Health Management and Policy Alert

The NHS productivity challenge: driving improvement through finance transformation

Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) - 

NHS finance and other corporate functions have a significant role to play in both contributing to improved finance productivity and in facilitating productivity gains across the NHS. This joint briefing with NHS Shared Business Services explores the impact that striving for greater productivity is likely to have on the NHS finance community.

• Briefing
• More detail

State of the provider sector 2024

NHS Providers - 

This survey shares trust leaders responses to current pressures across the healthcare sector. The findings show how years of squeezed funding, major workforce challenges and rising demand on hospitals and ambulance services have taken their toll, with overstretched community and mental health teams also coming under increasing strain.

• Survey results
• Press release

The motivational state: a strengths-based approach to improving public sector productivity

Demos - 

This paper argues that traditional approaches to improving public sector productivity, such as adopting private sector practices, technology-driven reforms, and tighter management, have failed to address the complex and evolving needs of public service users. It proposes a shift towards a strengths-based, person-led model, where public services are co-produced with individuals, families, and communities.

• Report
• More detail

Design for Life roadmap

Department of Health and Social Care -
This roadmap sets out the government’s ambition to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products towards a functioning circular system by 2045 that maximises reuse, remanufacture and recycling. It sets out a plan of 30 actions to deliver this vision including: driving positive behavioural change; exploring new commercial incentives to provide circular medical technology; and creating new standards to enable innovative products and services.

• Policy paper
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Mirror, mirror 2024: a portrait of the failing U.S. health system — comparing performance in 10 nations

The Commonwealth Fund - 

This report compares health system performance in ten countries. It provides analysis of 70 health system performance measures in five areas: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes. The top three countries are Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, although differences in overall performance between most countries are relatively small. The only clear outlier is the U.S., where health system performance is dramatically lower.

• Report
• More detail

Just about managing: the role of effective management and leadership in improving NHS performance and productivity

Policy Exchange - 

This report – based upon more than forty interviews and the findings of FOI requests to every trust and integrated care board in England – considers the role that management and leadership can play in enhancing NHS performance and productivity. It argues that a greater focus on the competencies, permissions and placement of management is required, noting that a weak and anecdotal evidence base has often defined the public debate. The report sets out sixteen recommendations to improve NHS management, including a reduction to vertical, tiers of NHS management, including the abolishment of NHS England and (re)merging its functions with Department of Health and Social Care (but for a delivery function to exist in the form of an NHS management board).

• Report
• More detail

 

New Hospital Programme review: terms of reference

Department of Health and Social Care -
This guidance sets out the terms of reference for the government’s internal review of the New Hospital Programme, a hospital building programme introduced by the previous government. The review examines options for putting the New Hospital Programme onto an affordable and deliverable footing.

• Guidance
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

The Darzi review of NHS performance signals why radical change is needed

The King's Fund - 

Siva Anandaciva from explains why he hopes the Darzi review builds the case for radical change in the health service.

• Blog

Independent investigation of the National Health Service in England

Department of Health and Social Care -
In July 2024, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS. Lord Darzi’s report provides an expert understanding of the current performance of the NHS across England and the challenges facing the health care system. Lord Darzi has considered the available data and intelligence to assess: patient access to health care; the quality of healthcare being provided; and the overall performance of the health system.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Achieving the 18-week standard for elective care

NHS Confederation - 

This analysis (produced together with the consultancy Carnall Farrar) reveals why extra appointments alone will not meet the Labour government's waiting-time pledge to ensure 92 per cent of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

• Report
• Press release