Investing in quality: The contribution of large charities to shaping future health and care

Commissioned by the National Garden Scheme, this report explores how the work of the National Garden Scheme and its beneficiaries fits within the context of the future of policy development in health and care.

The National Garden Scheme is an independent charity that provides annual donations to a range of nursing and caring charities. The report captures its contribution to six of its main beneficiaries:

Macmillan Cancer Support
Marie Curie
Hospice UK
The Queen’s Nursing Institute
Parkinson’s UK
MS Society.

About the report

Through a selection of case studies, the report highlights areas of the beneficiaries' work that are supported by funding from the National Garden Scheme and are contributing to addressing current policy issues and supporting the future direction of health and care. Each case study seeks to provide an insight into areas of practice and care that are developing but have far wider relevance.

The report concludes with reflections on how the statutory system and the wider voluntary and community sector can work together to deliver some of the key priorities of the NHS long-term plan and drive improvements in health and care.

Related content

Commissioned report

Gardens and health: Implications for policy and practice

This independent report, commissioned by the National Gardens Scheme, looks at the benefits gardens and gardening can bring to the population's health.

Gardens and health: it’s time for health policy to bring gardens in from the cold

David Buck discusses the finding of an independent report, commissioned by the National Gardens Scheme, on the potential benefits of gardens and gardening for health.

Some of the many ways in which volunteers can improve patients' experience in hospital

Commissioned report

The role of volunteers in the NHS: views from the front line

Commissioned by Royal Voluntary Service and Helpforce, this report looks at the perceptions of frontline NHS staff working in acute care about the operational pressures they face, how they understand the roles and value of volunteers and what gaps there are that volunteers could help fill.

Commissioned report

Commissioner perspectives on working with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

This report explores how and why clinical commissioning groups and local authorities are engaging with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

Community health services explained

Community services play a key role in keeping people well, treating and managing acute illness and long-term conditions, and supporting people to live independently – and yet they are poorly understood compared to other parts of the NHS. In this explainer we set out what community services are, the challenges faced and how they're changing.

Reimagining community services: making the most of our assets

This report looks at the current organisation of community health services and considers how the health and care system needs to change to meet the needs of populations now and in the future.

Comments

Add your comment

You may also be interested in

How can social prescribing better support migrant women's health and wellbeing?

Loreen Chikwira explores how better listening, collaborative working with minority ethnic women and better support for link workers can improve how social prescribing supports migrant women.

Volunteering in general practice

Volunteering in general practice: opportunities and insights

Interest is growing in the contribution that volunteering can make in health and social care. This paper examines the ways in which volunteers are involved with, and are contributing to, general practice.

Transforming general practice through volunteering

Transforming general practice through volunteering

In a guest blog to accompany our volunteering report, Kay Keane shares her experience of developing a community-centred general practice approach through building a community of volunteers.

Social Enterprise and Community-based Care: Is there a future for mutually-owned organisations in community and primary care?

Explores how social enterprises, particularly those with a 'mutual' structure, could add value to the provision of primary and community care and practice-based commissioning, and suggests how this system could be implemented.