Implementing Lean in Health Care: Making the Link Between the Approach, Readiness and Sustainability

Abstract

This paper draws on the findings of three evaluations, two Hospitals and a Mental Health Trust in England, on the implementation of Lean within Health Care. The paper analyses the case studies not only to assess if the approach taken was process or continuous improvement but also to evaluate the degree to which conditions of readiness related to Lean were present. Organisational readiness factors include understanding of the process/system view, customer view, data and engaging the staff to ensure that Lean is not just about making poor processes more efficient by focusing on the tools. The paper introduces a typology of Lean implementation which could be used to situate organisations to understand their relationship between the approach taken and, the state of the conditions of readiness thus the level of sustainability which could be achieved.

Article history: Received (08 January 2011); Revised (22 February 2011); Accepted (16 March 2011)