Can lean save lives?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this paper is to show how over the last 18 months Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust have been exploring whether or not lean methodologies, often known as the Toyota Production System, can indeed be applied to healthcare.


METHODS
This paper is a viewpoint.


RESULTS
One's early experience is that lean really can save lives. The Toyota Production System is an amazingly successful way of manufacturing cars. It cannot be simply translated unthinkingly into a hospital but lessons can be learned from it and the method can be adapted and developed so that it becomes owned by healthcare staff and focused towards the goal of improved patient care.


CONCLUSIONS
Working in healthcare is a stressful and difficult thing. Everyone needs a touch of inspiration and encouragement. Applying lean to healthcare in Bolton seems to be achieving just that for those who work there.
Fillingham
David
D
Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton, UK. david.fillingham@rbh.nhs.uk
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D018581:Technology Transfer; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods*; D006113:United Kingdom