Leading system level change in health and care

For several years, system leaders across Lancashire and South Cumbria, North East and North Cumbria, and Scotland have explored this fundamental tension. Collaborating with Professor Nicola Burgess and Nick Downham, they have documented their reflections in the report: ​‘Of Clocks and Clouds: Leading System Level Change in Health and Care’.

Drawing on the lived realities of healthcare leaders, this session explores three distinct approaches to system-level change. We will examine what it truly takes to enable improvement across organisational boundaries where formal mandate and jurisdiction do not exist. 

Real-World Case Studies 

We move beyond theoretical frameworks to examine how three systems – known collectively as the Northern Triangle –  actively manage this unresolvable tension: 

• Engineering Better Care (Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB): A systems-engineering approach to the frailty pathway, demonstrating that system-level change must be clinically led, operationally driven, and improvement-supported. 
• Boost (North East and North Cumbria ICB): A human learning systems approach to capability-building that moves beyond traditional training to master relational leadership through communities of practice. 
• Scottish Approach to Change (Healthcare Improvement Scotland): A unified national framework that democratises change by making tools and capability universal, establishing a shared language with learning at its core. 

• Greater understanding of different approaches to system level improvement.
• New framing and language that will help you understand, navigate and lead improvement in complex systems.
• Improvement approaches used by the Northern Triangle case studies to apply to your own work.

Leaders from across different sectors across health and care who have an interest in developing their leadership practice for systems improvement. 

In the workshop, we’ll cover: 

• A presentation, with report highlights and key takeaways
• Reflection time and opportunities for discussion with other system leaders
• A Q&A

The evaluation report will be published in June, and will be shared with you before the workshop. 

We provide captions for all our online events. If you need any other adjustments to help you to participate please let us know using the form when you register or contact Adriana Thursby Pelham at adriana.thursby-pelham@thenhsalliance.org