Leading Improvement in Health and Care

Stop fixing and start framing for real improvement leadership

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Leaders set the tone for improvement, but what does that actually look like in practice?

In this episode of Leading Improvement in Health and Care, highlights from NHS Impact 2026 explore how leadership can move improvement beyond isolated projects and into whole health and care systems. From system thinking and co-production to visible leadership, standard work and the shift from problem-solving to problem-framing, speakers share what it takes to lead change that lasts.

Adam Sewell-Jones, chief executive officer, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Nicola Burgess, Professor of Operations Management, University of York
Andy Hardy, Chief Executive, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

And for the last session of the day, Penny Pereira, our podcast host, hosted a panel discussion exploring how improvement can move beyond individual projects and begin to reshape whole pathways of care with staff and populations. Joining her was:

Caroline Clarke, NHS London Regional Director
David Fillingham, a Chair in the NHS and Chair of the National Improvement Board
Rich Amos, Patient Partner with NHS England

This podcast is part of Learning and Improving Across Systems, a partnership between the Health Foundation, NHS Confederation and the Q community to support health and care systems to learn and improve.

Useful resources

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Co-producing change

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode we erxplore the role improvment can make in co-production, transforming how clinicians, patients, and healthcare leaders work together to improve outcomes, experience, and system performance.

With inshightful firsthand stories from clinicians, patient leaders, and quality improvement experts, this episode features five guests talking about their experiences of co-producing change. Our guests are:

Peter Lachman, former CEO of ISQUA, the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, and one of the early Quality Improvement Fellows funded by the Health Foundation
Jono Broad, volunteer and patient leader in improvement and an active member of the Q community
Amar Shah, Clinical Director for Improvement in England, and former Chief Quality Officer at East London NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Guddi Singh, consultant paediatricianpediatrician and Trustee for the National Centre for Creative Health
Victoria Saffin, Assistant Director of Quality Management at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

This is also your first chance to get a taste of an amazing project: 100 Voices. Led by Dr Andrea Gibbons, Founder of The QI Hub, and supported by Q, the project is developing a bank of personal stories of people leading improvement.

Hosted by Penny Pereira, managing director of Q, and Matthew Taylor, chief executive, NHS Confederation, each episode aims to spotlight where improvement is working well, as well as the challenges it faces.

Additional links and resources

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Population health, prevention and the power of improvement

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode, we're looking at how improvement can play a role in population health, with examples from Scotland to London. We hear about the approaches needed to achieve change that spans large systems and addresses inequities in experience and outcomes.

Our guests are Dominique Allwood, Director of Population Health at Imperial College Healthcare, and Ruth Glasborrow, director of Population Health and Wellbeing at Public Health Scotland.

Links to relevant resources:

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Redesigning complex pathways: improving frailty care

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:32:06 GMT

In this episode, we're looking at how improvement approaches can help redesign services for frail older people, taking a whole system approach. We hear practical advice from a national and local perspective on how to inspire and support change that spans different departments and sectors.

Our guests are:

Dr Tom Downes, consultant geriatrician at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and national clinical director for older people.
Dr Simon Harlin, GP and community clinical lead, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Peter Chessum, associate director of nursing, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

Walsall NHS Trust Frail elderly pathway: https://www.walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/frail-elderly-pathway/#:~:text=The%20main%20aim%20of%20the,Appropriate%20signposting%20to%20other%20agencies

10 Principles at the human heart of improvement: https://q.nhsconfed.org/evidence-and-insights/opinion-pieces/10-principles-at-the-human-heart-of-improvement-tell-us-what-you-think

The challenge and potential of whole system flow: https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/reports/the-challenge-and-potential-of-whole-system-flow

Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report 2023: Health in an ageing society: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2023-health-in-an-ageing-society

Launch of a framework to improve how the NHS makes large scale change: https://www.health.org.uk/features-and-opinion/blogs/launch-of-a-framework-to-improve-how-the-nhs-in-england-makes-large

NHS England National Frailty Improvement Collaborative: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhsimpact/learning-and-improvement-networks/national-frailty-improvement-collaborative/

Rockwood frailty scale: https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/02/rockwood-frailty-scale_.pdf

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Lifting the lid on neighbourhood-level improvement

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Hosts Matthew Taylor and Penny Pereira explore how improvement practices can help with neighbourhood-level working. Hospital to community is a key part of the governments 10-Year-Plan, and this episode reveals insights into how Improvement approaches have been used to usher in more integrated, community-focused care.

Q’s System-wide Change Lead Jen Morgan talks to Heather White (South Hambleton and Ryedale Primary Care Network) and Dr. Catherine Heffernan (South West London ICB) about practical examples of neighbourhood health in action — from multidisciplinary teams and local diagnostic hubs to community pharmacy-led wellbeing initiatives.

Q’s new home at the NHS Confederation | NHS Confederation

about Catherine Heffernan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-heffernan-42ba0a106/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-white-64b5b882/

Our Team - South Hambleton and Ryedale PCN

10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK

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How Improvement helps the shift to digital

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode we explore how improvement methodologies can enable NHS leaders to implement digital transformation successfully. Hear practical examples of how to better engage staff and communities, really understand problems systemically and target resources effectively, and implement technology in a way that releases time to care.

Hosted by Penny Pereira, Managing Director of Q, and Matthew Taylor, CEO NHS Confederation, our guests for this episode are Sadia Khan, clinical lead for innovation at West Middlesex University Hospital, and Abigail Harrison, executive director for digital estates and improvement at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

Useful links:

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How to resource improvement and transformation

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode recorded live at Confed Expo 2025 we are joined by Professor Paul Corrigan CBE and Dr Amar Shar, exploring how to resource improvement and transformation in the NHS.

We explore how the NHS of tomorrow can come to the aid of the NHS today. And how the finances and resources available over the next decade can best be used to deliver on the ten-year health plan.What's the role of the improvement movement in supporting this NHS transformation?

We also explore how East London FT NHS Trust has successfully embedded and resourced an improvement approach across the organisation.

Hosted by Penny Pereira, Managing Director of Q at the Health Foundation, and Matthew Taylor, our CEO, each episode aims to spotlight where improvement is working well, as well as the challenges it faces.

Professor Paul Corrigan CBE is Special Adviser to the Department for Health and Social Security: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/paul-corrigan-appointed-by-the-government-to-help-shape-health-plans

Dr. Amar Shah is National Clinical Director for Improvement at NHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/author/dr-amar-shah/

The Health Foundation - A guide to making the case for improvement: https://www.health.org.uk/resources-and-toolkits/quick-guides/a-guide-to-making-the-case-for-improvement

Q Community - Developing system-wide improvement approaches: https://q.health.org.uk/resources/developing-system-wide-improvement-approaches

East London NHS Foundation Trust - Building the business case for quality improvement: https://qi.elft.nhs.uk/resource/building-the-business-case-for-quality-improvement-a-framework-for-evaluating-return-on-investment

Macmillan - Social investment in end of life care: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/news-and-resources/blogs/social-investment-in-end-of-life-care

This podcast was produced by HealthCommsPlus.

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Mobilising change in the NHS

Thu, 22 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome back to the second series of Leading Improvement in Health and Care, brought to you by the NHS Confederation, The Q community and The Health Foundation.

In this episode we’re exploring how to mobilise change effectively within and between organisations, particularly in relation to the government’s forthcoming Ten Year Plan for the NHS.

With unique insights into how effective change has been implemented, core principles to apply and how to approach these in relation to the Ten Year Plan, we’re joined by Dr. Gary Howsam, Chief Clinical Improvement Officer NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB and Annie Williamson, research fellow in health and care at the IPPR.

Leading Improvement in Health and Care is presented by Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of NHS Confederation and Penny Pereira, Managing Director of Q at the Health Foundation.

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Ep 6: Productivity

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:00:04 GMT

In Episode 6 we explore different system approaches to improving productivity, with two leaders who have been creative and collaborative in working to successfully reduce waiting times. Our guests are:

Dr Peter Scolding, Clinical Director of Stewardship for Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, on recognising frontline leadership and developing a stewardship model for system working.

Dr Ruth Gray, Assistant Director of Quality Improvement and Innovation at South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland, on using system eco-mapping to improve domiciliary care services.

Peter talks about taking inspiration from the work of Nobel prize winner Elinor Ostrom to improve care pathways across Mid and South Essex, creating improved resource sharing and crucial reductions in waiting lists.

Ruth shares her story of how her trust released 900 hours of domiciliary care, reducing waiting times significantly. They achieved this through workshops and conversations with stakeholders, staff and patients, that led to the creation of a visual system eco-map, identifying improvement areas for their domiciliary care service.

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/productivity

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Ep 5: Equity

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:00:50 GMT

In this episode, we talk to two East London leaders who have been at the forefront of efforts to improve population health, with equity front and centre.

Dr Guddi Singh is a paediatric doctor and co-founder of the Wellbeing and Health Action Movement (WHAM) - a powerful project bringing together children’s health professionals to fight poverty in clinical practice.

Marie Gabriel CBE is Chair of North East London Integrated Care Board and Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, working to bring anti-racism models into healthcare improvement.

Guddi shares her work as a consultant paediatrician in Newham, East London, where she realised there was a big connection between improving services in the most deprived borough of London* and increasing levels of joy and commitment among the staff working there. She found the best way to engage people in quality improvement, was to start by asking

what they care about most.

Marie explores the importance of learning from patients’ lived experiences to improve services and tackle the structural racism that is embedded within those services. She talks about placing resident participation at the heart of the leadership team, engaging with and listening to local people about priorities for change.

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/equity

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

*According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

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Ep 4: Maternity

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:00:17 GMT

Black Maternity Matters is a ground-breaking collaboration tackling the inequitable maternity outcomes faced by Black mothers and their babies. They’re working to support maternity systems to offer safer, equitable care for all.

In the UK, Black mothers are up to four times more likely to die during pregnancy or in the postnatal period (six weeks after childbirth) than white women. The systemic biases and structural racism behind the figures is an area where improvement has the potential to make real impact.

We talk to three of their improvement leaders:

Sonah Paton, Founding Director of Black Mothers Matter, collaborative partner on Black Maternity Matters.
Noshin Menzies, Senior Project Manager, Health Innovation West of England
Ann Remmers, maternity and neonatal clinical lead, Health Innovation West of England

During this episode guests and hosts use the term ‘racialised as Black’, alongside talking about the experience of Black mothers, parents, and Black children. The use of ‘racialised’ acknowledges that white-centric societies have systemically categorised people according to the colour of their skin, or their culture.

This act of racialising people with healthcare leads directly into these stark differences in experiences of care, treatment, and health. As Esmee Fairburn put it, “‘racialised’ doesn’t define people’s community or identity, but the phenomenon that is happening to them”.

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/maternity

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Ep 3: Flow

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:00:34 GMT

Flow – the way a patient or a service user moves through different stages in the health care system – is vital for good patient care. In this episode we explore how applying the values and methods that are essential to improving flow, can have a powerful impact on how health and care services can work better for both patients and staff.

We hear from three great speakers:

David Fillingham, chair of the National Improvement Board and chair of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is a pioneer when it comes to flow and talks about the importance of improving it.

Steve Harrison, Deputy Director of Organisational Development of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, which has been at the centre of flow improvement, explains what flow means in practice, as well as introducing the Flow Coaching Academy approach.

Ailsa Brotherton, Director of Continuous Improvement and Transformation at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, shares her lessons about successfully turning the academy approach into action.

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/flow

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Ep 2: ConfedExpo Live

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:00:05 GMT

In this special episode, recorded live at ConfedExpo in June, hosts Penny Pereira (Managing Director of Q at the Health Foundation) and Matthew Taylor (CEO of NHS Confederation) explore how improvement is both a mindset and a method. For it to work well, co-production and the space to reimagine how services work and are organised, are essential.

You’ll hear highlights and reflections from Penny and Matthew’s sessions and contributions from an array of guest speakers:

Amar Shah, National Clinical Director for Improvement and Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and Chief Quality Officer at East London NHS Foundation Trust
Samantha Allen, Chief Executive, North East and North Cumbria ICB
Sarah Sweeney, Director of Membership and Development, National Voices
Dr Vin Diwaker, Interim National Director of Transformation, NHS England

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/nhs-confedexpo-live

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Announcement: Election Pause

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:00:07 GMT

Due to election restrictions, we're taking a very short break - but we'll be back soon.

To find out more about our work around the 2024 General Election, head to our websites:

Q Community (www.q.health.org.uk)

The Health Foundation (www.health.org.uk)

NHS Confederation (www.nhsconfed.org)

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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Ep 1: Morale

Thu, 02 May 2024 07:01:49 GMT

People are at the heart of improvement. In our first episode, we explore how to improve staff engagement and morale. Director of Patient and Staff Experience at the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Annie Laverty, talks about using data to understand what matters to staff and enhance engagement.

We also hear from John Drew, Director of Staff Engagement and Experience, NHS England who discusses using the NHS staff survey to steer improvement and how we might engage people better on productivity.

You can find the show notes and references from this episode on our website: https://www.nhsconfed.org/podcast/unlocking-improvement-through-better-staff-experience

For more information on out Learning and Improving Across Systems Peer Learning Programme, please visit: https://www.nhsconfed.org/learning-improving-systems/peer-learning

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