Case study
Embedding Agile Approach in Somerset
“
Agile for One is really helping me manage my priorities — I feel more in control of my workload than I have in a long time"
Course survey respondent, NHS Somerset
The Challenge
Within the Somerset healthcare community, complex projects requiring multi-disciplinary working faced significant hurdles. Use of traditional project management approaches coupled with the pressures on the primary care system led to projects not progressing at the expected pace. In some instances, this resulted in disconnected care, particularly in multi-disciplinary settings like care homes. Furthermore, staff often felt overwhelmed by the scale of transformation required, leading to stalled initiatives as projects felt "too big" to start.
Introduction of Agile Approach in Primary Care (and beyond)
To address these challenges, the Somerset Training Hub partnered with us to run the Agile Master in Public Services Programme. The goal was to provide healthcare professionals with a new approach for managing change and delivering value. Although the training was initially designed to address needs within general practice, Somerset Training Hub soon discovered the benefits of expanding the offer to connected disciplines. Alongside the formal training, light-touch post-course support from the training hub helped build confidence and sustain momentum, increasing the likelihood that teams were able to translate Agile principles into practice.
"The Agile way of working lends itself to teams working in primary care in many situations...working to strengths and allowing you to continually improve and develop through a simple reflection model and planning techniques... I can see this making a huge difference to teams who embrace it."
-Course survey respondent, NHS Somerset
The impact
Over 100 professionals from Somerset took part in the training. The majority of the participants reported high levels of confidence and said they would be ‘very likely’ to apply their learning. As per evaluation by Somerset Training Hub, the return of investment has been up to 195%.
In practice, the adoption of the agile approach has led to the development of several high-impact projects across Somerset. Here are a few of them.
By breaking down the complex goal of joined-up care into small, manageable steps, a cross-disciplinary team was able to make improvements in just two sprints:
- Rapid Coordination: The team held a comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting within four weeks, a feat never previously achieved at that speed, with representatives from adult social care, district nurses, the Primary Care Network (PCN), and the care home all in the same room.
- Proactive Care: The new approach shifted care from reactive to proactive, with care homes providing information in advance to allow for better-planned, person-centred discussions.
A project emerged from a collaboration between a voluntary sector CEO and a GP during Agile Masters training to provide wraparound care for private weight management patients:
- Pivoting Based on Feedback: The team used agile principles to quickly identify that their initial target age range was too narrow, allowing them to pivot their strategy in week three rather than months down the line.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: The project successfully used the PCN Clinical Director as a Product Owner to unblock barriers between the Foundation Trust and local practices.
General practice Practice Managers used an agile approach to independently overhaul how they manage the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). By breaking down the task into manageable chunks and by tackling one clinical indicator at a time (e.g., asthma) rather than all indicators simultaneously, teams experienced reduced stress and greater clarity as well as great results.
Key learning and future path
The Somerset experience demonstrates that agile can be a powerful mechanism for healthcare transformation. Key takeaways included:
This agile journey has set Somerset on a path toward more responsive, person-centred care, providing staff with the "headspace" to work differently and more effectively.
What they had to say...
You too can deliver faster outcomes with lasting results
Secure your place to become an Agile Master by the Public Service Transformation Academy. Or get in touch by emailing us on comms@basis.co.uk