Search results for ‘Publisher:"king's fund"’ Sort:
Results 41 - 50 of 466
The health of people from ethnic minority groups in England
- Authors:
- RALEIGH Veena, HOLMES Jonathon
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Place of publication:
- London
This explainer examines the differences in health outcomes for ethnic minority groups, highlighting the variation across groups and conditions, and considers what’s needed to reduce health inequalities. Key messages are: in England, there are health inequalities between ethnic minority and white groups, and between different ethnic minority groups; access to primary care health services is generally equitable for ethnic minority groups, but this is less consistently so across other health services – however, people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to report being in poorer health and to report poorer experiences of using health services than their white counterparts; despite this, before the Covid-19 pandemic, life expectancy at birth was higher among most ethnic minority groups than the white population – this underlines the complexity of the picture and the importance of distinguishing between the inequalities experienced by different ethnic groups; the Covid-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on ethnic minority communities, who have experienced higher infection and mortality rates than the white population; unpicking the causes of ethnic inequalities in health is difficult – available evidence suggests a complex interplay of deprivation, environmental, physiological, behavioural and cultural factors; ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by socio-economic deprivation, a key determinant of health status; Covid-19 has shone a light on inequalities and highlighted the urgent need to strengthen action to prevent and manage ill health in ethnic minority communities. Comprehensive, good-quality data is essential for enabling policy-makers and health care professionals to identify the specific needs of different ethnic minority communities, respond with tailored strategies for addressing inequalities, and track the impact of these strategies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Integrated care systems in London: challenges and opportunities ahead
- Authors:
- CHARLES Anna, NAYLOR Chris, MURRAY Richard
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 64
- Place of publication:
- London
As the development of integrated care systems (ICSs) gathers pace, this report examines the state of play in London, focusing on the current state of partnership-working in London’s five ICSs; the strategic direction these systems have identified for the long-term future of health and care in London and how these plans and priorities have been changed by the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Key messages include: the development of ICSs across England is the latest step in a series of policy measures intended to encourage closer partnership-working between local NHS organisations, local authorities, voluntary sector organisations and others; the five systems that now cover London have their roots in partnerships established in 2016 and since then, relationships and trust between local leaders have strengthened; local government leaders now report being more involved in the work of ICSs and shaping their priorities, a significant shift since the early days of the partnerships; responding to the Covid-19 pandemic required organisations to work together more closely than ever before; the pandemic response led to rapid adoption of digital technologies in health and care – issues such as information governance and digital exclusion need to be addressed; system partners are now more focused on tackling the major health inequalities that exist in London, creating a moment of opportunity for lasting change; workforce constraints remain the biggest risk for health and care in London; public finances are under enormous pressure as a result of the pandemic, with local government finances under particular strain following a decade of budget cuts. It will be critical that London’s ICSs build on the progress made to ensure that collaborative working becomes a reality for all parts of the system, including clinicians, social care providers and communities. (Edited publisher abstract)
Stories from social care leadership: progress amid pestilence and penury
- Authors:
- HUMPHRIES Richard, TIMMINS Nicholas
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 56
- Place of publication:
- London
This report shares insights on the role of social care leadership at all levels, from local authorities, local providers and people who use social care, to national bodies and central government. The report is based on interviews with some 40 people which explored where social care leadership lies; how effective it is; and what might be done to improve it. From those interviews, the report draws some conclusions, and raises some issues for discussion. Key findings emerged, including: there is huge variation in the quality of both services and leadership, with some of the most inspirational leadership coming from places where directors of adult social services actively engage with providers and people using social care; leadership from the very top has been missing for some time and the Department of Health and Social Care’s plans to strengthen capacity and expertise should be pursued with vigour; social care could benefit from a more unified national voice for providers and a strengthened role for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services; there needs be more investment in workforce training and development and better data and research to support effective leadership; local co-production and partnerships, not structural integration with the NHS, should be the way forward. The report concludes that better leadership alone will not resolve the longstanding problems of the social care sector without fundamental reform of how it is organised, delivered and funded. (Edited publisher abstract)
Covid-19 recovery and resilience: what can health and care learn from other disasters?
- Author:
- KING'S FUND
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper sets out to understand what the health and care system can learn from the experience of recovery from other disasters. While Covid-19 can feel like an entirely unique event, there are parallels with and lessons to be learned from other disasters from the past 20 years. The paper identifies key insights from people involved in recovery work around the world. It is based on interviews with people who worked in New Zealand in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, and many others. Disaster recovery is an under-researched and under-resourced area of emergency planning, but there are plenty of examples to learn from. Focusing on focus on what individuals and communities need to cope with the impacts of a disaster, the paper shares four priorities that requires conscious attention and action. These are: mental health and wellbeing; communities; collaboration; and workforce wellbeing. (Edited publisher abstract)
The next steps towards integrated care
- Authors:
- MURRAY Richard, McKENNA Helen
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Place of publication:
- London
This explainer describes the model of integrated care set out in NHS England and NHS Improvement ‘Integrating care: next steps to building strong and effective integrated care systems across England’. According to this model, the future landscape for the NHS and its partners will be made up of four interlocking elements: place, which for most areas (but not all) will usually be based on local authority boundaries but could be other locally relevant definitions; provider collaboratives, bringing together NHS trusts and foundation trusts to work more closely with each other; integrated care systems (ICSs), bringing together commissioners and providers of NHS services with local authorities and other partners to plan and manage services that benefit from being considered at greater scale than can be undertaken at place; the national and regional bodies, including NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Department of Health and Social Care. This explainer sets out some of the cross-cutting themes within the model and describes the associated proposals for legislative change. It concludes by identifying some of the remaining questions that will determine how this proposed package will work. (Edited publisher abstract)
Social prescribing and NHS facilities: how could the NHS better use its facilities to support social prescribing, holistic care and community resilience?
- Author:
- COLLINS Ben
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 39
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper explores how NHS services, in particular primary and community services, could make better use of their facilities to support social prescribing, holistic care and community resilience. The paper explores the range of strategies NHS organisations might deploy to make better use of estate for these purposes, from making the environments more welcoming and making it easier to book and use rooms, to how to ensure that more substantial redesign of facilities is successful. It also considers how they might bring together traditional healthcare, social prescribing and community activities in a useful way; and how the NHS could make its facilities available to local people in ways that support regeneration. Strategies and ideas proposed in this report focus on: removing barriers to using shared space; combining social and primary care services in one place; creating community networks and partnerships; creating welcoming environments; collaborating with communities to create needs-based spaces; connecting with the local community to build relationships; and spotting opportunities for small but impactful change. (Edited publisher abstract)
Key challenges facing the adult social care sector in England
- Author:
- KING'S FUND
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 45
- Place of publication:
- London
This briefing paper is intended to aid that process by identifying and exploring the key challenges facing the adult social care sector in England. The document breaks down the social care sector into interlinked issues: need and demand; eligibility; funding; market sustainability and fairness; workforce and carers; quality and efficiency; integration with housing, health and the benefits system. Each section features a short analysis of key trends in that area, followed by a summary of the challenges arising from that analysis. The document does not make specific policy recommendations but rather identifies and explores the issues that policy might need to address. (Edited publisher abstract)
What's your problem, social care? The eight key areas for reform
- Author:
- BOTTERY Simon
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2019
- Place of publication:
- London
An outline of eight critical challenges the social care sector currently faces, consistently identified by service users, carers and families, policy-makers and people working in the sector. They include: means testing; catastrophic costs – selling homes to pay for care; unmet need; quality of care; workforce pay and conditions; market fragility; disjointed care; and the postcode lottery. The document argues that social care requires significant investment and reform, both for older people and working-age adults with disabilities, including extending the means test and providing free or subsidised care to more people. Full reform will also need some form of cap to prevent catastrophic costs for those who need care; ensuring greater access to care and support for those with less intensive needs; and addressing the issues of quality of care the workforce. Finally, better integration of health and social care has the potential to improve people’s outcomes and experiences but will need to fully involve local authorities as equal partners. (Edited publisher abstract)
Technology and innovation for long-term health conditions
- Author:
- COLLINS Ben
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 46
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper looks at four digital innovations in health services from the UK and the Nordic countries, including the TeleCare North programme to provide remote treatment for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); the Patients Know Best portal and electronic health record; remote diabetes monitoring for children at Helsinki University Hospital; and the Huoleti app for connecting patients with a support network. These examples highlight the potential of technology to empower patients, to support stronger therapeutic relationships, to support effective teamworking across professional boundaries and to create networks and communities to support patients. They also show how entrepreneurs and health services can avoid the negative effects that technology has sometimes introduced or exacerbated in health care. The case studies also demonstrate the power of technology to stitch together different health and care services, allowing staff across primary care, community services, hospital services and social care to work together to deliver joined-up care. The findings articulate some of the questions services need to answer as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and the steps they need to follow to implement digital technologies effectively after the pandemic. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health and primary care networks: understanding the opportunities
- Authors:
- NAYLOR Chris, et al
- Publisher:
- King's Fund
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 32
- Place of publication:
- London
This report explores the opportunities the emergence of the primary care networks (PCNs) creates for improving the support and treatment provided to people with mental health needs in primary care. As part of the NHS long term plan, local areas are being asked to realign community mental health services with primary care networks, creating ‘new and integrated models of primary and community mental health care’ by 2023/24. The report describes why improvement to primary mental health care is badly needed, examines what this might look like in practice, and considers the role primary care networks could play in bringing about change. The report argues that PCNs potentially create an important opportunity to develop more comprehensive approaches to primary mental health care, with new forms of provision shared across groups of neighbouring practices. From April 2021 this will include the option of using new funding to pay for mental health practitioners based in general practices. Where primary care networks choose to use the new funding in this way, it is important that the creation of new mental health roles in primary care forms part of a comprehensive strategy to meet the full range of needs in the local population. This will involve rethinking how the system works as a whole, as well as putting extra resources into general practices. (Edited publisher abstract)