Health Management and Policy Alert

Using flexible retirement to support retention

NHS Employers -
This guidance outlines how to support staff to work flexibly towards the end of their career using the flexible retirement options available through the NHS Pension Scheme. It aims to: support employers to understand, promote and discuss flexible retirement options with staff to encourage retention; ensure employees approaching the end of their careers feel rewarded and recognised for their experience, service and commitment; and help employers to develop effective flexible retirement policies.

• Guidance
• NHS Employers - publications

Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care: progress update and next steps

NHS England -
The Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care was published in January 2023. Setting out a two year action plan from April 2023, it is backed by a £1 billion improvement package and £200 million ambulance fund, with the ambition of reducing the time people spend in A&E or waiting for ambulances to arrive. This guidance highlights the progress made over 2023/24 in delivering the actions set out in the delivery plan.

• Guidance
• Letter
• NHS England - publications

How has the role of the private sector changed in UK health care?

Nuffield Trust -
This long read reveals that, since the pandemic, there has been a 30% increase in the number of people paying out of their own pocket for hospital care across the UK’s four countries. The authors warn that this may be being forced by a lack of timely access to NHS provision rather than a planned extension of the self-pay private sector.

• Briefing
• Nuffield Trust - press release

The Care Act 2014: ten years on from Royal Assent

Local Government Association - 

A decade on since the Care Act received Royal Assent, our publication reflects on the extent to which the aims of the legislation have been achieved and, where they have not, what changes are needed to deliver fully on the Act’s ambitions.

• Report
• Press release

10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce (2024–2034)

NHS England - 

This plan aims to expand and improve the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce. This is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train and develop staff. This will include bringing more new and experienced professionals into the sector and developing better training for roles that are currently unregulated such as drug and alcohol workers.

• Plan
• Press release

Policies for better mental health: the case for a mental health policy test

Centre for Mental Health - 

Every government policy affects our mental health, for good or ill. But policies across government, from transport and housing to social security and the environment, are often made without due consideration of how they could boost or harm the nation’s wellbeing. This report calls for the implementation of a mental health policy test, which would ensure that policy proposals across government are assessed on how they are likely to affect people’s mental health before being implemented.

• Report
• More detail

Health creation: for now and future generations

Health Creation Alliance - 

This manifesto lays out the case for a fundamentally shift to health creating systems to reduce the unacceptable burden of health inequities on individuals, their communities and the health and care systems. It is for politicians, systems and any organisation or individuals committed to reducing health inequity and inequalities as all these have a role in helping to ensure that creating health sits alongside treating illness and prevention of ill-health.

• Manifesto
• More detail

Adult mental health social care: report from the findings of the 2023 insight survey

Local Government Association - 

This survey, completed by just under half of all directors of adult social services in September 2023, was carried out to find out about current practices in mental health social care. It focussed on engagement in the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme; assessment and care planning and arrangements for the commissioning and delivery of services.

• Report
• More detail

 

The past and future of UK health spending

Institute for Fiscal Studies - 

Health spending, and the performance of the NHS, will feature prominently in the upcoming general election campaign. Many different factors matter for NHS performance and for the wider health of the population, but one important factor is the level of spending on health services. This pre-election report examines UK government health spending over the past seven decades. It then discusses the outlook for health spending over the years to come.

• Report
• More detail

Prevention, population health and prosperity: a new era in devolution

NHS Confederation - 

In spring 2023, the NHS Confederation and Local Government Association jointly established a Health and Devolution Working Group to understand the priorities, opportunities and challenges in bringing together health and local government devolution. This report builds on the rich learning from the working group and sets out why integrated care systems and devolved administrations should work together to jointly improve health and support economic prosperity, how they can maximise their collective impact for their shared populations, and what government needs to do to support and accelerate the health and devolution agenda in future.

• Report
• More detail

Flexible shift patterns in a community district nursing team

NHS Employers - 

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) piloted a scheme of flexible working, by extending shift patterns in its community nursing teams. Following the success of the scheme, not only has the scheme been rolled out to other teams in the trust (clinical and non-clinical), but also been shared with several community teams across the country to support their flexible working approach.

• Case study

Making links between health and care and further education

NHS Employers - 

This guide has been developed in collaboration with NHS England and the Association of Colleges. It supports health and care and further education to create a strong relationship to work collaboratively on workforce supply issues.

• Guide
• More detail

 

Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme 2024/25: guidance for dental practices and dentists

NHS England - 

This document provides an overview of the Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme (DRIS) for dental practices and dentists wishing to apply.

• Guidance
• More detail

Research demand signalling: mental health nursing

NHS England - 

This report outlines the key questions that researchers can assist us in addressing within the area of mental health nursing. It’s aimed at research funders, the academic research community, and people delivering and using mental health services.

• Report
• More detail

Government response to the consultation on hub and spoke dispensing

Department of Health and Social Care - 

The government conducted a UK-wide consultation from 16 March to 8 June 2022 seeking views on proposals for amending the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs) and the Medicines Act 1968 to remove the barrier that currently limits hub and spoke models to pharmacies within the same legal entity, and to ensure the safe and effective implementation of the policy. This is the formal government response to that consultation. The consultation evidence and further discussions have enabled the government to understand concerns and queries in detail. The report analyses 131 replies and responds to feedback received during the consultation period. Given the level of support for this proposal, the government will progress with legislation to amend the Medicines Act 1968 and the HMRs 2012.

• Consultation response
• Press release