“Care needs to be just as important as treatment” says report

Pathway through a forest

This practical guidance has been written to help commissioners, service providers, nurses, medical, and allied health professionals, understand the difference care and compassion can make to the service experience of frail older people, and also to the financial situation of health and social care organisations. The guide covers the following themes: Reducing healthcare-related harm Care [read the full story…]

Improve local community mental health services using this framework

Shape of a head filled with cogs

This work, developed by accountancy firm Mazars LLP, has been commissioned by NHS Confederation and Strategic Health Authority Mental Health Leads. It is a diagnostic tool aimed at mental health commissioners working for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), helping them to identify where the gaps are in their local service provision and what they need to [read the full story…]

Primary care must change to meet needs of population, says report

Hand holding a glowing lightbulb

The King’s Fund has just published this report, which describes how the health and social care workforce are coming up with new models for delivering primary care, to support the “current system of commissioning”. The report is aimed at commissioners, GP staff, and related stakeholders, including social care and local authorities, and promotes improved liaison [read the full story…]

Combination of clinical and managerial expertise transform local healthcare, case studies demonstrate

Three trees, shaped as heads, during different seasons

This collection of case studies is aimed at all people involved in the development and delivery of quality health services, in particular, commissioners, local authorities, voluntary sectors, and health professionals in all settings, including primary and secondary care. Some of the CCGs are also working with organisations from the retail sector, for example John Lewis. [read the full story…]

Decisions about new health technologies must be evidence-based, says commentary

People moving cogs

While this commentary is based on Canadian experiences, the authors do look at examples of health technology assessments elsewhere, applying the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the gold standard for others to follow. Health technology assessments are “an evidence-based policy tool that helps inform decision-making on how to balance demand and [read the full story…]

Effective diabetes service models should be commissioned to reduce diabetes admissions

Sphere full of words to do with diabetes and health care.

This document is aimed at clinical commissioning groups, health care planners, hospital senior managers, and clinical teams in primary and secondary care. It is an amalgamation of good practice examples where diabetes services have improved, with bed occupancy and costs being reduced. There is a specific focus on elderly, diabetic patients, and other similarly vulnerable [read the full story…]

Variations in diagnostics present opportunity for improving patient experience says new Atlas of Variation

variation

This week sees the publication of a new Atlas of Variation, focusing on diagnostic services (in England) for the first time.  Readers familiar with the Atlases of Variation will be aware the atlases are designed to highlight variations in services and to encourage commissioners and providers to ask questions to understand if the variations are [read the full story…]

“Voluntary and independent sectors can participate in the delivery of commissioning support”, says report

Hand sharing love

This report is about how the voluntary and independent sectors can support the commissioning process, and is aimed at them, the clinical commissioning groups, and the commissioning support units. Key elements The key required commissioning support elements, as described in Figure 1 of this report, include: Health needs assessment, using the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment [read the full story…]

Research suggests economic model for virtual wards not viable on hospital activity alone

image of graph

This new report is an important addition to the evidence base specifically on case management and more generally in terms of interventions to reduce hospital admissions but, consistent with other studies in this area, can’t give definitive answers.  Much of what already exists in relation to virtual wards is anecdotal or lacks detail and it’s [read the full story…]

“The links between poor health and reoffending have been long understood” according to agreement

Prisoner behind bars

This is a very important document, particularly for commissioners, prison health professionals, and prison workers because it is trying to overcome the vicious circle that faces offenders when they leave prison, which is finding housing and employment while maintaining their health and re-integrating back into society. Alcohol, drug misuse, other addictions, and mental health issues are [read the full story…]