Lean Management (Lean) is an approach that aims to create value, improve productivity and minimise waste within an organisation. Leyton Stevens, chief executive officer of BES Rehab, explains the principles and the benefits of Lean and how they may be applied within the NHS.
The concept of Lean Management became popular through the Japanese car manufacturing giant Toyota, which applied its core principles to its manufacturing process and supply chain management.
In 2016, more than 82,000 elective operations in England were cancelled for non-clinical reasons, a 16% increase on 2015, and a third higher than 2010. In addition to this, 8% of these patients were not treated within 28 days of cancellation, the highest number since 2005.1 This was due to a number of reasons such as, the lack of available equipment, shortage of beds, unavailability of staff, emergency cases needing theatres, theatre lists over-running, as well as administrative errors.
The Five Principles of Lean
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