The improvement journey Why organisation-wide improvement in health care matters, and how to get started
May 2019
Key points
- Building an organisation-wide approach to improvement is a journey that can take several years. It requires corporate investment in infrastructure, staff capability and culture over the long-term.
- An essential early step is securing the support and commitment of the board for a long-term programme, including their willingness to finance the skills and infrastructure development needed to implement it.
- The report includes case studies of three English NHS trusts with an outstanding CQC rating that have implemented an organisational approach to improvement.
This report is a practical guide to developing an organisation-wide approach to improvement. It summarises the benefits of such an approach and outlines the key elements and steps that NHS trust leaders should adopt when pursuing this agenda.
The report draws on the learning and insights that the Health Foundation has generated over the past 15 years from funding and evaluating improvement at team, organisation and system level.
Developing an organisational approach to improvement in health care is a journey that can take several years. We've created a poster that shows the six key steps in the improvement journey.
Further reading
Research report
The spread challenge
This report shines a light on the challenges facing the NHS in improving the uptake of new ideas and...
Research report
Building healthier communities: the role of the NHS as an anchor institution
Our new report explores the ways in which NHS organisations act as anchor institutions, and their...
You might also like...
Blog
COVID-19: our improvement support offer to health and care
Will Warburton sets out how we will provide practical support and actionable insights to support...
Event
Video consultations: how to set them up well, fast?
Watch our webinar with Professor Trish Greenhalgh and see our resources on running successful video...
Blog
Cummings, cognitive bias, and the NHS
Jennifer Dixon looks to Dominic Cummings’ blog and asks whether further reform of England’s largest...
Get social
Health Foundation @HealthFdn
In response to COVID-19, the NHS is scaling up the use of virtual consultations. We spoke to @trishgreenhalgh abou… https://t.co/ezz34uMZlH
Follow us on TwitterWork with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more