Leading networks in healthcare Learning about what works – the theory and the practice

In autumn 2011, we launched an improvement programme to support networks in health care. We linked the selected networks with a faculty of experts, and with each other, to provide an exchange of ideas, advice, support and training in network leadership and development.

The aim was to see what could be achieved by combining the experiences of those who are building and running networks with the theory and knowledge from a range of sectors about what makes a network succeed.

This report captures the experiences of the programme participants as they began working together, highlights key learning and early insights, and examines how all this relates to what the research evidence tells us about running networks.

The report includes the voices of many of the network leaders who took part in this programme. It also provides an informal overview of the literature on networks and a glossary of commonly used network terms.