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 Accountable care 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 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Blog Cancer or dementia: the social care system is unfair to people with either condition The often-made contrast between ‘free’ support for cancer and ‘means-tested’ support for dementia is not entirely accurate, says Simon Bottery. Blog NHS medicines provision: a tricky balancing act With medicines spending growing at a time of NHS funding restraint, difficult choices lie ahead for policy-makers. Leo Ewbank assesses the current situation and looks at what the future may hold. Blog (Elective) hips don't lie: Data reveals pressures on hip replacement services How have elective hip replacement services been affected by wider financial pressures in the NHS? James Thompson looks at what the data shows. Blog Allocating social care funds: difficult decisions ahead The extra £2 billion for adult social care announced in the Spring Budget will be gratefully received, but local councils now face tough choices about where to allocate the money. Richard Humphries considers the context. Blog The impact of NHS financial pressures – a mixed picture We know that financial and operational pressures in the NHS can affect patient care in a number of ways, but how and why does the impact vary across different service areas? Blog Elective treatment on the back-burner? Financial and operational pressures in the NHS are having a significant impact on elective treatment; the 18-week waiting time standard will not be met in any month during the current financial year. James Thompson analyses the latest data and the tough choices ahead for the NHS. Blog Read all about it: media coverage of NHS rationing How does the national media understand and report on rationing in the NHS, and what is the impact of this coverage? Anna Charles reports on our findings. Blog What now for social care? Widespread dismay greeted the omission of any reference in the 2016 Autumn Statement to the perilous state of social care funding. Richard Humphries looks at the options available. Blog Overcoming the challenges to improve health and wellbeing in care homes David Oliver considers the role of care homes in the social care sector, and the challenges that need to be tackled while seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of care home residents. Blog NHS rationing under the radar With local health systems being told to balance their books in the middle of the biggest financial crisis in recent NHS history, Ruth Robertson considers the impact of this pressure on patients and staff. Blog End-of-life care: getting it right for more people, more of the time David Oliver considers some of the positive steps being made towards improving end-of-life care. Blog How are NHS financial pressures affecting patient care? Ruth Robertson looks at the ways in which NHS financial pressures can affect patient care, and the difficulties in assessing the real impact. Blog Assessing demand and supply in general practice Beccy Baird shares her views on the progress of a project that will collect detailed evidence around the changes in activity in general practice over the past five years. Blog Is the NHS delivering enough of the right things? Underuse happens when effective care isn’t delivered when it’s needed and it can lead to people needing more complex care as their conditions get worse. So, where might the NHS not be delivering enough of the right things? Blog The public’s view of which treatments should be available on the NHS 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. Blog The Better Care Fund: will the plans work? The government expects councils and NHS partners to achieve way too much, with too little, too soon, says Richard Humphries. Blog Waiting for mental health care: what does the public think? 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. Blog The Cancer Drugs Fund: inequitable and inefficient? On the face of it, the CDF would seem perhaps to be a good thing, helping improve the quality of life for people at the end of their lives. But is it either a fair or efficient way for the NHS to spend its limited budget? Blog Better Care Fund, better read the small print? 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. Blog Wanted: an even Better Care Fund 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. Subscribe to our Weekly Update newsletterPublications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.
Blog Cancer or dementia: the social care system is unfair to people with either condition The often-made contrast between ‘free’ support for cancer and ‘means-tested’ support for dementia is not entirely accurate, says Simon Bottery.
Blog NHS medicines provision: a tricky balancing act With medicines spending growing at a time of NHS funding restraint, difficult choices lie ahead for policy-makers. Leo Ewbank assesses the current situation and looks at what the future may hold.
Blog (Elective) hips don't lie: Data reveals pressures on hip replacement services How have elective hip replacement services been affected by wider financial pressures in the NHS? James Thompson looks at what the data shows.
Blog Allocating social care funds: difficult decisions ahead The extra £2 billion for adult social care announced in the Spring Budget will be gratefully received, but local councils now face tough choices about where to allocate the money. Richard Humphries considers the context.
Blog The impact of NHS financial pressures – a mixed picture We know that financial and operational pressures in the NHS can affect patient care in a number of ways, but how and why does the impact vary across different service areas?
Blog Elective treatment on the back-burner? Financial and operational pressures in the NHS are having a significant impact on elective treatment; the 18-week waiting time standard will not be met in any month during the current financial year. James Thompson analyses the latest data and the tough choices ahead for the NHS.
Blog Read all about it: media coverage of NHS rationing How does the national media understand and report on rationing in the NHS, and what is the impact of this coverage? Anna Charles reports on our findings.
Blog What now for social care? Widespread dismay greeted the omission of any reference in the 2016 Autumn Statement to the perilous state of social care funding. Richard Humphries looks at the options available.
Blog Overcoming the challenges to improve health and wellbeing in care homes David Oliver considers the role of care homes in the social care sector, and the challenges that need to be tackled while seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of care home residents.
Blog NHS rationing under the radar With local health systems being told to balance their books in the middle of the biggest financial crisis in recent NHS history, Ruth Robertson considers the impact of this pressure on patients and staff.
Blog End-of-life care: getting it right for more people, more of the time David Oliver considers some of the positive steps being made towards improving end-of-life care.
Blog How are NHS financial pressures affecting patient care? Ruth Robertson looks at the ways in which NHS financial pressures can affect patient care, and the difficulties in assessing the real impact.
Blog Assessing demand and supply in general practice Beccy Baird shares her views on the progress of a project that will collect detailed evidence around the changes in activity in general practice over the past five years.
Blog Is the NHS delivering enough of the right things? Underuse happens when effective care isn’t delivered when it’s needed and it can lead to people needing more complex care as their conditions get worse. So, where might the NHS not be delivering enough of the right things?
Blog The public’s view of which treatments should be available on the NHS 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.
Blog The Better Care Fund: will the plans work? The government expects councils and NHS partners to achieve way too much, with too little, too soon, says Richard Humphries.
Blog Waiting for mental health care: what does the public think? 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.
Blog The Cancer Drugs Fund: inequitable and inefficient? On the face of it, the CDF would seem perhaps to be a good thing, helping improve the quality of life for people at the end of their lives. But is it either a fair or efficient way for the NHS to spend its limited budget?
Blog Better Care Fund, better read the small print? 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.
Blog Wanted: an even Better Care Fund 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.
Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care Reports, long reads and articles.