Caroline De Brún

Caroline De Brún
Caroline has been a medical librarian in a variety of NHS and academic roles since 1999, working in academic, primary and secondary care settings, service improvement, knowledge management, and on several high profile national projects. She has a PhD in Computing and currently develops resources to support evidence-based cost and quality, including QIPP @lert, a blog highlighting key reports from health care and other sectors related to service improvement and QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity, Prevention). She also delivers training and resources to support evidence identification and appraisal for cost, quality, service improvement, and leadership. She is co-author of the Searching Skills Toolkit, which aims to support health professionals' searching for best quality clinical and non-clinical evidence. Her research interests are health management, commissioning, public health, consumer health information literacy, and knowledge management. She currently works as a Knowledge and Evidence Specialist for Public Health England, and works on the Commissioning Elf in her spare time.

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Commissioning a good child health service

Child with doctor

Introduction When a child becomes ill, the first clinician they meet is most likely to be their GP. This report is the result of a collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Department of Health to identify how to [read the full story…]

Highs and lows of commissioning over the past ten years

Trees reflected in a canal

Introduction The report provides practical guidance and support for NHS employees working in the new NHS system, in particular commissioners working in clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, and NHS England (NHS Commissioning Board). The NHS Confederation is an organisation that identifies best practice and helps NHS staff to implement it. It has produced this report [read the full story…]

Health resources: who decides who gets what

World and stethoscope

Introduction Published by The King’s Fund, this briefing discusses how to improve the allocation of health resources in England. It is aimed at commissioners and local authorities, and other key decisions-makers regarding health care delivery. This is an important document, as it explains clearly the changes taking place from April 2013, as a consequence of [read the full story…]

“The NHS in England could realise savings of at least £4.4 billion a year…” according to a report

People with plugs

If NHS England adopted people powered health innovations, it could make at least £4.4 billion savings a year according to this report, published by NESTA, an independent charity and the UK’s innovation foundation. This is part of a series of reports due for publication following this one, including: People Powered Health: health for people, by [read the full story…]

The changing relationship between user and provider and its impact on quality

Joined puzzle pieces

Introduction This Evidence Review from The Health Foundation and RAND Europe looks at whether the changing relationships between healthcare service users and providers will improve the quality of care delivered. It is important for anyone who is involved in delivering a more patient-centric service, as it reviews how the recent changes in the relationship between service [read the full story…]

Commissioners’ priorities for improving the NHS

Chrysalis butterfly

Introduction This document is relevant to commissioners, public health, local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Groups, and Health and Wellbeing Boards. Originally published in March 2011, it has been updated due to the changes taking place in the NHS as of 1st April 2013. The changes involve more than £65 billion of public money, representing the NHS [read the full story…]

New framework to help staff protect vulnerable people

Hands holding paper cut-outs of people

Background This document provides guidance for people working to prevent and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect of adults. It is aimed at NHS staff and their partners in education and social care and has been developed in partnership with the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the NHS and the social care [read the full story…]

Improving health services for people living in secure accommodation

Prison gates

Introduction From April 2013, the NHS Commissioning Board will take on more responsibility to ensure that all patients receive better outcomes from the NHS. As part of this, they will be responsible for planning, securing and monitoring health services for victims of sexual assault, and people in prison and other secure settings, including children’s homes [read the full story…]

What helps and hinders effective commissioning? Experiences from primary care

Improvement

Introduction In England, from April 2013, there will be significant changes to the NHS, particularly with the introduction of 211 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). These GP-led organisations will take on the responsibility of funding, planning, and obtaining health services for their local areas. It is essential that best practice is applied so that efficient decisions [read the full story…]

Cutting contraceptive and sexual health services may result in greater numbers of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to report

Contraception

  Introduction This report was written to identify the various consequences of reducing access to contraceptive and sexual health services in the UK, a resulting consequence of changes to commissioning in the UK. The implications are not just for short-term health care costs, but for medium and long-term financial aspects of all public sector departments, [read the full story…]