ABSTRACT

The National Booking Programme was the first, largest, and one of the longest-running modernization programmes. While the concept of offering patients a choice of appointment or admission date seems relatively simple, this involved a complex series of changes and significant redesign of

services. Chapter 7 explores the sustainability and spread issues affecting this programme, exploring the experience of one acute hospital. Chapter 8 considers change leadership and interpersonal influence in developing the booking programme. This chapter provides background information on the initiative, and explores in particular the contextual and temporal issues relevant to a national programme of this scale and substance. In particular, the chapter describes the programme’s history, outlines the national changes that affected its progress, and its achievements, seen from national, organizational, patient, and staff perspectives.