Health Management and Policy Alert

Saving babies’ lives 2025: a report on progress

Sands and Tommy's Policy Unit -
This report estimates that at least 2,500 fewer babies would have died since 2018 if the government had achieved its ambition of halving the 2010 rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths in England. It concludes that progress made to date falls short of what is needed to stop babies dying every day in the UK, and that unacceptable inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss persist despite continued calls for change.

• Report
• Tommy's - news

Health and social care support for people with dementia

Care Quality Commission (CQC) - 

This is a report on the experiences of individuals with dementia interacting with health and social care services in England, and how these services are responding. The CQC will use the findings in this report, alongside working closely with people with lived experience, charities and support organisations and wide-ranging stakeholders with dementia expertise to develop their dementia strategy. This work will include producing guidance for providers in how to best care for people with dementia throughout health and social care.

• Report
• Press release

Connected care: transforming care coordination

Partnership for Change - 

Partnership for Change is a collaboration of ten leading patient groups brought together and funded by Pfizer. Across each of the ten patient groups, there has been feedback from patients whose frustrations have been borne out of poorly coordinated care, with patients frequently needing to retell their stories, chase up referrals, and advocate for themselves in a convoluted care system. This report calls for patient experience and care coordination to be central to any future plans for the NHS and to be incorporated into the new NHS 10 Year Health Plan.

• Report
• More detail

The relationship between NHS waiting lists and health-related benefit claims

Institute for Fiscal Studies -
The number of people claiming health-related benefits in England has risen substantially in recent years, coinciding with a pronounced increase in NHS waiting lists and waiting times. It is sometimes suggested that these two phenomena might be linked. This report finds no evidence that rising waiting lists for pre-planned hospital treatment have been a major driver of increases in the receipt of health-related benefits by working-age adults since the start of the pandemic.

• Report
• Institute for Fiscal Studies - press release

Still ignored: the fight for accessible healthcare

Royal National Institute for Deaf People -
Health services like the NHS, as well as social care services across the England are required, by law, to offer extra support if people with hearing loss struggle when accessing services. For example, being provided with an accessible alternative to the telephone to be able to book appointments or receive test results, or communication support, such as a qualified British Sign Language interpreter. However, this report reveals 7 out of 10 deaf people and people with hearing loss have never been asked about their information and communication needs when accessing NHS care.

• Report
• Royal National Institute for Deaf People - press release

Seeing clearly? Attending sight tests and accessing opticians

Healthwatch England - 

This research reveals that the costs of additional eye care services are likely to deter some people from visiting opticians altogether. NHS vouchers to help meet eye care costs has fallen by over 30 per cent in real terms, putting pressure on high street opticians to cover costs in other ways. Healthwatch England is calling for a review of eye care support, to ensure additional costs do not deter those on the lowest incomes from visiting opticians.

• Report
• Press release

Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care

Royal College of Physicians -
Outpatient care is the second most used NHS service in a patient's lifetime – in 2023/24, there were over 135 million outpatient appointments – yet it is associated with delays, poor communication and confusion caused by trying to navigate services. Following engagement with patients, health care professionals and NHS England, the Royal College of Physicians – in partnership with the Patients Association – has set out a vision to transform planned specialist care over the next decade, stating that it is currently inefficient and not fit for purpose.

• Report
• Royal College of Physicians - press release

Charging for NHS care: guidance for obstetricians in England

Maternity Action -
Maternity Action and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists have published a clinician’s guide on NHS charging for obstetricians who treat women who may be chargeable for their maternity care under the NHS (Overseas Visitors Charging) Regulations 2015. It sets out the charging rules in relation to maternity care, the charging exemptions and how clinicians can best work with Overseas Visitor Teams within NHS Trusts in England. It also suggests ways in which clinicians can better advocate for women who may be charged but are also destitute or have experienced domestic abuse, FGM, or sexual violence during pregnancy.

• Report
• Maternity Action - press release

Workforce and patient safety: primary and community care co-ordination for people with long-term conditions

Health Services Safety Investigations Body -
This report finds that a lack of co-ordination of care for people with long-term health conditions is taking a toll on patients and carers, leading to burnout, distress and harm. It also outlines the impact of being unable to navigate the health and care system. A focus of the investigation was on the role of the ‘care co-ordinator’ – someone who is able to connect patients/carers with the right care and support.

• Report
• Health Services Safety Investigations Body - news

Unheard voices: understanding the challenges faced by Black people living with HIV in primary care

National AIDS Trust -
This report, which surveyed 142 Black-heritage people living with HIV in London, identified distinct barriers to receiving adequate care. It finds that these communities have lower levels of engagement in HIV care, poorer health outcomes and higher rates of HIV-related morbidity and mortality.

• Report
• National AIDS Trust - publications