First speaker, David Fillingham, CBE, Chair NHS Improvement Board described the aims and methodology of NHS Impact.

NHS Impact was created as a result of the Delivery and Continuous Improvement Review led by Anne Eden, Regional Director for the South East. NHS Impact aims for NHS to become the fastest improving healthcare system in the world.

Every NHS provider that has achieved a rating of “outstanding” from the CQC has a systematic approach to quality improvement. There are five components that form the ‘DNA’ of all evidence-based improvement methods
1.    Building a shared purpose and vision
2.    Investing in people and culture 
3.    Developing leadership behaviours 
4.    Building improvement capability and capacity 
5.    Embedding improvement into management systems and processes

When these five components are consistently used, systems and organisations create the right conditions for continuous improvement and high performance, responding to today's challenges, and delivering better care for patients and better outcomes for communities.

Professor Sir Chris Ham discussed the Improving health and care at scale Report. He stated that it needs realism in how long the improvement journey will take and the importance of consistency and purpose and from national leaders. The current government is keen to focus on reform not investment therefore change and improvement is the way forward.

There is innovation and improvement at ICS level, most systems have set ambitious goals for improving population health – as well delivery of care. Data about need and demand are being used to develop actionable insights for improvement. Sir Chris examined two different approaches in North East and North Cumbria and Lancashire and South Cumbria showcasing how improvement is happening and what the next steps are.

Erica Daley, NHS Place Director at Hull Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board provided a detailed case study. The ICS is the largest in country, with high levels of depravation within the local population. Hospital discharge was identified as a local system problem. She described the development of the of Discharge Collaborative, and shared the learning of changing the commissioning approach with the aim of improving patient experience, relieving pressure on health and care services and embedding the voluntary section in local services. 

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