TORCH Project

Summary description of a project commissioned by the NHS Institute and overseen by MASHnet to develop a curriculum for teaching operational research techniques to health service commissioners.

The TORCH (Teaching Operational Research for Commissioning in Health) project was commissioned by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement from March-May 2009 and co-ordinated by MASHnet. The project developed a currciulum for modelling and simulation for Healthcare commissioners particularly those in Primary Care Trusts engaged with World Class Commissioning and delivered according to the following aims.

To scope the application of modelling and simulation techniques to strategic planning and commissioning within the English NHS
To identify the educational requirements of key groups of staff within Primary Care Trusts and other relevant organisations to enable them to become competent in the application of those techniques.
To develop an outline curriculum for which a suite of educational materials can subsequently be procured and presented

For more information about the TORCH project : TORCH Curriculum for Modelling for Commissioning

The UK Network for Modelling & Simulation in Healthcare

TORCH Project