Blog | The King's Fund

NICE at 20: a cause for celebration

Nicholas Timmins celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and considers the challenges ahead.

Empathy and understanding in mental health: the role of a peer support worker

Emily, a senior peer support worker at Haven, explains the vital role peer support workers play in supporting people through mental health crisis.

The NHS, local authorities and the long-term plan: in it together?

The long-term plan is written by the NHS for the NHS. But how will it work without the full involvement of local authorities? Richard Humphries argues that successful partnerships between local government and the NHS are essential for improving the health and wellbeing of local populations.

Commissioning is dead, long live commissioning

With collaboration and integrated care central to the long-term plan for the NHS, Ruth Robertson considers what the future holds for commissioning and commissioners.

The NHS needs to be more productive – or is it more efficient?

Stop reading this and get back to work – you need to be more productive. Or is it more efficient? David Maguire explores the difference between productivity and efficiency in the NHS long-term plan.

What does the public think about the NHS and Brexit?

Will leaving the European Union be good or bad for the NHS? Beccy Baird explores the results of the BSA survey, which asked members of the public what they think Brexit will mean for the health service.

A modest proposal? Choice and competition in the long-term plan

Can the principle of choice and competition work alongside integrated care and the demands of patients with multi-morbidity? Nicholas Timmins unpacks NHS England’s plans to make integrated care work more effectively and what this might mean in terms of changes to legislation.

Why is public satisfaction with the NHS still falling?

Ruth Robertson explores the factors behind why public satisfaction with the NHS is still falling, despite 2018's funding boost.

Quality improvement for patient safety: a chance to steady the ship?

Does the recommissioning of the Academic Health Science Networks’ patient safety collaboratives mark a renewed commitment to quality improvement for the NHS? In this blog, Ben Collins considers the NHS’s relationship with quality improvement and the challenges it faces in bringing about real improvements in quality.

The NHS crisis of caring for staff: what do we need to do?

With high levels of staff turnover, sickness absence and presenteeism prevalent in the NHS, we need to significantly improve the working environments for staff. But how? Michael West reflects on the NHS staff survey and outlines the three core needs that must be met in the workplace.

Compassion: your greatest leadership contribution?

The NHS long-term plan highlights that compassion and inclusive leadership are essential for allowing staff to perform their best. Suzie Bailey considers how to overcome divisive top-down leadership and encourage cultural change.

Is it possible to use the digitisation of the NHS to reach the furthest first?

The health and care system has historically been reliant on paper for sharing information about patients. Digitisation is inevitably changing that, but what impact does that have on those who are marginalised?

A significant moment for general practice

A new five-year contract for general practice has been announced, with an increase in funding and plans to transform GP services. Beccy Baird and Anna Charles give their take on the key things you need to know.

From nasty to nice and back again: seven tips for encouraging cognitive diversity

Susie Perks-Baker and Ben Fuchs explore the challenge facing both 'nasty' and 'nice' cultures: failing to work constructively with conflict.

What’s the role of general practice in addressing population health?

Tom Beaney and Luke Allen explore the unique role GPs have to play in improving population health, but warn that a lack of capacity and resources limits the influence they can have.

The NHS long-term plan: five things you need to know

The NHS long-term plan has been launched and long it indeed is, in every sense of the word, clocking in at a weighty 120 pages. Here’s my take on the top five things you need to know.

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.

Sexual health services and the importance of prevention

There have been deep spending cuts to sexual health prevention services that work to promote safe sexual behaviour. Ruth Robertson looks at the data.

Social prescribing: a part of something bigger

Beccy Baird highlights how social prescribing must fit within a well-connected and sufficiently-funded system if it is to be successful.

Working beneath the surface: supporting leadership in complex times

As a newly-appointed co-director of our Top Manager Programme for senior leaders in health and social care, Mandip Randhawa shares her insights into why this type of programme is increasingly necessary and relevant in today’s context.

Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care

Reports, long reads and articles.