Andrew Crawford

About me

Andy is a Health Foundation Fellow (GenerationQ)

He is currently independent having left the NHS in January 2021. His last post was as Head of Clinical Governance in an NHS Board in Scotland.

Andy’s clinical background includes registered mental health nurse and registered general nurse qualifications. In 1990 he moved into NHS strategic management roles focusing on infection control and then risk management. In 1999 Andy was appointed Clinical Governance Manager and he took up his last position in 2006. Over 14 years he carried strategic responsibility for clinical improvement and assurance across acute care, primary care and mental health, and leading quality systems throughout the organisation.

He has pursued academic study throughout his career and holds an advanced diploma in infection control, a masters’ degree in public health medicine and a postgraduate diploma in systems practice.

Andy says that one of the strengths of GenerationQ is that it developed his perception of leading, actively encouraging him to try out different approaches in his work. 'It’s very easy for our routines and habits to keep guiding us towards similar responses to situations that actually call for a fresh, improvised approach. The fellowship has helped me become more self-aware. It opened up new possibilities for the choices that are available to me when leading improvement projects and the different ways in which I can explore and interact with each challenge.'

Going into the fellowship, Andy recognised that to perform well in his job he needed to be able to interact skilfully with others. 'The focus on relational leading in GenerationQ made a big impression on me and has definitely changed the way I work with people. I’m now more attentive to the connections I form with colleagues and their feedback suggests I am a more effective leader because of this. The programme as a whole helped me to grow in confidence and to feel more at ease with myself, which has also had a significant impact on my ability to lead.'

One topic that Andy has become very interested in is how to create effective learning environments in health care organisations. 'I’m keen to explore how coaching and other relational approaches to leadership can support clinical teams to achieve quality improvement. I maintain a personal action inquiry to learn about my leading as I work with teams to create their own learning processes that support rapid and sustainable improvement.'