Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care

"The aim of this report has been to make recommendations for consideration by the NHS Operations Board with regard to effective commissioning of elective surgical procedures."


Right Care Elective Surgery Project: Phase 1 report: Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care: emerging views of commissioners and surgeons and production of high value care pathways
M Gray, S Swift, M Suleman, N Beasley, D Hakes, M Qualie, A Mitchell, S Dutch
Right Care
November 2011

Read more here.

Maturity of hospitals’ quality improvement systems is associated with measures of quality and patient safety

"From this data it seems that having a more developed quality improvement system is associated with lower rates of adjusted hospital complications."


Is the maturity of hospitals’ quality improvement systems associated with measures of quality and patient safety?
O Groene, N Mora, A Thompson, M Saez, M Casas, R Sunol
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:344

Read more here.

Report of the National Audit of Dementia Care in General Hospitals 2011

"The aim of the audit was to examine the quality of care received by people with dementia in the general hospital."


Report of the National Audit of Dementia Care in General Hospitals 2011
Royal College of Psychiatrists
December 2011

Read more here.

An evaluation of the use of performance measures in health care

The study addressed the following four overarching questions, with subtopics listed below each
question:

1. How are performance measures being used in practice?
2. What factors are influencing measure use?
3. What types of system changes have occurred as a result of measure use?
4. What improvement areas could facilitate the use of standardized endorsed performance measures by various end users?

An evaluation of the use of performance measures in health care
CL Damberg, ME Sorbero, SL Lovejoy, K Lauderdale, S Wertheimer, A Smith, D Waxman, C Schnyer
National Quality Forum, RAND Corporation
December 2011

Read more here.

Good governance for Clinical Commissioning Groups

"This guide is intended to help the newly formed Clinical Commissioning Groups understand the principles and function of good governance, particularly as these relate to their new statutory role, accountable to parliament combined with their role as a membership organisation, accountable to and for their practices."

Good governance for Clinical Commissioning Groups: an introductory guide
C Imison, B Ashton, K Steward, A Willis
The King's Fund
December 2011

Read more here.

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare

"This report identifies one particular model,originating from the region of Valencia, Spain, which purports to be a pioneering approach to the provision of integrated healthcare through public-private partnership."

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare: the Alzira model - from the region of Valencia
NHS European Office
NHS Confederation
December 2011

Read more here.

Barriers and facilitators in implementation and diffusion of healthcare service innovations

"The purpose of the present study was to explore how healthcare innovators of process-based initiatives perceived and made sense of factors that either facilitated or obstructed the innovation implementation and diffusion."

Understanding innovators' experiences of barriers and facilitators in implementation and diffusion of healthcare service innovations: a qualitative study
J Barnett, K Vasileiou, F Djemil, L Brooks, T Young
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:342

Read more here.

Person-based resource allocation

This research summary describes what lies behind the Department of Health's new approach to setting target allocations for hospital care to commissioning general practices.

Person-based resource allocation: new approaches to estimating commissioning budgets for GP practices
M Bardsley, J Dixon
December 2011

Read more here.

The quest for efficiency in the English NHS

"A competitive, flexible approach to health care delivery will promote innovation, making it possible to learn from health care providers that adopt diferent approaches to delivery."

Competition, integration and incentives: the quest for efficiency in the English NHS
AM Garber
The Nuffield Trust
December 2011

Read more here.

Taking the pulse: attitudes to the health service

"Satisfaction with the NHS overall is at its highest ever level, though the picture in relation to specific services is more mixed." These are the findings of the NatCen Social Research survey into British Social Attitudes.

British Social Attitudes Survey 28
Elizabeth Clery
NatCen Social Research
2011

Read more here. (Choose 9. NHS from the left-hand menu).

The relationship between hospital admission rates and rehospitalizations

"We found a substantial association between regional rates of rehospitalization and overall admission rates."

The relationship between hospital admission rates and rehospitalizations
AM Epstein, AK Jha, EJ Orav
New England Journal of Medicine, 2011, 365:2287-2295

Read more here.

Improving health and health care in London

"This paper reviews the progress made in improving health and health care in London in recent years and analyses the financial and service challenges facing the National Health Service (NHS) now and in the future."

Improving health and health care in London: who will take the lead?
J Appleby, C Ham, C Imison, T Harrison, S Boyle, B Ashton, J Thompson
The King's Fund
November 2011

Read more here.

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare

The second issue of the NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare has just been published, and aims to increase value and improve quality by reducing unwarranted variation.

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare
NHS RightCare
November 2011

Read more here.

The four habits of high-value health care organizations

"Although high-value health care organizations vary in structure, resources, and culture, they often have remarkably similar approaches to care management."

The four habits of high-value health care organizations
RMJ Bohmer
New England Journal of Medicine, 2011, 365:2045-2047

Read more here.

Involvement, shared decision-making and medicines

"The paper is designed to map and clarify the various purposes and agendas at stake in patient involvement policies in relation to medicines, and the practical and ethical challenges of translating these purposes into practice."

Involvement, shared decision-making and medicines
A Cribb
Royal Pharmaceutical Society
November 2011

Read more here.

The NHS Outcomes Framework 2012/13

"This document sets out the changes that have been made to the indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework. It builds on  The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12 and The NHS Outcomes 2011/12: Technical details of indicators, and is designed to help NHS organisations to  start to think through what a focus on outcomes means in practical terms."

The NHS Outcomes Framework 2012/13
Department of Health
December 2012

Read more here.

Governing public hospitals

"For hospital governance to be effective, it must incorporate two powerful and well-developed lines of health sector logic: on the one hand, national health policy and objectives; on the other, operational hospital management."

Governing public hospitals: reform strategies and the movement towards institutional autonomy
Edited by RB Saltman, A Duran, HFW Dubois
European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
November 2011

Read more here.

Preventing suicide through community and emergency healthcare

This briefing looks at the new suicide prevention toolkits for the NHS, developed by the National Patient Safety Agency.

Preventing suicide through community and emergency healthcare
NHS Confederation - Mental Health Network
December 2011

Read more here.

Delivering efficiency savings in the NHS

"This memorandum has been prepared for the Health Committee to support its review of public expenditure. It sets out how the NHS, supported by the Department of Health, plans to deliver efficiency savings of up to £20 billion by 2014-15."

NAO briefing for the House of Commons Health Committee: Delivering efficiency savings in the NHS
National Audit Office
September 2011 (published December 2011)

Read more here.

Improving hand-washing practices by changing practice

This newspaper article highlights the findings of a forthcoming study into hand-washing practices in America, and shows how a simple change in signage can improve practice.

Getting doctors to wash their hands
A O'Connor
New York Times
1st September 2011

Read more here.


Original study:
It's not all about me: motivating hand hygiene among health care professionals by focusing on patients
AM Grant, DA Hofmann
Psychological Science, 2011, November 10th

Read the abstract here.

Innovation health and wealth

"This report sets out the actions we must now take to make innovation and its spread central to what we do."

Innovation health and wealth: accelerating adoption and diffusion in the NHS
Department of Health
December 2011

Read more here.

Finding a balance between "value added" and feeling valued

"The ability to reach an identified target and deliver on objectives relies on the successful engagement and empowerment of front-line staff, clients and families."

Finding a balance between "value added" and feeling valued: revising models of care. The human factor or implementing a quality improvement initiative using Lean methodology within the healthcare sector
R Deans, S Wade
Healthcare Quarterly, 2011, 14(3):58-61

Read more here.

Strengthening health systems through innovation

"The purpose of this white paper is to examine the progress made within the health systems of seven comparator countries so we may learn how they have been able to help meet population health needs more effectively and make progress in health system redesign and transformation."

Strengthening health systems through innovation: lessons learned
A Snowden, J Cohen
International Centre for Health Innovation

Read more here.

Joining up health and social care

"Improving joint working across the boundary between health and social care has the potential to make significant savings and has been a priority for many years."

Joining up health and social care: improving value for money across the interface
Audit Commission
December 2011

Read more here.

Can changing clinician-patient interactions improve healthcare quality?

"The quality of care is a factor of the quality of the interactions between people who use services and people who provide them. Thus, transforming this dynamic is a [lever] for improving quality."

Can changing clinician-patient interactions improve healthcare quality?
The Health Foundation
December 2011

Read more here.

Eliminating central line infections

"This report synthesizes lessons from four hospitals that reported they did not experience any central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in their intensive care units in 2009."

Eliminating central line infections and spreading success at high-performing hospitals
S Silow-Carroll, JN Edwards
The Commonwealth Fund
December 2011

Read more here.

Making clinical commissioning work

This is the transcript of a conference, which took place in October 2011, bringing together 150 delegates from policy, business and the NHS, to listen to and debate presentations on clinical commissioning.

An NHS for patients: making clinical commissioning work
Reform
October 2011

Read more here.

Sharps safety

"RCN guidance to support implementation of the EU Directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention of sharps injuries in the health care sector."

Sharps safety
Royal College of Nursing
November 2011

Read more here.

Making the business case for ward sisters and team leaders to be supervisory to practice

"This RCN guidance is a practical resource to help directors of nursing highlight how cost effective the change to supervisory practice for wards sisters/team leaders can be."

Making the business case for ward sisters and team leaders to be supervisory to practice
Royal College of Nursing
November 2011

Read more here.

Breaking the mould without breaking the system

"This resource is designed to offer ideas and inspiration to everyone responsible for commissioning urgent and emergency care in the UK, in particular, the new clinical commissioning groups in England."

Breaking the mould without breaking the system: new ideas and resources for clinical commissioners on the journey towards integrated 24/7 urgent care
D Carson, H Clay, R Stern
Primary care Foundation
November 2011

Read more here.

Are we there yet? A review of organisational and clinical aspects of children's surgery

"This is the third study that NCEPOD has undertaken on surgery and anaesthesia in children."

Are we there yet? A review of organisational and clinical aspects of children's surgery
DG Mason, K Wilkinson, MJ Gough, SB Lucas, H Freeth, H Shotton, M Mason
National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death
October 2011

Read more here.

Guidelines for the management of norovirus outbreaks in acute and community health and social care settings

"This guidance gives recommendations on the management of outbreaks of vomiting and/or diarrhoea in hospitals and community health and social care settings, including nursing and residential homes."

Guidelines for the management of norovirus outbreaks in acute and community health and social care settings
NHS Confederation
November 2011

Read more here.

The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13

"This document outlines the business and planning arrangements for the NHS in 2012/13. It describes the national priorities, system levers and enablers needed for NHS organisations to maintain and improve the quality of services provided, while delivering transformational change and maintaining financial stability."

The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13
Department of Health
November 2011

Read more here.

Case management: what it is and how it can best be implemented

"Case management is an established tool in integrating services around the needs of individuals with long-term conditions."


Case management: What it is and how it can best be implemented
S Ross, N Curry, N Goodwin
The King's Fund
November 2011

Read more here.

A systematic review of integrated working between care homes and health care services

"This study aims to evaluate the different integrated approaches to health care services supporting older people in care homes, and identify barriers and facilitators to integrated working."

A systematic review of integrated working between care homes and health care services
SL Davies, C Goodman, F Bunn, C Victor, A Dickinson, S Iliffe, H Gage, W Martin, K Froggatt
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:320

Read more here.

Generating savings by improving health and well-being

"This briefing features examples of good practice from across the NHS to help inform the planning of strategies to further reduce sickness absence and highlights the opportunities for financial savings that can be made through the introduction and implementation of new policies."


Generating savings by improving health and well-being: experiences in NHS trusts
NHS Employers
November 2011

Read more here.

Choosing a predictive risk model

"Predictive risk models are used for predicting events such as unplanned hospital admissions, which are undesirable, costly and potentially preventable."

Choosing a predictive risk model: a guide for commissioners in England
Nuffield Trust
November 2011

Read more here.

What makes a top hospital? Leadership

"To improve the efficacy of the NHS, good leaders will have to encourage staff to make sure that patients themselves can add value to their care."

What makes a top hospital? Leadership
P Robinson, J Tyndale-Biscoe
CHKS - part of the Capita Group
November 2011

Read more here.

The e-Health Implementation Toolkit

"The e-Health Implementation Toolkit (e-HIT) is an example of such a tool that was designed within the context of the United Kingdom National Health Service to promote implementation of e-health services."

The e-Health Implementation Toolkit: Qualitative evaluation across four European countries
A MacFarlane, P Clerkin, E Murray, DJ Heaney, M Wakeling, U-M Pesola, EL Waterworth, F Larsen, M Makiniemi, I Winblad
Implementation Science, 2011, 6:122

Read more here.

Patterns of long term care in 29 European countries

"A pan-European survey was carried out to evaluate whether patterns of long-term conditions can be identified across Europe and what are the trends of the countries along them."

Patterns of long term care in 29 European countries: evidence from an exploratory study
G Damiani, V Farelli, A Anselmi, L Sicuro, A Solipaca, A Burgio, D Fioredistella Iezzi, W Ricciardi
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:316

Read more here.

EHR-based care coordination performance measures in ambulatory care

"Good coordination of care in the ambulatory setting has the potential to reduce unnecessary or duplicative use of health services, prevent hospitalizations for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions, improve patient safety, and potentially reduce costs."

EHR-based care coordination performance measures in ambulatory care
KS Chan, JP Weiner, SH Scholle, JB Fowles, J Holzer, L Samal, P Renner
The Commonwealth Fund
November 2011

Read the issue brief and the technical report.

Right Care

This brochure describes the work of the Right Care programme, which provides resources to support the QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity, Prevention). Click here to find out more.

Antimicrobial stewardship: "Start smart - then focus"

"The aim of this guidance is to provide an outline of evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship in the secondary healthcare setting."

Antimicrobial stewardship: "Start smart - then focus": Guidance for antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals (England)
Department of Health
November 2011

Read more here.

The financial cost of healthcare fraud

"We [PKF] identified 10 major causes of inefficiency, one of which was fraud, and our estimates suggested that combined, they might result in the waste of up to 30-40% of all health resources."

The financial cost of healthcare fraud: what data from around the world shows
J Gee, M Button, G Brooks
PKF (UK) LLP
2011

Read more here.

Evaluating healthcare quality improvement

On the 6th June 2011, the Health Foundation hosted a roundtable event, where senior figures from the field of improvement science came together to discuss interventions to improve the quality of healthcare.

Evaluating healthcare quality improvement: a summary of learning from a Health Foundation roundtable
The Health Foundation
November 2011

Read more here.

Does improving safety culture affect outcomes?

"This research scan examines whether improving safety culture has an impact on patient and staff outcomes."

Research scan: Does improving safety culture affect outcomes?
The Health Foundation
November 2011

Read more here.

Guide to using quality improvement tools to drive clinical audits

"The guide describes how quality improvement approaches can be applied to clinical audit and specific QI tools that can contribute to the clinical audit process and when to use them."

Guide to using quality improvement tools to drive clinical audits
N Dixon, M Pearce
Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
October 2011

Read more here.

Achieving efficiencies and improving outcomes

"This Briefing is intended to share learning with commissioners and providers in the NHS, local government and health and wellbeing boards, to support integration of wellness approaches within existing programmes and services and scale-up system-wide change."

From illness to wellness: achieving efficiencies and improving outcomes
NHS Confederation
October 2011

Read more here.

Self management support resource centre

This self management support area has been developed by The Health Foundation, to support healthcare professionals, service managers and commissioners develop their understanding of self management support.

Find out more here.

Quality improvement guide: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections

"The guide offers advice on management or organisational actions to prevent and control."

Quality improvement guide: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
November 2011

Read more here.

Scroll to "Key documents" to read the full text, and access related material, such as a costing template and a topic briefing paper.

An organizational guide to building health services research capacity

"The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sponsored the development of this guide to help research organizations and institutions improve their health services research capacity and competitiveness for grant and contract funding."

An organizational guide to building health services research capacity
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
October 2011

Read more here.

Using evidence to improve social policy and practice

This is a collection of essays looking at how to make decisions based on good quality evidence.

Using evidence to improve social policy and practice: perspectives on how research and evidence can influence decision making
NESTA
October 2011

Read more here.

Developing commissioning support

"‘Commissioning support’ will bring the specialist skills and knowledge to the non-clinical elements of commissioning so that clinicians can use their strengths to focus on leading change and improvement locally."


Developing commissioning support: towards service excellence
Department of Health
2011

Read more here.

International profiles of health care systems, 2011

This report presents profiles of the following health care systems: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

International profiles of health care systems, 2011
Edited by S Thomson, R Osborn, D Squires, SJ Reed
The Commonwealth Fund
November 2011

Read more here.

Complex care needs are often poorly coordinated

"This study indicates a need for improvement in all countries through redesigning primary care, developing care teams accountable across sites of care, and managing transitions and medications well."

New 2011 survey of patients with complex care needs in eleven countries finds that care is often poorly coordinated
C Schoen, R Osborn, D Squires, M Doty, R Pierson, S Applebaum
Health Affairs, 2011, 30(12)

Read more here.

An involving service: ambulance responses in urban and rural areas

"This Briefing aims to help NHS organisations engage with local leaders, communities and other public services about the issues and challenges ambulance services face in rural areas."

An involving service: ambulance responses in urban and rural areas
NHS Confederation
November 2011

Read more here.

Disease-management programs can improve quality of care for the chronically ill

"Results of a four-year follow-up show that despite the programs’ implementation in a weak primary care system, quality of care and patient satisfaction have improved while hospitalization rates, duration of hospital stay, patient mortality, and drug costs have been significantly lowered."

Disease-management programs can improve quality of care for the chronically ill, even in a weak primary care system: a case study from Germany
S Stock, D Starke, L Altenhofen, L Hansen
Issues in International Health Policy
The Commonwealth Fund
November 2011

Read more here.

Electronic consultations between primary and specialty care clinicians

"E-consultation presents opportunities to improve health care quality and reduce specialty care costs, but dissemination will be limited unless incentives are created and clinicians are encouraged to use e-consultation through financial reimbursement."

Electronic consultations between primary and specialty care clinicians: early insights
K Horner, E Wagner, J Tufano
The Commonwealth Fund
October 2011

Read more here.

Inpatient care for people with diabetes

"Long-term complications arising from sub-optimal care can impose further costs on individuals and their carers, on the health and social care system and on the public sector more generally."

Inpatient care for people with diabetes: the economic case for change
M Kerr
Insight Health Economics
November 2011

Read more here.

Health care quality improvement: there's an app for that

"Disease management apps, in particular, can improve communication between patients and providers and promote adherence to recommended care."

Health care quality improvement: there's an app for that
Quality matters
The Commonwealth Fund
October/November 2011

Read more here.

After hospitalization: a Dartmouth Atlas report

"This is the first national [USA] report to look at how effectively communities and hospitals coordinate care for some of their sickest patients—those leaving the hospital after a stay to treat an acute or chronic illness."

After hospitalization: a Dartmouth Atlas report on post-acute care for Medicare Beneficiaries
DC Goodman, ES Fisher, CH Chang, SR Raymond, KK Bronner
The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
September 2011

Read more here.

Supporting patient decision-making: interprofessional perspectives

This is a special issue full of articles about interprofessional support of patient decision-making.

Supporting patient decision-making: interprofessional perspectives: Special issue
Journal of Interprofessional Care
November 2011, 25(6)

Read more here.

Inequalities in utilisation of general practitioner and specialist services

"In summary, large inequalities were observed in the utilisation of specialist care that are not compensated for by the use of GP services."

Inequalities in utilisation of general practitioner and specialist services in 9 European countries
I Stirbu, AE Kunst, A Mielck, JP Mackenbach
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:288

Read more here.

Personal Health Budgets: Early experiences of budget holders

This evaluation report looks at the early experiences of a small subsample of budget holders and their representatives, as personal health budgets are piloted in English primary care trusts (PCTs).

Personal Health Budgets: Early experiences of budget holders: 4th interim evaluation report
A Irvine, J Davidson, C Gendinning, K Jones, J Forder, J Caiels, E Welch, K Windle, P Dolan, D King
Department of Health
October 2011

Read more here.

Event: Free webinar: How to write about quality and safety and get published

The Health Foundation provides a series of Improvement Science Webinars. On 22nd November, at 4pm (UK time), there will be a free Webinar called "the leading improvement science researcher and well-published author Mary Dixon-Woods, Professor of Medical Sociology , University of Leicester, will be exploring how to write-up your research/improvement project for publication.

Find out more here.

Measuring patient experience in the primary care sector

The aim of this study was to identify the features of care that mattered most to patients and whether what patients want from their care varies depending on their condition.


Measuring patient experience in the primary care sector: Does a patient's condition influence what matters?
Policy plus evidence, issues and opinions in healthcare
National Nursing Research Unit
King's College London
Issue 32, September 2011

Read more here.

Principles for integrated care

This paper presents a set of principles for integrated care, based on the experiences of service users, and research evidence.


Principles for integrated care
National Voices
October 2011

Read more here.

Ethical commissioning guidance to general practitioners

"This guidance is for general practitioners, and particularly GPs who will have a role as commissioners in clinical commissioning groups in England."

Making difficult choices: ethical commissioning guidance to general practitioners
M Oswald, D Cox
Royal College of General Practitioners
October 2011

Read more here.

Improving inpatient postnatal services

"A Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach was adopted to support a systems and process change to in-patient care and care on transfer home in a large district general hospital with around 6000 births a year."

Improving inpatient postnatal services: midwives views and perspectives of engagement in a quality improvement initiative
DE Bick, V Rose, A Weavers, J Wray, S Beake
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:293

Read more here.

Reducing agency staff costs

"Many NHS trusts are trialling a variety of solutions to reduce spend on agency staff. Listed below are a number of case studies available to download which showcase good practice from within NHS organisations."

Case studies: five high impact actions
NHS Employers
October 2011

Read more here.

Professionalism in healthcare professionals

"This study was commissioned by the Health Professions Council (HPC) as part of a wider research programme exploring aspects of professional practice."


Professionalism in healthcare professionals
Health Professions Council
October 2011

Read more here.

Clinical Practice Research Datalink

The Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in partnership with Health and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced the creation of a new Clinical Practice Research Datalink service (CPRD), which will be fully established by 1 April 2012. The CPRD will provide capability, products and services across a number of areas including:

• Data services
• Interventional research services
• Research advisory services

Read more here.

Telehealth evidence database

The Telehealth evidence database is a free resource, published by The King's Fund. It is for anyone looking for information on telecare, telehealth and the management of long-term conditions.

Access the database here.

Economic regulation in health care

"This paper is essential reading for policy-makers considering the role of economic regulation in health care, and those tasked with implementing the new system of regulation in England."

Economic regulation in health care: What can we learn from other regulators?
A Dixon, T Harrison, C Mundle
The King's Fund
November 2011

Read more here.

Facilitating the use of research evidence

"Facilitating the use of research is the topic of a newly published virtual issue of The Milbank Quarterly. The issue includes, in chronological order, twenty-two articles and two commentaries that were published in the Quarterly between 2001 and 2011."

Facilitating the use of research evidence
Milbank Quarterly - 2011 Milbank Memorial Fund
Edited by Bradford H. Gray
2011

Read the whole issue here.

The Network - connect people, share knowledge, improve care

The Network is an online community and network for medical students, junior doctors and newly qualified consultants and GPs with an interest in clinical leadership and medical management.

Read more here or go straight to The Network.

Quality and safety in European hospitals

"The 'Quality and Safety in Europe by Research' (QUASER) study will investigate how hospitals implement, spread and sustain quality improvement, including the difficulties they face and how they overcome them."


A longitudinal, multi-level comparative study of quality and safety in European hospitals: the QUASER study protocol
GB Robert, JE Anderson, SJ Burnett, K Aase, B Andersson-Gare, R Bal, J Calltorp, F Nunes, AM
Weggelaar, CA Vincent, NJ Fulop
BMC Health Services Research, 2011, 11:285

Read more here.

Increasing reporting rates and reducing harm

"Actively developing a transparent and positive safety culture at the unit level can improve medication safety."

Increasing medication error reporting rates while reducing harm through simultaneous cultural and system-level interventions in an intensive care unit
KM Abstoss, BE Shaw, TA Owens, JL Juno, EL Commiskey, MF Niedner
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011, 20(11):914-922

Read more here.

Patient safety competency assessment

"This review aims to identify the available assessment tools for different patient safety domains and evaluate them according to Miller’s four competency levels."

Assessing the patient safety competencies of healthcare professionals: a systematic review
A Okuyama, K Martowirono, B Bijnen
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011, 20(11):991-1000

Read more here.

Collaborative care for depression treatment in primary care

"Depression collaborative care models designed and implemented by primary care practices using evidence based quality improvement improved antidepressant initiation."

Implementing collaborative care for depression treatment in primary care: a cluster randomized evaluation of a quality improvement practice redesign
EF Chaney, LV Rubenstein, CF Liu, EM Yano, C Bolkan, M Lee, B Simon, A Lanto, B Felker, J Uman
Implementation Science, 2011, 6:121

Read more here.

Guiding patients through complexity: modern medical generalism

"This Commission believes that medical generalism has a strong and growing part to play in the way that health care must change, radically, to respond both to the needs of an ageing population living with widespread, often multiple, chronic conditions and to the growing imperative for patients to be in partnership with their doctors and to be able jointly to plan their care."


Guiding patients through complexity: modern medical generalism: Report of an independent commission for the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Health Foundation
The Health Foundation
October 2011

Read more here.

Experience-based co-design

"This toolkit outlines a powerful and effective way of improving patients' experiences of services."

Experience-based co-design: working with patients to improve health care
The King's Fund
2011

Read more here.

CHSRF on Call - free webinars on health service transformation

"CHSRF on Call is a series of free webinars, in English and French, featuring policy- and decision- makers as they explore existing evidence on key topics to see how it can improve the delivery of health services and the health of Canadians."

The service is provided by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and you can read more here.

Uncertainty, evidence and irrecoverable costs

"This research was commissioned to inform when NICE should approve health technologies only in research (OIR) or with research (AWR)."

Uncertainty, evidence and irrecoverable costs: Informing approval, pricing and research decisions for health technologies
K Claxton, S Palmer, L Longworth, L Bojke, S Griffin, C McKenna, M Soares, E Spackman, J Youn
Centre for Health Economics
October 2011

Read more here.

Hospitals and care systems of the future

"This report will mobilize hospital senior leadership teams to consider the strategies they must deploy throughout their individual organizations to adapt and succeed in the future."

Hospitals and care systems of the future
American Hospital Association
September 2011

Read more here.

Health datasets for economists

"This Compendium of Health Datasets for Economists (ICoHDE) provides the largest collection of English specific datasets available for researchers interested in the field of economics of health and health care."


The interactive compendium of health datasets for economists
University of Oxford
2011

Access the resource here.

3rd National Annual QIPP Symposium, 10 November 2011

The 3rd annual national QIPP symposium, Improving Outcomes through Innovative Partnerships, Quality, Productivity, and Value will cover:

• Support from GP Commissioners
• Strengthened public and patient, and local authority engagement
• Clarity on the clinical evidence base
• Consistency with current and prospective patient choice
• QIPP, Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention
• Secondary and Primary Care Integration
• Payment Tariffs and Care Pathway Development
• Transition how, when what, with whom

Date: 10 November 2011
Venue: BT Convention Centre, Liverpool



For full details and registration, visit the Symposium website or download the programme (PDF, 2.12 MB)

The safer management of controlled drugs - Annual report 2010

Annual report published in August 2011 which makes recommendations on how chief executives and accountable officers could better aid the safer management of controlled drugs.

The safer management of controlled drugs - Annual report 2010 
Care Quality Commission
August 2011

Download the full report here (PDF, 622KB) or the summary here.

NICE COPD quality standard

This NICE quality standard defines clinical best practice for assessment, diagnosis and clinical management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. It provides specific, concise quality statements, measures and audience descriptors to provide patients and the public, health and social care professionals, commissioners and service providers with definitions of high-quality care. It is based on current NICE guidance and is consistent with the Outcomes Strategy for the areas it covers.

COPD: quality standard
NICE
28 July 2011

Download the full text here (PDF, 249 KB)

Making Shared Decision-making a Reality

Report published by the King's Fund, clarifying the concept of shared decision-making and proposing actions needed to make the aspiration a reality.

Making Shared Decision-making a Reality: No Decision About Me, Without Me
Angela Coulter, Alf Collins
King's Fund
July 2011

Download the full text here (PDF, 790 KB)

Getting out of hospital? The evidence for shifting acute inpatient and day case services from hospitals into the community

This report examines and updates the review of evidence of underpinning the policy drive to transfer acute inpatient and day-case services from hospitals into the community and the effectiveness of this to improve quality of care and save money.

Getting out of hospital?
The Health Foundation
June 2011

Download the full text here (PDF).

Do clinical guidelines reduce clinician dependent costs?

Freely available journal article reviewing and summarising recent evidence, relevant to both developed and developing countries on whether evidence based clinical guidelines can change hospitals variable costs which are clinician dependent, and the degree of financial savings achieved at hospital level.

Do clinical guidelines reduce clinician dependent costs?
George Kosimbei , Kara Hanson  and Mike English
Health Research Policy and Systems 2011, 9:24doi:10.1186/1478-4505-9-24

Download the full article here.

The Health and Social Care Bill: where next?

Briefing from the Nuffield Trust providing the Nuffield Trust response to the Government’s NHS ‘listening exercise’, in which Ministers will consider options for reform before the Health and Social Care Bill returns to Parliament.


The Health and Social Care Bill: where next?
Nuffield Trust
May 2011

View summary, listen to briefing and download documentation from the Nuffield Trust website.

Accountability in the NHS: Implications of the Government’s Health Reform Programme

A report from the King’s Fund which seeks to inform the debate around the nature of accountability relationships in the NHS and how these will change under the reforms.


Accountability in the NHS: Implications of the Government’s Health Reform Programme
King's Fund
2011

Download the full report here (PDF)

Are clinicians engaged in quality improvement?

"The active involvement of clinical staff is an essential component of quality improvement, yet systematic improvement initiatives in the NHS have not generally secured the full engagement of clinicians. In 2006, the Health Foundation commissioned a review seeking to clarify what is already known about the views of UK healthcare professionals in this area. This updated review builds on the findings of this earlier review and highlights how clinical engagement in improvement remains a complex, challenging issue."


Evidence: are clinicians engaged in quality improvement?
The Health Foundation
May 2011

Download the full review here (PDF, 970 K)

Inpatient services survey 2010

"This survey looked at the experiences of over 66,000 people who were admitted to hospital with at least one overnight stay. The results give ... an insight into patients’ experiences, and will be used throughout our [Care Quality Commission] regulatory activities, such as when we license providers, monitor ongoing compliance and when we conduct reviews."


Inpatient services survey 2010
Care Quality Commission
April 2011

Visit the Inpatient Services Survey web pages for full details.

Needs based palliative care commissioning for children, young people and their families

"This document is designed to assist commissioners in identifying the types of
services they should consider when commissioning provision for children and young
people with life-limiting and / or life-threatening conditions. Any commissioning
should be based on an individual’s holistic needs of support and care, and those of
their families. These will include health, social care and general support, recognising
that the emerging model for commissioning is one with a focus on localisation."

Needs based palliative care commissioning for children, young people and their families: a guide / by Katrina McNamara-Goodger and Helen McLindon
South West Development Centre / ACT
April 2011

Click here to download the full text of this guide (PDF, 664KB).

Evidence: Helping people help themselves

Supporting self-management means providing information and encouragement to help people maintain greater control by understanding their condition and being able to monitor and take appropriate action. This publication reviews the evidence considering whether it is worthwhile to support self-management.


Evidence: Helping people help themselves / by Debra de Silva
Health Foundation
May 2011

Download the report in full (PDF) here.

NHS Costing Manual 2010-11

This manual sets out the principles and practice of costing to be applied in the NHS.

NHS Costing Manual 2010-11
DH Payment by Results Finance and Costing Team
April 2011

View the manual here.

Sustainable Healthcare: Getting more from less

Feature giving details of the three shortlisted entries for the BMJ Group’s Sustainable Healthcare award.

Sustainable Healthcare: Getting more from less
Kirsten Patrick
BMJ 2011; 342:d2425
April 2011

View the full article here.

Reducing expenditure on low clinical value treatments

This health briefing suggests that the NHS could save up to £500 million a year by carrying out fewer ineffective or inefficient treatments.

Reducing expenditure on low clinical value treatments
Audit Commission
April 2011

Read a summary or download the full version here.

Delivering QIPP by redesigning iron deficiency services

"Redesigning intravenous iron services is an excellent way of delivering QIPP improvements to patient care by dramatically reducing hospital visits and improving service efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Currently, the treatment of iron deficiency involves multiple visits to the hospital but a drug called Ferinject from Vifor Pharma administers all the iron a patient needs in one 30 minute visit.

Watch this video to find out how this patient-centric service is saving the NHS money and promoting faster recovery and better outcomes."

Delivering QIPP by redesigning iron deficiency services
HealthExecTV
April 2011

View video here (free registration needed to view content)

Rapid impact assessment of The Productive Ward

"This Rapid Impact Assessment explores the efficiency and productivity improvements The Productive Ward programme can make across the NHS."

Rapid impact assessment of The Productive Ward: Releasing time to care
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
January 2011

Read more here.

United Kingdom (England) health system review

"The Health Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide a detailed description of a health system and of reform and policy initiatives in progress or under development in a specific country."

United Kingdom (England) health system review
Sean Boyle
Health Systems in Transition, 2011 13(1)
European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Read more here.

High-value, cost-conscious health care

"This article discusses 3 key concepts for understanding how to assess the value of health care interventions."

High-value, cost-conscious health care: concepts for clinicians to evaluate the benefits, harms, and costs of medical interventions
DK Owens, A Qaseem, R Chou, P Shekelle
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2011, 154(6):174-180

Read more here.

If you cannot access the full record, please use your NHS Athens username and password  or contact the Royal Free Medical Library.

Can we save money by improving quality

"This paper uses research evidence to assess the contribution that quality-improvement can make as a central component of cost reduction."

Can we save money by improving quality
M Marshall, J Ovretveit
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011, 20(4):293-296

Read more here.

If you cannot access the full record, please use your NHS Athens username and password  or contact the Royal Free Medical Library.

Many of the other articles in this issue focus on quality-improvement collaboratives.

Lessons from the Productive Ward

"Given the quality and cost challenge currently facing the NHS, it is critical that improvement programmes are implemented quickly, on a large-scale and assimilated and sustained in routine practice."

Implementing and sustaining change in the contemporary NHS: lessons from the Productive Ward
National Nursing Research Unit
March 2011

Read more here.

Case studies: Safer Patients Initiative

To find out how the "Our Safer Patients Initiative" programme has been working, the Health Foundation has committed a number of case studies.

Safer Patients Initiative: case studies
The Health Foundation
March 2011

Read more here.

Calculating the 2011-12 National Tariff

"The purpose of this guide is therefore to describe the iterations of the tariff calculation lifecycle, ie how the Department has calculated the 2011-12 mandatory national tariffs."

Step-by-step guide: Calculating the 2011-12 National Tariff
Department of Health
March 2011

Read more here.

Ten years of jointly commissioning health and social care in England

"This article reviews the experience of joint commissioning across health and social care over the past decade in England."

Ten years of jointly commissioning health and social care in England
B Hudson
International Journal of Integrated Care 11, Special 10th Anniversary Edition

Read more here.

Management of NHS hospital productivity

This is the 26th report of session 2010-11 from the House of Commons Committe of Public Accounts.

Management of NHS hospital productivity
House of Commons
March 2011

Read more here.

NHS reforms in England: managing the transition

"This Nuffield Trust sets out the key challenges associated with managing the transition to a reformed NHS, as envisaged in the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (Department of Health 2010a) and proposes ways in which the risks associated with transition might be mitigated."

NHS reforms in England: managing the transition
J Smith, A Charlesworth
Nuffield Trust
March 2011

Read more here.

Quality governance in the NHS

"This guide considers how to govern for quality, both in terms of driving continuous improvement across the organisation and ensuring that the essential levels of quality and safety are met."

Quality governance in the NHS - a guide for provider boards
National Quality Board
March 2011

Read more here.

Maintaining and improving quality during the transition

"In this report, we take the opportunity to restate how healthcare professionals working at the front line are ultimately responsible for ensuring patients receive high quality care and how it is their professional duty to speak up if they have concerns."

Maintaining and improving quality during the transition: safety, effectiveness, experience: Part One - 2011-12
National Quality Board
March 2011

Read more here.

The medium-term sustainability of organisational innovations in the National Health Service

"The study will involve research in four case-study sites around England, each of which was successful in sustaining its new model of service provision beyond an initial period of pilot funding for new genetics services provided by the Department of Health."

The medium-term sustainability of organisational innovations in the National Health Service
GP Martin, G Currie, R Finn, R McDonald
Implementation Science, 2011 6:19

Read more here.

Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare

"The objectives of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative are to close the gap between what we know and what we do, and to contribute to continuous quality improvement (CQI) of healthcare through collaborative learning."

Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare: an analysis of the reports of improvement team members
A Skard Brandrud, A Schreiner, P Hjortdahl, G Saevil Helljesen, B Nyen, EC Nelson
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011 20(3):251-259

Read more here.

Reconfiguring hospital services

"Reconfiguring Hospital Services: Lessons from South East London considers whether reconfiguration of hospital services is an appropriate response to the need to drive up quality and drive down costs."

Reconfiguring hospital services: lessons from South East London
K. Palmer
The King's Fund
March 2011

Read more here.

NHS Evidence QIPP Collection

The NHS Evidence QIPP Collection is a collection of examples of best practice, submitted by NHS Trusts and accredited by NICE before being published on the website. They are backed up by a number of ‘Cochrane Quality and Productivity (QP) topics’ , produced by NICE and derived from Cochrane systematic reviews that conclude that the evidence shows that a practice is harmful or ineffective and should not be used, or that there is insufficient evidence to support widespread use of a practice. NICE staff assess Cochrane QP topics against the QIPP criteria and summarise the topic, supporting evidence, likely ease of implementation, impact on productivity savings (cash and resources) and on the quality of NHS care. Trusts implementing ideas which have produced efficiencies and/or improvements in patient care are encouraged to submit details to the website using a downloadable template.

Procurement matters: a best practice procurement diagnostic

"Our Diagnostic Tool will help you to assess how effective your procurement practices are at present, and show how you can become more efficient."

Procurement matters: a best practice procurement diagnostic
Department of Health
February 2011

Read more here.

Six Sigma increases hand hygiene compliance

"For those readers tasked with increasing hand hygiene compliance this article will provide the knowledge and insight needed to overcome multifaceted barriers to noncompliance."

A lean six sigma team increases hand hygiene compliance and reduces hospital-acquired MRSA infections by 51%
C Carboneau, E Benge, MT Jaco, M Robinson
Journal for Healthcare Quality, 2010 32(4):61-70
Read more here.

Estimating the costs of specialised care

"In most sectors of the economy, specialisation is associated with lower costs. Yet some specialised hospitals claim to require more generous funding than general hospitals."

Estimating the costs of specialised care
CHE Research Paper 61
S Daidone, A Street
University of York Centre for Health Economics
February 2011

Read more here.

Measuring impact in health improvement

"This guide provides a practical introduction to impact assessment and takes you through the basic steps of how to plan and deliver an impact assessment project."

Measuring impact in health improvement: an accessible guide for health practitioners
Local Government Improvement and Development
January 2011

Read more here.

Large scale organisational intervention to improve patient safety in four UK hospitals

"Quality of monitoring of sick patients improved in control hospitals and in hospitals participating in the Safer Patients Initiative, but control hospitals did not improve as much as intervention hospitals;"

Large scale organisational intervention to improve patient safety in four UK hospitals: mixed method evaluation
A Benning, M Ghaleb, A Suokas, M Dixon-Woods, J Dawson, N Barber, B Dean Franklin, A Girling, K Hemming, M Carmalt, G Rudge, T Naicker, U Nwulu, S Choudhury, R Lilford
British Medical Journal, 2011 342:d195

Read more here.

A related article, looking at the second phase of this research, is available here.

Is quality of care improving in the UK?

"...the study provides convincing evidence that safety and quality improved in NHS hospitals in England over the study period (about 18 months)."

Is quality of care improving in the UK? Yes, but we do not know why
PJ Pronovost, SM Berenholtz, LL Morlock
British Medical Journal, 2011 342:c6646

Read more here.

Disease management evaluation

"Many countries in Europe are experimenting with new, structured approaches to better manage the care of patients with chronic illness and so improve its quality and ultimately patient health outcomes."

Disease management evaluation: a comprehensive review of current state of the art
A Conklin, E Nolte
RAND Europe Technical Report
December 2010

Read more here.

High-value, cost-conscious health care

"This article discusses 3 key concepts for understanding how to assess the value of health care interventions."

High-value, cost-conscious health care: concepts for clinicians to evaluate the benefits, harms, and costs of medical interventions
DK Owens, A Qaseem, R Chou, P Shekelle
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2011 154(3):174-180

Read more here.

What's leadership got to do with it?

"Investing in leadership development of mid-career health professionals with significant leadership potential leads to a sustainable impact on the quality of health care quality; the impact achieved represents a good return on the investment made."

What's leadership got to do with it? Exploring links between quality improvement and leadership in the NHS
The Health Foundation
January 2011

Read more here.

Leading for outcomes

"This guide aims to provide support on how to lead teams in the adoption and implementation of an outcomes-focused approach."

Leading for outcomes: a guide
Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services
2010

Read more here.

Joined-up care delivering seamless care

"Joined-up care has long been advocated as a way of meeting the needs of patients with complex conditions."

Joined-up care delivering seamless care: a practical guide to making change happen
C Robertson, H Baxter, M Mugglestone, L Maher
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
2010

Read more here.

Improving healthcare quality at scale and pace

This is the full report describing the lessons learned from The Productive Ward: Releasing time to care programme.

Improving healthcare quality at scale and pace
King's College London and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
2010

Read more here.

How health systems make available information on service providers

"This report reviews information systems that report on the quality or performance of providers of healthcare in seven countries to inform the use and further development of quality information systems in the English NHS."

How health systems make available information on service providers: experience in seven countries
M Cacace, S Ettelt, L Brereton, J Pedersen, E Nolte
RAND Corporation
2011

Read more here.

Safer patients initiative

The Health Foundation has published three documents describing the results and lessons learned from a mixed-method evaluation of a large-scale organisational intervention to improve patient safety in four UK hospitals.

1. Safer patients initiative: phase one
   
2. Safer patients initiative: phase two
   
3. Safer patients initiative: learning report

Feeling better? Improving patient experience in hospital

"This report looks at what we know about improving patients' experiences of hospital care and shares the approaches of both UK and USA hospital providers that have made significant progress in providing services that are truly patient-centred."

Feeling better? Improving patient experience in hospital
NHS Confederation
2010

Read more here.

Discovering - and lowering - the real costs of health care

Professors Robert Kaplan and Michael Porter, at Harvard Business School, are conducting pilot projects set in major health care delivery organisations. They are investigating total costs for a number of medical conditions, and also comparing total costs incurred to treat the same medical condition by two different providers, one in the U.S. and one in Germany.

Discovering - and lowering - the real costs of health care
ME Porter
Harvard Business Review
2011

Read more here.

Economic case for improving efficiency and quality in mental health

This document outlines the opportunities to make value for money savings in delivering mental health services using the QIPP approach, and by promoting early intervention and prevention of mental health problems. This paper supports No health without mental health.

No health without mental health: A cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages: Supporting document - The economic case for improving efficiency and quality in mental health
Department of Health
2 February 2011

Read more here.

Commissioning for health improvement

"Using programme budgeting and marginal analysis to deliver quality, innovation, productivity and prevention."

Third annual population review: commissioning for health improvement
P Brambleby, A Jackson, I Stewart
Department of Health
2010

Read more here.

Clinical responses to the downturn

"Seven medical specialties address how they can help tackle the NHS financial challenge."

Clinical responses to the downturn
NHS Confederation
2010

Read more here.

Increasing value - improving quality

"RightCare is: doing the right things and doing things right."

RightCare - increasing value - improving quality
P DaSilva, M Gray
Department of Health
November 2010

Read more here.

Improving NHS productivity

John Appleby, Chief Economist at The King's Fund, looks at why we need to improve NHS productivity and by how much.

Improving NHS productivity: making it happen
The King's Fund
2010

Slides and audio available here.

Mental health and the productivity challenge

The report suggests that there are real opportunities to change the way mental health services are delivered in oder to achieve more within existing budgets.

Mental health and the productivity challenge: improving quality and value for money
C. Naylor, A. Bell
The King's Fund
2010

Read more here.

More with the same not more of the same

"The inescapable conclusion from The King's Fund/IFS analysis was that closing the gap would inevitably involve major improvements in NHS productivity, with year-on-year gains of up to 6 per cent for six years."

Improving NHS productivity: more with the same not more of the same
J. Appleby, C. Ham, C. Imison, M. Jennings
July 2010

Read more here.

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare

This is an interactive version of the atlas from the Department of Health Right Care QIPP workstream, which shows 34 maps of variation across a range of disease areas to help commissioners reduce unwarranted variation in healthcare.

Access the NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare here.

Improving the productivity of the English NHS

"Even though the budget is ring-fenced the NHS has to make substantial efficiency improvements over the next five years."

Improving the productivity of the English NHS
University of York Centre for Health Economics Research Bulletin
January 2011

Read more here.

NHS Networks Commissioning Zone

"The resource centre for clinical commissioning."

The Commissioning Zone is a portal for clinicians, managers and anyone else involved in commissioning. It brings together in one place the best sources and resources, to save time and promote sharing of useful information. Content includes news, policy and guidance, reports and analysis, data and tools, and resources.

Access the Commissioning Zone here.

When and how provider competition can improve health care delivery

"The extent to which competition among providers can increase health care quality and control costs may depend on the clinical setting. The strongest impact may be in out-of-hospital care."

When and how provider competition can improve health care delivery
P Dash, D Meredith
McKinsey Quarterly
Source: Healthcare Payor and Provider Practice
November 2010

Read more here. (This paper is free, but registration is required to read the full text.)

How do quality accounts measure up?

"Quality accounts are a key mechanism through which health care organisations can demonstrate their focus on improving the quality of their service."

How do quality accounts measure up? Findings from the first year
C Foot, V Raleigh, S Ross
The King's Fund
January 2011

Read more here.

Provider economics impact assessment model

The Department in partnership with the NHS Confederation have produced the Provider economics commissioning impact assessment model. with associated guidance and summary to better understand provider economics.

The purpose of the model is to enable commissioners and providers:

• to analyse the potential impact of commissioning decisions on service continuity and provider sustainability
• to understand how the financial system risks of decommissioning and reconfiguring services will materialise in differing economic scenarios and whether services provide value for money.

Provider economics impact assessment model
Department of Health and NHS Confederation
21st December 2010

Read  more here.

Evaluation of the scale, causes and costs of waste medicines

"Previous estimates have suggested that each year between £100-£800 million worth of dispensed NHS medicines go unused and are ultimately discarded......This Report concludes that primary and community care medicines waste in the English NHS should not be regarded as a serious systemic problem. It is better seen as a normal challenge to be tackled via the continued development of existing strategies and care quality improvement initiatives."
Evaluation of the scale, causes and costs of waste medicines: final report
York Health Economics Consortium and The School of Pharmacy (University of London)
November 2010

Read more here.

Department of Health consultation on value-based system of pricing medicines

"The Department of Health is consulting on proposals for a new value-based system of pricing medicines which aims to give NHS patients better access to effective and innovative branded medicines. The consultation document sets out the principles that would underpin the move to value-based pricing, outlines how the new system could work across the UK and seeks views on a number of key issues."


A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines - a consultation
Department of Health
December 2010

Read more here.

All responses to this public consultation must be received by 17 March 2011.

More for less 2009/10

"This briefing reviews primary care trust (PCT) spending in 2009/10, how trust income changed and whether the NHS made progress in becoming more efficient by providing as good or better care more cheaply. It updates More for Less, published in November 2009, which reviewed spending in 2008/09."

More for less 2009/10
Audit Commission
December 2010

Read more here.

Management of NHS hospital productivity

"This report examines how productivity in hospitals in England has changed over the last ten years, and the effectiveness of the Department's initiatives in driving productivity in hospitals."

Management of NHS hospital productivity
National Audit Office
December 2010

Read more here.

Getting better value from the NHS drug budget

"The NHS wastes billions on “me too” drugs that confer little or no added therapeutic benefit. James Moon and colleagues propose a way to restructure healthcare prescribing to get better value for money and persuade drug companies to invest in developing innovative drugs."

Getting better value from the NHS drug budget
JC Moon, AS Flett, BB Godman, AM Grosso, AS Wierzbicki
British Medical Journal, 2010; 341:c6449

Read more here.

An accompanying commentary, by David Phizackerley, is available here.