This is how the group ‘Denton Diabetes Diverters’ was formed. Together they held events in community venues, rather than clinical settings, to provide information about diabetes and make it easier for people to immediately take next steps. For example, people were offered personalised information about their blood sugar levels, introduced to peers in the community living with diabetes, and engaged in conversations about what non-clinical steps they could take to manage their health. Practitioners drew on coaching techniques and motivational interviewing to support the people who they were working with to grow their own sense of agency to make positive change.

At the end of the challenge there were measurable clinical results across the teams: 49 per cent of people engaged were no longer pre-diabetic and 67 per cent had reduced their HbA1c levels. There was an average increase in physical activity of 155 minutes, an average waist measurement reduction of six cm, and 60 per cent reported a noticeable improvement in quality of life.

After the success Asad and his colleagues saw, the approach is now being applied to other groups that the system has been less effective at engaging – such as people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and people who are clinically obese. Local health and care systems, as well as neighbourhoods, are adopting a more collaborative and inclusive approach to care delivery, and making the crucial cultural shift towards working differently with citizens.

This is exactly what the 100 Day Challenge is aiming to do. It’s a structured and rapid innovation process that incorporates coaching support and other methods that enable people to take on new ways of working.

The Challenges not only give frontline staff and citizens a renewed energy and agency, but also bring a detailed level of insight to issues and challenges in the system that can inform longer-term strategy. Cross-organisational teams test new solutions that achieve real results for people and communities over a three-month period. Senior leaders are involved throughout – from setting the initial area of focus, to supporting the scale-up and spread of successful ideas.

Nesta has worked in over 40 different locations across the UK to apply the 100 Day Challenge approach to a range of challenges facing health and care. Through working together differently, teams are often able to significantly improve how things are done and achieve impressive results.

Go back to the full list of Impact stories: health