Health Management and Policy Alert

International comparisons of capital in health care: why is the UK falling behind?

The Health Foundation -
This analysis suggests that the UK is investing significantly less in health care capital – which includes buildings, equipment and IT – as a share of GDP compared to most other similar countries. As a result, the total value of capital in health care in the UK has fallen.

• Report
• The Health Foundation - press release

Analysis of inspection reports

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) - 

The GPhC commissioned Solutions for Public Health to identify the key patterns, trends and themes in pharmacy inspection reports from November 2013 to August 2018. The analysis identified seven emergent themes which were associated with good and/or poor performance: governance; a proactive approach; efficient processes; responsiveness; customer and patient focus; added value; and lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn.

• Report
• More detail

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in England

National Audit Office - 
This report assesses how well pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are being supported. It examines how well education services and health and social care services work together in order to meet these needs.

• Report
• National Audit Office - press release

Department of Health and Social Care: assessment of NHS England (the NHS Commissioning Board) for 2017-18 and 2018-19

Department of Health and Social Care -
This paper sets out the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s annual assessment of NHS England against its mandate and business objectives for financial years covering 2017 to 2019.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications
• Department of Health and Social Care - news

NHS Long Term Plan implementation framework

NHS -
Following the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement committed to publishing an implementation framework, setting out further detail on how it would be delivered. Local systems are developing their five-year strategic plans which will describe the population needs and case for change in each area, then propose practical actions that the system will take to deliver the commitments set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. The framework summarises these commitments alongside further information to help local system leaders refine their planning and prioritisation. This includes detail about where additional funding will be made available to support specific commitments and where activity will be paid for or commissioned nationally.

• Implementation framework
• NHS Long Term Plan - publications

The real story of winter

NHS Providers - 

What was the real story of winter for trusts, their patients, and hard pressed frontline staff? This briefing examines winter 2018/19 for the provider sector. It urges health leaders not to draw false comfort from the noticeable absence of stories about ‘winter pressures’ in the media earlier this year. 

• Briefing
• Press release

The impact of primary care incentive schemes on care home placements for people with dementia

Centre for Health Economics -
This research finds that the interface between primary care and long-term care is complex. In the case of dementia, this interface may be influenced by incentives offered to GPs as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework to provide an annual review for patients with dementia. The hypothesis is that the annual reviews reduce the likelihood of admission to a care home by supporting the patient to live independently and by addressing carers’ needs for support.

• Report
• Centre for Health Economics - publications

Adult health screening

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee - 
This report argues that national health bodies are not doing enough to make sure that everyone who is eligible to take part in screening is doing so, and do not know if everyone who should be invited for screening has been. Looking at four out of 11 national health screening programmes, this report finds that none met their targets for ensuring that the eligible population was screened in 2017-18.

• Report
• Summary

NHS pressures: winter 2018/19 - a hidden crisis

British Medical Association -
This report uses NHS England figures to examine the performance of the NHS during recent winters and over the long term. The report finds that winter 2018/19 saw the NHS once again under pressure, with A&E attendances and emergency admissions up, high bed occupancy, cancer waiting times growing and 4.3 million people now waiting for treatment. Many doctors worked extra hours and morale suffered.

• Report
• British Medical Association - press release

2019/20 General Medical Services (GMS) contract Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF): guidance for GMS contract 2019/20 in England

NHS England -

This document provides additional guidance on the interpretation and verification of the QOF indicators for 2019/20 in England, which are listed in Annex D of the Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions (SFE). It is effective from 1 April 2019 and replaces versions issued in previous years.

• Guidance
• More detail