Community services are key to the NHS. Why are they still marginalised?
Chris Hopson
Providing more care closer to home would improve the lives of patients – and ease the pressure on our beleaguered hospitals
January 2018
Mental health: behind the label
Mental health support in schools: 'Families don’t have to spend years on waiting lists'
MindSpace initiative embeds mental health practitioners in schools so children have easy access to treatment. Its leaders want to roll it out nationally
November 2017
Health reform should start by looking at the first and last days of life
Report proposes a new approach to primary care, putting people at the heart of everything the NHS does
September 2017
Pressures on the NHS are holding back progress on mental health
Richard Vize
Major advances in mental health care cannot be sustained without fixing problems in primary care and hospitals
August 2017
Jeremy Hunt has repeatedly failed to meet pledges on mental health care
Kailash Chand and JS Bamrah
Latest funding announcement is too little, too late. Failure to prioritise and ringfence mental health resources has led to a crisis in provision
June 2017
Leadership, learning and development in social care
Funding alone won’t fix the social care system
Colin Capper
Alzheimer’s Society is investing in three new research centres of excellence that aim to find ways to improve quality of life and care
May 2017
Are NHS transformation plans a sticking plaster over big funding gaps?
Paul Briddock
Finance directors call for more realism, as concern grows that the plans cannot deliver the savings needed to close the £22bn health funding deficit
April 2017
DevoManc anniversary gives little cause for celebration
Andrew Harrop
Giving local services control over NHS spending was meant to bring power to the people but residents in Greater Manchester are oblivious
January 2017
NHS commissioners risk losing sight of human cost of their decisions
Richard Vize
Vulnerable patients are being shunted into care homes to make easy savings
NHS transformation plans are beset by infighting
Negotiations on reforms must be built on trust, otherwise there is little chance of escaping the relentless cycle of crisis management and short-term fixes
2017 the year ahead
2016 was the worst year in NHS history – we must fight for its survival
Kailash Chand
The NHS is under unprecedented pressure after its annus horribilis. We must demand a rethink on its current trajectory before it’s too late
November 2016
Citizens must get a say in NHS sustainability and transformation plans
Martin Farran and Ewan King
The public has been locked out of the plans so far, but it’s not too late to increase engagement in the design, commissioning and delivery of care
September 2016
Diversity, devolution, innovation: building an NHS fit for the 21st century
Leaders set out plans to reform the health service at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, stressing the need for swift progress
July 2016
Are commitments for mental health all talk and no action?
The scale of the mental health challenge is huge – but it’s not clear that promises of more funding or a change of culture are being upheld
May 2016
Hospital transformation plans could break deadlock on restructuring
Sustainability and transformation plans are intended to force answers to difficult local questions – but care must be taken not to create a new set of problems
Palliative care for children should not be a bewildering lottery
Clare Periton
Commissioners should ensure that everyone, everywhere is offered the same level of care regardless of their age or complexity of diagnosis
Mental health services must get the funding they need
Saffron Cordery
Survey finds only half of mental heath trusts received a real-term increase last year, and fewer are confident of extra funds this year
April 2016
Report exposes NHS England’s failures on managing specialised services
National Audit Office report finds poor financial controls, disjointed services, incomplete data and staff with the wrong skills
Community health services
Exercise classes for over 65s help cut falls risk
Targeted classes are having remarkable success in Merton, south-west London, which has a significantly lower rate of hip fractures than England overall
GPs are leading the way on NHS transformation
As the government and NHS England prepare to unveil a ‘roadmap’ for family doctors, primary care is beginning to shift the centre of gravity away from hospitals
