The Health Foundation

NEW: Surgical hubs play a pivotal role in NHS England’s plans to reduce elective care waiting times by increasing capacity. Our new evaluation provides the first robust causal evidence that NHS surgical hubs can significantly increase treatment volumes, which could help reduce the waiting list for elective care. Key findings from our evaluation show: ➡️ In their first year, the 31 trusts with newly-opened hubs undertook 21.9% more high-volume low-complexity surgery (such as hip replacements and cataract removals) than they would have done without a hub. This is equivalent to 29,182 more procedures than expected per year at these trusts. ➡️ In the year following the last COVID-19 lockdown, the 23 trusts that had established a hub pre-pandemic undertook 11.2% more elective activity (of all kinds) than they would have done without a hub. This amounts to 51,086 more procedures than expected between April 2021 and March 2022. ➡️ As well as higher productivity, we found evidence of shorter inpatient stays, suggesting that hubs also have the potential to improve overall efficiency in elective care delivery. High-quality evaluation is crucial to making effective, evidence-led decisions that will lead to measurable outcomes for patients. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/daZ29qAF

NEW: As we reach the #First100Days mark for the new Labour government, Policy Fellow Leo Ewbank and Policy Analyst Jennie Leggat review what this initial period has meant for health and care policy. In this blog, they look at the government’s key policy choices to date, covering the NHS, adult social care, and public health and prevention. Ministers have said they aim to deliver a ‘decade of renewal’. Delivering that for health and care will require aligning robust diagnosis, with sensible policy priorities – and, importantly, allocating adequate resources. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/ebhS5Zbq

We are pleased to be supporting this project with CIPFA. The government’s focus on prevention is a positive step towards improving health and reducing inequalities. To support this, we must better understand what is spent at a local level on activity supporting prevention.

📈 NEW: Findings from our #QualityWatch programme with the Nuffield Trust reveal concerning disparities in NHS waiting times between different patient groups in England. People from the most deprived areas are much more likely to say they are waiting for planned care, young people of Black ethnicity experience longer waits in A&E, and those waiting for gynaecological care face a ballooning waiting list.  Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/e2qNeKR7

New @BMJ Collection with The Health Foundation: Research Priorities for Future Shocks aims to explore post-covid priorities for the research community to help the UK better prepare for future health shocks and mitigate their impact. Such shocks are not limited to respiratory infection but may also relate, for example, to conflict, climate change, and natural disaster. The Collection has two main themes: research priorities to develop UK resilience to health shocks in the future, and research priorities to mitigate the longer-term impact from covid-19. The Collection considers disparate research themes, including, non-pharmaceutical interventions, antimicrobial resistance, multidisciplinary working, non-communicable disease, child mental health, social care, foresight approaches, workforce, public trust, and equity.   The Collection includes articles by Dr Ebere Okereke Jennifer Nuzzo Richard Hurley Christina Pagel Azeem Majeed Amitava Banerjee Heidi Larson Read and share the collection https://lnkd.in/epUtH7kN

The new Renters' Rights Bill being debated in parliament today has important health boosting measures that improve housing security and quality for private renters, but can go further. We all need somewhere to call home – not just walls and a roof but a secure, stable, safe place to grow up and live in. But private renters’ health is at risk from poor-quality housing and insecurity: ➡️ Home repossession claims have been rising since the start of the pandemic, with private renters most affected.  The threat of having your home repossessed can cause stress and make it hard to build relationships in your community. ➡️ Good housing should be of decent quality. Although the quality of housing in England has been improving since 2006, there are still 3.7 million homes classed as non-decent. This means they're damp, cold, outdated or dilapidated. ➡️ Private renters are particularly affected by housing issues, with 1 in 5 homes classified as non-decent. Through abolishing section 21 no-fault evictions, applying Awaab’s Law to private rented homes and extending the Decent Homes Standard, the new Renters’ Rights Bill presents opportunities for healthier homes. But success hinges on effective enforcement and modernising quality standards. Addressing affordability pressures also remains a key challenge. Read more about the relationship between housing and health 👇 https://lnkd.in/eAK_vj3b

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're highlighting the brilliant work of our Black partners and collaborators. Listen to our recent podcast with Black Maternity Matters, a groundbreaking collaboration to improve inequalities in maternity services. Listen now ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ee7XGHmd

⏰CLOSING SOON: We are seeking to commission a partner to design and deliver a cross-sector senior leaders’ programme to drive improving health and reducing inequalities in Scotland. Applications are open and we are offering a maximum of £150,000 (including VAT) for this project over two and a half years. Find out more and apply by 12.00 (midday) on Tuesday 15 October 2024 ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eBn32ifH

What do our health inequalities in 2040 projections mean for people’s future health, and how can we help people live in good health for longer? We discuss with Muna Abdel Aziz, Director of Public Health for Salford. Read more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eKr6BkJt

How have NHS provider organisations employed improvement approaches to address the productivity dilemma? In this blog, Nicola Burgess reveals two lessons from her research. Read more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/es4yv-3R