_{6 Sept 2012}

The NHS Change Model

The NHS Change Model is a framework for change to help NHS commissioners and providers improve how they go about improvement and deliver NHS goals for quality and value through a common language for change.

Building on what we collectively know about successful change the ‘NHS Change Model’ has been developed with hundreds of senior leaders, clinicians, commissioners, providers and improvement activists. They got involved because they recognise that if we want the best outcomes for the people we serve at a time of severe economic challenge, increasing demand, ever developing technology and population growth we need to work in ways that give us the greatest potential for change.

More than 60 years ago, it was people taking collective responsibility for change and working differently that led to the establishment of the NHS. Those shared values are enshrined in the NHS constitution today.

When the NHS was created a simple operation meant a week’s stay in hospital, now we routinely expect to go home the same day following many surgical procedures. This change has been enabled through clinicians and staff exploiting innovation and technology, which has had a massive impact in prevention, and improving health by engaging our workforce to share accountability for change. 

What’s different about this change model?

There are eight components in the change model based upon evidence and experience of change that need to feature in our improvements. Used consistently they create the best chance for effective change and it’s using them together in an aligned and integrated way that makes the difference in producing the results that deliver the greatest benefit and impact:  

Creating shared purpose, engagement to mobilise and visible  leadership for change help us understand the importance of what problems we are trying to solve, why it matters, the meaning and a clear direction towards a worthwhile purpose, delivering beyond just what we do as individuals, teams or organisations.

Whilst also recognising the importance of  spread of innovation using evidence based  improvement methodology,  system drivers,  transparent measurement and  rigorous delivery to ensure we are held to account for delivering change outcomes.

For information about the NHS Change Model see the NHS Change Model website.