THIS Institute (The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute)

Who gets a voice in digital transformation in the NHS? Join #THISspace2026 session to explore why involving patients, carers and public is important in digital transformation. Register here: ths.im/2026 🔗 @jomcpeake.bsky.social

Healthcare staff are an important source of insight into patient safety issues, but they don’t always speak up when something concerns them. We asked: “How do healthcare staff decide what counts as a concern that needs to be voiced?”. Find out more: buff.ly/xt4vlnY

When it comes to improving healthcare, creating an effective intervention is only part of the challenge. Ensuring it can spread, scale, and be sustained is what makes lasting impact possible. Here are six practical tips to help you: ths.im/4pkWGQb

What does good perioperative care look like & how can we measure it? Our research developed & prioritised a set of 56 evidence-informed, patient-measures, across 10 domains, providing a practical framework. Full paper: buff.ly/2N1vsZ8 THIS Summary: buff.ly/4XBZpQ4

Would you like to help improve healthcare in the NHS? As a member of the Voice and Insight Panel you can help ensure that our research reflects the real experiences of patients, carers and members of the public across the UK. Find out more: ths.im/4a4iZDt

THIS Space 2026 programme is now live! Join us virtually on 24 November. The event is free to attend, but booking is essential and space is limited. View the full programme and register here: ths.im/2026

Leading an exciting research programme to build research capacity, @jomcpeake.bsky.social's clinical & academic journey saw her working with patients as a nurse to developing co-designed interventions to improve quality & safety in critical care. Read the fellowship story: ths.im/47Wo6FJ

How can we create a culture where healthcare staff feel safe to speak up about their concerns and ideas & confident they will be heard? Why is speaking up still so difficult? Nnenna Osuji & @instagraham.bsky.social discuss the challenges around staff speaking up. Watch the recording: buff.ly/ljzZw1c

Successful innovation depends on the people as much as the technology. Our latest Explain THIS resource explores clinician engagement and why it matters for introducing and sustaining healthcare innovations. Read the latest resource: buff.ly/HmX7V5r

Make your voice count in improving healthcare! As a patient, carer or member of the public your views are needed to help shape healthcare improvement research. Join the Voice and Insight Panel and help make a difference: ths.im/4a4iZDt

Do financial incentivisation schemes in healthcare work to improve safety? Our evaluation of NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme is summarised in seven lessons for financial incentivisation schemes in healthcare. Read the full paper: buff.ly/q2GP2GT THIS Summary: buff.ly/1lacgz1

Can AI help to solve demand in general practice? In this Healthcare Today podcast, Niels Peek & Ben Brown discuss how successful AI adoption in the NHS depends on designing systems to support clinicians, improve workflows & solve clinical problems without adding complexity: ths.im/4yvbjEK

Peoples lived experiences and contributions are vital to shaping health care improvement research at THIS Institute. Find out more about how we put people at the heart of our work, and how you get involved: ths.im/4wjdABC

Our research with @pcucambridge.bsky.social found that whether GPs can use risk prediction tools depends much less on the tools themselves, and much more on the wider systems working together to support their use. ⬇️

Are you a patient, carer or member of the public interested in sharing your experiences to improve healthcare? The recently launched Voice and Insight Panel is a simple way to learn about and contribute to research. Find out more and join: ths.im/4a4iZDt

Putting people at the heart of research is central to our work. At THIS Institute, patients, carers & healthcare staff help to shape our research, creating an evidence base that's relevant & focused on the questions that matter most. Find out more and get involved ➡️ ths.im/4wjdABC

THIS Institute welcomes Professor @carlmacrae.bsky.social as a research professor. He will lead research on the safe and reliable integration of AI in healthcare, alongside a broader programme focused on managing quality and safety across healthcare systems. Learn more about Carl: ths.im/4xwgIKw

Our latest post-doc fellows tackled a wide range of healthcare challenges, spanning wider themes of improving safety and access, personalising care, reducing waste, and making services more equitable & effective. We celebrated their achievements & impact in this fellowship story ths.im/4h0QMll

Organisational culture is powerful but hard to define – and even harder to change. 7 tips: expect resistance, rethink structures, lead intentionally, create ownership, manage external influences, spot unintended issues, and align beliefs with behaviours. Find out more: ths.im/4bp447u

NHS England’s AI rollout promises shorter waiting times & better care. But acceleration must be matched by transparent, credible evaluation, strong infrastructure & robust testing or we may repeat past digital transformation failures. Read the editorial: ths.im/4pzJlUh @healthfoundation.bsky.social

What should you consider when spreading, scaling, and sustaining healthcare improvement? Read our Explain THIS guide, part of our microlearning series of practical resources: ths.im/4pkWGQb

Human Factors & Ergonomics helps design interactions that support people and improve safety, performance and well being. Our new Element introduces key principles, gives real healthcare examples, reflects on challenges and explores future directions. Find out more and read for free: ths.im/4w9awbd

Ethics is a key part of improving healthcare. Six tips to consider: think about assumptions, create space for open debate, balance thinking and doing, collaborate with experts, share tasks, and question what’s seen as better. Find out more in our latest microlearning resource: ths.im/4vLA0eE

We collaborated with @rcoa-cri.bsky.social to help develop better local pathways for emergency laparotomy surgery, after delays to patients’ CT scans were identified as a top concern. See the animation below for the recommendations

Healthcare produces almost 5% of global emissions – while the NHS has bold net zero targets, research has so far been fragmented, risking progress. The NHS-SOS framework proposes a structure for the emerging field of research to address this. Full paper: ths.im/4fPzuqK THIS Summary: ths.im/4eKnWUU

Are you an early career researcher interested in improving how healthcare works? We're looking for a skilled researcher with strengths in qualitative or mixed-methods research and excellent analytical skills. Apply by 19 July 2026: ths.im/4ghlztO

How do we build a healthcare system designed for the future? @marydixonwoods.bsky.social’s latest blog focuses on three capabilities: understanding problems, co-designing solutions & evaluating them rigorously. Read Mary’s blog - How can improvement and innovation save the NHS?: ths.im/4amGBU2

We know that research is better when it’s shaped by real experiences. That’s why we’re launching the Voice and Insight Panel, a new community for patients, carers, and members of the public interested in healthcare improvement research. Find out more: ths.im/4a4iZDt

Measurement is essential for improving healthcare. Six key tips: use a balanced set of measures, collect consistent data, track variation over time, involve frontline staff, keep data collection simple, and use what you learn to adapt. Explore our latest Explain THIS resource: ths.im/4xDQpDb

Speaking to the All-Party Parliament Group for Patient Safety (APPG), @marydixonwoods.bsky.social highlighted three capabilities that are essential for improving patient safety in the NHS: identifying and understanding problems, developing good solutions & evaluation. Find out more: ths.im/4dUvJyS

Who’s at #NHSConfedExpo today? Visit us at stand E2. Whether you're a clinician, patient, carer, or involved in shaping or delivering healthcare - if you care about improving the NHS, we’d love to connect and chat.

Looking for practical information on collaboration‑based approaches in healthcare improvement? Our latest microlearning resource breaks down key definitions, models, what to consider in practice, and reflective questions to support planning and evaluation. Find out more: ths.im/4tqL9iI

COVID-19 led to longer waiting times for planned NHS treatment – numbers rose to 7.41m by 2025. High-volume, low-complexity surgical hubs, when run well, may help reduce the numbers, but what does 'high-performing' look like? Find out more: Full paper ths.im/3PVqcim THIS summary ths.im/4vqRQD7

What would it really take for improvement and innovation to save the NHS? In THIS Institute’s 2026 annual lecture, Mary Dixon-Woods (@marydixonwoods.bsky.social) explored what meaningful, evidence‑led change could look like. See highlights from the day and watch the full lecture: ths.im/4va70MG

Just a week to go till #NHSConfedExpo 🗓️ Will you be attending? Come find us at stand E2 near the main entrance. You can find out about our current work and pick up free hard copies of Elements of Improving Quality and Safety in Healthcare.

Why don’t effective healthcare interventions always become routine practice? Our new microlearning resource introduces key terms, five key frameworks, and practical strategies to help you plan, deliver, and evaluate implementation. Explore free series to learn more: ths.im/4tx5CTh

Can improvement and innovation save the NHS? In THIS Institute’s 2026 annual lecture, Mary Dixon-Woods (@marydixonwoods.bsky.social) explores the opportunities and limits of improvement and innovation, and why evidence matters. Watch now: ths.im/4nxW35d

How can examining the way governance and leadership interact across different levels of the healthcare system help improve healthcare? Our new Explain THIS microlearning resource breaks it down, offering a quick, clear guide with practical questions to aid planning. Explore it here: ths.im/3R0AvC4

What can AI really do for healthcare improvement – and what’s still missing? In THIS Institute’s 2025 annual lecture, Niels Peek @nielspeek.bsky.social cuts through the AI hype. 🎥 Watch ‘Evidence-based healthcare innovation in the age of AI’ bit.ly/4nmyGL9 #NHS #AIinHealthcare #DigitalHealth