NHS spending in England may have more than doubled in real terms since 1999/2000, but the prospects for future funding now look bleak. Although there is consensus that the NHS faces a tough financial future, there is no agreement about just how cold the financial climate will be. Starting with ...
For the past three years patients referred by their GP for a specialist outpatient consultation have had a choice over where to be treated. As part of a larger research project, a survey was sent to patients in four case study areas of England to ask them about their experience ...
Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) provide services to NHS patients but are owned and run by organisations outside the NHS. This briefing paper explains why ISTCs were introduced, and how they are funded, staffed and regulated. It assesses their impact so far, including the quality of their services and whether ...
General practice has changed considerably over the past decade. Practice size has increased, the workforce has grown and become more diverse, the range of services offered has expanded, and the contracting and financing arrangements for GPs have changed. Current government policy aims to improve access and choice for patients, to ...
The contents of this paper come from a review of the literature on compassion, or concepts related to it, and from views and comments arising from the workshop on this topic held in November 2008. The experiences of workshop members were collected on the day and by anonymous written contributions, ...
In August 2008, the Department of Health asked The King's Fund to lead a stakeholder engagement review on the proposal for a Centre of Excellence. This report reflects what was heard from stakeholders during the consultation and sets out a series of recommendations that aim to support effective implementation. [Summary]
Despite the increasing popularity and use of complementary practice, it is difficult to assess its effectiveness. Lack of research - and lack of agreement on research methods - has led to criticism from branches of conventional medicine. The King's Fund set up an advisory group, chaired by Professor Dame Carol ...
Maternity professionals are doing more to ensure safe care is delivered reliably to mothers and babies, but there are still significant barriers impeding their progress. This report is based on the outcome of a series of regional events held with midwives, obstetricians and risk managers as part of the Safer ...