In the 2008 member census, our members ranked influencing policy as their top priority for the NHS Confederation.

Our approach

The Confederation's policy work consists of:

• influencing the design of policy and its implementation:
  • ensuring that policy makes sense for members
  • that policy is designed with implementation in mind
  • that feedback on implementation reaches policy makers
  • identifying unintended consequences and clashes between policies
    
    
• leading edge policy:
  • leading the health debate
  • defining the future agenda
  • developing our thinking on areas we identify as future challenges for our members.
• development of the NHS Confederation's programmes on issues which affect the whole NHS family including:
  • System management & regulation
  • Information technology and governance
  • Leadership
  • Quality & safety
  • Finance, efficiency and productivity
  • Research and innovation (through our Health Services Research Network and Service Delivery & Organisation Network)
  • Impact of EU action on the NHS (through the NHS European Office)
  • Public & patient engagement
  • Services for specific groups of patients

Why we do it

We apply some key tests before we start a new piece of policy work:

• Are members interested? Is this important to them?
• Do we have or could we develop a coherent policy position - do our members share a common view?
• Are there other stakeholders working on this issue? Would we add value?
• Can we influence government direction?
• Does it strengthen our positioning as leading edge, an independent voice and a representative of the whole NHS family?

How we do it

• We work closely with the Department of Health, other government departments, and key stakeholder organisations to influence developing policy and get a feel for what's on the horizon.
• We also work with members to assess their priorities, concerns and interests to ensure our work is of relevance and help to them. We also attempt to capture their innovation and best practice
• We hold policy seminars to work through ideas with members, stakeholders and government and form our policy lines
• We work with stakeholder organisations from statutory, voluntary and private sectors to collaborate on issues where collective influence is most effective
• The policy team produces many of the briefings, reports and discussion papers that are circulated to all members and gives policy input to conference programmes.

More information

You can find more information about our policy work through:

• Key health and health service issues pages
• Publications pages
• Health Policy Digest - a free member service

Recent Policy Trends

This paper explores the top five themes to emerge from our monitoring of policy developments between May 1st and September 30th 2008.

The five themes are:

• Debating the future of the NHS
• Changing patient relationships with the system
• Rationing, fairness and the 'postcode lottery'
• Health Inequalities
• Implementation of Darzi's plans

See the link on the right-hand side of this page for the full analysis.