This practical masterclass introduces statistical process control in a clear, accessible and confidence-building way. Participants will learn how to understand variation, choose the right chart, interpret signals, avoid common mistakes and use SPC to support better improvement, assurance and decision-making.
Healthcare teams are surrounded by data, but data alone does not lead to better decisions. Many services still rely on red, amber and green ratings, two-point comparisons, averages, rankings and narrative explanations that can obscure whether performance is genuinely changing. Statistical process control (SPC) offers a more useful way to understand variation over time, distinguish signal from noise, and decide when action is needed.
This masterclass will demystify SPC for all attendees. It will explain the core concepts in plain language, using practical healthcare examples rather than mathematical theory. Participants will learn why plotting data over time matters, how common cause and special cause variation affect decision-making, when to use run charts, along with other chart types, and how to interpret process limits and rules for special cause variation.
The session will link SPC to national expectations around improvement, productivity, quality, safety, operational performance and better use of data. It will support participants to move beyond simply producing charts towards using SPC as a practical tool for learning, improvement, assurance and leadership conversations. By the end of the masterclass, participants will be able to use SPC more confidently in improvement projects, service reviews, board reports and day-to-day management.
This masterclass is aimed anyone who wants to use data for improvement and performance more effectively, including clinicians, operational managers, service managers, analysts, transformation leads, quality and safety teams, and executives and board members. It is particularly relevant for people who:
Regularly review performance, quality, safety, access, flow, workforce or patient experience data;
Support improvement projects or transformation programmes;
Need to understand whether changes are leading to real improvement;
Want to avoid overreacting to normal variation or missing important signals;
Are involved in reporting data to teams, committees, executives or boards;
Are new to SPC or have used charts but want greater confidence in interpretation.
No advanced statistical knowledge is required. The session is designed for people who want SPC explained clearly, practically and without unnecessary jargon.
