Health Management and Policy Alert

Maternity services in smaller hospitals: a call to action

Nuffield Trust -
In rural and remote areas, the closure of maternity units can mean longer transfer times and poorer support for obstetric emergencies, but the viability of smaller maternity units is often questioned. This working paper discusses the issues affecting the delivery of safe and effective maternity services and serves as a call to action for areas of improvement that are within the control of employers and national organisations.

• Working paper
• Nuffield Trust - publications

Resuming health services during the Covid-19 pandemic: what can the NHS learn from other countries?

Nuffield Trust -
This briefing looks at what approaches other countries around the world have taken to dealing with the pandemic. It considers what might be learned from the approaches used internationally, and how long it might take to fully recover.

• Briefing
• Nuffield Trust - publications

Primary care networks: one year on

NHS Confederation -
This report assesses the progress of primary care networks (PCNs), a year after they were established. It finds that, while the picture nationally is one of variation, progress has been made in several areas. Many PCNs have significantly expanded their use of digital platforms, allowing more patients to be seen during Covid-19, and built strong new relationships with other partners across primary care.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - press release

Rebuilding the NHS: improving medical pathways for acute care

Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) - 

The RCEM, together with the Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Physicians and the Society for Acute Medicine, have made recommendations for the immediate transformation of the urgent and emergency care pathway. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the public must be confident that they will receive urgent and emergency care in a safe environment The statement set out some principles and makes ten recommendations.

• Statement
• Press release

 

The hidden impact of Covid-19 on patient care in the NHS in England

British Medical Association - 

The Covid-19 pandemic led to an extensive shift in the package of care provided by the NHS as hospitals had to prepare for a large surge in patients requiring intensive care. Whilst these changes meant that intensive care did not have to be rationed to Covid-19 patients, data indicates that the shutdown of most non-Covid services, combined with drastic changes in patient behaviour, mean the NHS is now facing a large backlog of non-Covid-19 care, storing up greater problems for the future. This paper investigates the extent to which non-Covid care has been disrupted over April, May and June 2020, and the likely impact this will have in the longer term.

• Report
• Press release

The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on all-cause attendances to emergency departments in two large London hospitals: an observational study

Imperial College -
This report aimed to assess how the reorganisation of hospital care and admission policies to respond to the Covid-19 epidemic affected emergency attendances and emergency hospital admissions. The report uses administrative patient level clinical hospital records from two large London hospitals from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (St Mary’s and Charing Cross) to analyse trends in attendances to emergency departments and emergency admissions pre- and post-implementation of lock-down policies in England.

• Report
• Imperial College - publications

How to improve the health and wellbeing of the UK population: devolution and reform of health and social care

ResPublica -
This report, which was largely completed before the Covid-19 outbreak, aims to provide comprehensive and actionable recommendations for the reform of health and social care. It looks at the role of individual circumstances in determining health outcomes, the operational measures that can improve patient outcomes, and population health and the need to streamline responsibilities so it is clear who is accountable for performance.

• Report
• ResPublica - publications

Helping the NHS recover from Covid-19

Royal College of Surgeons of England -
The Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine have issued a joint memorandum to MPs calling for urgent action to help the NHS recover from Covid. It argues for planning now to deal with a ‘hidden waiting list’ of patients who have not yet been referred. The memorandum also features early results from a survey of surgeons, which indicates a quarter do not yet have access to “Covid-light” facilities for their patients.

• Memorandum
• Royal College of Surgeons of England - press release

Getting the NHS back on track: planning for the next phase of Covid-19

NHS Confederation - 

This report outlines the key challenges that local organisations will face over the coming months. It also suggests some changes in policy and practice that will be required as the NHS prepares to restart a wide range of services either paused or stopped when the pandemic struck. The key challenges identified are: funding; capacity; rehabilitation; health inequalities; regulation and inspections; system working; and managing public expectations.

• Report
• More detail

Operation Covid-19: why did Whitehall turn to military planners?

Policy Exchange -
This paper looks at some key elements of the military approach to planning. It argues that the cooperative and collaborative lessons identified by the Covid-19 crisis should be used to improve future responses and to protect the operational deliverers in the NHS.

• Report
• Policy Exchange - publications