There are many sources of variation in healthcare that can affect the flow of patients through care systems. Reducing and managing variation enables systems to become more predictable and easier to manage so allowing improvement of quality and safety. To effect successful service improvements, you need to understand the source of variation and use a range of tools to reduce and manage it.

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Alongside the human suffering, covid-19 is also threatening the sustainability of health systems. The continuing costs of the pandemic combined with the impending financial crisis will inevitably mean having to do more with less. The tragedy of the pandemic has paradoxically produced an opportunity to tackle the increasingly recognised challenge of “too much medicine” safely and fairly—to help improve both sustainability and equity in healthcare.

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This pandemic has provoked the best of human compassion and solidarity, but those who manage our health systems still face extraordinary challenges responding to covid-19. Looking beyond the crisis, our collective learning about the effects of the large falls in healthcare use can help inform and intensify efforts to reduce unnecessary care.

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The aim of this webinar is to build a culture of collaborative working across the healthcare workforce and reduce variation to prevent avoidable harm to patients, enhance healthcare equity, and improve the sustainability of health systems everywhere.

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