Improvement Kata Healthcare Programme
Scientific thinking for real improvement in healthcare
A practical, healthcare-focused Improvement Kata course that equips clinical, operational and quality teams with the skills to apply scientific thinking, run rapid experiments and achieve meaningful, measurable improvements.
What is the Improvement Kata Healthcare Programme?
The Improvement Kata Healthcare Programme is a 4-day, hands-on course, supported by parallel coaching sessions, designed to help healthcare professionals apply a structured, scientific approach to improvement. Delivered in-house for teams of 6–10 improvers, it’s aligned to Kata Learning Framework (KLF) Level 1.2 – building practitioners who can grasp the current condition, set target conditions, identify obstacles and experiment their way towards better outcomes.
Every element of this programme is tailored to the realities of healthcare environments, from hospitals and clinical teams to community services, mental health, pharmaceutical and digital health organisations. Participants don’t just learn improvement theory, they practise it on real challenges, in real settings, from day one.
Who is this programme for?
This programme is designed for healthcare organisations and individuals who are ready to build genuine, lasting improvement capability – grounded in scientific thinking and applied to real clinical and operational challenges.
Healthcare organisations
Building internal improvement capability across a locality, service line or directorate – creating a shared language and method for improvement.
Leaders and managers
Who want a structured, scientific approach to improving services and patient outcomes — and a coaching habit to sustain it.
Quality and improvement professionals
Looking to deepen their practical improvement capability, earn recognised KLF credentials and support others more effectively.
Clinical and operational teams
Who need a repeatable, reliable method for tackling complex challenges in high-stakes, time-pressured environments.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What participants will learn to do
Applied skills you’ll take back to work
These outcomes align directly with KLF Level 1.2 expectations, including the ability to document, visualise and present the current condition, and to test ideas by experiment, reflect on what happens and adapt accordingly. Every skill is practised on live challenges – not case studies.
Apply the Improvement Kata to real challenges from day one
Build and use a learner storyboard to visualise thinking and track progress
Grasp the current condition using process maps, run charts and gemba observation
Establish clear, measurable target conditions
- Identify obstacles and analyse cause and effect
- Design and run rapid, scientific experiments
Reflect, learn and adapt using scientific-thinking habits
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Programme overview: in-house delivery
The programme is structured as two connected blocks – classroom training and parallel coaching support – designed to work together to build real, lasting capability. Coaching doesn’t wait until after training is complete, it begins during the programme itself.
This structure mirrors the KLF expectation that learners practise Starter Kata routines repeatedly and receive regular, structured feedback – not a one-off training event. The result is a cohort of practitioners who have already begun applying scientific thinking before the programme is even complete.
What’s included in the programme
4 days of classroom training
Delivered as 2 x 2-day blocks on-site at your organisation. Covers scientific thinking foundations, Starter Kata routines, grasping the current condition, target condition development, and experimentation and learning cycles.
Parallel coaching support
Facilitated learning groups meet weekly between the two training blocks. Participants begin with a personal challenge to build fluency, then transition to a real healthcare improvement challenge as confidence and skills grow.
Healthcare specific tools and templates
A full suite of practical resources: storyboards, target condition forms, obstacle parking lots and experiment records – all designed for clinical and regulated environments.
Peer learning groups
Optional structured peer groups to support shared learning, reflection and ongoing accountability between sessions and beyond the formal programme.
Why healthcare organisations choose this programme
There are many improvement programmes available. What distinguishes the Improvement Kata Healthcare Programme is its combination of rigorous scientific method, practical application and deep alignment to the realities of clinical environments.
Designed for healthcare
Every example, template and exercise is tailored to clinical and regulated environments – not repurposed from manufacturing or generic business improvement.
Practical, not theoretical
Participants apply the Improvement Kata to real challenges from day one. The focus is always on doing – building habits through deliberate, coached practice.
Coaching starts immediately
Learning groups run in parallel with training, accelerating skill development and ensuring participants are supported as they practise – not left to figure it out alone afterwards.
Aligned to KLF Level 1.2
Provides a clear, structured pathway to recognised kata capability, with support towards meeting KLF Level 1.2 evidence requirements.
Delivered to local teams
In-house delivery builds capability where it matters most – inside your organisation, with your teams, on your challenges.
Pricing per delegate
6–10 delegates
£2,427 + VAT per delegate
11–20 delegates
£2,125 + VAT per delegate
Pricing doesn’t include trainer expenses if delivered at your site. Contact us to discuss your requirements and receive a tailored quote.
Ready to develop a team of Improvement Kata practitioners?
Whether you’re looking to build capability across a single directorate, roll out to multiple cohorts or design a locality-wide improvement programme, we can help you shape the right approach for your organisation.
Get in touch to discuss in-house delivery, cohort design, multi-team roll-out options and pricing. We’ll work with you to design a programme that fits your context, your teams and your improvement ambitions.
Our courses
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