Root Cause Analysis Training for NHS and Healthcare Professionals

This 2-day course provides a practical introduction to root cause analysis through interactive modules and group workshops.

At the end of the course delegates will be able to identify the reasons behind problems such as poor patient outcomes and inefficient delivery of services. This knowledge will allow them to identify, control and prevent the causes of chronic and recurring problems. They will also understand how a systems-based approach can improve quality of care for individual patients and raise staff morale.

• those responsible for improving patient care or investigating incidents of patient harm
• those responsible for improving management systems and procedures
• quality managers
• internal and external auditors
• problem-solving team members and leaders

For those wishing to learn about RCA outside the healthcare sector, we recommend our Root Cause Analysis for all Industry Sectors training course. We also offer a Root Cause Analysis for Service Providers training course.

• NHS and patient safety
• National Reporting and Learning System
• basics of RCA
• RCA systems and processes: models, controls, measurement
• accidents and incidents
• the role of human error
• effective problem-solving teams
• investigation
• interviewing and other evidence gathering
• mapping information
• using NHS templates
• evaluating evidence
• effective judgement
• dealing with people in the investigation process
• incident decision tree
• identifying care and service delivery problems (CDPs and
• SDPs)
• change analysis
• analysis tools and techniques, including Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagrams and 5-whys analysis
• using statistics in problem solving
• identifying ‘root cause’
• understanding ‘common causes’ and ‘special causes’
• liability issues with RCA
• providing and risk assessing solutions
• planning improvement actions
• minimising risk of change
• preventing recurrence

The course makes use of a variety of materials drawn from NHS and other sources, including NHS Improvement and the former National Patient Safety Agency.

• participate in the effective investigation of problems
• use appropriate tools and techniques to identify and document the root causes of incidents and recurring problems in their organisation
• propose and evaluate solutions to prevent problems recurring
• communicate their findings and recommendations to their colleagues and senior management
• engage senior management in improving the system to remove the ‘common causes’, and controlling random initiatives that may destabilise processes which are currently ‘under control’

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For Scheduled Training courses, please select from the Course Dates and Venues table below.