Blog | The King's Fund

Medical leadership: moving to the sunnier side

We must change our language and behaviour about the capability of medical leadership, says Vijaya Nath.

Tackling global health care challenges

Nicola Walsh reflects on the first World Innovation Summit for Health which explored new and innovative ways to tackle a variety of global health care challenges.

New CCG allocations: straw men laid to rest but deeper questions remain?

NHS England have set out their thinking on how the bulk of NHS money will get to where it needs to be, and on what basis, through allocations to CCGs – David Buck shares his thoughts on this decision.

How do we change NHS culture to make way for more women leaders?

Belinda Weir reflects on our women in leadership conference, which explored how to create cultures that redress the continuing scarcity of women leaders across the health care sector.

The National Intermediate Care Audit: key to understanding integrated care for older people

We can’t deal with the emergency care crisis at the front door of the hospital without addressing the situation at the back door – there are still too many patients who could be sent home within 0 – 2 days but who would not be able to access community support in time, says David Oliver.

Carry on prescribing: who is responsible for co-ordinating patients’ medication?

People are now taking more drugs than ever before, but who is responsible for ensuring each patient’s prescriptions are appropriate?

Putting patient safety first: how long will it take before the NHS learns from its mistakes?

Candace Imison draws on some of the inspirational stories we heard at our 2013 Annual Conference to look at how the NHS could improve patient safety by learning from mistakes.

After the hard truths, the hard actions

Whichever way you look at it, responding to Francis and the associated reports was going to be a challenging balancing act for the government.

The value of volunteering in acute trusts

Every NHS acute trust in England encourages people to volunteer – to contribute to their service and play an important part in improving patient experience. But how many people volunteer in acute trusts in England and what roles do they play?

The new GP contract is but a small step towards a better future for primary care

The new GP contract is a small step in the right direction, but it falls far short of the rebirth of general practice. Much more needs to be done to transform primary care and ensure it meets the needs of patients and populations in future, says Chris Ham.

Transforming patient experience: not a quick fix

Turning around a culture of care cannot be achieved through a quick fix. It takes courage, because you can’t start to improve things without first admitting that you could have been doing things better, says Joanna Goodrich.

Foundation trust governors: the promise of local accountability?

Our conversations with governors suggest they are still not fulfilling their potential as the voice of local populations on hospital boards. Not through a lack of will, but rather through a lack of clarity and support, says Becky Seale.

The Integration Transformation Fund: the foundation of a genuinely integrated system or just another brick in the wall?

Expectations for the Integrated Transformation Fund are high, but will it actually help to deliver integrated care when the system is so under pressure?

Achieving equitable outcomes between mental and physical health: how can we make change happen?

The poor health outcomes of people with co-existing mental and physical conditions represent one of the greatest inequalities in health. What needs to happen to change this?

A good day to bury a significant piece of legislation?

Amid the furore of the Competition Commission’s decision to refuse the merger of Bournemouth and Poole, some significant changes to the current failure regime have been approved in amendments to the Care Bill.

IT systems – an overlooked cog in the integration machine?

Being able to measure impact and to exchange information are two of the key elements of seamless care co-ordination. So how can current IT systems be improved to help achieve this more effectively?

When will the future begin?

Some may argue that deep thinking about the future isn’t really necessary, but how could this foresight benefit the health and social care system?

What are we spending on the English NHS?

Although politicians say the NHS has been protected financially, this is only relative to real cuts in other areas of government and, crucially, not in terms of the demands on health care, says John Appleby.

NHS mergers: learning the lessons of Bournemouth and Poole

What are the repercussions of the Competition Commission's rejection of the proposed merger in Bournemouth and Poole?

Making revalidation work: what have we learnt so far?

Vijaya Nath looks at what responsible officers – those who make recommendations to the General Medical Council about doctors’ fitness to practice – think about the process of revalidation.

Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care

Reports, long reads and articles.