Evaluation of NHS partnership with Virginia Mason Institute (The Health Foundation)

Summary

This article by The Health Foundation looks at an evaluation carried out by Warwick Business School of a partnership between The Virginia Mason Institute and five NHS trusts. The partnership aimed to develop a ‘lean’ culture of continuous improvement which puts patients first by developing a localised version of the Virginia Mason Production System in each of the trusts. The objective was to embed and sustain a culture of continuous improvement capability within each of these five trusts and the NHS more broadly. 

Outcomes from the evaluation include insight on progress and achievements in each trust, helping them to further embed a culture of improvement capability. The learning will also enable systems leaders to maximise knowledge on how to support providers to embed and spread a culture of continuous improvement in the NHS.