Access to care

Our work on rationing and other ways of controlling access to NHS, health and care services

Smoker and non-smoker

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?

The impact of NHS financial pressures – a mixed picture

We know that financial and operational pressures in the NHS can affect patient care in a number of ways, but how and why does the impact vary across different service areas?

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.

Six ways in which NHS financial pressures can affect patient care

NHS finances are almost at breaking point. What does this mean for people who access health services?

Financial pressures in the NHS reading list

A selected list of references held by The King's Fund library.

NHS finances: Our work on NHS funding, budgets and finances

Productivity: Our work on efficiency, value for money, supply and demand in the NHS