Unleashing the Potential of Primary care w/ U.K. Physician Quality Leader - Dr. Robert Varnam

Improve Healthcare

In this episode Primary Care Innovator and Executive Coach from England, Dr. Robert Varnam shares his insights into what is needed to unleash greater potential in primary care.

Dr. Robert Varnam is a general practitioner (GP) in inner city Manchester, a strategist for change and a leadership coach. His background is in researching and leading quality improvement. Over the last decade, he has been a leader at the forefront of National Health Service, England policy for integrated care, primary care transformation and improvement leadership. Most recently he worked as national Director of Primary Care Improvement at NHS England and NHS Improvement. Currently he provides hands-on support to leaders, particularly in health care and community development. He remains passionate about supporting leaders and teams to improve what they do without working harder with interest both in small and large scale change.

A few of his noteworthy accomplishments include:

• Leadership across Manchester, helping to catalyze partnerships between the NHS and local government for public health.

• At the University of Manchester, he worked in the National Primary Care Research & Development Centre. His research focused on staff wellbeing, quality of care and patient safety, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He helped establish a new system of research governance in the University.

• At the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement he helped create and deliver new QI programmes for general practice, improving safety, quality and productivity. His role as an advisor to the English government on integrated care as part of the NHS Future Forum, and supported NHS England to create the support and assessment framework for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). He designed and led a new large scale change leadership programme for system leaders which was made available to every CCG. At the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) he led developments in policy, practice accreditation, quality awards and establishment of the Royal College of General Practitioner Centre for Commissioning.

• At NHS England he contributed to the NHS Five Year Forward, the General Practice Forward View and the NHS Long Term Plan. He established Time for Care, one of the world’s largest primary care innovation programmes, overseeing new investment of £130m pounds.

robertvarnam.coach