THIS Institute (The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute)
@thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk
We are The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute. We're strengthening the evidence base for healthcare improvement.
Based at the University of Cambridge and made possible by the Health Foundation.
thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk
Based at the University of Cambridge and made possible by the Health Foundation.
thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk
Powerful story from @jama.com on the long-term impact of critical illness, featuring patient stories as well as clinical insights from @jomcpeake.bsky.social & her fellowship. Watch the video here ja.ma/45egOLb & learn more about Jo’s work in the field bit.ly/4pHJYcP
Post–intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a cluster of physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments that affect more than half of ICU survivors.
💡 Learn more about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of PICS in this JAMA Insights.
ja.ma/3Njggxy
💡 Learn more about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of PICS in this JAMA Insights.
ja.ma/3Njggxy
January 21, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Powerful story from @jama.com on the long-term impact of critical illness, featuring patient stories as well as clinical insights from @jomcpeake.bsky.social & her fellowship. Watch the video here ja.ma/45egOLb & learn more about Jo’s work in the field bit.ly/4pHJYcP
Over a third of UK births are by caesarean, and these are sometimes required during advanced labour, when the baby’s head is low and wedged in the mother’s pelvis. This can make it difficult to deliver the baby and there’s no agreed way on how best to manage it.
January 20, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Over a third of UK births are by caesarean, and these are sometimes required during advanced labour, when the baby’s head is low and wedged in the mother’s pelvis. This can make it difficult to deliver the baby and there’s no agreed way on how best to manage it.
There needs to be more clarity about what the #NHS10YearPlan offers for patients and what “good enough” looks like in terms of access, along with careful co-design and evaluation of the detail of each of the three shifts.
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
January 19, 2026 at 10:06 AM
There needs to be more clarity about what the #NHS10YearPlan offers for patients and what “good enough” looks like in terms of access, along with careful co-design and evaluation of the detail of each of the three shifts.
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Will access to general practice be affected by the #NHS10YearPlan? There needs to be clarity about what this offers for patients, what “good enough” looks like for access & careful co-design & evaluation of the detail of each of the 3 shifts.
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
January 15, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Will access to general practice be affected by the #NHS10YearPlan? There needs to be clarity about what this offers for patients, what “good enough” looks like for access & careful co-design & evaluation of the detail of each of the 3 shifts.
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Full paper: ths.im/4b6oPWp
THIS Summary: ths.im/49oDU4k
Nearly 10m people have surgery in the UK yearly & need good perioperative care. Our rapid evidence review & participatory exercise highlighted 10 key areas. We worked with patients, carers, clinicians & managers to develop a quality framework.
Full paper: ths.im/4bxxpNU
THIS summary: ths.im/3Nt0Dn4
Full paper: ths.im/4bxxpNU
THIS summary: ths.im/3Nt0Dn4
January 14, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Nearly 10m people have surgery in the UK yearly & need good perioperative care. Our rapid evidence review & participatory exercise highlighted 10 key areas. We worked with patients, carers, clinicians & managers to develop a quality framework.
Full paper: ths.im/4bxxpNU
THIS summary: ths.im/3Nt0Dn4
Full paper: ths.im/4bxxpNU
THIS summary: ths.im/3Nt0Dn4
We evaluated the patient safety specialist role across England in 2019 and identified what's working well and where improvements are needed.
THIS summary: ths.im/48DZzUh
Full paper: ths.im/3YdOTXL
THIS summary: ths.im/48DZzUh
Full paper: ths.im/3YdOTXL
January 14, 2026 at 10:06 AM
We evaluated the patient safety specialist role across England in 2019 and identified what's working well and where improvements are needed.
THIS summary: ths.im/48DZzUh
Full paper: ths.im/3YdOTXL
THIS summary: ths.im/48DZzUh
Full paper: ths.im/3YdOTXL
We're seeking a strategic thinker to lead on our engagement & involvement activities, ensuring that our research is shaped by healthcare staff, patients, policymakers & academics. Our research has the potential to transform healthcare.
Apply by Monday 26 January: ths.im/49jAxLR
Apply by Monday 26 January: ths.im/49jAxLR
January 13, 2026 at 2:51 PM
We're seeking a strategic thinker to lead on our engagement & involvement activities, ensuring that our research is shaped by healthcare staff, patients, policymakers & academics. Our research has the potential to transform healthcare.
Apply by Monday 26 January: ths.im/49jAxLR
Apply by Monday 26 January: ths.im/49jAxLR
Help improve timeliness of hospital CT scans for people on the acute abdomen pathways by sharing your feedback in a new THIS Institute & @rcoa-cri.bsky.social survey. We’d love to hear from you if you work in the ED, radiology, or surgery. Take part now: bit.ly/4sNw8Zx
January 12, 2026 at 9:01 AM
Help improve timeliness of hospital CT scans for people on the acute abdomen pathways by sharing your feedback in a new THIS Institute & @rcoa-cri.bsky.social survey. We’d love to hear from you if you work in the ED, radiology, or surgery. Take part now: bit.ly/4sNw8Zx
Concern about delays in NHS cancer care has grown. Rising cancer incidence, complex treatments & limited resources make it harder to meet targets set in 1997. @marydixonwoods.bsky.social, Ajay Aggarwal & Richard Grieve suggest a national learning system approach may help. Read ths.im/3YsvNNQ
January 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Concern about delays in NHS cancer care has grown. Rising cancer incidence, complex treatments & limited resources make it harder to meet targets set in 1997. @marydixonwoods.bsky.social, Ajay Aggarwal & Richard Grieve suggest a national learning system approach may help. Read ths.im/3YsvNNQ
How we communicate matters. We’ve been working to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in how we communicate at THIS Institute. Our latest blog shares what we did, what we learned, and why it matters: ths.im/3Z0tce5
January 7, 2026 at 2:18 PM
How we communicate matters. We’ve been working to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in how we communicate at THIS Institute. Our latest blog shares what we did, what we learned, and why it matters: ths.im/3Z0tce5
Access to healthcare is often focused on speed and supply, but this doesn’t consider other crucial aspects of people’s experiences. The candidacy framework can help understand access to general practice more broadly.
Full paper: ths.im/3Kz0Vb4
THIS Summary: ths.im/4phBVnH
Full paper: ths.im/3Kz0Vb4
THIS Summary: ths.im/4phBVnH
January 6, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Access to healthcare is often focused on speed and supply, but this doesn’t consider other crucial aspects of people’s experiences. The candidacy framework can help understand access to general practice more broadly.
Full paper: ths.im/3Kz0Vb4
THIS Summary: ths.im/4phBVnH
Full paper: ths.im/3Kz0Vb4
THIS Summary: ths.im/4phBVnH
Through frank and honest conversations unpacking what works (and what doesn’t) in healthcare improvement, our podcast series explores some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
Download episodes and listen to the podcast series now: ths.im/4l8JbQi
Download episodes and listen to the podcast series now: ths.im/4l8JbQi
January 5, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Through frank and honest conversations unpacking what works (and what doesn’t) in healthcare improvement, our podcast series explores some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
Download episodes and listen to the podcast series now: ths.im/4l8JbQi
Download episodes and listen to the podcast series now: ths.im/4l8JbQi
Making it easier to get appointments is the public’s top priority for the NHS. We reviewed 40 years of interventions into a themed catalogue to help guide improvement efforts.
THIS summary: ths.im/3MlV1dS
Full paper: ths.im/44DALL2
THIS summary: ths.im/3MlV1dS
Full paper: ths.im/44DALL2
January 2, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Making it easier to get appointments is the public’s top priority for the NHS. We reviewed 40 years of interventions into a themed catalogue to help guide improvement efforts.
THIS summary: ths.im/3MlV1dS
Full paper: ths.im/44DALL2
THIS summary: ths.im/3MlV1dS
Full paper: ths.im/44DALL2
Our review shows that the candidacy framework can help explain why improving access to general practice is so complex. It highlights issues that affect how people seek care but may benefit from updating to reflect general practice changes.
Full paper: ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
Full paper: ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
December 30, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Our review shows that the candidacy framework can help explain why improving access to general practice is so complex. It highlights issues that affect how people seek care but may benefit from updating to reflect general practice changes.
Full paper: ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
Full paper: ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
Nearly 10 million people have surgery every year in the UK, so how can we ensure quality care before, during & after? We asked patients, carers & staff to help develop an evidence-based framework to support good quality surgical care.
View the framework: buff.ly/4EcTh49#peri...
View the framework: buff.ly/4EcTh49#peri...
December 29, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Nearly 10 million people have surgery every year in the UK, so how can we ensure quality care before, during & after? We asked patients, carers & staff to help develop an evidence-based framework to support good quality surgical care.
View the framework: buff.ly/4EcTh49#peri...
View the framework: buff.ly/4EcTh49#peri...
Sepsis kills more than 45,000 people in the UK each year - costing the NHS £1.1bn, & can lead to long-term physical, mental, & emotional challenges for survivors. We asked patients, carers & clinicians what research mattered most to them.
Full paper: buff.ly/7MBiCmc
THIS summary: buff.ly/pu3onzt
Full paper: buff.ly/7MBiCmc
THIS summary: buff.ly/pu3onzt
December 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Sepsis kills more than 45,000 people in the UK each year - costing the NHS £1.1bn, & can lead to long-term physical, mental, & emotional challenges for survivors. We asked patients, carers & clinicians what research mattered most to them.
Full paper: buff.ly/7MBiCmc
THIS summary: buff.ly/pu3onzt
Full paper: buff.ly/7MBiCmc
THIS summary: buff.ly/pu3onzt
We’ve established the Tim Draycott Scholarship Fund to honour a global leader in maternity safety and his work with THIS Institute.
If you’d like to learn more or contribute in Tim’s memory, details are here: ths.im/4rRZlBU
If you’d like to learn more or contribute in Tim’s memory, details are here: ths.im/4rRZlBU
December 23, 2025 at 10:06 AM
We’ve established the Tim Draycott Scholarship Fund to honour a global leader in maternity safety and his work with THIS Institute.
If you’d like to learn more or contribute in Tim’s memory, details are here: ths.im/4rRZlBU
If you’d like to learn more or contribute in Tim’s memory, details are here: ths.im/4rRZlBU
Quality of surgical care can vary, leading to preventable deaths & poorer outcomes. Frontline, small-scale quality improvement projects don’t always work well. We worked with frontline surgeons to test a framework to help the early stages.
Find out more: ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Find out more: ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
December 22, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Quality of surgical care can vary, leading to preventable deaths & poorer outcomes. Frontline, small-scale quality improvement projects don’t always work well. We worked with frontline surgeons to test a framework to help the early stages.
Find out more: ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Find out more: ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Access to general practice is a growing problem, with long waits, lack of appointments & unmet patient needs. Our review shows the candidacy framework offers a more nuanced way to understand access, beyond appointment numbers & waiting times.
Full paper ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
Full paper ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
December 22, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Access to general practice is a growing problem, with long waits, lack of appointments & unmet patient needs. Our review shows the candidacy framework offers a more nuanced way to understand access, beyond appointment numbers & waiting times.
Full paper ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
Full paper ths.im/4aljBFS
THIS summary: ths.im/4iZqTBe
The Early Planning of Small-scale Surgical Improvement projects (EPoSSI) framework was created using a 5-step process & tested with frontline surgeons using clinical case scenarios. Find out more below.
Full paper ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Full paper ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
December 17, 2025 at 10:06 AM
The Early Planning of Small-scale Surgical Improvement projects (EPoSSI) framework was created using a 5-step process & tested with frontline surgeons using clinical case scenarios. Find out more below.
Full paper ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Full paper ths.im/3YrOv83
THIS summary: ths.im/44vNX4C
Wondering what everyone was talking about at our annual conference #THISspace2025? Catch up on every session, revisit your favourites, and share with colleagues.
Watch now: ths.im/4anRg1s
Watch now: ths.im/4anRg1s
December 17, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Wondering what everyone was talking about at our annual conference #THISspace2025? Catch up on every session, revisit your favourites, and share with colleagues.
Watch now: ths.im/4anRg1s
Watch now: ths.im/4anRg1s
THIS Institute has contributed to the evidence base for improving mental health services with a focus on the value of lived experience & peer research. Read insights from @instagraham.bsky.social @rosielindsay.bsky.social & John Gibson @mcpinfoundation.bsky.social
Read the blog: ths.im/4iZOJNq
Read the blog: ths.im/4iZOJNq
December 16, 2025 at 10:06 AM
THIS Institute has contributed to the evidence base for improving mental health services with a focus on the value of lived experience & peer research. Read insights from @instagraham.bsky.social @rosielindsay.bsky.social & John Gibson @mcpinfoundation.bsky.social
Read the blog: ths.im/4iZOJNq
Read the blog: ths.im/4iZOJNq
A new framework to improve early design & planning of major change programmes in health and health care has been developed by @THISInstitute, @IpsosUK, & @HealthFdn drawing on research, government guidance, and experiences of NHS leaders. Find out more: ths.im/4iyf9pd
December 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
A new framework to improve early design & planning of major change programmes in health and health care has been developed by @THISInstitute, @IpsosUK, & @HealthFdn drawing on research, government guidance, and experiences of NHS leaders. Find out more: ths.im/4iyf9pd
Over a third of UK births are by caesarean, and these are sometimes required during advanced labour, when the baby’s head is low and wedged in the mother’s pelvis. This can make it difficult to deliver the baby and there’s no agreed way on how best to manage it.
December 15, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Over a third of UK births are by caesarean, and these are sometimes required during advanced labour, when the baby’s head is low and wedged in the mother’s pelvis. This can make it difficult to deliver the baby and there’s no agreed way on how best to manage it.
3 million fewer people have seen an NHS dentist in the last 2 years. Only 30-40% of practices are taking new patients, and those most affected are unemployed, disabled, or living with illness. Poor data ecosystems make it harder to plan services, target resources & fix inequalities. [1/2]
December 12, 2025 at 10:20 AM
3 million fewer people have seen an NHS dentist in the last 2 years. Only 30-40% of practices are taking new patients, and those most affected are unemployed, disabled, or living with illness. Poor data ecosystems make it harder to plan services, target resources & fix inequalities. [1/2]