We place a high value on sharing our work – here, you’ll find some examples of reports and other project outputs which demonstrate the work we do.  If you’re interested in topics which aren’t listed here, please get in touch.

Principles of integrated care
February 2019 Integrated Care

New care models - what's the evidence

High level findings from a series of evidence reviews on new care models.

 October 2018 Integrated Care

The Status of Electronic Palliative Care Coordination Systems in the West Midlands

Commissioned by NHS England, this report describes the state of electronic palliative care coordination systems in the West Midlands.  It draws on a review of the literature, interviews with local NHS staff and responses to information requests.  As people approach the end of their lives, care…

October 2018 Service improvement

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. These problems arise from a mismatch between need and provision: a mismatch where there is no reason to assume fundamental change. So innovation – in both product and process – is needed. Yet…

September 2018 Service improvement

Lessons from the Vanguard: Procurement

Dudley was unique within the New Care Models programme for using a large-scale procurement exercise. This exercise therefore offers lessons for both policy and practice. These lessons are set out in a short ‘lessons from the vanguard’ paper, joint-authored by the Strategy Unit and Dudley Clinical…

 September 2018 Service improvement

Intelligence-driven health and care: phase two

Following on from the Design Summit in May, the Strategy Unit has continued to work on how Intelligence-driven health and care can improve outcomes for patients and local communities. The project, commissioned by MLCSU, aims to explore the emerging intelligence needs of the health and care sector…

 July 2018 Strategy Unit information

Neighbourhood Network

The Strategy Unit wants to support Neighbourhood Working. We want to help make a success of different services – health, social care, voluntary sector (etc) – coordinating their efforts to improve health outcomes for local populations. To do this, we have initiated a learning network.    We held …

 June 2018 Secondary care

Risk and Reward Sharing for NHS Integrated Care Systems

Risk and reward sharing is a simple and attractive concept, offering a commissioner the opportunity to co-opt and incentivise a provider to moderate growth in healthcare demand by sharing in the savings or cost over-runs.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a US government agency…

 December 2017 Service configuration | Service improvement | Integrated Care

Scoping study: the economics of caring

There is a clear moral case for supporting unpaid carers. They play an essential role in the lives of the people they care for; they often do so at a cost to their own wellbeing.  But what is the economic case for supporting carers? And to what extent does the evidence base support this case? Where…

 November 2017 Service improvement | Integrated Care

Logic Models for Complex Programmes

Logic models have become a standard tool for planning and evaluation. This short presentation offers a step-by-step guide to assembling logic models for complex programmes. The Strategy Unit is well known for its use of logic models. We use them to help programmes and organisations – including…

July 2017 Impact assessment

Economic impact of NHS spending in the Black Country - Full Version

The Strategy Unit is a strategic partner to the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. Our innovative work has built on the local appetite for focusing on transformations that can make a real different to local populations. As well as our national work for…

 November 2016 Service configuration

Future Fit - acute hospitals options appraisal

The Strategy Unit worked as a strategic partner of the NHS Future Fit Programme in Shropshire and Telford  & Wrekin from its initiation and until it was able to move to public consultation. A key output was the comprehensive appraisal of acute hospital options, the recommendations from which…

October 2016 Capacity and Demand

Referral management: rapid evidence scan

Aiming to inform the design of a new primary care-led model of care, this report summarises evidence on referral management.

 May 2016 Integrated Care

Integrated care: rapid evidence scan

Exploring what integration can mean in different contexts, we have summarised evidence on effectiveness and cost effectiveness of integrated care, alongside lessons for implementation and considerations for measurement and evaluation.

April 2016 Integrated Care

Unplanned admissions: rapid evidence scan

Reducing unplanned admissions is a key priority for local health economies. This rapid evidence scan will help you to navigate the evidence base on various service interventions and their impact on unscheduled care.

June 2015 Secondary care

Using logic models in evaluation

Logic models are increasingly being used to support the design and evaluation of complex change in the NHS. This briefing provides a brief introduction to logic models and how they can be used to support evaluation of change.