Outpatient services and primary care: scoping review, substudies and international comparisons

"There is little conclusive evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the provision of more care in the community. In developing new models of care for the NHS, it should not be assumed that community-based care will be cheaper than conventional hospital-based care. Possible reasons care in the community may be more expensive include supply-induced demand and addressing unmet need through new forms of care and through loss of efficiency gained from concentrating services in hospitals."

Outpatient services and primary care: scoping review, substudies and international comparisons 
E Winpenny, C Miani, E Pitchforth, S Ball, E Nolte, S King, et al.
Health Services Delivery Research 2016;4(15)

Read more here.

Identifying alternatives to old age psychiatry inpatient admission

"The results suggest that if enhanced community services were available, a significant minority of inpatients could be more appropriately supported in their own homes at a cost considerably lower than that currently incurred."

Identifying alternatives to old age psychiatry inpatient admission: an application of the balance of care approach to health and social care planning

S Tucker, C Brand, M Wilberforce, M Abendstern, D Challis
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:267  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0913-1

Read more here.

Managing quality in community health care services

"This paper reports on the findings from a small primary research study exploring how community health services providers define, measure, manage and improve the quality of care."

Managing quality in community health care services
C Foot, L Sonola, L Bennett, B Fitzsimons, V Raleigh, S Gregory
The King's Fund
December 2014

Read more here.

Transforming primary care

"By freeing up time and redirecting several hundred million pounds of public funding for hard pressed family doctors as well as nurses and other community health staff, the aim is to bring about broad-based improvement in care for our highest need patients."

Transforming primary care: safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most
Department of Health, NHS England
April 2014

Read more here.

Community services: How they can transform care

"The ambition to move care closer to home has resulted in some reduction in lengths of stay in hospital, but further significant changes are needed in the way care is delivered."

Community services: How they can transform care
Nigel Edwards
The King's Fund
February 2014

Read more here.

Service transformation: Lessons from mental health

"Some commentators have drawn parallels between the process of transformation in mental health services and what is now desired in other parts of the health system. However, there has been little detailed exploration of how far that comparison is valid or of the lessons that can be learnt. This report takes mental health services for adults in England as a case study and examines the relevance of this experience to current policy."

Service transformation: Lessons from mental health
Helen Gilburt, Edward Peck, Beccy Ashton, Nigel Edwards, Chris Naylor
The King's Fund
February 2014

Read more here.

Emergency admissions to hospital: managing the demand

"Once patients are admitted, hospitals, working with community and social care services, can ensure that patients stay no longer than necessary and are discharged promptly."

Emergency admissions to hospital: managing the demand
Department of Health
National Audit Office
October 2013

Read more here.

Patient and carer experience of obtaining medication for chronic conditions

"This paper presents findings from England of a qualitative study and survey of patients and their carers' experiences of community and primary care based services for physical chronic diseases."

Patient and carer experience of obtaining regular prescribed medication for chronic disease in the English National Health Service: a qualitative study
PM Wilson, N Kataria, E McNeilly
BMC Health Services Research, 2013, 13:192

Read more here.

Delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015

"The NHS routinely collects data on patients as they receive care, which is a rich source of information about how disease and treatments work. The information collected includes data on biomarkers, diagnosis, treatment and clinical outcomes. This information is vital to understanding how the NHS and Social Care system can improve outcomes for patients, yet it remains a relatively untapped resource."

The Prime Minister's Challenge on dementia: Delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015: annual report of progress
Department of Health
May 2013

Read more here.

Yorkshire and the Humber Telehealth Hub

"The aim for the Hub was to support care closer to home and deliver services to 2,100 patients, leading to fewer unnecessary admissions to hospital, healthier outcomes and lifestyles, and cost savings."

Yorkshire and the Humber Telehealth Hub: 2020health Evaluation
J Cruickshank, J Paxman
2020 health.org
January 2013

Read more here.

Making integrated out-of-hospital care a reality

"This report discusses the foundations for integrated care for adults, children and young people, with a focus on implementing out-of-hospital care, and connecting primary, community and social care. It highlights key evidence and draws on learning from partners across health and social care."

Making integrated out-of-hospital care a reality
NHS Confederation
December 2012

Read more here.

Right Care Casebooks - new additions

Right Care compiles local examples of commissioning work in a series of "Right Care Casebooks". Three more of these casebooks have just been added to the series:

1. Somerset community-based self-care support service for adults with persistent pain 
2. What organisation is necessary for commissioners to develop outcomes based contracts?  The COBIC case study
3. Integrated GP led diabetes care in Bexley – The role of ‘an active integrator’ in developing integration in NHS services

Securing the future financial sustainability of the NHS

"This report looks at the financial sustainability of NHS commissioners, and the NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts that provide community, secondary and tertiary health care services."

Securing the future financial sustainability of the NHS
National Audit Office, Department of Health
July 2012

Read more here.

NICE guideline update: Infection control in primary and community care

"This clinical guideline (published March 2012) updates and replaces NICE clinical guideline 2 (published June 2003)."

Infection: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care: CG139
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
March 2012

Read more here.

Infection: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care

"Patient safety has become a cornerstone of care, and preventing healthcare-associated infections remains a priority."

Infection: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care
NICE clinical guideline 139
March 2012

Read more here.

Getting out of hospital? The evidence for shifting acute inpatient and day case services from hospitals into the community

This report examines and updates the review of evidence of underpinning the policy drive to transfer acute inpatient and day-case services from hospitals into the community and the effectiveness of this to improve quality of care and save money.

Getting out of hospital?
The Health Foundation
June 2011

Download the full text here (PDF).