Blog Comment and analysis on the key issues in health and social care Search Apply Listing Content Type Viewing: All blogs All blogs Share this content Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Print this page Topics Health and care services Adult social care Cancer services Community services Emergency care End-of-life care General practice Hospital care Long-term conditions Maternity services Mental health New models of care Public health Sexual health care Leadership, systems and organisations Clinical commissioning groups Clinical leadership Equality and diversity Health and wellbeing boards (-) Integrated care Local service design Patient leadership Quality improvement Sustainability and transformation plans System leadership Voluntary and community sector Workforce and skills Patients, people and society Carers Children and young people Health inequalities Housing Older people Patient experience Patient involvement Patient safety Population health Public opinion Technology and data Volunteers Policy, finance and performance Access to care Better Care Fund Brexit Commissioning and contracting Devolution General election 2017 General election 2019 Governance and regulation Health and Social Care Act 2012 NHS finances NHS five year forward view NHS long-term plan Performance Productivity Social care finances Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Blog The NHS estate backlog grows again New NHS Digital data on the state of the NHS estate reveals the backlog maintenance cost has increased once again, so how should new capital funding be prioritised? Siva Anandaciva outlines the impact of the estate on patient care, and highlights four key issues for consideration. Blog Health and care in 2021: what can we expect? In this first blog of the new year, Richard Murray outlines the key challenges and opportunities facing the health and care system in 2021. Blog A recipe for baking in collaboration? NHS England and NHS Improvement’s proposals for new legislation NHS England and NHS Improvement’s latest legislative proposals show a desire to fast forward the integration agenda, but without further detail it’s hard to reach a view. Richard Murray reflects on the proposals. Blog Improving the nation’s health: striking the right balance between national and local Sally Warren reflects on the findings of the Health Devolution Commission, which considered the role of ‘health in all policies’ and the balance between local and national action. Blog Shielded voices: hearing from those most in need Charlotte Augst, Chief Executive of National Voices, and Dan Wellings, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, make the case for including communities using services in the Covid-19 response. Blog Tough challenges but new possibilities: shaping the post Covid-19 world with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector Lisa Weaks explores the challenges facing the VCSE sector and the importance of harnessing its expertise, workforce and reach in the Covid-19 response. Blog Tackling the Covid-19 outbreak in care homes: messages from a geriatrician and a health service researcher about how the NHS can help Covid-19 demands that there is closer working between care homes and the NHS to support residents to be safe and well. Researchers Adam Gordon and Claire Goodman reflect on the messages they are hearing from care home staff about what support is needed. Blog An outsider’s reflections on NHS primary care reform New Zealander Martin Hefford reflects on his time in the UK and ponders the questions about primary care reform that arose from his conversations with those working in primary care, secondary care and the third sector. Blog Going Dutch in West Suffolk: learning from the Buurtzorg model of care What would holistic health and social care delivered by a non-hierarchical team look like in England? Jo Maybin makes some observations about work under way in West Suffolk. Blog Crunch time for local system plans: five things to look out for Anna Charles considers what we might learn from the local system plans currently being developed by sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems. Blog Five tips for successfully leading a primary care network Clinical leaders of primary care networks face both challenges and opportunities to bring people together to drive real change. Beccy Baird and Tricia Boyle suggest five ways to help successfully lead a primary care network. Blog Can less be more? The new approach to social care in South Tyneside Simon Bottery considers joined-up health and social care in South Tyneside, with social workers joining ‘huddles’ on wards and using a ‘strength-based’ approach in discharge planning Blog Meaningful measures of integration As the health and care system takes steps towards joining up care, what will successful integration look like, and how will it be measured? Dan Wellings considers why new measures are needed and the challenges for ensuring meaningful data is collected. Blog Primary care networks and community health services: further, faster! As primary care services come together under the new primary care networks, Richard Murray reviews progress to date and what’s next for general practice, from integration and workforce to technology and the estate. Blog Rekindling hope in public services Ahead of the publication of our report on the Wigan Deal, Chris Naylor explores how devolving power to frontline staff and service users can create the positive culture needed for improvement. Blog A two-way street: primary care networks and integrated care systems As primary care networks and integrated care systems develop, Anna Charles considers how their relationship might evolve to strengthen the voice of primary and community care and join up local services. Blog Understanding urban health: Thinking large and small Improving population health in towns and cities requires both an overarching city-wide strategy, as well as a granular understanding of the needs of local neighbourhoods, as Chris Naylor and Kieron Boyle explain. Blog Primary care networks and the NHS long-term plan: the new player on the pitch Richard Murray considers the role primary care networks are meant to play in alleviating workforce pressures, linking general practice with integrated care systems and improving population health. Blog 2019: handling the uncertainty Richard Murray reflects on the opportunities and challenges that 2019 may bring, as well as the need for flexibility in the face of uncertainty. Blog Co-ordinating care for high-cost, high-need patients Chris Ham considers the care models for patients with complex needs presented at the Commonwealth Fund International Symposium, and argues that clinical teams need time and resources to effectively co-ordinate the care they provide. Subscribe to our Weekly Update newsletterPublications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.
Blog The NHS estate backlog grows again New NHS Digital data on the state of the NHS estate reveals the backlog maintenance cost has increased once again, so how should new capital funding be prioritised? Siva Anandaciva outlines the impact of the estate on patient care, and highlights four key issues for consideration.
Blog Health and care in 2021: what can we expect? In this first blog of the new year, Richard Murray outlines the key challenges and opportunities facing the health and care system in 2021.
Blog A recipe for baking in collaboration? NHS England and NHS Improvement’s proposals for new legislation NHS England and NHS Improvement’s latest legislative proposals show a desire to fast forward the integration agenda, but without further detail it’s hard to reach a view. Richard Murray reflects on the proposals.
Blog Improving the nation’s health: striking the right balance between national and local Sally Warren reflects on the findings of the Health Devolution Commission, which considered the role of ‘health in all policies’ and the balance between local and national action.
Blog Shielded voices: hearing from those most in need Charlotte Augst, Chief Executive of National Voices, and Dan Wellings, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, make the case for including communities using services in the Covid-19 response.
Blog Tough challenges but new possibilities: shaping the post Covid-19 world with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector Lisa Weaks explores the challenges facing the VCSE sector and the importance of harnessing its expertise, workforce and reach in the Covid-19 response.
Blog Tackling the Covid-19 outbreak in care homes: messages from a geriatrician and a health service researcher about how the NHS can help Covid-19 demands that there is closer working between care homes and the NHS to support residents to be safe and well. Researchers Adam Gordon and Claire Goodman reflect on the messages they are hearing from care home staff about what support is needed.
Blog An outsider’s reflections on NHS primary care reform New Zealander Martin Hefford reflects on his time in the UK and ponders the questions about primary care reform that arose from his conversations with those working in primary care, secondary care and the third sector.
Blog Going Dutch in West Suffolk: learning from the Buurtzorg model of care What would holistic health and social care delivered by a non-hierarchical team look like in England? Jo Maybin makes some observations about work under way in West Suffolk.
Blog Crunch time for local system plans: five things to look out for Anna Charles considers what we might learn from the local system plans currently being developed by sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems.
Blog Five tips for successfully leading a primary care network Clinical leaders of primary care networks face both challenges and opportunities to bring people together to drive real change. Beccy Baird and Tricia Boyle suggest five ways to help successfully lead a primary care network.
Blog Can less be more? The new approach to social care in South Tyneside Simon Bottery considers joined-up health and social care in South Tyneside, with social workers joining ‘huddles’ on wards and using a ‘strength-based’ approach in discharge planning
Blog Meaningful measures of integration As the health and care system takes steps towards joining up care, what will successful integration look like, and how will it be measured? Dan Wellings considers why new measures are needed and the challenges for ensuring meaningful data is collected.
Blog Primary care networks and community health services: further, faster! As primary care services come together under the new primary care networks, Richard Murray reviews progress to date and what’s next for general practice, from integration and workforce to technology and the estate.
Blog Rekindling hope in public services Ahead of the publication of our report on the Wigan Deal, Chris Naylor explores how devolving power to frontline staff and service users can create the positive culture needed for improvement.
Blog A two-way street: primary care networks and integrated care systems As primary care networks and integrated care systems develop, Anna Charles considers how their relationship might evolve to strengthen the voice of primary and community care and join up local services.
Blog Understanding urban health: Thinking large and small Improving population health in towns and cities requires both an overarching city-wide strategy, as well as a granular understanding of the needs of local neighbourhoods, as Chris Naylor and Kieron Boyle explain.
Blog Primary care networks and the NHS long-term plan: the new player on the pitch Richard Murray considers the role primary care networks are meant to play in alleviating workforce pressures, linking general practice with integrated care systems and improving population health.
Blog 2019: handling the uncertainty Richard Murray reflects on the opportunities and challenges that 2019 may bring, as well as the need for flexibility in the face of uncertainty.
Blog Co-ordinating care for high-cost, high-need patients Chris Ham considers the care models for patients with complex needs presented at the Commonwealth Fund International Symposium, and argues that clinical teams need time and resources to effectively co-ordinate the care they provide.
Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.