Engineering methods ‘would benefit healthcare’

A systematic, engineering approach to healthcare could have a transformative effect on service provision in the UK, according to a report from a cross-disciplinary trio of learned societies.

The challenges facing UK healthcare managers as a result of the sheer size and complexity of the NHS, coupled with increasing pressure from an ageing population, were the subject of a study by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal College of Physicians, published on 25 September.

The academies argue that the systems approach used by engineers to solve problems could be the answer. This would entail identifying the elements of a system and the way they interact, before addressing challenges in a holistic way.