Blog

It's hard to disagree with the principle that both costs and effects of treatments need to be weighed in order to make decisions about improving value for money and productivity. For a majority of the public however, this is not a principle they hold.

Community services are a vital part of delivering co-ordinated care, and could be the answer to many of the health service’s woes in the future, says Bev Fitzsimons.

If population health is to be protected, funding for the NHS needs to be safeguarded, but other budgets, for housing, education and leisure facilities, are important too. When it comes to investing in public health measures, which interventions do the public favour?

Despite all the pressures, the NHS remains, and will continue to remain, a massive economic and social entity. Are we making the most of this enormous power?

The government expects councils and NHS partners to achieve way too much, with too little, too soon, says Richard Humphries.

With hospital workloads increasing on all fronts, John Appleby takes a look at the key trends and data to explain what's going on.

How long is it reasonable to wait for treatment of depression after being referred by a GP? The results from the 2013 British Social Attitudes Survey are revealing and suggest that public expectations exceed current policy ambitions.

2014/15 looks like being a watershed year in which the NHS moves decisively into deficit, so where do the opportunities lie in delivering better value?

There is a growing disquiet around mental health. Across the board people are calling for change, but what exactly is it that needs to be done and how can we bring about the ‘parity of esteem’ that we all seek?

Integration cannot just be about treating frail older people, we need to think beyond health and social care, and NICE is leading the way with their new guidelines – out for consultation – on preventing disability, frailty and dementia in later life.

Although earlier rumours of the demise of the Better Care Fund – the government’s £3.8 billion pooled fund to promote integrated care – have turned out to be greatly exaggerated, the significance of the government’s latest announcement about the fund should not be.

New organisational models for the NHS could bring benefits but it's the quality of leadership alongside a culture of excellence in performance and accountability for results that will be key, says Candace Imison.

In the run-up to the next general election, navigating the complexities of evidence and opinion on e-cigarettes will be key as the political parties start to develop their positions on public health, says David Buck.

In light of our new report on the NHS productivity challenge, Chris Ham calls for a new transformation fund to stop the NHS approaching a major financial crisis.

Here’s a puzzle for you. You have a population of one million people, three psychiatrists, and no mental health nurses. How do you go about delivering mental health care?

Dominic Stenning is a member of the experts by experience group for the Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England. He spoke at the launch of the interim report, giving a frank and compelling patient perspective on the health, mental health and social care system.

Is it time to reassess Public Health England's role? David Buck explains how the organisation could strengthen its position and voice in wider government policy-making and public debate.

The three key system leaders on health inequalities – the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England – need to kick-start a national conversation by telling us how they are going to use their power to do their bit.

With an ongoing ambition to shift care out of hospitals and closer to people’s homes, what is needed to transform community services?

The focus on delivering improvements in mental health care is currently dominated by how funding is allocated. But in the midst of the debate, little thought has been given to who should receive this money, and importantly how this could lead to reforming the system.