Blending internal and external consultancy in the NHS: towards smarter use of management expertise

Aims To identify the range of internal specialist management expertise providers in the NHS and explore their blending with external organisations to address complex organisational challenges. Methods Ongoing quantitative and qualitative research (e.g. interviews) and a national networking event and workshop organised by the University of Bristol with NHS partners. Findings There is a diverse NHS ecosystem of what we term internal consultancies where strategic benefits can result from combining their contextual insight with the specialist skills of external providers. Effective blending can build sustainable management capacity, deliver better value and reduce over-reliance on external consultants. Conclusion There is a need for coordinated action across policy, procurement and workforce development to support a network of internal consultancy/expertise and its periodic blending with other partners, including external organisations.