West of England AHSN: Guidance on the adoption and spread of innovation and improvement (5 November 2020)

Summary

It is estimated that across the UK, a third of healthcare improvement projects never spread beyond their particular unit, a further third are embedded across their organisation but never spread further than that, and only the final third are spread across their own and other similar organisations.

Successfully spreading improvements and ensuring changes are sustained requires overcoming numerous challenges, such as:

• Creating an awareness of why the change is needed
• Ensuring those involved have a desire to support and participate in the change
• Knowledge of how to bring about change
• The skills and resources to bring about the change
• Ensuring processes to sustain the change

This new guide from the West of England AHSN sets out suggestions to be considered for the successful adoption and spread of innovation and improvement projects.