Evaluating lean in healthcare

• Main Author: Burgess, Nicola
• Published: University of Warwick 2012
• Subjects: 361; R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.560396

The overarching aim of this thesis is to evaluate Lean implementation in the English NHS. Against a background of financial austerity measures and the ostensible widespread adoption of Lean in the UK public sector, and particularly by healthcare organisations, the objective is to understand how Lean is being implemented by NHS hospital Trusts, and whether there is any quantitative evidence that Lean implementation is improving hospital performance. Adopting Pettigrew and Whipp’s (1991) framework of strategic change, this thesis aims to present theoretically sound and practically useful research through an exploration of the context, process and content of Lean implementation by English hospital Trusts. In order to achieve this, the research employs a mixed methods research design incorporating document analysis3, quantitative analysis and case study analysis to afford an insight into the implementation of Lean from multiple viewpoints and facilitate the development of new insights relating to the phenomena of Lean implementation in English hospital Trusts. The research provides a contribution to knowledge in three key areas: firstly through the identification and validation of a typology of approaches to Lean implementation by English hospital Trusts i.e. a characterisation of the method of Lean implementation; secondly through quantitative analysis and discussion of the potential link between Lean implementation and increased performance; and thirdly a set of propositions that provide a narrative and logic to explain the influence of contextual factors upon the process of Lean implementation in English hospitals.