Strong primary care can help improve efficiency, says WHO report

Map of Europe with flags identifying each country

In her blog, Caroline De Brún considers a recently published report by the World Health Organization, comparing strengths and issues faced by primary care health systems in Europe.

[read the full story...]

'The terrible maze': Dementia carers' experiences of health and social care

shutterstock_136209293

Social care super-blogger Ermintrude considers a study about dementia carers’ experience of the health and social care system and reflects on what it means for current dementia policy.

[read the full story...]

New telehealth toolkit for commissioners to support technology enabled care services

using phone app

Alison Turner blogs about a new telehealth toolkit from the NHS Commissioning Assembly, which provides a range of resources including checklists, case studies and links to the evidence base.

[read the full story...]

New approaches are needed to support multi-site working says Dalton Review

Man looking at blackboard with arrows pointing mainly in one direction

The Dalton Review was carried out to highlight new ways of working in the NHS, to support integrated care and partnerships with non-NHS organisations.

[read the full story...]

“Payment mechanisms and incentives will need to be aligned across providers” says King’s Fund report

Butterfly emerging from a chrysalis to reflect transformation

Aimed at commissioners, clinical commissioning groups, commissioning support units, this evidence-based paper aims to bring some clarity to the current and future contractual models, as “many clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have started to develop novel contracting and commissioning tools”.

[read the full story...]

Mental health has led the move away from hospital care to home based treatment says guide

Several heads surrounding one head

This guide is an excellent example of developing resources to help learn from good practice. It has been written for all commissioners and providers, but in particular clinical commissioners, and mental health commissioners and practitioners. Primary care mental health The first section of the guide gives a comprehensive overview of the state of primary care [read the full story…]

It may not be possible to generate clear-cut evidence on integrated care, reports a new evidence summary

shutterstock_190212320

This recent report, commissioned by the European Commission and compiled by RAND Europe, aims to summarise economic evaluation evidence on the impact of integrated care.  The authors restricted their evidence search to systematic reviews and meta analyses, which is understandable as this is described as a rapid review but the authors acknowledge this has limitations, [read the full story…]

Integrating funds across health and social care is not a panacea according to recent review

integration

This review from the University of York’s Centre for Health Economics is certainly timely for commissioners in England, with plans for the Better Care Fund well underway and Simon Stevens, the new Chief Executive for NHS England, recently quoted as saying “no-one should pretend just combining two financially leaky buckets will magically create a watertight funding solution” [read the full story…]

“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…]

Integrated care for mental health needs new thinking, according to inquiry report

Good integrated care for people with mental health needs remains the exception rather than the rule

Integrated care is seen as critical to delivering better quality services for patients and service users  and a key element of health policies in the UK.  However, the evidence base suggests a fragmented picture, with variations in definitions and implementations limiting what can be learned and applied elsewhere.  This new report, Crossing Boundaries: Improving integrated [read the full story…]