Outcomes based commissioning: A framework for local decision making

This local decision-making framework aims to empower systems as they look to design new contracting approaches aimed at improving outcomes.

Midlands Population Health Management Academy

The Midlands Population Health Management Academy was part of a programme of support, commissioned by NHS

How will we know if Integrated Care Systems reduce demand for urgent care?

The implications of a blended payment system are far reaching: Decisions about planned activity levels will determine the total funding envelope for urgent care within a system and will influence the behaviour of healthcare providers and the services they deliver to patients.

Opening the ‘black box’ of scenario planning through realist synthesis

Scenario planning is recognised as an effective aid to strategic planning in complex, uncertain conditions. It is an approach that the Strategy Unit is increasingly building into its work with health and care systems and third sector organisations.

Measuring what matters in systems – A call for person-centred intelligence

The Strategy Unit and Ipsos MORI launch guide to implementing Person-Centred Intelligence.

Lessons, Evaluation and Learning from the Dudley MCP

Learning from Dudley MCP

Learning and Development of Problem Solving Techniques

What is innovation?

Clinical Workforce Scenarios for the Black Country

The future is highly uncertain.

Waiting Times and Attendance Durations at English A&E Departments

In March 2019, NHS England is expected to report the outcome of its review of constitutional waiting times targets. This report reviews the factors that have led to the decline in performance against one of these targets - the 4-hour target for Accident and Emergency Departments. The analysis uncovers new insights and has the potential to reshape received wisdom about the performance of A&E departments, carrying important implications for healthcare policy and system leadership.

Let’s face the music and (not) dance

David Frith leads our strategy consultancy work with NHS and third sector organisations.

Tools & templates: Problem structuring

Problem trees and driver diagrams can help you to understand the causes and effects of your problem.

Knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing is vital for sharing good practice, enabling adoption and spread of innovations, and preventing people from making the same mista

The Potential Economic Impact of Virtual Outpatient Appointments in the West Midlands: A scoping study

The Strategy Unit was recently approached to examine the case for a shift from traditional outpatient services to the use of virtual a

Pre-mortem

The pre-mortem technique was developed by Klein (2007) using ‘prospective hindsight’ to identify risks at the outset of a project.

Lessons from the Vanguard: Innovation and Evaluation

The problems facing health and care services are so well known as to be documented in the media most days.

Tools & templates: Other points of view

Use Edward deBono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ or consider a wider point of view, to approach a problem or potential solution from different perspectives.

Lessons from the Vanguard: Procurement

Tools & templates: Breaking the rules

Generate new ideas to solve a problem – by identifying the underlying assumptions, unwritten rules and thinking that maintain the status quo.

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