Manchester West, Worsley Brow, Worsley, M28 2YA
Details
Join us in person for the inspiring “QI in a Day” event!
We’re excited to welcome you to one of the veterinary community’s most popular learning experiences — Quality Improvement (QI) in a Day! This dynamic, in-person event is your chance to connect with passionate professionals, gain practical skills, and leave empowered to make meaningful changes in your practice.
What to expect on the day?
This full-day event delivers 8 hours of interactive CPD, led by renowned experts Lou Northway and Julie Gibson.
You’ll explore how to:
- Create structured systems to learn from errors and improve outcomes for both patients and team wellbeing
- Use QI tools to improve patient safety and team learning
- Build a culture of psychological safety, where everyone feels confident to speak up
- Share experiences with fellow delegates and gather practical tips to support your QI journey
- Bring your whole team on board to apply QI principles in your unique practice setting
In-depth sessions: what the day covers
- Why QI? What is quality? And what is Quality Improvement?
Start the day by understanding the foundations of QI — what it means, why it matters, and how to set clear aims. You’ll be introduced to a range of QI tools designed to help you achieve meaningful improvements in your practice.
- How is everyone? The benefits of starting the day well.
Explore how pre-briefs and morning check-ins can help your team plan for a smooth day. Discover how these straightforward practices can enhance communication, promote teamwork, and cultivate a psychologically safe and supportive work environment.
- How are we doing? Measuring what we do.
Discover the power of measurement in driving improvement. This session covers different types of audits, how to use evidence-based veterinary practice, and how to benchmark your results using national registries. Includes a hands-on workshop to guide you through an audit cycle and help you plan for change.
- Keeping our patients safe and supporting our teams with QI tools.
Learn why checklists are essential — not just for safety, but for team wellbeing. This session explores how to design effective checklists that support communication and reduce risk. Includes a practical workshop to help you create your own.
- Oh no! Something has gone wrong – what now?
When things go wrong, how do we learn from them? This session focuses on root cause analysis and includes a workshop to help you investigate incidents, identify learning points, and implement changes to prevent recurrence.
- Bonus online workshop - taking your learning further
As a follow-up to the in-person event, you’ll be invited to a free online workshop at a later date. Led by our expert Clinical Leads, this virtual session will provide tailored support to help you develop and steer your own QI projects toward success. Details of the online workshop will be shared upon registration.
Who should attend?
This event is open to all members of the veterinary practice team, including:
- Vets
- Nurses
- Practice Managers
- Client Care Teams
- Clinical Directors
It’s especially valuable for those involved in the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS). The 2022 update requires all practices — including GP practices — to show evidence of engaging with clinical audits or Significant Event Audits, both of which will be covered.
Our expert speakers
Julie Gibson, BVetMed MRCVS, RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Clinical Lead
Julie Gibson joined the team in 2025 as the new Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement. She has been a practicing vet for twenty years, has experience across small, farm and equine sectors and currently works clinically in an XL practice in the Northwest of England. Since 2019, Julie has been undertaking a part-time PhD at the University of Nottingham. Her work focuses on the perspectives and support needs of stakeholders to veterinary adverse events.
Julie has a passion for supporting veterinary teams and the wider profession to use inclusive peer-mediated reflection to learn and to implement positive changes within practice. She is also a keen advocate of including the voice of animal owners and the public within continual improvement efforts. Throughout her time in practice and in academia, Julie has developed an ongoing interest in data management and leveraging advances in digitalisation and artificial intelligence for quality improvement purposes.
Julie is a member of the BVA Policy Committee and the Centre for Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine, University of Nottingham. At home, she and her young family live on a farm and are enthusiastic about sustainable farming practices.
Lou Northway VNCertECC NCert(Anaesth) RVN, RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Clinical Lead (RVN)
Lou is a clinical nurse lead at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre and Quality Improvement Clinical (RVN) at RCVS Knowledge. Her main interests are anaesthesia, analgesia, emergency and critical care nursing, and QI.
Lou began her QI journey in 2017 and has since become a driving force in promoting better clinical outcomes and team culture through auditing, evidence-based practice, and human factors. Lou has been recognised with the RCVS Inspiration Award and twice named an RCVS Knowledge Champion for her impactful clinical audits.
In practice, she is responsible for reviewing clinical standards, implementing QI practices, and training the team in her areas of interest.
Through her popular social media platform, “Lou The Vet Nurse”, where she connects with over 17,000 followers, Lou shares CPD content, practical tips, and insights into her daily life as a Registered Veterinary Nurse.
Booking details
General Admission
- Early bird (available until 11th August): £140
- Standard price: £170
Team ticket packages
This event is open to everyone in practice — so why not bring the whole team? Choose your preferred package at checkout, and the discount will be applied automatically.
- Early Bird – Buy One, Get One Half Price: £210
- Standard – Buy One, Get One Free: £255
- Group of 4: £400
All ticket prices include VAT and booking fees.
Refund and ticket transfer policy
We understand that plans can change.
If you're unable to attend, please email us at [email protected].
Refund deadlines
- Cancellations on or before 7th July 2025
Eligible for a 100% refund (minus Eventbrite fees) - Cancellations between 8th July and 11th August 2025
Eligible for a 50% refund (minus Eventbrite fees) - Cancellations after 11th August 2025
Unfortunately, no refunds can be issued after this date
Transferring your ticket
Can’t make it but know someone who can?
You’re welcome to transfer your ticket to another delegate. The original ticket holder is responsible for arranging the transfer and must notify RCVS Knowledge in advance to update the registration details.