Relationship between health outcomes and health expenditure The Office of Health Economics has published Exploring Variations in the Opportunity Cost Cost-effectiveness Threshold by Clinical Area: Results from a Feasibility Study in England.  This report provides empirical evidence on the relationship between health outcomes and health expenditures in England. Results suggest…

Long length of stay reviews This case study shows how Royal Preston Hospital, part of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, implemented the ECIST long length of stay reviews to achieve a reduction in the number of patients with a length of stay greater than 20 days. Home to the unknown: getting…

Learning from deaths The Care Quality Commission has published Learning from deaths: a review of the first year of NHS trusts implementing the national guidance.  This report provides a first assessment of NHS trusts’ implementation of national guidance on learning from deaths.  The report acknowledges it is early days and…

Clinically-led review of NHS access standards: interim report from the NHS National Medical Director – NHS England In 2018 Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, was asked to carry out a clinical review of standards across the NHS, with the aim of determining whether patients would be well served by…

Failing to capitalise: capital spending in the NHS – Health Foundation This briefing concludes that a short-termist approach has resulted in years of declining and inadequate capital spending for the NHS in England, risking patient care and staff productivity. It also warns that an ageing infrastructure, together with a substantial and…

Financial reporting The Healthcare Financial Management Association has published Financial reporting watching brief 2018/19 and beyond.  This briefing covers changes and developments in accounting standards, best practice in financial reporting and government reporting requirements.  It covers the current financial year but also looks ahead to identify changes which will affect…