Steve Black
I'm a data scientist who has been supporting the NHS to make better use of data for a decade and a half. I'm an expert in A&E data and performance, having more experience of the datasets than most of the people still working on them in the civil service.
I'm @sib313 on Twitter and blog at https://policyskeptic.blogspot.co.uk
matt_black is a pseudonym I needed to use when working for big consulting and the NHS so I didn't have to get permission before commenting. I now work independently.
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Why NHS improvement programmes don’t work
Billions spent on NHS elective recovery has failed to cut waits because of a failure to tackle the real bottleneck, outpatient services
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: It’s the management, stupid
A timely report draws attention to the importance of strong, well-supported management
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: What Wales can teach us about value
A new book on value-based healthcare offers worthwhile lessons on measuring outcomes that matter to patients, engaging frontline teams, and making difficult trade-offs
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Much better, but still room for improvement
The Health Foundation’s full productivity report provides an effective analysis of NHS challenges, but still misses the critical role of management in driving system-wide improvements, argues Steve Black
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Shallow and naive thinking will not fix NHS productivity
A panel of experts, convened by the Health Foundation to examine NHS productivity, is guilty of failing to move beyond government clichés to identify the real barriers to improvement
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: This year’s planning guidance is better but still deeply flawed
Steve Black assesses the NHS planning guidance for 2026-27 to 2028-29 – aka the “medium term planning framework”.
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: A classic tale of NHS process failure
Taking the time to find out how the NHS really works reveals huge opportunities for improvement, but too few leaders and policymakers bother to do so.
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: It does not matter that Streeting’s new adviser has no health experience
A new NHS delivery unit is to be led by an education expert, but despite the criticism this news sparked, it may yet be successful
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Just say ‘no’ to demands for higher drug prices
The NHS faces pressure to pay more for drugs, but evidence shows higher prices rarely lead to better patient outcomes
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: The government and BMA are both wrong about online GP access
Both the government and BMA misunderstand online GP access. Properly implemented triage improves patient care, efficiency, and reduces clinical risks
Daily InsightThe Mythbuster: NHS data is in a mess and AI can’t fix it
England’s fragmented approach to publishing A&E performance data creates barriers to analysis, contrasting sharply with Scotland’s accessible single-file datasets. It also raises questions about AI’s promised productivity gains
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: A better way for the NHS to improve
The NHS crisis stems from poor system design – real solutions require understanding and improving the flow of work, not more resources
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Doctors can’t manage care by themselves
Administrative overload in the NHS is often blamed on managers, yet evidence suggests the real issue is a lack of effective management capacity, says Steve Black.
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: What Nietzsche teaches us about long A&E waits
Long A&E waits cost lives, yet NHS leadership avoids the evidence – echoing Nietzsche’s warning about institutional denial of truth
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Is Donald Trump right?
As drug costs soar and the pressure from pharma to speed the introduction of new medicines intensifies, the NHS must navigate complex trade-offs between innovation, affordability, and public health
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Social insurance will not save the NHS
The latest set of NHS reform proposals are based on flawed assumptions, ignore the evidence, and fail to tackle the real issues facing the service
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: The forgotten lessons of success
At a time when the public is losing faith in the NHS it is worth celebrating the fact that the system often manages to get something right. London’s major trauma service is one such example
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Now even Nobel Prize winners are leading us astray on AI
An analysis of an absurd claim from the UK’s top AI expert illustrates why the technology won’t transform healthcare any time soon, writes Steve Black
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: Not inventing a new violin
Steve Black challenges healthcare’s productivity pessimism, arguing that real gains lie not in expensive new tools but in overlooked process innovations
Daily InsightThe mythbuster: A plan built by magpies
The NHS 10-Year Plan dazzles with tech visions but lacks focus, realism, and the operational ‘plumbing’ needed to deliver improvement