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?

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.

The number of outpatient attendances in England is now approaching 100 million each year. In 2017/18, the estimated cost of this care was over £9 billion - or 8% of the total NHS England budget.

Yet there are significant gaps in our knowledge. We don’t know enough about the purpose and function of outpatient appointments. Without this knowledge, the NHS will struggle to ensure that the billions spent on these services are delivering best value for the patient and the public.

Whether or not to admit a patient is one of the most routine yet important decisions a doctor in an Emergency Department (ED) makes. We might like to think that this decision is dependent solely on the clinical characteristics of the patient. But this is not the case.   

The drive for greater integration of health and care services has been the central theme of UK health policy for most of the last decade.  There is near universal support for this objective, but little agreement on the best way it can be delivered. 

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.     

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