The King's Fund blog: health policy, NHS leadership, health and social care

STPs: a call for ‘extraordinary’ leadership

Marcus Powell calls for investment in the extraordinary leadership needed to implement sustainability and transformation plans.

Developing women’s leadership on the road to gender parity

Susie Perks-Baker says that women need to learn to take care of themselves, as well as others, on their journey to the top.

An NHS winter that never seems to end?

Siva Anandaciva argues that A&E performance may not bounce back as quickly as expected when winter recedes.

Is a ‘death tax’ for social care about to be announced?

Is the government about to announce plans for a new approach to funding social care? Nicholas Timmins asks if a tax on people's estates after they have died will be an acceptable idea this time around.

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.

Housing and health: STPs, White Papers and beyond

Has the role of housing been given adequate consideration in sustainability and transformation plans? David Buck argues the importance of delivering health and housing services and developing policy together.

Funding health care in the Great War

In the second of a series of blogs looking back at the diverse history of The King's Fund, Kathy Johnson considers the role of the Fund during World War 1.

‘Teflon’ Jeremy Hunt and the de-politicisation of the NHS

Nicholas Timmins asks whether the 2012 health and social care reforms allowed politicians to avoid taking responsibility for the state of the NHS.

What next for sustainability and transformation plans?

Chris Ham argues that the challenge for STPs is to translate ambitious proposals into credible plans, with clarity about the most important priorities.

NHS finances on the brink

Richard Murray gives an overview of the state of NHS finances, ahead of the latest figures being released next week.

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.

Compassionate leadership – more important than ever in today’s NHS

Sarah Massie and Vicki Curtis look at the impact of our compassionate leadership programme for health care leaders in the context of unprecedented financial and operational pressures across the wider system.

Seizing opportunities for digital development in the NHS

David Maguire looks at whether sustainability and transformation plans offer an opportunity for place-based digitally enhanced care to become a reality across the NHS.

Delayed discharge: 'It’s not just about the money'

Delayed transfers of care will only be solved when there is substantial additional investment in community-based services alongside local reform and improvement, argues Richard Humphries.

How can GPs provide rapid access alongside long-term continuity of care?

General practice needs not only investment, but also a change in the way services are delivered if it is to meet the dual demands of urgent care and long-term conditions management, says Beccy Baird.

The creation of The King’s Fund: raising money for London hospitals

Nikki Smiton looks back to the Victorian era to explore how the Fund was created and how it raised and spent money in its early years.

An insight into frontline clinical care in acute hospitals

Having spent time shadowing frontline physicians in acute hospitals, Chris Ham and Don Berwick set out the challenges they observed and talk about how the Fund is working with others to develop an agenda for improvements.

Looking to the future with quality improvement in mental health

Quality improvement requires commitment, resources and strong leadership to deliver sustainable results. Shilpa Ross looks at what we can learn from mental health organisations.

The NHS at mid-winter

The number of NHS trusts reporting operational pressures is unprecedented, and bed occupancy levels are unsustainably high. Richard Murray examines the story behind the numbers.

Quality improvement: learning from innovations in the vanguards

Don Berwick sees the impact of work under way in the vanguards, and considers how their innovative approaches could be shared more widely across the NHS.