Recent changes in the English National Health Service (NHS) have introduced new complexities into the accountability arrangements for healthcare services. This commentary describes how the new organizational structures have challenged the traditional centralized accountability structures by creating a more dispersed system of governance for local health-care commissioners. It sets the context o...

BACKGROUND 2015 saw the largest annual spike of mortality rates in England in almost 50 years. We examine whether these changes in mortality rates are associated with an indicator of poor functioning of health and social care: delay in hospital discharges. METHODS Office for National Statistics monthly data of death counts and mortality rates for the period August 2010-March 2016 were compare...

INTRODUCTION The commissioning of third sector services for older people may influence the quality, availability and coordination of services for older people. The SOPRANO study aims to understand the relationships between and processes of commissioning bodies and third sector organisations providing health and social care services for older people. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This qualitative study...

Analysis of statistics published since the Abortion Act showed that from 1972 about half the abortions carried out on residents of England and Wales had been performed within the National Health Service. Regional variations in the proportions of abortions performed within the NHS had persisted. In some health regions fewer abortions were being carried out than before. In 1975 about 40% of abort...

Objectives To evaluate the implementation and adoption of the NHS detailed care records service in “early adopter” hospitals in England. Design Theoretically informed, longitudinal qualitative evaluation based on case studies. Setting 12 “early adopter” NHS acute hospitals and specialist care settings studied over two and a half years. Data sources Data were collected through in depth interview...

The Data Availability Statement appearing with the published article is incorrect. The correct Data Availability Statement should read: There are legal restrictions on the student outcome data. National Child Measurement Programme data was used as determined by the data sharing agreement with the then Information Centre of the National Health Service (NHS IC), now Health and Social Care Informa...

The advent of the welfare state has been seen by some historians as a decisive blow for British traditions voluntarism, echoing concerns raised in lead up to establishment National Health Service (NHS). This article examines practice Hospital Sunday England post-war period. In doing so it evidences effect nationalization voluntary hospitals 1948 on relationships between clergy, their congregati...

OBJECTIVES To demonstrate the contribution of community pharmacy from NHS 111 referrals out of hours (OOH) for emergency supply repeat medication requests via presentation of service activity, community pharmacist feedback and lean thinking transformation. DESIGN Descriptive service evaluation using routine service activity data over the pilot period; survey of community pharmacists, and serv...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess whether there are potential areas for efficiency improvements in the National Health Service (NHS) orthodontic service in North West England and to assess the socioeconomic status (SES)-related equity of the outcomes achieved by the NHS. METHODS The study involved a retrospective analysis of 2008-2012 administrative data, and the study population comprise...