Health and care services in England are labouring under a chronic state of stress – where for many organisations, ‘just about coping’ has become the new normal.

Dr Paul Roberts, Director of the North Staffordshire GP Federation provides a GP perspective in his contribution to the Strategy Unit’s guest blog series which explores the mental health and physical health divide. He focuses on the painful conversations between the patient and GP which are rooted in health inequalities.

This is the third in our short series of blogs on ‘simple tools for improving healthcare’. Tool 1 – learning from the past - is available here; and Tool 2 – a clear theory of change is here.

This is the third in our short series of blogs on ‘simple tools for improving healthcare’. Tool 1 – learning from the past - is available here; and Tool 2 – a clear theory of change is here.

At heart, the Strategy Unit has a very simple belief. We believe that the application of critical thinking and evidence improves services – and that this improves outcomes. At a headline level, this is our account of the way we add value. It is our theory of change.

Every service, every innovation, every policy, every organisation (every individual!) should have a similar account. Yet clarity about what is to be achieved, why and how is all too often:

At heart, the Strategy Unit has a very simple belief. We believe that the application of critical thinking and evidence improves services – and that this improves outcomes. At a headline level, this is our account of the way we add value. It is our theory of change.

Every service, every innovation, every policy, every organisation (every individual!) should have a similar account. Yet clarity about what is to be achieved, why and how is all too often:

Professor Sir Muir Gray kicked off our series of guest blogs exploring the mental health and physical health divide on World Mental Health Day.

This short series of blogs by Fraser Battye describes a few tools used by the Strategy Unit to provide inspiration for improving care in complicated circumstances.

On World Mental Health Day, we’re delighted to present a guest blog by Professor Sir Muir Gray, the first in a new series of commissioned blogs on the need for new thinking about physical and mental health, building on our ground-breaking work on mental and physical health.

Waiting times in A&E are never far from the headlines.   It threatens to become the defining healthcare performance issue of our time, much like elective waiting times and hospital acquired infections have been in the past.  Performance has deteriorated over the last few years so that most NHS organisations now miss the target most of the time.  The problem has become so entrenched that it can be difficult to see a way back and the future of the A&E target is now being openly debated.  Within the service, concern extends beyond this narrow performance target