Sustainability and Transformation Plans: what we know so far

"So far, the plans are not sufficient to close the funding gap, but, if implemented well and combined with high-quality local efficiency improvement, they would go some way to doing so and would demonstrate the capability of the NHS and social care system to deliver. This paper points to some important trends, ideas to be explored and issues that need to be resolved in order to ensure success."

Sustainability and Transformation Plans: what we know so far
N Edwards
Nuffield Trust
September 2016

Read more here.

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.

Health Foundation analysis of acute hospital productivity

"The analysis shows that the productivity of acute hospitals in England has continued to deteriorate. Overall, the productivity of acute hospitals increased by only 0.3% between 2009/10 and 2014/15 – an average rate of 0.1% per year."

Acute hospital productivity: Health Foundation analysis of acute hospital productivity from 2009/10 – 2014/15
The Health Foundation
February 2016

Read more here.

Development of key performance indicators to evaluate centralized intake for patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

"Arthritis stakeholders have proposed 28 KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] that should be used in quality improvement efforts when evaluating centralized intake for OA [osteoarthritis] and RA [rheumatoid arthritis]. The KPIs measure five of the six dimensions of quality and are relevant to patients, practitioners and health systems."

Development of key performance indicators to evaluate centralized intake for patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
CE Barber et al.
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2015, 17:322 doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0843-7

Read more here. 

The digital revolution: eight technologies that will change health and care

"Some of the technologies we discuss are on the horizon – others are already in our pockets, our local surgeries and hospitals. But none are systematically deployed in our health and care system. Each could represent an opportunity to achieve better outcomes or more efficient care."

The digital revolution: eight technologies that will change health and care
C Gretton, M Honeyman
The King's Fund
January 2016

Read more here.

A simple prioritisation system to improve the electronic handover

"Overall the introduction of an uncomplicated traffic light system provided an effective addition to the electronic handover structure aimed to allow patient prioritisation and improved efficiency during weekend hours."

A simple prioritisation system to improve the electronic handover
L Ah-kye, M Moore
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u205385.w4127

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.

Reducing turnaround time of surgical pathology reports in pathology and laboratory medicine departments

"This project improvement idea of mapping out the workflow process has led to process and systems improvement. Focusing on fixing subprocesses within the sample flow process had led to more than 94% of all routine surgical pathology cases being reported within less than two days and meeting the CAP standards."

Reducing turnaround time of surgical pathology reports in pathology and laboratory medicine departments
Saeed Alshieban, Khaled Al-Surimi
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u209223.w3773

Read more here.

Improving productivity in elective care

"This report concentrates on potential improvements in the operational management of elective patient pathways within the direct control of NHS providers and identifies a mechanism whereby clinicians and managers can work together to maximise provision of care."

Improving productivity in elective care
Monitor
October 2015

Read more here.

Improving the productivity and efficiency of vascular surgery and radiology multidisciplinary meetings

"The changes made to the process have resulted in a real reduction in the time spent preparing each weekly meeting. As a result of careful and thoughtful improvement cycles, it has been possible to increase the proportion of patients discussed at each meeting by approximately two thirds."

Improving the productivity and efficiency of vascular surgery and radiology multidisciplinary meetings
Gary Dobson, Declan Neeson
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208416.w3332
Programme

Read more here.

Improving efficiency management of radiopharmaceutical materials

"The high cost of radiopharmaceuticals is a significant part of the annual budget of PET/CT unit and nuclear medicine department in general. In fact, it is a valuable target for quality improvement projects that aims to reduce the percentage of wastes and improves resource management at work site."

Improving efficiency management of radiopharmaceutical materials at a nuclear medicine department
A Al Ahmed, K Al-Surimi
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports, 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208970.w3709

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.

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.

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.

A Medicines Optimisation Service

"The service was developed as a result of a pilot in one practice who used innovation funding to employ a pharmacist to improve their management of medicines. The idea came from the GPs who felt they were always rushed when looking at discharge medicines and this task would be more efficiently and effectively undertaken by a pharmacist. "

A Medicines Optimisation Service
Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group
NICE Shared Learning example
May 2015

Read more here.

Medicine optimisation can cut the costs of long term conditions

"Medicines optimisation can cut waste, emergency admissions and the cost of long term conditions. But a review of rheumatoid arthritis care reveals how far it has to go"

Medicine optimisation can cut the costs of long term conditions
M Shelley
Health Service Journal Supplement
June 2015

Read more here.

Waiting time reduction in intravitreal clinics by optimization of appointment scheduling

"This study was designed guided by the Model for Improvement framework to reduce waiting times and visit duration in the intravitreal therapy clinic, while improving patient and staff experience. In our aim to provide good quality, patient-centred care and constantly improve, we optimised the appointment profile and patient flow."

Waiting time reduction in intravitreal clinics by optimization of appointment scheduling: balancing demand and supply
M Ugarte
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208924.w3618

Read more here.

Specialised commissioning: Are we getting best value from £14.5bn?

"Specialised commissioning costs the NHS billions each year. HSJ gathered experts to tackle some difficult questions, not least over the balance between central and local involvement."

Specialised commissioning: Are we getting best value from £14.5bn?
A Moore
Health Service Journal Supplement
June 2015

Read more here.

Health and social care priorities for the Government

" it is essential that we move to a more empowering, bottom-up approach while at the same time holding health care leaders to account for the care their organisations deliver to patients and service users."

Health and social care priorities for the Government: 2015–2020
Nuffield Trust
June 2015

Read more here.

The use of conscious sedation in elective external direct current cardioversion

"Hospitals that are still using general anaesthesia for patients undergoing DC cardioversion for atrial fibrillation / atrial flutter should consider switching to the use of conscious sedation. This can improve efficiency, cut costs, and reduce waiting times for patients, resulting in improved clinical outcomes."

The use of conscious sedation in elective external direct current cardioversion: a single centre experience
R Lobo, T Kiernan
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208437.w3377

Read more here.