Doing Better, Together
Productivity Manifesto
Productivity in the NHS is not just a technical problem to be solved—it is a human possibility to be unlocked.
This manifesto is a call to action for everyone who works in, learns in, uses and/or leads the NHS. We commit to the following principles because real productivity grows when we create the conditions for everyone to do their best work.
Read it in full below and download here.
1. Productivity starts with purpose
Productivity in the NHS is not simply a target on a performance report; it is a collective responsibility. We should assess progress less by activity counts and more by whether everyone is able to do their best work to improve health, equity, access, safety and compassion.
2. Our people are our greatest asset
Every outcome we deliver depends on our workforce - the system's most important resource and critical to improving quality of care. Investing in our people's capability, safety, and sense of agency activates the potential of the entire service.
3. We make trust, wellbeing and psychological safety the foundation of productive work
Teams thrive when everyone feels safe to speak up, question, imagine and challenge. Safety, wellbeing and inclusion are not “nice-to-haves” - they are the heartbeat of innovation, learning and sustainable change.
4. We improve work where work happens
We take insight, data and decision‑making to the frontline. Productivity happens when those closest to the work have the permission, tools and power to shape it.
5. Productivity is built on the quality of our connections
When we strengthen relationships across roles, professions, departments, and systems, we enable people to coordinate work more effectively, solve problems faster, and create better outcomes.
6. We make meaningful conversations part of everyday work
We stop and consider together: “What really matters here?” When every voice influences the work, improvement becomes unstoppable.
7. We learn out loud - openly and generously
We share what works so others don’t have to start from scratch. A single team’s success becomes a whole system’s progress.
8. We measure what matters
A win is not a win if it harms safety, equity, quality or wellbeing. We gauge productivity through data, stories and lived experience - not just numbers on a dashboard.
9. We put improvement in everyone’s hands
Everyone in the NHS is an improver. Improvement is part of all our jobs, every day - not just the work of specialists or project teams. Every colleague, in every role, should have the skills and support to spot problems, try better ways of working, and act on what they learn.
10. We hold ourselves to account for both impact and experience
We pay attention to how work feels as well as what it delivers. Because when trust, connection and capability grow, quality, flow and financial sustainability rise together.