Using Seddon's vanguard method for service improvement in health and social care: a scoping literature review

There is pressure on UK health and social care services to continue to demonstrate improvements, despite resources constraints. Seddon's vanguard method is a three-phase cyclical service improvement process, designed specifically for health and social care. A scoping literature review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute protocol, with EBSCO Host databases and other identified sources. Six relevant papers were identified, with two main themes of applying Seddon's vanguard method: people-centred service delivery and increased efficiency. However, no research was found regarding the implementation of this method in UK health or social care services. Seddon's vanguard method could help with the design of resilient services that are able to respond to the variability of service users' needs, to the benefit both service users and staff, but empirical research is needed to explore the concept and its applicability to health and social care further.