Health Management and Policy Alert

Neuro patience: still waiting for improvements in treatment and care

The Neurological Alliance - 

This report presents the findings of the 2018/19 National Neurology Patient Experience Survey. The report covers three main themes – accessible, personalised and holistic care and support (which includes social care, mental health and financial security). Overall, the 2018/19 results show that people’s experiences remain poor.

• Report
• More detail

2018 adult inpatient survey: statistical release

Care Quality Commission - 

Findings from this latest annual survey of people who stayed as an inpatient in hospital show that most people had confidence in the doctors and nurses treating them and felt that staff answered their questions clearly. However, across the majority of questions asked in the survey there has been no improvement since it was last carried out, and this year’s results show an increase in those reporting lengthy delays, greater dissatisfaction with the amount of information provided when leaving hospital, and those who felt a lack of involvement in their care.

• Report
• Press release

Celebrate me: capturing the voices of learning disability nurses and people who use services

Foundation of Nursing Studies - 

The purpose of this initiative was to engage with nurses and people using services to gather evidence and demonstrate the impact of learning disability nursing, from experience, to help sustain its future. The outcomes from the extensive engagement have enabled us to highlight everything that there is to celebrate about learning disability nursing (the impact) and what needs to be championed for the future (to sustain it), from the voices of learning disability nurses and those of people with a learning disability and their families.

• Report
• More detail

NHS waiting times for elective and cancer treatment

Public Accounts Committee -
The NHS treats more and more people each year, and patients have a right to expect to receive treatment within the timescales set out by the NHS Constitution. This report finds that more and more patients are being let down by the NHS’s failure to meet deadlines for waiting times. The percentage of patients treated within waiting times standards continues to get worse for both elective (non-urgent care) and cancer treatment. The report finds that less than half of trusts meet the 18-week waiting times standard for elective treatment, and only 38 per cent meet the 62-day standard from referral to treatment for cancer patients.

• Report
• Public Accounts Committee - news

Public value: how can it be measured, managed and grown?

Nesta - 

This paper  brings together views from Nesta on better ways of mapping and measuring public value. It builds on work Nesta has done in many fields - from health and culture to public services - to find more rounded and realistic ways of capturing the many dimensions of value created by public action.

• Report
• More detail

A pathway for post-transplant care

Anthony Nolan -
This report accepts that everyone should receive the care and support they need after a stem cell transplant, for as long as necessary and no matter where they live. But evidence shows that this is not always the case, which has a negative impact on patients, health care providers and commissioners alike. This care pathway aims to help address this problem by describing the services and support packages that are central to patients’ recovery.

• Report
• Anthony Nolan - publications

Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme: action from learning

NHS England - 
This report provides examples of the local changes that have been made to services so far and highlights the extensive work which is happening nationally in response to common themes raised through LeDeR reviews across the country.

• Report

Segregation in mental health wards for children and young people and in wards for people with a learning disability or autism

Care Quality Commission (CQC) -
This is the interim report of a review commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the use of restraint, prolonged seclusion and segregation for people with a mental health problem, a learning disability or autism. It calls for an independent review of every person who is being held in segregation in mental health wards for children and young people and wards for people with a learning disability or autism. These reviews should examine the quality of care, the safeguards to protect the person and the plans for discharge.

• Report
• Press release

Investigation into penalty charge notices in healthcare

National Audit Office (NAO) - 
The NHS estimates that it lost around £212 million in 2017-18 from people incorrectly claiming exemption from prescription and dental charges. However, this report finds that rules around entitlement are overly complicated leading to genuine mistakes and confusion for many people.

• Report
• Press release

NHS financial sustainability: progress review

Public Accounts Committee -
This report finds that, while the NHS did balance its overall budget in 2017/18, there is disparity in financial health and patient experience at a local level. It concludes that the top-level picture hides warning signs that the NHS’ financial health is getting worse: increasing loans to support trusts in difficulty, raids on capital budgets to cover revenue shortfalls, and the growth in waiting lists and slippage in waiting times do not indicate a sustainable position.

• Report
• Public Accounts Committee - news