ABSTRACT
Leaders create 'learning spaces' – places where groups of people learn from and with each other, and develop collaborative enquiries – research and audit. Adult learning principles are concerned less with pointing things out, and more with helping people to find things out for themselves. Small-group–large-group iterations allow people to generate energy by talking directly to others, and also hold together the whole group. Leaders hear from some general practices (GPs) that their overwhelming workload and lack of places to think through issues has prevented a consensus developing among local GPs about the future of the hospital. Now the same groups are threatening to campaign through the newspapers because of what they see as a change from the idea of a holistic community hospital to an outpost of the teaching hospital. Leader’s initial work identifies primary care professionals from other organisations who want to develop better relationships with the practice as an extended primary care team.
