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  • Strategy Unit
11/10/2023

Leadership training and support for organisational development: an offer from the Strategy Unit

The Strategy Unit has long been known for the quality of its analytical work, and the clear, critical thi

Report 03/05/2023

How is growth in diagnostic testing affecting the hospital system?

Diagnostic services, such as medical imaging, endoscopy, and pathology, have grown substantially in recent years and at a faster rate than most other healthcare services. Increased diagnostic testing brings benefits to patients, but rapid growth of this service area within a complex, adaptive system such as the NHS is likely to have had unintended consequences. Midlands ICBs wanted to understand the impact of diagnostic growth on hospital services.

Decision blog_8
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #8: Infinity-shaped debate

I’m argumentative.

Decision blog_7
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #7: Should we 'go with the gut'? Yes, but...

I’m not sure there’s a superlative strong enough to describe ‘T

Decision blog_6
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #6: The most powerful question in decision making?

I’m a fan of Shane Parrish and his organisation Farnam Street (strapline: ‘Helping you master the best of

Decision blog_5
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #5: Reaching disagreement

Two starting points:  

Decision blog_4
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #4: Embrace uncertainty - it's a badge of honour

Imagine this: 

Decision blog_3
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #3: The black hole of the status quo

Learning is one of the joys of teaching. And I’ve learnt a lot while helping people develop their decision making skills.

Decision Making 2
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #2: Two under-appreciated sources of leadership power

Some forms of leaders’ power are obvious. Leaders hire and they fire.

Decision blog_1
Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision Making Blog #1: Better decision making: a neglected route to improvement?

There are two main routes for health and care services to improve the health of the populations they serve. The

Blog post 01/04/2023

Decision making - a series of blogs on decision quality

ICS intelligence functions graph
Report 21/03/2023

ICS intelligence functions – a toolkit to support the implementation of NHSE guidance

In 2020, NHSE

Number graphic
Blog post 05/01/2023

Analysts, we need to talk about…….

The future looks incredibly promising for ana

graphic showing inequality being erased with eraser
Report 04/11/2022

What are the ethical challenges in addressing inequities?

Produced by Angie Hobbs - the world’s first Professor in the Public Understanding of Philosophy – this paper examines the ethical questions raised by our report outlining strategies for reducing inequity.

Blog post 29/07/2022

What was the question again?

We hear a lot about what’s stopping the NHS making the most of its army of talented analysts. Some say we just need more data, or data of better quality. Others point to deficiencies in our infrastructure, IT kit or the software we use. But I’m not so sure. For me the biggest shortfall is in good questions that we can feasibly address.

Blog post 26/07/2022

Inequalities in access to healthcare - what’s our next move?

Our research, published in the Lancet Regional Health Europe, highlights substantial inequities in access to elective hip replacement surgery. We found no evidence that these inequities reduced between 2006 and 2016.

Blog post 08/06/2022

‘Might’ is right

A good idea can be ruined by over-selling.

Blog post 13/05/2022

Urgent Community Response – What Works?

The Strategy Unit, with our partners Ipsos, has been commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to provide a long-term national evaluation of the Urgent Community Response programme rolled-out across England. The programme aims to shift resources to home and community-based services as part of the NHS commitment to providing the right care, to the right people, at the right time. And there are a range of outputs from the early work that provide learning for local systems as they develop their services.

Report 09/05/2022

Strategies to reduce inequalities in access to planned hospital procedures

UPDATE 10th August: Now including briefing note for Integrated Care Boards on legal duties in respect of reducing inequalities. This report guides ICBs through the process.

Blog post 11/03/2022

Treating people on waiting lists: who decides what is fair?

Waiting lists for elective care are in the news. The national plan has been issued, with the expectation that lists will continue to rise for some years - and that long waiting will not disappear anytime soon. Addressing this ‘backlog’ will remain a fundamental challenge for some time to come.

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