What People Say
‘The whole process has been great for the team to develop and move forward’
‘Thank you. The whole process has been great for the team to develop and move forward. I’ve been aware of the shift in our thinking as I’m rewriting our Policies and Procedures. It’s great to know that we’ve still got the connection with Brendan and yourself and the larger community.
Connect in the North
‘It helped us focus on solutions’
‘Throughout the Buurtzorg pilot there were a couple of things I enjoyed. The first one is the teamwork, the skills, the training we received from Buurtzorg. The solution driven method of interaction, I think personally that’s something that’s really helped me progress as an individual and using it with our teams it helped us focus on solutions and helped us evaluate the time we were spending.’
Care worker, in a Buurtzorg pilot team
‘The nursing team had really achieved something important in their lives’
‘You could just see from the smile on the grandson and the patient’s face [on supporting a return to mobility that meant the patient was able to walk outside the home for the first time in a long time] that the nursing team had really achieved something important in their lives.’
Member of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Neighbourhood Nursing Team
‘We had helped make a difference for her’
‘This was a patient who was happy to see the neighbourhood nurses and this was the first time she had been ‘happy’ to see any health care professionals because we had helped make a difference for her.’
Member of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Neighbourhood Nursing Team
‘Turned traditional healthcare models inside out’
‘By empowering nurses in self-organized teams, Buurtzorg has turned traditional healthcare models inside out.’
2019 award for Ideas into Practice, Thinkers 50
‘Awarded best place to work 5 times’
‘Buurtzorg does not have a marketing function and yet won an award for best brand. It does not have a CFO but is always profitable. It does not have HR but has been awarded best place to work 5 times.’
The Peter Drucker Forum, 2019
‘It should be adopted everywhere!’
‘Patient trust has soared because they are able to build a relationship with one person. …’
‘Staff satisfaction has leapt: Dutch nurses have come out of retirement to join. …’
‘And Buurtzorg’s overheads are less than a third those of comparable organisations, because the model is so simple. …’
‘It should be adopted everywhere.’
Camilla Cavendish, Advisor to Department of Health and Social Care, writing in Financial Times, 2019
‘The program empowers nurses’
‘Essentially, the program empowers nurses (rather than nursing assistants or cleaners) to deliver all the care that patients need. And while this has meant higher costs per hour, the results have been fewer hours in total.’
‘Indeed, by changing the model of care, Buurtzorg has accomplished a 50 percent reduction in hours of care, improved quality of care and raised work satisfaction for employees.’
KPMG case study
‘Change is absolutely possible!’
‘It has been a challenging, thought provoking course, stretching me in ways I didnt expect and it has given me the experience and knowledge I need to apply to our local systems. It’s also enthused me and has made me realise that change is absolutely possible! . . .’
‘Really in depth experience’
‘Buurtzorg Britain and Ireland are supportive and give you a really in depth experience.’
‘We feel empowered!’
‘As [pilot team] employees we feel empowered. We have been given the responsibility and opportunity to have a real impact on our customer’s lives, and this is something we are relishing. […] The impact on our customers and their families is immense. They feel closer to the Council through the contact they have with us. They are empowered by the IT application we use, which includes mechanisms for Customer and Family member feedback. They enjoy the level of ownership and flexibility they have in the care they receive.. . .’
‘Benefits of growing strength, confidence and independence’
‘I would like to point out that I have been completely happy with the care the [team] have provided to my father […]. [Their] commitment to making sure my dad is not only comfortable, but observing him take his medication and has been willing to prepare his food have produced benefits of growing strength, confidence and independence.. . .’
‘Amazing!’
‘Amazing! Really informative study day. Really inspiring!’
‘Fantastic!’
‘Fantastic model for both clients and professionals.’
‘Good discussion!’
‘It was good to have a discussion with those who have experience of the model and hear their feedback.’
‘A really good workshop!’
‘A really good workshop. Would love to hear that Buurtzorg could do some collaboration with NHS England/NHS Improvement and would love to have funding to support a team in my area.’
‘BzBI were very supportive’
‘BZBI were very supportive to the Project Board and wider stakeholders, taking the time to explain the Buurtzorg model and principles, providing appropriate challenge to the Board and LWL Workers, as and when required (particularly around the self-management principle); and assisting with training sessions and creative problem-solving.’
‘Definitely a good way forward’
‘A fantastic day of learning from Brendan Martin & the other sites in Britain and Ireland that are implementing Buurtzorg principles. … Definitely a good way forward in order to adapt to service demands.’
Alec Murray, Project Manager, Living Well in Communities, Healthcare Improvement Scotland