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 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 Social care reform: fit for purpose or simply fit for a crisis? As the social care sector continues to feel the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, social care reform is once again up for debate. Sally Warren outlines why any reform must have the needs of service users and staff at its heart. 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 Integrating health and social care in the Covid-19 (coronavirus) response The response to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has shown examples of real community spirit and collaboration, as well as revealing some deep-rooted differences between the NHS and the social care sector, as Richard Humphries explores. Blog Social care can’t cope alone with the cost of the living wage The rise in the national living wage will stretch adult social care beyond its limit, says Simon Bottery. More money – and a more strategic approach to the social care workforce – is needed. Blog One step forward for community services New standards aim to improve urgent care in the community, but how easily can they be delivered? Anna Charles considers how workforce, social care and the pace of change might pose challenges for implementing these welcome plans. Blog 2019: The health policy year in 12 charts Siva Anandaciva takes a quick look back at some of the key events that shaped national policy in 2019 and asks what the year ahead might have in store for health and care. Blog Social care services: funding cuts are biting hard There is nothing to smile about in new statistics showing more people request social care support but fewer get it. Blog Looking ahead to 2020 Richard Murray outlines what to look out for in the coming year, from early announcements on workforce and funding, to longer-term ambitions for integration and culture change. Blog After the election: how will the new government approach health and social care? What might being the new government’s ‘top priority’ mean in practical terms for the NHS? And does this focus come at the expense of the wider health and care agenda? Helen McKenna reflects on the new government’s manifesto commitments. Blog Quality in social care: we need an ear for stories as well as an eye for data Listening to people’s experience of services – good and bad - is as important to improving quality as crunching the data, writes Simon Bottery. Blog Why are we still waiting for solutions to the problems of social care? Kate Barker, chair of the independent Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England, shares her views on the challenges facing the social care sector. Blog Back in the ‘too difficult’ box: social care and the manifestos It’s not only about what is in the manifestos, it’s also about what isn’t. Sally Warren takes a look at whether parties are addressing the long-running challenges around social care. Blog Tackling poor health outcomes: the role of trauma-informed care People who have experienced trauma face a number of barriers to accessing health care. Deborah Fenney explains why a trauma-informed approach is essential for supporting a group that currently face poor health outcomes. Blog Genomic medicine: a tool for population health? Genomic medicine has been hailed as the magic bullet for prevention, diagnosis and personalised treatment. But what can we really expect from this field? Cecilia Price looks at the impact of the 100,000 Genomes Project to better understand the future role of genomics in health and care. Blog Why you’re better off being a cleaner than a care worker Social care is becoming even less competitive on pay, says Simon Bottery. The sector’s problems won’t be solved by a recruitment campaign alone. 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 Securing money to improve mental health care... but no staff to spend it on Ambitions to improve the quality of mental health care will fail if they are not accompanied by plans to address staff shortages. Helen Gilburt looks at the effect of staff shortages on staff, patients and quality of care. Blog The deteriorating state of the NHS estate Each year, NHS provider trusts survey their estate and estimate the costs of restoring buildings and equipment to mandatory standards. Today’s data for 2018/19 shows more investment is needed to tackle the rising backlog of maintenance issues. Subscribe to our Weekly Update newsletterPublications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.
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 Social care reform: fit for purpose or simply fit for a crisis? As the social care sector continues to feel the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, social care reform is once again up for debate. Sally Warren outlines why any reform must have the needs of service users and staff at its heart.
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 Integrating health and social care in the Covid-19 (coronavirus) response The response to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has shown examples of real community spirit and collaboration, as well as revealing some deep-rooted differences between the NHS and the social care sector, as Richard Humphries explores.
Blog Social care can’t cope alone with the cost of the living wage The rise in the national living wage will stretch adult social care beyond its limit, says Simon Bottery. More money – and a more strategic approach to the social care workforce – is needed.
Blog One step forward for community services New standards aim to improve urgent care in the community, but how easily can they be delivered? Anna Charles considers how workforce, social care and the pace of change might pose challenges for implementing these welcome plans.
Blog 2019: The health policy year in 12 charts Siva Anandaciva takes a quick look back at some of the key events that shaped national policy in 2019 and asks what the year ahead might have in store for health and care.
Blog Social care services: funding cuts are biting hard There is nothing to smile about in new statistics showing more people request social care support but fewer get it.
Blog Looking ahead to 2020 Richard Murray outlines what to look out for in the coming year, from early announcements on workforce and funding, to longer-term ambitions for integration and culture change.
Blog After the election: how will the new government approach health and social care? What might being the new government’s ‘top priority’ mean in practical terms for the NHS? And does this focus come at the expense of the wider health and care agenda? Helen McKenna reflects on the new government’s manifesto commitments.
Blog Quality in social care: we need an ear for stories as well as an eye for data Listening to people’s experience of services – good and bad - is as important to improving quality as crunching the data, writes Simon Bottery.
Blog Why are we still waiting for solutions to the problems of social care? Kate Barker, chair of the independent Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England, shares her views on the challenges facing the social care sector.
Blog Back in the ‘too difficult’ box: social care and the manifestos It’s not only about what is in the manifestos, it’s also about what isn’t. Sally Warren takes a look at whether parties are addressing the long-running challenges around social care.
Blog Tackling poor health outcomes: the role of trauma-informed care People who have experienced trauma face a number of barriers to accessing health care. Deborah Fenney explains why a trauma-informed approach is essential for supporting a group that currently face poor health outcomes.
Blog Genomic medicine: a tool for population health? Genomic medicine has been hailed as the magic bullet for prevention, diagnosis and personalised treatment. But what can we really expect from this field? Cecilia Price looks at the impact of the 100,000 Genomes Project to better understand the future role of genomics in health and care.
Blog Why you’re better off being a cleaner than a care worker Social care is becoming even less competitive on pay, says Simon Bottery. The sector’s problems won’t be solved by a recruitment campaign alone.
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 Securing money to improve mental health care... but no staff to spend it on Ambitions to improve the quality of mental health care will fail if they are not accompanied by plans to address staff shortages. Helen Gilburt looks at the effect of staff shortages on staff, patients and quality of care.
Blog The deteriorating state of the NHS estate Each year, NHS provider trusts survey their estate and estimate the costs of restoring buildings and equipment to mandatory standards. Today’s data for 2018/19 shows more investment is needed to tackle the rising backlog of maintenance issues.
Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.
