Quality Improvement: Lessons from the English National Health Services

Healthc Pap. 2017;17(1):49-55. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2017.25333.

Abstract

Based on our own experiences leading healthcare improvement in the English National Health Service (NHS), we identify seven themes that connect with the story of front-line ownership (FLO): Create investors not buyers of change - "buy-in" is too late in the change process; We need to combine both technical and cultural aspects of change - go slow to go fast and make sure that we pay attention to the human dimensions of change; Build strong ties AND weak ties - reach out to your usual suspects AND find your unusual suspects and unlikely allies; If we want innovation, we need to create psychological safety - the conditions of trust and support that make people feel safe to try new things that might fail; Build energy for change for the long haul, right from the start of your change efforts - go beyond the typical "intellectual" energy and build "social" and "spiritual" energy that create strong foundations for change; Challenge "the myth of the disinterested" - everyone is passionate about something; The leader as coach and team member - be the leadership role model that enables change.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Leadership*
  • National Health Programs / organization & administration*
  • Organizational Culture*
  • Quality Improvement / organization & administration*
  • United Kingdom