Posts about Blogs

A Personal Reflection on the Rapid Evaluation of NHS IMPACT from Amar Shah, National Clinical Director for Improvement, NHS England

The National Clinical Director for Improvement, Amar Shah, reflects on the evolution of improvement within the NHS and the impact of NHS IMPACT, emphasizing the importance of leadership, collaboration, and maintaining a consistent approach despite challenges. He acknowledges the significant progress in adopting improvement practices and advocates for strengthened communities and learning spaces to enhance healthcare outcomes.

Strengthening NHS Management Capacity: Reflections from the Birmingham Panel Discuss

The event on 29 April 2025 gathered academics, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to discuss NHS management. Key insights included the undervaluation of managers, the need for professional regulation, and the importance of supporting management capacity. Recommendations emphasized reframing management perceptions, defining standards, and investing in development pathways to enhance effectiveness in challenging environments.

Blending expertise for NHS innovation: insights from the blended consultancy event

On 18 June 2025, the University of Bristol Business School hosted a forum with NHS leaders to discuss integrating internal and external consultancy for better health service outcomes. Key insights revealed the need for internal expertise to be leveraged and for a balanced approach to consulting, emphasizing collaboration and sustainable improvement within the NHS.

NHS IMPACT: Challenges and Possibilities

The NHS IMPACT initiative, launched in April 2023, aimed to unify improvement methods across the English NHS. An evaluation reveals its influence on creating effective improvement conditions through five key themes. However, challenges like health inequalities, mandates, and varying local contexts affect its sustainability. Engaging diverse perspectives is essential for ongoing development.

Improving how we improve: Can a single, unified framework for improvement shape a systematic improvement approach across the entire English NHS?

The blog by Nicola Burgess, Nick Downham, and Amar Shah outlines findings from a rapid evaluation of NHS IMPACT, a unified approach to improvement in the English NHS. It identifies five key themes highlighting its influence: elevating strategic profiles, fostering a common language, strengthening networks, translating complex ideas, and stimulating dialogue. Despite benefits, challenges regarding context, legitimacy, and sustainability remain.

Placing the Cart Before the Horse: Is Regulating NHS Managers a Premature Step?

Amid ongoing debates about NHS management accountability, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recently proposed regulating NHS managers as a distinct profession. Triggered partly by high-profile cases such as the Letby affair, these proposals aim to enhance patient safety by holding managers accountable in ways comparable to clinical professionals. As researchers from the … Continue reading Placing the Cart Before the Horse: Is Regulating NHS Managers a Premature Step?

The State of NHS Management Today

On 22nd January, 2025, the first in a series of events linked to the Health Foundation funded project ‘Management capacity and capability in NHS trusts and system-level partnerships’, led by the School for Business and Society at the University of York, was held. This inaugural event, titled “The State of NHS Management Today,” was hosted … Continue reading The State of NHS Management Today

Increasingly Under-Managed NHS: University of York Submission to ‘Independent Investigation of the NHS in England’ (Darzi Review)

As the UK government sets its sights on building an NHS fit for the future, one critical but often overlooked question remains: Does the NHS have the management capacity it needs? A common narrative suggests that the health service is burdened by excessive bureaucracy and too many managers. However research challenges this perception, revealing that … Continue reading Increasingly Under-Managed NHS: University of York Submission to ‘Independent Investigation of the NHS in England’ (Darzi Review)