Leaders set the tone for improvement, but what does that actually look like in practice?

In this episode of Leading Improvement in Health and Care, highlights from NHS Impact 2026 explore how leadership can move improvement beyond isolated projects and into whole health and care systems. From system thinking and co-production to visible leadership, standard work and the shift from problem-solving to problem-framing, speakers share what it takes to lead change that lasts.

• Adam Sewell-Jones, chief executive officer, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
• Nicola Burgess, Professor of Operations Management, University of York
• Andy Hardy, Chief Executive, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

And for the last session of the day, Penny Pereira, our podcast host, hosted a panel discussion exploring how improvement can move beyond individual projects and begin to reshape whole pathways of care with staff and populations. Joining her was:

• Caroline Clarke, NHS London Regional Director
• David Fillingham, a Chair in the NHS and Chair of the National Improvement Board
• Rich Amos, Patient Partner with NHS England

This podcast is part of Learning and Improving Across Systems, a partnership between the Health Foundation, NHS Confederation and the Q community to support health and care systems to learn and improve.

Useful resources

• National Improvement Conference 2026 - resources | NHS Confederation
• Boost | Our Learning and Improvement Community
• NHS England » NHS IMPACT
• Leading Healthcare Transformation| Virginia Mason Institute UK
• Microsoft PowerPoint - DBA Conference Presentation K Maitra.pptx
• UHCW-Leaders infographic.pdf
• Point of Care Foundation
• NHS England » National Improvement Board

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