As the government’s healthcare reforms begin to take shape, Lucy Botting stresses the importance of good leadership skills in improving productivity, quality and efficiency

In recent years, there has been an imperative to improve productivity in the NHS. This requires the use of appropriate tools and appropriate leadership at all levels of organisations. This article outlines to concept of transformational change, discusses productivity as a national driver for improving healthcare services, looks at the most appropriate tools to use at various levels of organisations to achieve this, and considers why leadership is a vital component in transformational change.