Continuous improvement programmes across the NHS are failing.

Dr Felix Davies from Develop Consulting reveals why organisations get it wrong, from leaders operating behind desks to boards stuck on the hamster wheel avoiding hard problems, and explains what actually works in health and social care.

New research challenges the belief that adding more GP appointments increases capacity. Instead, it reveals practices are seeing the same patients more often, with 19% of consultations driven by “failure demand” from unresolved prior interactions.

In this episode of The Improving Healthcare Podcast, our expert panel explores why effectiveness, not volume, is the key to sustainable primary care:

• Nick Downham – Independent Health & Social Care Improvement Specialist

• Steve Boam – CEO, Develop Consulting

• Simon Bricknell – Senior Consultant

Drawing on over 15,000 practice improvement sessions and work with 3,000 GP practices, they uncover seven critical areas where practices lose capacity, from continuity of care to process variation.

🔍 Want to go deeper? Read the full whitepaper “General Practice – Prioritising Effectiveness Over Volume” here:
🔗 develop-consulting.co.uk/general-practice-prioritising-effectiveness-over-volume/

The NHS 10-Year Plan promises the most radical transformation in the service’s history – but how can healthcare leaders deliver such sweeping change while protecting patient outcomes?

In this essential episode, expert panelists move beyond policy rhetoric to share the practical realities of NHS transformation, drawing on real-world experience from across the country.

Our Panel:

• Dr Natasha Behl – GP Partner, Solihull Healthcare Partnership; Clinical Lead for Primary Care Workforce

• Nick Downham – Independent Health & Social Care Improvement Specialist

• Steve Boam – CEO, Develop Consulting

• Chair: Darren Jones – NHS Strategic Advisor

Key Topics:

• Neighbourhood Teams: What they really mean and how to implement them

• Workforce Sustainability: Building resilient, skilled teams

• Access vs Effectiveness: Why more appointments don’t equal better outcomes

• Digital Transformation: Lessons from frontline implementation

• Protecting Patient Outcomes during major change

• Implementation Methodology: Why some projects succeed and others fail

Real-World Insights:

• How one practice co-designed digital transformation with staff

• Why 19% of GP consultations are “failure demand”

• Data showing practices are seeing the same patients more frequently

• Psychological safety during change

• The “back to basics” approach before launching new initiatives

Who Should Listen:
Practice managers, PCN leads, ICB executives, healthcare improvement specialists, and anyone implementing neighbourhood working under the Ten Year Plan.

Recorded July 2025 | Duration: 60 minutes | Format: Expert panel with live Q&A