Blog | The King's Fund

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.

The conundrum of children’s and young people’s health: time to address it

David Buck looks at the seemingly paradoxical trends in children and young people's health and wellbeing, and argues that it's time for policy-makers to start responding.

Crowd-sourcing the future of the NHS

With the winner of our The NHS essay competition due to be announced next month, Katie Mantell reflects on the wide array of insightful ideas submitted.

‘Waste’ in health care: separating good from bad

Chris Ham argues that some waste in health care is necessary to deliver better value in the longer-term.

Taking back control: Integrated Personal Commissioning

Patrick Hall asks whether personalised care planning and budgets could improve the experiences of people with complex needs, achieve better outcomes and make better use of limited resources.

Taking the right approach to community-based health services

Beccy Baird reflects on perceived public feeling towards the proposal that the NHS should invest in community-based health care rather than hospitals.

Demand and activity in the NHS: still rising

As we publish our new briefing, Richard Murray considers the wider context of increasing demand and activity in English hospitals.

Doing justice to mental health in STPs

Chris Naylor looks at whether mental health is being considered carefully enough in the development of sustainability and transformation plans.

The general management 'mistake'

Following Jeremy Hunt's comments about whether the creation of a general management class in the NHS in the 1980s had been a mistake, Matthew Lewis reflects on whether this is the case and how clinical leadership can be better developed.

Missing the wood for the trees

Ben Collins reflects on the reasons behind the failure of the UnitingCare contract, and lessons that have been learnt for commissioning in the NHS.

Publications: Independent research and analysis on health and social care

Reports, long reads and articles.