Lessons for Lean in Healthcare from Using Six Sigma in the NHS

In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) has applied a number of quality improvement approaches from manufacturing, often in a piecemeal fashion; most notably Six Sigma and, more recently, Lean. This article reports on an evaluation of a programme used in the NHS to consider what can be learned about the application of such approaches—including what themes also apply to Lean, and its implementation, particularly in the healthcare context.

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