Scoping study: the economics of caring
Primary, community and social care services, Inequalities, System thinking and system working
December 2017

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 there are gaps in the evidence, how might they be filled? 

Evaluation and complex change
Better use of analysis and decision making, System thinking and system working
December 2017

 

Feedback is a vital component of any complex change programme. Without feedback, it is impossible for policy makers, programme and frontline teams to learn, adapt and improve. The Strategy Unit therefore sees evaluation as a vital part of the mix in making large-scale change.

Evaluation is all too often a late – or even an after the event – addition to programmes. Traditionally undertaken as a removed and academic exercise, evaluation has not fulfilled its potential as a tool for change.

Palliative and End of Life Care in the West Midlands
End of life
October 2017

Commissioned by NHS England, this report describes the status and context of palliative and end of life care services in the six Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships in the West Midlands. The report contains data on trends and forecast numbers of deaths, place of death, palliative care registers, acute healthcare use prior to death, availability of specialist-level palliative care and summarises the results of recent palliative care reviews and audits.

Changes in Dementia Incidence, Prevalence, Severity and Mortality
Mental health, Wider determinants of health and prevention
September 2017

Dementia is a key priority for NHS England and is estimated to affect around 676,000 people in the country.  Our analysis is intended to help understand the need for future dementia diagnosis and treatment services in a specific area and to help commissioners to identify and prioritise interventions.

Scoping the Strategic Analytical Requirements for Clinical Neurosciences in England
Specialised services, System thinking and system working, Better use of analysis and decision making
July 2017

Neurosciences encompasses a large number of services and interventions, delivered to individuals with a wide range of conditions by numerous providers in many settings. Describing the full range of patients, interventions and services will provide those who work in and support NHS commissioned neurosciences with the context required to holistically assess, plan and improve these services.

Economic impact of NHS spending in the Black Country - Full Version
System thinking and system working, Better use of analysis and decision making, Wider determinants of health and prevention
July 2017

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 NHS England on integrating mental and physical health, initiated by the Black Country and West Birmingham STP, we are also helping to shape work with the West Midlands Combined Authority on the wider determinants of health.