Table 1

How positive deviants succeed and the extent to which these characteristics were displayed across wards

Positively deviant characteristics	Theme within thematic framework	Spread of positively deviant characteristics across wards
		Positively deviant wards				Comparison wards
		T1W1	T2W3	T2W6	T5W10	T1W2	T2W5	T3W8	T4W9
Knowing each other	Staff relationships	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Trust	Staff relationships	✓		✓
A multidisciplinary approach	Integrated teams	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Integrating ward - based AHPs	Integrated teams	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
Working together	Integrated teams	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
Feeling able to ask questions or for help	Approachability	✓	✓	✓	✓			✓
Setting expectations	Ward leadership	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
It is a pleasure to come to work	Ward atmosphere	✓	✓	✓	✓
Learning from incidents	Improving performance		✓	✓		✓		✓
Acquiring additional staff	Staffing				✓		✓	✓	✓
Stable and static teams	Staffing	✓	✓	✓	✓
Focus on discharge	Delivering care	✓	✓	✓	✓
Directorate support	Organisational influences					✓	✓		✓
Keeping patients and relatives informed	Patient-centred care		✓		✓		✓	✓	✓

Characteristics highlighted in italic are discussed in more depth in this paper.
Ward pseudonyms are constructed using T (number)=the NHS Trust identifier and W (number)=the ward identifier.
AHPs, allied health professionals.