Enabling practice development: Evaluation of a pilot programme to effect integrated and organic approaches to practice development

The Centre for the Development of Healthcare Policy and Practice (CDHPP) at the University of Leeds set out to design, deliver and pilot a programme in three NHS trusts for corporate level healthcare professionals working in the field of practice development. Its purpose was to provide a framework to help organizations to integrate the process of improvement in patient care and services at the levels of the patient care team and the organization as a whole. This article outlines the rationale for the programme and describes its philosophy and approach to delivery. It also presents a critical evaluation of the programme's impact and of lessons for design and delivery of future programmes of a similar nature. The programme received a positive evaluation from participants. Reflecting upon the scope and nature of practice development work enabled participants to clarify their thinking and focus their attention on developments at the clinical level to ensure that improvement initiatives are directly grounded in and from practice. At the same time, the importance placed on diagnosing organizational culture and the artefacts already present within the systems provided valuable insights into designing engagement strategies and sustainability of improvement work. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.