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Independent research and analysis on health and social care

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  • Health and care services
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Brexit
Long read

Brexit and the end of the transition period: what does it mean for the health and care system?

On Christmas Eve 2020 a new EU-UK trade and co-operation deal was agreed. Jonathon Holmes looks at what the new deal means for the health and care system.
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By Jonathon Holmes - 11 January 2021
Long read

The next steps towards integrated care

This explainer considers NHS England and NHS Improvement’s proposals to further integrate health and care services and describes the associated proposals for legislative change.
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By Richard Murray et al - 9 December 2020 11-minute read
Rising cost of medicines teaser image
Long read

Access to new medicines in the English NHS

Have you ever wondered how new medicines are developed, approved and priced? This explainer outlines the long journey from the discovery of a new drug to when it becomes available on the NHS.
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By Ben Collins - 28 October 2020 30-minute read
Closing the gap: Key areas for action on the health and care workforce
Report

Closing the gap: key areas for action on the health and care workforce

Staffing is the make-or-break issue for the NHS in England. In this joint report with the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation, we set out the policy actions that need to be at the heart of the workforce implementation plan due to be published later this year.
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By Jake Beech et al - 21 March 2019
Long read

Community pharmacy explained

Community pharmacy is a critical part of primary care in England, but its role and relationship to the wider NHS is often poorly understood. This explainer looks at the community pharmacy sector in England, explaining how pharmacies are contracted and funded, the types of services they provide and future trends in the sector.
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By Beccy Baird et al - 16 December 2020
Long read

Primary care networks explained

A key part of the NHS long-term plan, primary care networks (PCNs) will bring general practices together to work at scale. But what are they? How are they funded and held accountable? And what difference will they make? Beccy Baird explains the latest form of GP collaboration.
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By Beccy Baird et al - 20 November 2020
Red stethascope teaser
Long read

The 2020/21 update to the GP contract explained

NHS England and the British Medical Association’s general practice committee have negotiated an update to the five-year GP contract framework published in January 2019. This explainer outlines the changes and explains what they mean for the future of general practice.
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By Beccy Baird et al - 19 November 2020
Article

Public health funding uncertainty is hitting hard

This article was first published on the LGC website. The lack of news from the government about the public health grant contrasts with the long term certainly it has given the NHS, writes Sally Warren.
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By Sally Warren - 31 January 2020
Long read

Why can't I get a doctor's appointment? Solving the complex issue of GP access

Public satisfaction with general practice is lower now than it has ever been, while the number of people reporting difficulties in booking appointments continues to grow. We run through the proposed solutions to issues around GP access and consider their potential effectiveness.
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By Beccy Baird et al - 21 November 2019
Evidence and consultation

Implementing the NHS long-term plan: written submission to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee

Successful implementation of the NHS long-term plan depends on adequate funding for social care and public health, NHS education and training, and capital investment.
7 November 2019
Commissioned report

Volunteering in ambulance services: developing and diversifying opportunities

Commissioned by the Office for Civil Society, this report explores the role and value of volunteering within ambulance services in England and identifies examples of different ways in which volunteering opportunities are being developed.
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By Helen Gilburt - 30 May 2019
Report

Clicks and mortar: Technology and the NHS estate

Financial pressures and growing demand mean that health and social care services will need to work differently. This report reviews how technology in the NHS estate is currently being used, and imagines how the 'estate of the future' might look.
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By Lillie Wenzel et al - 21 May 2019
Evidence and consultation

NHS long-term plan: legislative proposals inquiry: Written submission to the Health and Social Care Committee

Our response to the Health and Social Care Committee's legislative proposals inquiry. We support the spirit of these proposals, which are intended to make it easier for local NHS bodies to work together to improve the health and care of their populations.
24 April 2019
Long read

The NHS long-term plan explained

On 7 January, the NHS long-term plan was published setting out key ambitions for the service over the next 10 years. In this explainer, we set out the main commitments in the plan and provide our view of what they might mean, highlighting the opportunities and challenges for the health and care system as it moves to put the plan into practice.
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By Anna Charles et al - 23 January 2019
Article

Caution needed over ambitions for new primary care networks

It is critical that primary care networks are not set up to fail by taking on too many tasks too quickly.
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By Beccy Baird et al - 18 January 2019
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.
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By Shilpa Ross et al - 4 December 2018
Report

The health care workforce in England: make or break?

In advance of the publication of the NHS long-term plan, this briefing highlights the scale of workforce challenges now facing the health service and the threat this poses to the delivery and quality of care over the next 10 years.
15 November 2018
Long read

The NHS 10-year plan: how should the extra funding be spent?

The government has announced increases in NHS funding and has asked the NHS to come up with a 10-year plan for how this funding will be used. After eight years of austerity, there is now an opportunity to tackle the issues that matter most to patients and communities and to improve health and care.
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By Professor Sir Chris Ham et al - 12 July 2018
Article

An open letter: a long-term funding settlement for the NHS

An open letter to the Prime Minister from The King's Fund, The Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation about a long-term funding settlement for the NHS.
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By Professor Sir Chris Ham et al - 6 June 2018
Rising cost of medicines teaser image
Report

The rising cost of medicines to the NHS: what’s the story?

In the face of rising costs, the NHS is grappling with how to provide access to medicines in an affordable way. Our new briefing explores the NHS’s approach to managing its spending on medicines and choices that policy-makers are likely to face in future.
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By Leo Ewbank et al - 26 April 2018
Volunteering in general practice
Report

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.
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By Helen Gilburt et al - 7 February 2018
Article

Did the government meet its pledge to deliver seven-day services?

Ahead of the general election, we explore whether the government met its pledge on seven-day services.
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By Helen McKenna - 6 June 2017
Smoker and non-smoker
Report

Understanding NHS financial pressures: how are they affecting patient care?

Severe financial pressures on the NHS show no signs of easing, but how are they affecting patient care?
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By Ruth Robertson et al - 14 March 2017
Article

Ministers, not NHS England, should decide on the affordability of cost-effective new treatments

The NHS can no longer afford to fund new treatments to the extent that it has done in the past. This potentially has big implications for patients, but the message is being delivered by un-elected NHS organisations when it should be ministers and the budget setters taking responsibility for this.
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By Nicholas Timmins - 8 February 2017
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