Publications

Bringing you the latest independent views on health and social care from The King's Fund, all of our reports and findings from our projects are available to buy or download.

To order printed copies of our publications, please purchase online or contact publications@kingsfund.org.uk or 020 7307 2568.

Background to the Next Stage Review publication cover

Background to the NHS Next Stage Review

This briefing provides the background of the review and asks what the final report might recommend.
Free choice at the point of referral publication cover

Free choice at the point of referral

Sarah Gregory, Ruth Thorlby
Free choice, allowing patients to choose a hospital anywhere in England, begins in April 2008. This briefing summarises the most recent data on choice of referral.
Operating Framework 2008/9 briefing cover

Operating framework 2008/9

Ruth Thorlby
In this briefing we analyse the 2008/9 Operating Framework, created by the Department of Health as a set of priorities and guidance for running the NHS.
The future of care funding publication paper

The Future of Care Funding

Time for a change
Caring Choices coalition
Bringing together the findings from the Caring Choices events and website, this report looks at possible solutions to the problem of funding long-term care.
Practice-based commissioning briefing cover

Practice-based commissioning briefing

Natasha Curry, Ruth Thorlby
This briefing explores some of the questions and issues relating to practice-based commissioning in England, examines the pace of implementation and offers some analysis of the impact – current and future – on NHS services.
The reconfiguration of hospital services in England publication cover

The reconfiguration of hospital services in England

This briefing examines the recent debate over hospital configuration in England; describes what changes are currently being proposed together with the main factors driving these changes; and sets out the process by which services can be reconfigured.
Payment by results briefing cover

Payment by Results

This briefing explains how Payment by Results (PbR) works, examines the evidence on whether the system has achieved, or is likely to achieve, the policy aims set for it, and describes the government's current proposals for the future of PbR.
Our future health secured publication cover

Our Future Health Secured?

A review of NHS funding and performance
John Appleby, Tony Harrison, Sir Derek Wanless, Darshan Patel
Since the Wanless review of 2002, Securing our Future Health, NHS spending has increased by nearly 50 per cent. Our report looks at where that money has been spent, what it has achieved and whether government policy has promoted effective use of resources.
Conservative party health policy briefing cover

Conservative party health policy

Ruth Thorlby
This briefing analyses and comments on the key proposals contained in the policy document NHS Autonomy and Accountability, which was released by the Conservative party in June 2007.
NHS finances 2006/7 briefing cover

Briefing: NHS finances 2006/7

From deficit to a sustainable surplus?
Jo Maybin, Ruth Thorlby
This briefing analyses the latest figures and data extracted from NHS trust boards, to assess the scale of the challenges to the financial security of the NHS in the future.
Windmill 2007 publication cover

Windmill 2007

The future of health care reforms in England
Sarah Harvey, Alasdair Liddell, Laurie McMahon
What next for the NHS reforms? Based on a simulation event and extensive discussions with stakeholders, this paper offers insights into the health system of the future.
Practice-based commissioning: From good idea to effective practice front cover

Practice-based Commissioning survey results

From good idea to effective practice
Richard Lewis, Natasha Curry, Michael Dixon
Despite receiving widespread support, implementation of practice-based commissioning (PBC) has been slow. This report explores the current situation for PBC and considers how it might be driven forward within the NHS.
Health and ten years of Labour government briefing cover

Health and ten years of Labour government: achievements and challenges

Jo Maybin, Ruth Thorlby
After ten years in power, how successfully has Labour managed health provision in the UK? This briefing is an in-depth look into the issue.
Health and ten years of Labour government briefing cover

Health and ten years of Labour government: key facts

After ten years in power, how successfully has Labour managed health provision in the UK? This briefing sets out the key facts and issues.
Professional regulation briefing cover

Professional regulation

This briefing outlines the current system of professional regulation in the UK; describes the criticisms of this system; details the government's proposals for reform; and discusses the potential strengths and weaknesses of the proposed changes.
Operating framework 2007/8 briefing cover

Operating framework 2007/8

Ruth Thorlby
This briefing outlines the main points in the 2007/8 Operating Framework, provides some analysis of the content and discusses the implications of the accompanying documents.
NHs Reform: Getting back on track publication cover

NHS Reform

Getting back on track
Keith Palmer
Discusses the causes of the NHS deficit in 2005/6 and considers three recent policy developments, asking what their impacts might be on NHS organisations and how they could be improved.
Designing the 'new' NHS publication cover

Designing the 'new' NHS

Ideas to make a supplier market in health care work
Amid increasing independent and voluntary sector involvement in NHS service delivery this report highlights issues that the government and health service providers in all three sectors should address.
The NHS in England publication cover

The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2006/7

This briefing describes the main points contained in the 2006/7 Operating Framework and provides some commentary about what the document implies for the competing strands of NHS reform.
Assessing the new NHS consultant contract publication cover

Assessing the New NHS Consultant Contract

A something for something deal?
Sally Williams, James Buchan
Drawing on evidence from five acute NHS trusts, this paper assesses the impact of the new consultant contract in England and asks whether reforms will translate into benefits for patients.

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