Sign in
Guide

How-to guide: the Bedside Learning Coordinator role

A range of resources aimed at supporting individuals and organisations in health and care to implement the Bedside Learning Coordinator (BLC) role.

This online guide helps organisations to embed the Bedside Learning Coordinator role as business as usual, improving patient care, efficiency and staff wellbeing. It includes sections on the role and how it came about, how it makes a difference, engaging and influencing stakeholders, implementing the role, demonstrating value and impact, and collaboration.

About this guide

The Bedside Learning Coordinator (BLC) role was created during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the wider learning health system (LHS). 

NHS trusts across England are now adopting the role across different settings, capturing staff insights into what is and is not working and rapidly feeding these insights back to leadership teams , implementing required actions as appropriate. 

This resource will enable you to:

  • Describe a learning health system approach and how the BLC role can be used to apply agile learning and improvement.
  • Understand the implications for how the BLC role works in practice and its potential across a range of health and care settings.
  • Hear practical examples and lessons learnt from NHS organisations who have implemented the role and demonstrated improvements in patient care and workplace wellbeing.
  • Adapt tools and resources to support implementation of the role within your own organisation.

How to use this guide

You can use this resource either by reviewing it from start to finish or by looking at the sections you feel are most relevant to you. 

The BLC role, by its nature, is an evolving and flexible model. 

Use this guide to gain an overview of the benefits of this way of working and for practical support to pilot and adapt elements of the model in your own organisation. 

Who is it for?

This guide is for any organisation or individual working across health and social care who is interested in learning how NHS organisations have implemented and adapted the BLC role. 

It is especially helpful for those interested in supporting a learning health system way of working with this role.

How has it been developed

UCLPartners AHSN developed this guide in partnership with NHS organisations who have implemented the BLC role. 

Many of the tools were co-produced by the BLC Community of Practice, supported by the Q community.

Find out more

Access the Bedside Learning Co-ordinator Guide UCLPartners
Learn how the role came about and what crisis can teach us about improvement

Discover more

The Health Foundation

Q is led by the Health Foundation and supported by partners across the UK and Ireland

email hidden; JavaScript is required
Q, The Health Foundation, 8 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8AP
© 2025 The Health Foundation
Website: William Joseph