Publications

The scale of the difficulties facing adult social care in England means that doing nothing is no longer an option. Policy-makers need to identify which of the problems facing social care they most want to tackle, and this briefing paper is intended to aid the process by identifying and exploring those key challenges.

This report sets out the key issues facing the home care sector based on discussions with commissioners, providers and national social care organisations.

Policy-makers have outlined their ambitions to provide joined-up care closer to home and enable people to remain independent and in their own homes. Home care will be a central component of realising these ambitions. However, there are serious concerns about the state of the home care market and the quality of care service users receive.

In this joint piece with the Health Foundation and Nuffield Trust, we analyse what was announced in the 2018 Budget and what it means for health and social care.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 is widely seen as dysfunctional, getting in the way of the more integrated care it actually seeks to achieve. As the Prime Minister has once again opened the door to changes, this piece identifies some of the current problems and implications of change, and asks how far progress could be made within the existing legislation.

Our report, commissioned by the Mayor of London, reviews the progress made over the past year by London's five sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs).

The 70th anniversary of the NHS is an opportunity to reflect on its enduring popularity and to ask what people can expect from the service and what their obligations are in return, says Chris Ham.

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.

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.

Social care is complex, poorly understood and widely perceived as unfair – while facing unprecedented pressures. This paper explains the current pressures on social care, the impact this is having in England, and sets out the barriers and potential solutions to funding reform.

The UK government spends £150 billion every year on health – more than twice what we spent less than 20 years ago at the start of the 2000s. But might the NHS still require more funding, and if it does how could we find more money?

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.

Hypothecated funding for health and social care is back on the political agenda. This paper sets out the problems hypothecation is meant to solve – and the conditions under which it might do so – and provides a brief history of hypothecation in the UK.

The recent announcement by the Prime Minister to bring forward a new long-term funding settlement for the NHS means it is timely to look at how health spending in the UK compares to other countries and how the NHS measures up on some of the key resources this spending pays for.