Most NHS organisations go through major service change once or twice a decade. Which means that most of the people leading one are doing it for the first time, under scrutiny, alongside everything else on the board agenda.
In partnership with Browne Jacobson and Hood and Woolf, CF ran the first of three joint sessions on navigating NHS service reconfiguration last week. Catherine Skilton, CF’s Managing Partner for Health Systems, chaired, with Liz Knight on building the case for change, Steph Hood of Hood & Woolf on securing a mandate, Gerard Hanratty of Browne Jacobson on governance, and Emma Woollett, Chair of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, on what it takes to lead this from inside a system.
The video clip above covers Catherine’s introduction and Liz Knight’s section on building an evidence-based case for change.
Almost everyone in the session had been part of a service change that took longer than expected. Several had been part of one that never got off the ground at all. That is rarely a problem with the evidence.
Catherine Skilton, Managing Partner for CF Health Systems says:
“In my experience, that is rarely about whether the case itself is correct, or the strength of the case. It is more often about whether hearts and minds have been won along the way, around the case for change and the need for change at all.”
Much of the work, in other words, sits before the proposal exists. The case has to be strong enough to survive assurance, scrutiny and challenge. But evidence alone does not earn a mandate. That is built earlier, with staff and the public, at the point where the answer is not yet fixed and they can still shape it.
This was the first of three sessions in the series with Browne Jacobson and Hood & Woolf.
About CF
CF is a leading consultancy dedicated to making an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, drive adoption of innovation and create value through investment. With unmatched access to UK healthcare data and award-winning data science expertise, our team are a driving force for delivering positive and meaningful change.
About Brown Jacobson
At Browne Jacobson, we’ve always worked across business and society, and this expertise sets us apart. Here, we champion fairness, make the complex simple and forge connections between clients to find creative solutions. This is how we improve outcomes for every person, community and business we serve. Law needs all voices to reflect the society it serves. We’re working towards social mobility, diversity and inclusion in our firm and our profession. And we’re focusing on well-being and individuality so that all our people can thrive.
About Hood and Woolf
A consultancy for organisations that make a positive difference. We work with leaders, boards, and teams to deliver on organisational goals, speak with a consistent voice, listen well, manage issues, reduce risk, and get results.
