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Can we afford the NHS in future?

13 Jul 2011

John Appleby

If England keeps on spending on health at the current rate, the NHS will be unaffordable in 20 years' time, says the health secretary. Not necessarily, finds John Appleby.

Dilnot report verdict: adopt these proposals now, much work lies ahead

5 Jul 2011

Richard Humphries

Richard Humphries gives his verdict on the publication of the Dilnot report.

Politicians have ducked hard decisions on the NHS for far too long

20 Jun 2011

Chris Ham

Chris Ham argues that up to 20 hospitals, around 10 per cent of the total in England, may not be financially sustainable.

An NHS ice age may have only just begun

2 Jun 2011

John Appleby

Despite positive financial projections for the NHS after the current spending review period ends, the harsh reality is that the funding cold spell could continue beyond 2015 if the economy does not recover as hoped.

Approaches to demand management: commissioning in a cold climate

28 Oct 2010

Candace Imison, Sarah Gregory

This write-up summarises presentations made at a seminar, which brought together commissioners, policy-makers, providers and others to consider some of the available evidence about demand management.

Avoiding hospital admissions: lessons from evidence and experience

28 Oct 2010

Chris Ham, Candace Imison, Mark Jennings

This paper summarises presentations made at a seminar that brought together case studies from the NHS in England, Kaiser Permanente and the independent sector.

The Spending Review and Social Care

21 Oct 2010

Richard Humphries

For adult social care, the Spending Review settlement is about as good as it could get. It promises allocates £2 billion a year of additional funding by 2014-15 to support social care, £1b of which sits within the NHS.

Sacking staff is not the way to save money in the NHS

18 Oct 2010

John Appleby

Slashing budgets and sacking staff should not be the answer to the financial challenges facing the NHS. Instead, the aim should be to generate savings to reinvest in more and higher-quality care for patients.

Liberating the NHS: The right prescription in a cold climate?

6 Oct 2010

Anna Dixon, Chris Ham

Many of the changes set out in the government's White Paper have the potential to help to improve performance. However, there are significant risks in making these changes when financial pressures on the NHS are increasing.

Should NHS funding be ring fenced?

18 Aug 2010

John Appleby

If there's one thing economists agree on it is the fact that the hole in the public finances – currently around £86bn, nearly 6 per cent of the United Kingdom’s gross domestic product – needs to be filled.

For deficit deniers, the reason this needs to be dealt with is that left unchecked the hole will get bigger and the consequences of that would be catastrophic for the UK economy.

Patient mobility in the European Union

29 Jun 2010

Jo Maybin, Sarah Harvey

A summary of the current legal situation and the contents of the draft European Union (EU) Directive.

From quasi-market to market in the National Health Service in England

1 Jan 2009

Tony Harrison, Richard Lewis

Purchasers should develop three new sets of skills and activities if they are to be effective.

In brief: what did the Operating Framework say?

16 Dec 2008

Jo Maybin

Jo Maybin looks the essential elements of the Operating Framework, including adjustments to the three tiers of 'vital signs' introduced last year.

Analysis: Operating Framework

16 Dec 2008

Jo Maybin

The Operating Framework sets out the Department of Health's vision for the NHS, bringing together last year's priorities with the proposals on quality.

Winners and losers in PCT funding shake up

16 Dec 2008

John Appleby

John Appleby provides a data analysis of the new PCT allocations, looking at the likely impact, particularly in the context of the wider economic climate.