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News and Views

Keep up to date with our latest news and blogs. 

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27/09/2022
News
Elective care | Inequalities | Policy | Strategy Development

Helping ICSs to reduce inequalities in access to planned care

Are there inequalities in access to planned care? If so, what are they? Which groups ‘gain’ and which groups suffer? And what could be done to address any inequalities? In pursuing their objective of reducing inequalities, what could Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) do? What strategies and approaches are likely to be successful?

26/07/2022
News
Complex Modelling | Elective care | Inequalities

Inequalities in access to healthcare - what’s our next move?

Our research, published in the Lancet Regional Health Europe, highlights substantial inequities in access to elective hip replacement surgery. We found no evidence that these inequities reduced between 2006 and 2016.

09/05/2022
News
Elective care | Inequalities

Strategies to reduce inequalities in access to planned hospital procedures

UPDATE 10th August: Now including briefing note for Integrated Care Boards on legal duties in respect of reducing inequalities. This report guides ICBs through the process.

15/10/2021
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.

10 min review 06/08/2021
Blog post
Comparative Analysis | Elective care | Emergency care

Decisions to admit patients are not solely determined by clinical risk

Whether or not to admit a patient is one of the most routine yet important decisions a doctor in an Emergency Department

10/02/2021
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

22/01/2021
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.

15/01/2021
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?

09/12/2020
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.     

07/05/2019
Blog post
Comparative Analysis | Elective care

Survey: Seasonal Profiling in NHS Elective Care

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE & I) are exploring the opportunity of applying seasonal profiling in elective care.

Thumbnail 14/03/2019
Feedback from clients

The Neighbourhood Network Feedback

We have received some fantastic feedback from those who attended our "Science of Improvement" workshop led by our very own Professor Mohammed A Mohammed on Wednesday 27th February 2019. 

Thumbnail 13/03/2019
Blog post

The body keeps the score (do we?)

In this fifth guest blog, in our series of viewpoints on the physical and clinical mental health divide, Dr Paul Turner, General Practitioner at Karis Medical Centre, Birmingham and Joint Clinical Director for Mental Health, NHSE West Midlands Clinical Network describes the cost of untreated complexity.

13/07/2018
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

Thumbnail 01/06/2018
Blog post

Do you like to integrate horizontally or vertically? NHS positions examined

Our latest research paper explores the impact of the different options for integration implemented as a result of the Transforming Community Services policy in 2010. This accompanying commentary reflects on potential implications for the current policy drive towards Integrated Care Systems.

Thumbnail 24/05/2018
Blog post

Intelligence-driven healthcare: what should the future look like?

Find out about our recent summit on intelligence to drive improvement in healthcare and comment on our working design principles.

Thumbnail 19/03/2018
Blog post

What works for primary care led integration?

We recently shared highlights from our realist synthesis on primary care-led integrated models, at the Health Policy and Planning Network workshop. Take a look at our presentation for a flavour of our findings ahead of publication later in the summer.

Thumbnail 22/12/2017
Blog post

Want to have better access to general practice appointments?

Here’s how we can support practice staff to improve access.

Thumbnail 26/09/2017
Feedback from clients

"Shining a light on mental health provision" (Mental Health Report)

Our analysis of the physical health of people who use mental health services is helping to identify strategic priorities and opportunities for improvement in health systems across the country.

26/09/2017
Feedback from clients

"A more informed narrative and evidence" to help drive priorities (Mental Health Report)

Superintendent Sean Williams comments on our analysis packs making the case to integrate mental and physical health care.

18/08/2017
Blog post

Innovation In Dudley: The Enabling Practice To Improve And Change Programme (Epic)

The Strategy Unit has been working with GP practices in Dudley for the last three years to support service improvement in Primary Care.

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