The Right Chamber E25 – Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement in the NHS

In this episode of The Right Chamber, hosts Jasprit and Victor sit down with Peter Lowe, Group Director of Improvement across Sandwell & West Birmingham (SWBH) and The Dudley Group. They explore what it really takes to build a culture where every NHS colleague can make care better. Peter traces his 25-year NHS journey from the service desk to Deputy CIO, where he led a £32m digital patient record programme. This involved rolling out bedside tablets for vital signs to speed sepsis recognition and improve outcomes. That experience became the springboard for his next challenge: creating a Trust-wide culture of continuous improvement. What does that look like in practice? Peter breaks it down with refreshing clarity: empowering staff to test ideas, learning visibly from what works (and what doesn’t), and using data to show measurable progress over time. Next, we dig into improvement leadership. The values, habits and day-to-day behaviours that help teams solve problems locally rather than passing everything up the line. Then, you’ll hear why psychological safety is non-negotiable, how to shift from autopilot reactions to scientific thinking, and why small, iterative changes beat big, intimidating plans. Peter shares practical examples of turning “firefighting” into focused improvement. He also covers how autonomy, mastery and purpose can unlock motivation across 14,000+ staff. Whether you work clinical or non-clinical areas, or you’re simply curious about the people behind the NHS, this conversation offers tools, mindset shifts, and stories you can start using tomorrow. Every NHS colleague can make care better. Get involved / training & support (CPD-accredited): • [email protected] • [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, share, and subscribe for more real stories from inside the NHS. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, and subscribe to us on YouTube for exclusive content and updates. #nhs #podcast #conversationsthatmatter #improvement #continuousimprovement #russellshallhospital #dudley #blackcountry #healthcare #NHSpodcasts