‘Ah-ha’ moments : How the NHS should encourage staff innovation

How do people who work in health go about improving something they care about? Suppose that one day at work I have an ‘ah-ha’ moment where I can clearly see how to improve the way we organise care for a group of patients. But where do I start? Who will help me?

Modelling stroke care systems : Evidence of the benefits

Over the past four and a half years I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to persuade NHS staff to use more modelling in stroke care. The response I’ve become accustomed to hearing is generally: ‘This looks impressive, but what evidence do you have that modelling can actually drive improvement?’

Queuing Theory investigates NHS waiting times : Patient satisfaction at all costs?

The average Brit spends over an hour a week engaged in the vexatious business of queuing. From the post office to the pub toilet, standing in line to wait a turn is a stoically accepted yet deeply frustrating part of daily life. But within a vast organisation like the NHS, queues are more than just…

Doctors v managers : A relationship that needs rescuing

A questionnaire landed on my desk about the relationship between doctors and managers. As someone who has been a doctor for over 20 years and a clinical manager for 15 years, I am definitely in a position to comment, but to tell the truth, I was initially quite bemused this is still a question…

Virtual Festival of Evidence

What I have learned from 10 years of trying to improve quality and reduce cost in the NHS LISTEN WATCH coming soon… MORE Dr. Steven Allder | Taunton Hospital Whole systems thinking for complexity and fragility: challenges and guidance LISTEN WATCH coming soon… MORE Prof. Carol Jagger | University of Newcastle Major challenges in hospital…