“Leadership for improvement starts at the very top and has to be authentically led from the chief executive and the board all the way through the organisation. But their role is very much the sponsor, rather than to be involved in the day-to-day work.”

In this episode, Lara and Na’eem talk to quality improvement guru, Dr Amar Shah. Amar is Chief Quality Officer at East London NHS Foundation Trust and a consultant forensic psychiatrist. He is national improvement lead for mental health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and honorary visiting professor at City University and the University of Leicester. He is also an improvement advisor and faculty member for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, teaching and guiding improvers and healthcare systems across the world.

From Amar’s first foray into improvement work, and his view of quality improvement as a method, a process and a mindset, through to how organisations need to establish the right infrastructure for quality improvement, this far-reaching discussion touches on so many aspects of this crucial area of healthcare. Discover Amar’s perspective on how:

• the command-and-control structure of the NHS needs to be devolved for effective quality improvement;
• leadership needs to understand that they are no longer there to solve problems but to empower and coach others to solve problems;
• too much quality improvement can be dangerous;
• keeping it simple and enabling people to make a difference is vital;
• quality improvement can produce evidence for service redesign;
• quality improvement needs to be part of the management system, alongside planning, assurance and quality control; and
• equity will be one next areas of focus for quality improvement.

Plus, discover a Small But Mighty idea, that is supremely powerful in building relationships and bonds between colleagues.

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