Estimating NHS and social care spend: a tool for commissioners

"This Excel-based tool aims to help NHS commissioners by approximating how their local care economy spends its money by age group, patient group and care settings, and how this may evolve over time. By filling in some basic variables, commissioners can create a quick, indicative patient segmentation for their locality."

Estimating NHS and social care spend: a tool for commissioners
Monitor
September 2014

Access the tool and find out more here.

My NHS: Open data for better services

The Department of Health and NHS England have released a new website that aims to "support transparency and drive quality" by making performance data more available to patients. The My NHS site contains performance statistics for hospitals, social care services, and for public health services and outcomes.

Access the website here.

Urgent and planned care: operational resilience and capacity planning

"Guidance to support NHS healthcare providers and commissioners with their planning for operational resilience during 2014/15."

Urgent and planned care: operational resilience and capacity planning for 2014/15
Monitor, NHS England and NHS Trust Development Authority
June 2014

Read more here.

A new settlement for health and social care

"In our view, the weight of evidence makes it clear that the present settlement lacks transparency, is inefficient, puts too much weight on individual rather than collective responsibility, and raises a significant moral concern about the lack of equity of treatment for similar levels of need."

A new settlement for health and social care: Interim report
K Barker (Chair), Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England
The King’s Fund
April 2014

Read more here.

Making best use of the Better Care Fund

"This paper summarises the evidence from work by The King’s Fund and other research about which approaches are likely to offer commissioners maximum impact in a way that will benefit both the NHS and social care."

Making best use of the Better Care Fund
R Humphries, L Bennett
The King's Fund
January 2014

Read more here.

NHS co-payments: how popular are they among healthcare users?

"A survey of patients and their opinions on the use of co-payments and top-up fees in the NHS."

NHS co-payments: how popular are they among healthcare users?
The Patients Association
January 2014

Read more here.

Housing and public health in England

"Public health colleagues may find it helpful to reflect on the realities of working in local authority housing teams, where life is not necessarily easy."

Under one roof? Housing and public health in England
Ed Harding
Housing Learning and Improvement Network
December 2013

Read more here.

Briefing: The Care Bill second reading in the House of Commons

"While The King’s Fund welcomes the Bill as an important stepping stone to wider reform of care and support, it will not solve the social care funding challenge, nor will it deliver the change needed to meet future health and care needs."

Briefing: The Care Bill second reading in the House of Commons
The King's Fund
December 2013

Read more here.

Towards whole person care

"This paper reviews the case for change in the English health and care system and considers how to move towards a ‘whole person care’ approach."

Towards whole person care
S Bickerstaffe
Institute for Public Policy Research
December 2013

Read more here.

NHS services - open seven days a week: every day counts

"Building on the case studies which were presented in Equality for All: Delivering safe care - seven days a week, this publication provides further evidence of what can be achieved by sharing the learning that is emerging from across the NHS."

NHS services - open seven days a week: every day counts
NHS Improving Quality
November 2013

Read more here.

Caring for an ageing population

"We looked beyond our own system to examine how Japan has tried to address the conundrum of providing sufficient and appropriate services for an increasing number of frail older people in an affordable and equitable way."

Caring for an ageing population
N Curry, H Holder, L Patterson
November 2013

Read more here.

Volunteering in acute trusts in England

"Our findings suggest that trusts believe that volunteers play a critical role in improving patient experience, but there is less systematic measurement of how they do so."

Volunteering in acute trusts in England: Understanding the scale and impact
A Galea, C Naylor, D Buck, L Weaks
The King's Fund
November 2013

Read more here.

The state of health care and adult social care in England 2012/13

"In around 90% of cases, people were treated with dignity and respect and were receiving care, treatment and support that met their needs and was safe. But, despite improvements in each type of care setting, we are disappointed that in around 10% of cases people received poor quality care."

The state of health care and adult social care in England 2012/13
Care Quality Commission
November 2013

Read more here.

You can see a pictorial version of the report here.

The UK strategy for rare diseases

"The Strategy aims to ensure that people living with a rare disease have the best quality of evidence based care and treatment that our health and social care systems, working with charities and other organisations, our researchers and industry can provide."

The UK strategy for rare diseases
Department of Health
November 2013

Read more here.

National audit of intermediate care

"As in 2012, the 2013 audit has highlighted wide variation in the extent of multi-agency commissioning, the scale of services provided and how intermediate care sits within the full range of health and social care services within each local area."

National audit of intermediate care
NHS Benchmarking Network
November 2013

Read more here.

Critical learning from four different systems for the successful integration of social care and health services

"This paper seeks to clarify the central contribution of social services to delivering change based on best research and practice knowledge as part of an integrated service."

Four Nations United: Critical learning from four different systems for the successful integration of social care and health services
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
October 2013

Read more here.

NHS in transition: key questions

"The most costly care – typically hospital based care – should ideally be used only when necessary, and non-hospital based alternatives should be encouraged, provided that they can help patients for less cost."

NHS in transition: key questions
Nuffield Trust
November 2013

Read more here.

Money well spent?

"This briefing for councillors and officers explains the importance of assessing value for money in helping local authorities fulfil their public health responsibilities."

Money well spent? Assessing the cost effectiveness and return on investment of public health interventions
Local Government Association
November 2013

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.

How Ealing Health Networks can contribute to efficient and quality healthcare

"We describe how the formation of Health Networks in Ealing leads to improved outcomes for patients by the coordination of the care they receive by health and social care professionals."

How Ealing Health Networks can contribute to efficient and quality healthcare
R Chandok, N Unadkat, L Nasir, L Evans, P Thomas
London Journal of Primary Care, 2013, 5:62-4

Read more here.