KCHFT version
NHS England guidance
A fishbone diagram, also called a cause and effect diagram, or an Ishikawa diagram, is a visualization tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem, in order to identify its root causes. The design of the diagram looks like a skeleton of a fish, hence the name.
It’s a helpful tool if you are trying to establish why a particular problem is happening. It will help you to understand the issue and identify all possible causes.