Practical thinking papers
You are welcome to use this paper in whatever way you like as long as you credit its source.

Working in health care could be one of the most satisfying jobs in the world - why doesn’t it feel like that?

Across the NHS and beyond a deep dissatisfaction has been noted on the part of doctors and other health care professionals. This is puzzling given that unprecedented sums of money are being spent on health care and technology offers exciting advances and evidence about what works enables resources to be targeted wisely. So why do HCPs not feel excited, able and effective? Why do patients and the public not feel more satisfied and confident? This paper identifies five factors that lead to this situation, and shows how, by changing our responses to them, we can improve both care and the satisfaction of those providing it.

From 2008 to 2010 a learning set of a dozen thoughtful contributors explored this issue. Their thinking was initially captured in a paper called Working in health care could be one of the most satisfying jobs in the world - why doesn’t it feel like that? and has since formed the basis of a book called Why Reforming the NHS Doesn’t Work: the importance of understanding how good people offer bad care

Author: Valerie Iles
Publisher: Really Learning
Date: 2011

Really Learning specializes in learning sets. In addition to those run for purely personal development of the participants we have an expertise in Sets that look broadly and deeply at a particular issue, with the aim of deepening understanding and making that understanding available to others. Many of these sets are run in conjunction with Anaptys Ltd.

We are now recruiting to a new learning set that will explore what an ethical and sustainable NHS would look like. If you would like to discuss joining us click here