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11-11-2008 Back to news index
Acting for change: transforming pathology services through action learning
Developing ways of delivering the service to support clinical care
Action learning has proved its value as a way for staff to achieve sustainable change and improvement in NHS pathology services. Building on the earlier success of the Pathology Action Learning Programme, the Department of Health supported a second phase in 2006/08, in which more than 30 ‘sets’ around the country used an action learning approach to tackle issues which were a priority for them locally.
The topics they worked on – such as workforce, transport and point of care testing – will strike a chord with many other services around the country. This phase of the Pathology Action Learning Programme has proved valuable in two ways: firstly, the success of the projects in bringing about change locally; and, equally importantly, the skills developed by those who took part, which will be a resource to improve local services in the future.
Pathology services have a key role in providing high-quality healthcare for patients, and the learning in this report will be a valuable tool for those working in pathology to develop new ways of delivering the service to support clinical care.