Nervous Laughter

Organisational Development in Healthcare introduces the practical ways in which change in health services can be promoted. It includes descriptions of all of the most important approaches to change currently being used in the NHS discussion of when they work best and details of the evidence of their impact. 'The interest in organisational development reflects a growing realisation that many of our previous managerial methods are inappropriate and that a new set of techniques and approaches are required. As this book points out creating a new set of jargon techniques and alchemy will surely mean that organisational development is as divorced from what clinicians do patients experience and the public expects as previous reform programmes. Change ideas such as case management for long term conditions that should directly appeal to what clinicians want to achieve could become yet another project done by management that will pass when the enthusiasm wanes and which totally alienates those it should most appeal to. This book provides a key guide to leaders trying to engage their staff in changing their organisations by bringing together theory and experience. This is important as too often theory is neglected and there is inadequate reflection on experience' Nigel Edwards in his Foreword 'An invaluable addition to every practising health manager's bookshelf. I hope you gain a great deal from reading this book and I hope it helps in the efforts that are underway to transform our National Health Service.' David Fillingham in his Foreword