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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
Thinking differently about commissioning report
Report

Thinking differently about commissioning: learning from new approaches to local planning

Our report examines the approach being taken by some clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local systems where traditional notions of commissioning are no longer guiding their way of working.
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By Ruth Robertson et al - 6 February 2020
Article

Is the NHS being privatised?

The involvement of the private sector in the NHS is a hotly contested topic. We consider whether the NHS is being privatised.
1 March 2021
Commissioned report

Understanding factors that enabled digital service change in general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted rapid uptake of existing digital technologies to deliver patient care differently in general practice. This report looks at how services changed and the digital tools and services that were used to facilitate that change
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By Beccy Baird et al - 10 February 2021
Digital long read teaser
Long read

The digital revolution: eight technologies that will change health and care

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many health and care services turn to digital technology to continue meeting patients’ needs. But beyond remote consultations, what are the key technologies to look out for in the future?
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By Pritesh Mistry - 13 November 2020
Commissioned report

Technology and innovation for long-term health conditions

It has become received wisdom that the NHS struggles to adopt digital innovation, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, many NHS providers have moved services online at astonishing pace. Ben Collins looks at four digital innovations in health services from the UK and the Nordic countries.
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By Ben Collins - 3 August 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
Long read

What is commissioning and how is it changing?

Commissioning is the process by which health and care services are planned, purchased and monitored. Here we look at the commissioning process in more detail, the organisations involved and how it is changing.
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By Lillie Wenzel et al - 19 September 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
Article

The false promise of the self-improving health system

There is an urgent need to reform the system for paying and contracting for services in the NHS but new complex financial incentive schemes are not the answer, writes Ben Collins for HSJ.
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By Ben Collins - 1 April 2019
Report

Payments and contracting for integrated care: The false promise of the self-improving health system

Why should the new payment systems being developed to support integrated care be any more successful than previous ones? This new report calls for urgent reform of the system for paying and contracting services in the NHS.
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By Ben Collins - 14 March 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
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

Approaches to better value: improving quality and cost

The NHS is increasingly focusing on how it can improve the value of its services, to deliver the highest quality health outcomes for patients at the lowest possible cost. This report shares learning and insight from three NHS hospital trusts that have developed organisation-wide strategies for value improvement.
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By Joni Jabbal et al - 4 October 2018
CQC impact
Report

Impact of the Care Quality Commission on provider performance: room for improvement?

The CQC introduced a new approach to inspecting and rating health and social care providers in 2013. Our report with the Alliance Manchester Business School is the first major evaluation of this approach.
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By Rachael Smithson et al - 27 September 2018
Report

The NHS at 70: What will new technology mean for the NHS and its patients?

Technology is rarely the saviour of health services in the way that politicians hope – at least in the short term. It takes time to implement, requires shifts in workforce, and investment – posing real dilemmas for a cash-strapped NHS.
By Sophie Castle-Clarke - 28 June 2018
Article

Digital change is priceless

In light of recent announcements, Harry Evans argues it is now time for the NHS to step out of the shadow of past implementation failures.
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By Harry Evans - 28 June 2018
Digital change
Report

Digital change in health and social care

The use of digital technology in health and social care can improve quality, efficiency and patient experience as well as supporting more integrated care and improving the health of a population. This report shares practical learning from a series of case studies where significant large-scale digital change is happening.
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By David Maguire et al - 21 June 2018
Data in the NHS
Long read

Using data in the NHS: the implications of the opt-out and GDPR

Harry Evans explores the use of data in the NHS, the systems in place for protecting it and what GDPR and the opt-out might mean for the future.
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By Harry Evans - 25 May 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
Commissioned report

Housing and health: opportunities for sustainability and transformation partnerships

This short report, supported by the National Housing Federation, sets out areas where sustainability and transformation partnerships and emerging integrated care systems can make more of the contribution of the housing sector to improving health.
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By David Buck et al - 22 March 2018
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Health and care explained: How does the health and care system work? How is it changing?

This selection of content aims to make sense of the health and care system – including videos, articles, illustrated summaries and more.

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