As ICBs and NHS Trusts finalise their 2026 budgets, a recent episode of The Improving Healthcare Podcast tackles a critical question that could determine organisational survival: why is continuous improvement capability a strategic necessity, not an optional extra?
Hosted by Darren Jones, former strategic adviser to the NHS, the discussion brought together Dr Felix Davies, Healthcare Director at Develop Consulting, and Sajid Khan, Healthcare Managing Consultant for Develop Consulting, to examine why organisations with quality improvement teams still struggle to deliver sustainable change.
The fundamental problem, according to Dr Davies, is that continuous improvement is “seen as a tactical issue” rather than a strategic priority. “Investments are often small scale and not aligned to the strategic priorities of the organisation, and therefore the investment reflects that.”
Mr Khan expands on this, explaining that most organisations approach improvement as “a singular project that can be delivered rather than capability.” The result? Organisations are “consistently paying for the same problems to be solved again because the organisation never builds up muscle memory or capability to solve those problems themselves.”
So what’s the difference between having a QI team and having genuine CI capability? “A QI team can improve occasionally, but a CI-capable organisation can improve every day,” Mr Khan explains. “Instead of buying improvement as a service, you’re building an internal engine that keeps delivering value year after year.”
Dr Davies is clear about what real investment looks like: “A long-term, multi-year strategic and cultural commitment” including board development, capability building at all levels, and daily management systems. The payoff? “You get out what you put in. There’s a huge amount of evidence and hundreds of case studies to show that the return on investment, both patient benefit and organisational benefits, are enormous.”
Mr Khan’s closing message to CFOs and leadership teams is unequivocal: “Organisations cannot meet their statutory financial or operational requirements in 2026 and beyond without CI capability. This is the only scalable, repeatable and sustainable way to increase productivity whilst maintaining quality.”
To listen or watch the full conversation, visit develop-consulting.co.uk/podcasts or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
