The second annual report was published on the National Health Service strategy for improving cancer treatment in England. It highlighted significant regional variations in services and survival rates for cancer patients.
Source: Cancer Reform Strategy: Achieving Local Implementation – Second annual report, Department of Health
Links: Report | DH press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Pulse report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2009-Dec
An audit report said that the financial performance of the National Health Service in Scotland had been good over the previous year, and most national targets for patient care and service improvement had been met. However, the service faced significant financial pressures and there were deep-seated health-related problems that it could not deal with alone.
Source: Overview of the NHS in Scotland's Performance 2008/09, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Dec
The Department of Health published its autumn 2009 performance report, showing progress in achieving its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2009, Cm 7776, Department of Health/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
The Audit Commission launched a website that for the first time pooled information from inspectorates of services including health, social care, and the police. The 'Oneplace' website divided England into 152 areas and used a coloured flags system to rate the performance of local services. It was based on the new 'comprehensive area assessment', which replaced the previous system of comprehensive performance assessment.
Source: Press release 9 December 2009, Audit Commission
Links: Audit Commission press release | Cabinet Office press release | Oneplace homepage | DCLG press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Dec
An audit report said that National Health Service trusts were increasing productivity and reducing unit costs: but there was no sign yet that primary care trusts had been successful in moving care from hospitals closer to patients' homes.
Source: More for Less: Are productivity and efficiency improving in the NHS?, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A report examined the overall patient safety record of hospitals in Englands and ranked each trust on a 1-5 scale. It identified 12 trusts that had 'significantly underperformed'.
Source: How Safe Is Your Hospital? The Dr Foster hospital guide 2009, Dr Foster Ltd (020 7330 0400)
Links: Report | Dr Foster press release | NHS Confederation press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that nearly 40 per cent of people who died within four days of being admitted to hospital received less than good care. The main reason for this was poor communication – between staff and patients and their relatives, or between doctors – which often meant that people nearing the end of their life did not get the appropriate care and support.
Source: Heather Cooper et al., Caring to the End? A review of the care of patients who died in hospital within four days of admission, National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (020 7631 3444)
Links: Report | Summary | RCGP press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article said that survival among patients in intensive care units in England had improved significantly since the implementation of the National Health Service Plan in 2000.
Source: Andrew Hutchings et al., 'Evaluation of modernisation of adult critical care services in England: time series and cost effectiveness analysis', British Medical Journal, 11 November 2009
Links: Abstract | BMJ press release | DH press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report examined the evidence on whether improving quality could also save money for health service providers. It explored the cost-saving potential of initiatives to improve quality, and the barriers to success. Quality improvement could make an important contribution to addressing financial pressures – but only if there were careful planning, leadership, expertise, and a 'sustained and relentless' focus on implementation.
Source: John Ovretveit, Does Improving Quality Save Money? A review of evidence of which improvements to quality reduce costs to health service providers, Health Foundation (020 7257 8000)
Links: Report | Health Foundation press release
Date: 2009-Sep
A report highlighted the 'unacceptable experiences' facing patients in National Health Service hospitals, based on a series of personal cases. It called for an urgent review of the standards of basic care being received by patients in hospital, and demanded stricter supervision and regulation of hospital care.
Source: Patients Not Numbers, People Not Statistics, Patients Association (020 8423 9111)
Links: Report | Patients Association press release | RCN press release | FT report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Aug
A study examined the link between spending and outcomes for several programmes of care in primary care trusts in England. Expenditure by PCTs on some important programmes of care was 'highly cost-effective'.
Source: Stephen Martin, Nigel Rice and Peter Smith, The Link Between Healthcare Spending and Health Outcomes for the New English Primary Care Trusts, Health Foundation (020 7257 8000)
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that National Health Service targets sometimes took priority over patient safety concerns; and that a fear of litigation and a 'blame culture' were preventing healthcare workers from being open when mistakes occurred.
Source: Patient Safety, Sixth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 151, House of Commons Health Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Patients Association press release | BMA press release | BBC report | Pulse report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report said that a 'culture of panics' was endemic in the National Health Service, with short-term policy-making and performance-management processes driven by external political influences.
Source: Kevin Keasey, Rebecca Malby, Irwin Turbitt, Gianluca Veronesi and Indy Neogy, National Inquiry into Fit for Purpose Governance in the NHS, Centre for Innovation in Health Management/University of Leeds (0113 343 5599)
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by an all-party group of MPs examined whether quality and outcomes in primary care and public health had improved in the previous nine years following publication of the National Health Service Plan. Although there have been many visible signs of improvement in the NHS, the 'ambitious' aspirations of the plan had not been met.
Source: Was the NHS Plan Really a Blueprint for the NHS: 10 Years On?, All Party Parliamentary Group on Primary Care and Public Health (020 7421 9318)
Links: Report | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Jul
The inspectorate for healthcare and social care called on National Health Service trusts to deliver major improvements in measures to safeguard children. Most NHS organizations had the right people and systems to help protect children: but there were 'worrying shortfalls' in the numbers of staff who were up to date with mandatory training, designed to help them identify and respond to concerns.
Source: Safeguarding Children: A review of arrangements in the NHS for safeguarding children, Care Quality Commission (03000 616161)
Links: Report | CQC press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jul
A progress report was published on the 'capability' of the Department of Health. The report assessed the Department's capacity to fulfil its strategic objectives. It said that the leadership of the Department had 'significantly improved', and that there had been impressive rises in staff morale and staff confidence in senior leaders: but these improvements were not yet sufficiently embedded.
Source: Department of Health: Progress and Next Steps, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2009-Jul
The final annual report was published of the former inspectorate for healthcare services in England (superseded in April 2009 by the Care Quality Commission).
Source: Annual Report 2008/09, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, HC 718, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A survey of the United Kingdom economy looked at the measures needed to ease the severity of the recession as unemployment rose; how to improve public finances; financial market regulation; and the efficiency of the healthcare system. It said that the UK faced a 'significant challenge' in ensuring that joblessness did not become entrenched, even with a relatively flexible labour market.
Source: Economic Survey of the United Kingdom 2009, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (+33 1 4524 8200)
Links: Summary | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report said that publicly funded healthcare output in the United Kingdom grew by 3.3 per cent in 2006 and by 3.2 per cent in 2007. The estimate of average annual growth of publicly funded healthcare output between 1995 and 2007 was 3.8 per cent.
Source: Mark Chandler and Cristina Penaloza, Health Care Output 1995-2007, UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity/Office for National Statistics (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
A paper said that the frequency and severity of medical negligence claims had increased as patients had become increasingly dissatisfied with the established complaints procedures and regulation of physicians, and as doctors had seen their influence in the doctor-patient relationship decrease.
Source: David Chacko, Medical Liability Litigation: An historical look at the causes for its growth in the United Kingdom, Discussion Paper in Economic and Social History 77, Department of Economics/University of Oxford (01865 271089)
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2009-Jun
An audit report said that the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland was delivering of better healthcare, as well as implementing a number of major 'change initiatives': but a number of bodies faced significant spending pressures that could jeopardize their overall financial positions.
Source: General Report on the Health and Social Care Sector in Northern Ireland: 2008, NIA 132/08-09, National Ireland Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NIAO press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published a progress report one year after the Darzi report on improving the quality of NHS care. It said that 'major improvements' had been delivered: accordingly the government planned to remove the 13-week and 26-week in-patient performance targets, in order to reduce the burden on frontline staff – thus 'freeing them up to focus on delivering high quality care'.
Source: High Quality Care For All: Our Journey So Far, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | Letter | DH press release | RCP press release | NIHCE press release | RCN press release | NHS Confederation press release | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report said that the 'bureaucratic burden' of healthcare regulation was growing, and called for government action to reduce it.
Source: What's It All For? Removing unnecessary bureaucracy in regulation, NHS Confederation (020 7959 7272) and Independent Healthcare Advisory Services
Links: Report | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2009-Jun
An audit report said that fewer people in Wales were suffering delayed transfers of care between hospitals and social services because of a more co-ordinated approach from senior management to tackling the problem.
Source: Delayed Transfers of Care Follow-through, Wales Audit Office (029 2026 0260)
Links: Report | WAO press release
Date: 2009-May
A report examined the feasibility of incorporating patient outcomes in mental health into a productivity measure.
Source: Rowena Jacobs, Investigating Patient Outcome Measures in Mental Health, Research Report 48, Centre for Health Economics/University of York (01904 433648)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that too many people who wanted to die at home surrounded by their friends and family were denied that choice. 'Generally poor' co-operation between health and social care staff was frustrating the dying wishes of many patients.
Source: End of Life Care, Nineteenth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 99, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-May
The National Health Service Chief Executive published an annual report for 2008-09.
Source: The Year 2008/09: NHS Chief Executive's annual report, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | DH press release
Date: 2009-May
A paper examined input growth in the National Health Service for the period 2003-04 to 2007-08. Since 2004-05 there had been productivity gains, with output growth exceeding input growth. There had been increases in the number of patients being treated, improvements in the quality of care patients received, and a slowdown in staff recruitment and the use of agency staff.
Source: Andrew Street and Padraic Ward, NHS Input and Productivity Growth 2003/4-2007/8, Research Paper 47, Centre for Health Economics/University of York (01904 433648)
Links: Paper
Date: 2009-Apr
A new regulator for health, mental health, and adult social care was established on 1 April 2009. The Care Quality Commission replaced the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission, and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Source: Press release 1 April 2009, Care Quality Commission (03000 616161)
Links: CQC press release | DH press release | FPH press release | NCF press release | RCN press release | Alzheimers Society press release | FT report
Date: 2009-Apr
A new regulator for health, mental health, and adult social care was established on 1 April 2009. The Care Quality Commission replaced the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission, and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Source: Press release 1 April 2009, Care Quality Commission (03000 616161)
Links: CQC press release | DH press release | FPH press release | NCF press release | RCN press release | Alzheimers Society press release | FT report
Date: 2009-Apr
An audit report said that the boards of National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England needed to be more challenging of the information they received about the running of their hospitals. Although hospitals had processes to guard against risks, the controls and assurances were often poorly defined. This made it difficult for boards to be clear that the assurances they received were sound.
Source: Taking It On Trust: A review of how boards of NHS trusts and foundation trusts get their assurance, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release | Guardian report | FT report
Date: 2009-Apr
The healthcare inspectorate examined (on the eve of its replacement by a new joint inspectorate for health and social care) how independent regulation had contributed to better outcomes and quality of care for people since 2004, as well as highlighting lessons for both regulation and the healthcare system as a whole.
Source: The Healthcare Commission 2004-2009: Regulating healthcare – Experience and lessons, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report | CHAI press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
The healthcare inspectorate expressed concern over the number of nurses and other hospital staff who were not being taught how to recognize the signs of child abuse.
Source: Improving Services for Children in Hospital: Report of the follow-up to the 2005/06 review, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report | CHAI press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-Mar
The healthcare inspectorate said that many National Health Service trusts were falling short of their legal obligations to promote racial equality across the workforce.
Source: Tackling the Challenge: Promoting race equality in the NHS in England, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report | People Management report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report examined ways in which the healthcare regulator's assessment of standards could influence commissioners and providers to 'step up' their performance in protecting and promoting health and reducing health inequalities.
Source: Alan Maryon-Davis et al., Stepping Up: Using health standards to improve public health, Faculty of Public Health (020 7487 1185)
Links: Report | CHAI press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The government announced (following consultation) a new framework for regulating the safety and quality of health and social care services. From 2010-11, the new Care Quality Commission would register all providers of health and adult social care services against a single set of registration requirements. Primary medical and dental care would also be brought into regulation by the Commission.
Source: Response to Consultation on the Framework for the Registration of Health and Adult Social Care Providers and Consultation on Draft Regulations, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Response | Consultation document | DH press release | CQC press release
Date: 2009-Mar
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that services were not configured or co-ordinated effectively to meet the needs of patients with chronic conditions. There was a continued over-reliance on the acute hospital sector.
Source: The Management of Chronic Conditions by NHS Wales, Audit Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The healthcare inspectorate examined the way National Health Service trusts in England handled complaints. It said that some trusts were still not responding to complaints effectively, or learning lessons from them.
Source: Spotlight on Complaints: A report on second-stage complaints about the NHS in England, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report | CHAI press release | Patients Association press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Feb
An article examined the macro-economic effects of changes in healthcare provision. A rise in the National Health Service budget was shown to yield overall welfare gains, which fell by two-thirds assuming healthcare-specific factors.
Source: Martine Rutten and Geoffrey Reed, 'A comparative analysis of some policy options to reduce rationing in the UK's NHS: Lessons from a general equilibrium model incorporating positive health effects', Journal of Health Economics, Volume 28 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan