The aim of this paper, written for commissioners, managers, and health decision-makers, was to look at how commissioning works for people with long-term conditions such as dementia. The authors carried out a multisite mixed methods case study research, involving three ‘commissioning communities’ and using interviews, documents, and meeting observations to reach their conclusions. A commissioning [read the full story…]
A timely report from the Nuffield Trust details the background to the current policy on personal health budgets (due to become effective in April 2014) and some important learning for commissioners and policy makers. From next year, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be required to offer personal health budgets to patients receiving continuing health care [read the full story…]
Clinical Commissioning Groups, hospices, patients, carers, and all staff who provide palliative care to children. This short guide has been written for Clinical Commissioning Groups, hospices, patients, carers, and all staff who provide palliative care to children. Commissioners need to be aware that palliative care for children is very different to palliative care for adults, [read the full story…]
Carers are integral to health care improvement. This report highlights evidence that shows “the economic value of the contribution they make is £119bn per year”. However, without support, carers can feel isolated, depressed, and may be living in poor financial circumstances, which can lead to poor health for the carer too. The problem health and [read the full story…]
Family and friends often play a very important role in supporting older people with long-term, severe mental health problems. It is estimated that 25% of the 6 million carers in the UK are supporting someone with a mental health problem (Carers Trust, 2007). Stress has been cited as having a major impact on the wellbeing [read the full story…]
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…]
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…]
What do healthcare commissioners actually do? Ask a hundred people who work in the NHS and you’ll probably get a hundred different answers. The landscape is moving quickly as we approach the April changeover, and with management budgets getting cut, it’s an increasingly challenging area to work in. This new report from the Nuffield Trust [read the full story…]
This brief new guidance will be of interest if you are involved in delivering or planning peer support for people with long term conditions. It’s the result of a research project carried out in Scotland during 2010-11, which reported that: Peer support activity for people with long term conditions across Scotland had a positive impact [read the full story…]
Commissioners, health professionals and social care professionals will all be interested in the new Long Term Conditions Compendium of Information published by the Department of Health. This third edition updates the version produced in 2008 and provides the evidence for improving care and outcomes for people with long-term conditions. 70% of the total health and [read the full story…]
