Our legacy: supporting a culture of improvement in south London
Since 2013, King's Improvement Science (KIS) has worked with health and social care professionals, patients and the public to improve the quality of health and care for people in south London. In September 2025, our King’s Health Partners-funded programme concluded.
In this time, KIS has established valuable partnerships with patients, public contributors and collaborators, and generated important learning. We have shown how quality improvement and implementation science research can inform real-world improvements to services. We have also generated a culture of improvement through our projects, resources, advice and training.
KIS was founded in 2013 with support from King’s Health Partners to build strength in applied health research, implementation research and quality improvement. Since then, we have worked closely with NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London and the Health Innovation Network South London, organisations which specialise in applied health research and supporting research into practice.
KIS has supported capacity building across the three King’s Health Partners NHS Trusts, through training in implementation and improvement science, advice clinics and practical resources. We have also supported 14 improvement science research fellowships and 5 PhD students, who have gone on to lead new improvement science research in roles across the UK.
Our research
- 14 improvement research projects co-developed with NHS Trusts, patient and public involvement members and other partners
- 86 peer-reviewed research papers published, including some co-written by PPI members
Community engagement and impact
- Engaged over 80 patient and public involvement contributors
- Amplified previously unheard voices in service design
- Influenced local NHS trust initiatives
- Contributed to wider system projects and improvement programme
Resources and knowledge sharing
- 40 accessible resources developed and shared nationally, including guides, videos, posters and websites on improvement, implementation, evaluation and public involvement within health services
Collaboration
We have worked to deliver this high-impact work alongside other organisations, including the South East London and South West London Integrated Care Systems, The Health Foundation, Lambeth Living Well Network Hub, Black Thrive, Healthwatch Lambeth, Guy's and St Thomas' Charity and Maudsley Charity.
We have also supported 16 improvement projects through our South London Evaluation Advice Clinic alongside the Health Innovation Network South London and King’s Health Partners. The clinics were supported by the South East London and South West London Integrated Care Boards.
“Working with KIS has been transformative for King's College Hospital. Their expertise and dedication helped us establish a systematic process, significantly elevating patient and carer involvement in quality improvement, resulting in clear, impactful deliverables.”
Andrea Cortés, Improvement, Deputy Director, King's College Hospital
Our research (2019–2025)
Our research projects responded to the needs of local health and care services and were informed by patient and public involvement to influence how health services are delivered locally and support healthcare staff to provide the best care. This work has had a direct impact on the delivery of services.
Evaluation of remote monitoring for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
KIS evaluated a new multi-Trust remote monitoring service for patients with rheumatoid arthritis designed to help better manage symptoms. We worked with the Health Innovation Network South London, patients and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. Findings have informed ongoing service developments and implementation. Read more.
Understanding patient experiences of waiting for heart surgery
We carried out a project to better understand patient preferences and experiences of waiting for heart surgery across four south London hospitals. The findings were shared with healthcare managers and clinicians. This will directly impact the way that cardiac surgery waiting lists are managed across these hospitals in the future, and elements will be generalisable to other hospital specialties. Read more.
"We have a unique insight into what patients and families go through from their very first communication with hospital teams to being on the waiting list itself and eventual surgery. We helped the research team to understand the patient perspective and develop questions that would be relevant to the survey"
Rashmi Kumar and Jo Burridge, patient and public involvement members at KIS
Developed a Theory of Change for NHS Quality Improvement training
We worked closely with the quality improvement team at King’s College Hospital to develop a Theory of Change, which outlines everything that needs to be in place, including resources, training and outcomes, for the team to deliver its improvement goals. This work informed the Trust’s quality improvement strategy and has led to more systematic involvement of patients and public in this work. Read more.
“Working with KIS and using the Theory of Change to look at our quality improvement training programme has provided us with critical insights for strengthening our quality improvement training, building capability and fostering a culture of improvement.”
Lorraine Catt, Senior Improvement Manager, King’s College Hospital
Evaluated remote consultations in mental health
The pandemic led to a rapid shift from face-to-face consultations to telephone and video appointments in mental health care. KIS was part of a unique collaboration in south London to evaluate the impact of these changes on service users and mental healthcare staff, resulting in recommendations to inform clinical practice. Read more.
“Alongside the Health Innovation Network, we co-designed research summaries and infographics, highlighted overlooked groups such as older adults and people in the criminal justice system and championed inclusive, person-centred care. A key message was that choice matters. Remote consultations can work well, but must never replace thoughtful, equitable care. Technology should widen access, not deepen exclusion”
- Mel Getty, patient and public involvement member at KIS
Developed a 4Pi framework-based questionnaire to evaluate service user and care involvement in research
We developed a new questionnaire to evaluate service users and carers’ experiences of involvement at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, based on the 4Pi National Involvement Standards. The questionnaire enables the involvement process to be better understood, so that good practice can be more widely shared and challenges can be better identified and overcome. Read more.
Evaluated NHS staff support programmes during Covid-19
KIS evaluated the implementation of NHS staff support and wellbeing programmes across all three King’s Health Partners Trusts during Covid-19. Our findings were shared with the lead implementors at each NHS site to inform future staff support programmes, addressing barriers and ensuring their sustainability. Read more.
Involving members of the public to ensure our work makes a difference
From the start, KIS championed the involvement of people who use health and care services to ensure that research is informed by people with first-hand knowledge and experience. We developed a strong culture of involvement, including employing a PPI coordinator, a dedicated role supporting the involvement of patients, service users, their families and the public. Our dedicated public involvement members within KIS have added value to our work and contributed to our mission and vision.
Hear from some of our involvement members and team about what they’re most proud of.
Watch the video:
Within south London and beyond, we have championed the value of PPI through:
- Events: The value of partnering with the public to improve health services
- Thought leadership: Finding your community through involvement in research
- Blogs: Using our lived experience to inform research on rheumatoid arthritis remote monitoring
- Resources: KIS Advice about Patient and Public Involvement
- Advice: Read our top tips for other organisations wishing to embed PPI in their work.
- Advice: Interested in strengthening health and care research by becoming a PPI member?
Find out more
“What made KIS truly unique was its multidisciplinary team. Each project brought together individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise, along with at least two closely involved PPI members.
This collaborative model - integrating professional knowledge, partnerships, and meaningful PPI involvement - was key to how we worked and the impact we have made.”
Manuela Russo, Research fellow at KIS
