Catalyst or distraction? The evolution of devolution in the English NHS

"Focusing primarily on devolution in the NHS, the report considers the potential implications for health and care outcomes in England and how policy could best evolve. It draws on analysis of the Devolution Deals agreed to date, relevant literature, and international experience with a focus on four European decentralised health systems."

Catalyst or distraction?: The evolution of devolution in the English NHS
F Dormon, H Butcher, R Taunt
The Health Foundation
April 2016

Read more here.

Workforce policy in the English NHS

"This report gives an overview of the components of workforce policy in the English NHS and the bodies which shape it. The report proposes ways in which workforce policy could be strengthened to improve the quality and productivity of care."

Fit for purpose?: Workforce policy in the English NHS
The Health Foundation
March 2016

Read more here.

What the planning guidance means for the NHS 2016/17 and beyond

"Leaders will need to work collaboratively in place-based systems of care, recognising that success in the current context depends on collective action that makes best use of a common pool of limited resources. It will be critical that organisations engage staff at all levels in achieving sustainability and delivering transformation, and focus on improving value for patients rather than crude cost-cutting."

What the planning guidance means for the NHS 2016/17 and beyond
H McKenna, P Dunn
February 2016
The King's Fund

Read more here.

NHS Safety Thermometer: Patient Harms and Harm Free Care

"The NHS Safety Thermometer is the measurement tool for a programme of work to support patient safety improvement. It is used to record patient harms at the frontline, and to provide immediate information and analyses for frontline teams to monitor their performance in delivering harm free care."

NHS Safety Thermometer: Patient Harms and Harm Free Care England November 2014 November 2015, official statistics 
Clinical Audit Support Unit
Health & Social Care Information Centre

December 2015

Read more here.

Improving the Quality of Orthotics Services in England

"This document sets out a case for action to tackle the rising demand and variation in access and quality of services experienced by children and adults requiring orthotic care in England. It explains why it is important to improve the commissioning of services in terms of clinical and cost benefits and discusses some of the key issues affecting services currently, along with the experiences that patients and their families have had in using those services "

Improving the Quality of Orthotics Services in England
NHS England

November 2015

Read more here. 

NHS reference costs 2014 to 2015

"This publication sets out where over £61 billion has been spent by NHS providers in delivering
health care in 2014-15."

NHS reference costs 2014 to 2015
Department of Health
November 2015

Read more and access the data here.

Infection prevention and control: lessons from acute care in England

"This learning report is based on the findings of a large research study that identified and consolidated published evidence about infection prevention and control initiatives...The report considers what has been learned from the infection prevention and control work carried out over the last 15 years in hospitals in England. It looks at the lessons learned and outlines future directions for effective infection prevention and control." 

Infection prevention and control: lessons from acute care in England: Towards a whole health economy approach
The Health Foundation
November 2015

Read more here.

On targets: How targets can be most effective in the English NHS

"This report does not set out to determine whether targets, as a concept, are good or
bad, but focuses on how targets can be most effective for improving quality of care. It
builds on the evidence base regarding the impact of targets to identify good practice in
designing new or improved targets, and considers how policymakers can apply these
lessons to the challenges facing the NHS."

On targets: How targets can be most effective in the English NHS
N Berry, T Gardner, I Anderson
The Health Foundation
October 2015

Read more here.

Improving UK health care

"Our Strategy sets out a new direction – we will be more grounded in the practical implications of policy-making, working closely with NHS staff and policy-makers to identify solutions to the challenges facing the NHS."

Improving UK health care: Nuffield Trust strategy 2015-2020
Nuffield Trust
October 2015

Read more here.

Improving length of stay: what can hospitals do?

"This report on length of stay by the Nuffield Trust is part of a larger project undertaken by Monitor which aims to find the best ways to improve quality of care across the health system in light of recent pressures on urgent and emergency care."
Improving length of stay: what can hospitals do?
N Edwards, R Lewis Nuffield Trust
September 2015

Read more here.

Challenging the NHS to innovate

"George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, explains how the NHS will make the most of research and innovation."

Challenging the NHS to innovate (speech)
Department of Health, George Freeman MP and Office for Life Sciences
Delivered on: 3 September 2015

Read more here.

Health Foundation Representation to the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review

"This document contains the submission from the Health Foundation to the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review"

Health Foundation Representation to the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review
The Health Foundation
September 2015

Read more here.

How should we think about value in health and care?

"With this paper, we aim to articulate a new understanding of the value of engaging individuals and communities in health and care, and to discuss the challenges in progressing this."

How should we think about value in health and care?: Realising the Value
NESTA
September 2015

Read more here.

Making change possible: A Transformation Fund for the NHS

"To ensure that the substantive changes required can be achieved, we argue that the NHS needs dedicated funding – a Transformation Fund – to deliver the change required, aligned with more effective practical support and the right policy context for change."

Making change possible: A Transformation Fund for the NHS
R Murray et al.
The Health Foundation, The King's Fund
July 2015

Read more here.

The NHS in 2030: a people-powered and knowledge-powered health system

"The NHS has the opportunity to take advantage of two powerful and under–exploited sources of innovation that have the potential to make care better and, under the right circumstances, cheaper. These are the rapidly accelerating pace of digital technology, and the power of social innovation."

The NHS in 2030: a people-powered and knowledge-powered health system
J Bland, H Khan, J  Loder, T Symons, S Westlake
NESTA
July 2015

Read more here.

How is the NHS performing? Quarterly Monitoring Report

"three-quarters of trust finance directors intend to recruit more permanent nurses in the next six months, suggesting that the NHS is continuing to prioritise quality of patient care despite rising financial pressures."

How is the NHS performing? Quarterly Monitoring Report
J Appleby, J Thompson, J Jabbal
The King's Fund
July 2015


Read more here.

Better value in the NHS

"In a time of severe financial constraint, the NHS is being asked to make productivity savings of £22 billion by 2020/21. However, this report argues that, rather than looking at efficiency and costs, the NHS should be focusing on getting better value from its budget."

Better value in the NHS: The role of changes in clinical practice
H Alderwick, R Robertson, J Appleby, P Dunn, D Maguire
The King's Fund
July 2015

Read more here.

Focus on: International comparisons of healthcare quality

"This report uses the data to understand what international comparisons tell us about changes in quality of healthcare in the UK between 2000 and 2013, and provides a baseline for future comparisons."

Focus on: International comparisons of healthcare quality: What can the UK learn?
L Kossarova, I Blunt, M Bardsley
QualityWatch
July 2015

Read more here.

The Budget: health and social care funding

"There are still significant opportunities to improve productivity, and the NHS must redouble its efforts to deliver better outcomes at lower cost by changing the way clinical care is delivered."

The Budget: health and social care funding
The King's Fund
July 2015

Read more here.

Ending the Crisis in NHS Leadership: a Plan for Renewal

"If leadership is to be strengthened and successful, then the task must be made more manageable, more attractive and more sustainable"

Ending the Crisis in NHS Leadership: a Plan for Renewal
HSJ Future of NHS Leadership
June 2015

Read more here.