News Better use of analysis | Comparative Analysis | Complex Modelling | Economic Analysis | Problem Structuring
INSIGHT 2022 21st November - 2nd December
The Midlands Decision Support Network in association with The Strategy Unit are hosting INSIGHT 2022 our annual festival of learning and sharing events for the NHS, local government and other partners across health and care.
Blog post Emergency care | Policy | Primary, community and social care services | Public health and prevention
Infant-feeding problems during the pandemic
Emergency department attendances fell dramatically and systematically during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. This effect was almost universal, affecting people from all parts of society and for all health conditions. But in our recent paper we highlight one notable exception to this rule -presentations at Emergency Departments for infant-feeding problems increased during the pandemic.
Blog post Better use of analysis | Problem Structuring
What was the question again?
We hear a lot about what’s stopping the NHS making the most of its army of talented analysts. Some say we just need more data, or data of better quality. Others point to deficiencies in our infrastructure, IT kit or the software we use. But I’m not so sure. For me the biggest shortfall is in good questions that we can feasibly address.
News Futures thinking
‘Might’ is right
A good idea can be ruined by over-selling.
News Better use of analysis | Futures thinking | Learning and development
Decision makers can make much better use of analysis
Part of the Strategy Unit mission is to improve the use of analysis in decision making. Current use is, to employ a euphemism, variable.
Blog post Primary, community and social care services
Securing the future of domiciliary care
The Strategy Unit is embarking on an exciting project with WM ADASS, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care Services in the West Midlands to explore the challenges facing domiciliary care and the opportunities that exist to transform and improve the service.
News Better use of analysis | Comparative Analysis | Elective care | Finance and payments | Problem Structuring
Strategy Unit devises a new method for classifying outpatient appointments
The number of outpatient attendances in England is now approaching 100 million each year.
Blog post Comparative Analysis | Emergency care | Problem Structuring
Infant feeding problems, lockdown and attendance at Emergency Departments: what’s going on?
From our previous work, with Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation, we know that lockdown had a significant effect on attendance at Emergency Departments (ED). We also know that this effect was very unevenly distributed: some demographic groups stayed away far more than others.
News Elective care | Evaluation and impact assessment | Primary, community and social care services
Some positive news for integrating GP practices with hospital trusts
The drive for greater integration of health and care services has been the central theme of UK health policy for most of
Blog post Better use of analysis | Complex Modelling | Primary, community and social care services | Public health and prevention
Strategy Unit releases opensource model for planning vaccine centre capacity
The UK is running its largest ever vaccination programme. The stakes are enormous.
Blog post
Is ‘Integrating Care’ bold enough?
In this blog, Fraser Battye leaves the Strategy Unit’s usual careful and empirical view of the world. He reflects on NHS England and Improvement’s ‘Integrating Care’ paper from the perspective of wider ideological and societal trends. In doing so, he suggests that there is scope for bolder reform – and that localism is the way to go.
Blog post
What might ‘Integrating Care’ mean for analysts?
In this blog, Fraser Battye looks at NHS England/Improvement’s ‘Integrating Care’ paper. While not looking forward to another NHS re-organisation, he sees a lot that analysts will like. Fraser also notes the potential advantage that the Decision Support Unit model gives systems in the Midlands. What can analysts do to seize these opportunities?
News Elective care | Emergency care | Evaluation and impact assessment | Mental health | Primary, community and social care services
Evaluating Artificial Intelligence: a significant new win
The Strategy Unit, the Health Economics Unit and Leicester Clinical Trials Unit have been announced as evaluation partners to support success in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health and Care Awards.
Blog post Futures thinking | Policy
The bigger picture
Today, the Health Foundation launched the REAL Centre (Research and Economic Analysis for the Long term), an incredibly important initiative to imp
Blog post Better use of analysis | Futures thinking | Problem Structuring
Measuring what matters in systems – A call for person-centred intelligence
The Strategy Unit and Ipsos MORI launch guide to implementing Person-Centred Intelligence.
Blog post Better use of analysis | Problem Structuring
Part of the solution or part of the problem? Management Consultants and the NHS
I was quoted in a recent Guardian newspaper article which described a London Clinical Commissioning Group’s wasteful use of external
Blog post Evaluation and impact assessment | Learning and development | Policy | Primary, community and social care services
Brief reflections on Dudley's journey as a Vanguard
With the end of the New Care Models programme there is an opportunity to reflect on what has been learnt at local level.
Blog post
Integrating health and care services - what works? It’s complicated…
Coinciding nicely with the NHS 70th Birthday celebrations and the parallel discussions of ‘where next and how to do it better’ for the NHS, last we
Blog post
If I hadn't have run, I would have missed the bus
There are many of lessons we can learn from Accountable Care Organisations when thinking about ICS contracts says Paul Taylor.