Will Warburton Director of Improvement

About me

Will is a GenerationQ Fellow and Director of Improvement at the Health Foundation.

At the time of his fellowship, he was the Head of Operations for the Women’s and Children’s Clinical Programme Group at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. He was responsible for the quality and operational management of paediatric, neonatal, maternity, gynaecology and reproductive medicine services at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. After the fellowship, Will became Senior Policy Fellow and Operational Director of the Centre for Health Policy at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London.

Will was also the Forum Director for the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a major global summit on health policy and innovation in Doha, Qatar. Will was responsible with Lord Darzi for the development and delivery of the WISH programme and content.  

Will says that his GenerationQ fellowship has inspired many changes in his working practices: 'One of the things that the programme emphasises is the importance of leadership on a day to day level and how you can embed improvement techniques into everything you do as a leader. I've used what I’ve learnt in so many aspects of my job, from managing waiting lists and clinics more efficiently, to running more effective meetings with colleagues.

'Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to focus on the moment, rather than constantly looking back or looking too far into the future. Before GenerationQ, I liked to feel fully organised and in control. Now, I’m comfortable with the fact that I can’t control everything and that my time is best spent on focusing on what I can influence.'

For Will, the residential leadership forums were a particular highlight of the programme. 'It was fantastic to be able to work closely with peers from across the UK, all drawn from different disciplines and parts of the healthcare system. I thought the residential forums were brilliantly designed – they gave us all the time and space to share perspectives and support each others’ development.'