How to write an effective business case.

Rationale and key points: Finances in the NHS are severely stretched, so it is essential that requests for funding are for clinically valuable, evidence-based and cost-effective initiatives that aim to improve patient care. Developing a robust business case can support nurses to present a proposed initiative to fundholders in a structured way. This article describes how to write an effective business case that can help ensure fundholders will consider a proposed initiative to be viable. • Using a structured format can enable the nurse to demonstrate their proposal in a concise, business-like manner that all stakeholders can understand. • Historically, nurses have not been supported to obtain the skills needed to develop business acumen and produce robust business cases, but they can access support provided by charities that fund NHS posts. • Writing a business case may involve several reviews to ensure the content is robust and relevant to the needs of the service and/or organisation. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence-based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article might help you to write a business case relevant to your practice area. • How you could use this information to support your colleagues to write an effective business case.