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The Right Chamber \'96 Episode with Peter Lowe
(Transcript for accessibility)
[Intro Music]
JASPRIT: Welcome to The Right Chamber , the podcast that takes you inside the NHS to explore what really makes a hospital a hospital. Each episode, we sit down with the people who keep healthcare moving \'96 from doctors and nurses on the front line to students, support teams, administrators, and everyone in between. These are the voices that often go unheard, but together they form the heartbeat of our hospitals. Our aim is simple: to share authentic stories that are accessible to the public, meaningful to NHS staff, and a reminder that healthcare is more than treatments and wards \'96 it\'92s a whole community working together. So whether you\'92re part of the NHS family or simply curious about the people behind the service, join us as we open the doors to the conversations that matter here in The Right Chamber .
[Music fades out]
JASPRIT: Welcome back to The Right Chamber Podcast ! My name is Jasprit.
VICTOR: And I\'92m Victor. Today we\'92re joined by Peter Lowe.
What Is Continuous Improvement?
VICTOR: So, Peter, for anyone unfamiliar, what exactly is \'93continuous improvement\'94?
PETER: It\'92s about always striving to be better. Every NHS staff member has ideas about how to improve patient care, but those ideas often get stuck \'97 people may feel too busy, lack confidence, or think nothing will change. Our improvement team helps people turn those ideas into action. It\'92s about empowering staff to make changes in their own areas, using evidence and data to show progress.
Barriers and Belief
JASPRIT: What are some of the biggest reasons those ideas don\'92t become reality?
PETER: Often it\'92s because people have tried before and been disappointed. There\'92s a kind of learned helplessness \'97 a feeling that \'93we tried that ten years ago and it didn\'92t work.\'94 So part of our job is rebuilding belief and confidence. That takes a certain kind of leadership \'97 what we call improvement leadership \'97 which focuses on curiosity, humility, and enabling others to problem-solve, not just fixing everything yourself.
Leadership and Learning
VICTOR: How would you describe improvement leadership in practice?
PETER: It\'92s still a relatively new concept, but it\'92s about creating the right conditions for improvement \'97 helping staff develop confidence, capability, and ownership. It\'92s built on values like care, respect, and responsibility, but also on attributes such as curiosity and humility. Practically, it\'92s about daily behaviours \'97 for example, truly listening to people instead of listening to \'93be right\'94 or to fix. Listening with fascination is powerful. When leaders genuinely pay attention and stay curious, it encourages others to speak up and share ideas.
Scientific Thinking and Problem Solving
JASPRIT: You also talk about \'93scientific thinking.\'94 What does that mean?
PETER: It means not jumping straight to solutions. We all have habits and biases that make us think we\'92ve seen a problem before and know how to fix it. But every situation is different. Scientific thinking encourages us to pause, gather data, understand what\'92s really happening, and make small, testable changes. It\'92s the mindset behind continuous improvement \'97 experiment, learn, adjust. It links to Daniel Kahneman\'92s concept of System 1 and System 2 thinking: System 1 is automatic and emotional; System 2 is rational and reflective. In healthcare, we need both \'97 but improvement comes from developing that reflective, data-driven side.
Empowering Everyone
VICTOR: So this isn\'92t just for senior staff?
PETER: Exactly. Everyone can be an improver. Across Sandwell, West Birmingham, and The Dudley Group, we\'92ve got about 14,000 staff. If each person felt responsible not just for doing their job well but for improving how it\'92s done, the results would be transformative. Improvement capability is for everyone, and improvement leadership is for those with influence \'97 people who can help others solve problems rather than taking the problems away.
From Firefighting to Improving
PETER: Too often, NHS teams feel stuck in \'93firefighting mode.\'94 We hear, \'93I haven\'92t got time for improvement,\'94 but the irony is that improvement actually creates time \'97 by making work more effective and freeing up staff to care for patients.
Training and Practice
JASPRIT: How can staff get involved or start learning these skills?
PETER: We offer a range of CPD-accredited training for all levels, but we always say: you don\'92t develop skill in a classroom. You develop it through practice . After training, our team supports staff directly in their workplace \'97 helping apply what they\'92ve learned to real challenges. Once people have practiced and implemented change, that\'92s when they earn certification. About 10% of what we do is training; 90% is supporting improvement in practice.
Data and Motivation
PETER: We also help people use data more meaningfully. Rather than overwhelming teams with charts and metrics, we encourage them to look at what matters \'97 to tell stories with data that spark curiosity and learning. We use ideas from Dan Pink\'92s Drive \'97 autonomy, mastery, and purpose \'97 to motivate teams. People thrive when they feel trusted, when they can see themselves improving, and when they understand the purpose behind what they\'92re doing.
Psychological Safety
VICTOR: You\'92ve mentioned psychological safety a few times. Why is that so important?
PETER: Because improvement can\'92t happen without it. If people don\'92t feel safe to share ideas or challenge the status quo, innovation stops. Psychological safety means knowing you won\'92t be judged or punished \'97 even socially \'97 for speaking up. Sometimes just an eye-roll can silence someone. Leaders can create safety by listening without interrupting, inviting input, and showing genuine interest. We worked with one department to redesign their morning huddles so more people felt comfortable speaking up. Over time, as staff saw their ideas being taken seriously, confidence grew \'97 and so did improvement.
Final Thoughts
JASPRIT: That\'92s a really powerful message. Any final thoughts or resources for those who want to get involved?
PETER: Yes \'97 if you\'92d like to explore improvement or leadership development, you can reach us directly:
improvement.dgt@nhs.net
improvement.swbh@nhs.net
All our programmes are CPD-accredited, and we can also tailor sessions for specific teams.
VICTOR: Thank you so much, Peter, for sharing your experience and insight today.
JASPRIT: And thank you to everyone for listening. Don\'92t forget to like, comment, and share the episode, and follow us on social media for updates.
VICTOR: You can find us on Instagram and TikTok @RGUCMS , and subscribe on YouTube to RGUC Media for more conversations from The Right Chamber .
JASPRIT: Until next time \'97 thanks for tuning in.
[Outro Music]