Publications

The short term hotchpot of measures taken by the government does nothing to stem the growing pressures on social care, says Richard Humphries.

Lack of money is frequently highlighted as a key barrier to providing high quality care in mental health, with bed pressures, access to services and poor patient experience being associated with inadequate funding, writes Helen Gilburt.

Good mental health isn’t just the absence of mental illness. It’s about how we cope with our lives – how we handle situations, relate to others and make choices.

Is enough emphasis and thought devoted to leadership styles, the culture this creates and whether this fully reflects the organisation’s aims and ethos?

The current fragmented system of commissioning is clearly unsustainable. While the idea of integrated commissioning is an old one, the approach to achieving it must be decidedly new, writes Lillie Wenzel.

Now, more than ever, we need a new, comprehensive approach to supporting and implementing change, say Richard Murray and Anita Charlesworth.

With the right local leadership and central government support, localism could help address the broad range of factors that drive health inequalities in a particular area, writes David Buck.

Richard Humphries reviews recent policy initiatives to achieve the closer integration of health and social care.

We speak to Tim Kelsey, National Director for Patients and Information at NHS England, about the role of technology in improving care.

As the post-election dust settles, the Queen’s speech confirms that the integration of health and social care continues as a headline policy commitment, with the better care fund and ‘DevoManc’ as flagship policies intended to make this happen. But will they be enough?

In the spending cuts announced by the chancellor last week the Department of Health did not entirely escape the knife, losing £200 million from its budget from 'non-NHS' sources. It turns out this source will be local government public health spending.

Rather than prescribe a one size fits all solution, an approach agreed locally by CCGs and local authorities is the best way forward for integrated care, says Richard Humphries.

This publication was commissioned by the Local Government Association to capture the thoughts of councillors, directors of public health, providers, commissioners, academics and other key opinion formers on the challenges and opportunities devolution could bring in terms of improving the public's health. Read David Buck's chapter.

Social care for older people will be increasingly important as our population ages. So why the silence from politicians?

We speak to writer Nicci Gerrard about her father's hospital care, and her campaign – John's Campaign – that calls for the families and carers of people with dementia to be allowed to remain with them in hospital for as many hours of the day and night as necessary.

The value of the work the voluntary and charitable sector does in communities across the UK is often overlooked, says Lisa Weaks.

New models of care have been introduced by the NHS five year forward view, but where do commissioners fit in?

All political parties have endorsed NHS plans for greater integration of care in the next parliament. Chris Ham and colleagues use US experience to suggest what is needed to make it happen.

Hugh Alderwick and Chris Naylor discuss provider-led approaches to integration.

Politicians must look for evidence-based solutions and avoid the NHS becoming a political football, says Chris Ham.