Health Management and Policy Alert

Pay setting for doctors and nurses: what can the NHS learn from other countries?

Nuffield Trust - 
Industrial action has been a feature of the NHS in England since 2022. Although consultants have recently accepted a new pay deal, nurses remain officially in dispute and there has been no conclusion for junior doctors. This long read explores how the pay-setting process works in a selection of different health systems across the world and whether there are any lessons for England.

• Nuffield Trust - long read

Proposal for a ‘tie-in’ to NHS dentistry for graduate dentists

Department of Health and Social Care -
This consultation seeks the views of interested parties on the proposal for a ‘tie-in’ to NHS dentistry for newly qualified dentists. This would ensure that graduate dentists spend at least some of their time delivering NHS care in the years following the completion of training. It is aimed at those who have an interest in the policy proposal, whether professionals, organisations or members of the public. The closing date for comments is 18 July 2024.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

The Approved Mental Health Professional Workforce in the social care sector

Skills for Care - 

This report presents data collected via a dedicated Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) leads survey, as at April 2024. AMHPs are registered professionals (social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, or psychologists) who have undertaken additional training, approved by the Secretary of State and regulated by Social Work England, to carry out specific duties under the Mental Health Act 1983. AMHPs are (amongst other duties) responsible for setting up and coordinating assessments under the Mental Health Act and, if necessary, making applications to detail (“section”) people in hospital for assessment and treatment of their mental health needs. This report also includes data on social workers from local authorities collected via the Adult Social Care Workforce Dataset (ASC-WDS) as at September 2023.

• Report
• More detail

The public’s views on the future of the NHS in England

The Health Foundation -

This briefing summarises the findings from deliberative research with the public in England, alongside the findings from the Health Foundation's latest public polling, both conducted by Ipsos in Autumn 2023. It identifies implications for the government that will shape the policy agenda for the NHS in England after the upcoming election.

• Report
• More detail

Commissioning community champions: lessons from a pandemic

The King's Fund - 

This report, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, explores how community champions can support communities, what supports the commissioning of community champions, and what might contribute to their sustainability.

• Report
• More detail

The economic impact of dementia

Alzheimer's Society - 

Alzheimer's Society commissioned CF (Carnall Farrar Ltd) to estimate current and future economic and healthcare costs of dementia in the UK. Using the records of 26,000 people, dating back seven years, it revealed that people living with dementia and their families are shouldering 63 per cent of all dementia costs. It also showed that as the disease progresses, total costs increase significantly, rising from £29,000 per year for mild dementia to £81,000 for severe dementia. The study revealed that, in line with increasing numbers of people living with dementia, the need for unpaid care often provided by loved ones or friends will grow significantly by 2040 with 43% more people expected to require unpaid care.

• Report
• Press release

Infected Blood Inquiry: the report

Infected Blood Inquiry -   

This is the report, published in seven volumes, of the independent public statutory inquiry established to examine the circumstances in which men, women and children treated by National Health Services in the United Kingdom were given infected blood and infected blood products, in particular since 1970.

• Overview & recommendations
• Other volumes

 

Reablement, rehabilitation, recovery: everyone’s business

British Geriatrics Society - 

This report focuses on rehabilitation for older people experiencing frailty or loss of function because of acute illness or exacerbation of a chronic health condition. It highlights variation in the provision of rehabilitation for older people across the UK due to a lack of services, restrictive access criteria, and limited availability of staff, equipment and space. The report sets out what high-quality rehabilitation looks like and how it should be delivered. Evidence and good practice are highlighted, myths challenged, and tips provided for senior decision makers and health and care professionals.

• Report
• Press release

Reducing out-of-area placements: Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust

NHS Confederation - 

Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust reduced the number of out-of-area placements for patients receiving mental health services, to ensure that all patients across its large footprint could receive care close to home.

• Case study

Improving workforce wellbeing through a staff-led approach

NHS Employers - 

The 2021 NHS Staff Survey showed that while staff at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) were passionate about delivering the best care for patients, they reported high levels of burnout and exhaustion and there were significant absences related to mental health. To help staff better prioritise self-care, the trust has worked to improve its health and wellbeing package, engaging with staff to update and co-produce its offer. This staff-led approach brought improvements in results across a number of measures for workforce wellbeing.

• Case study