 1 October 2008
Implementing the Mental Health Act 2007
The Mental Health Act 2007 updated the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The recent amendments to the 2007 Act provide clarity in the legal criteria for the use of compulsion, and better safeguards for mental health service users, with new rights to advocacy, the ability to displace their nearest relative and the right to refuse electro-convulsive therapy. This Briefing outlines the key points of the new legislation and sets out what trust boards need to do to implement it and the timescales for doing so. |
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 15 August 2008
A European Health Service?
The European Commission has published legal proposals on patients' rights to receive healthcare in other European countries. This consultation outlines the key issues covered and seeks views from NHS organisations on the likely implications for the NHS.
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 07 August 2008
The 2008 Health Informatics Review
This Briefing summarises the key points of the Department of Health's Health Informatics Review and gives the NHS Confederation's view about what still needs addressing.
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 18 July 2008
NHS Next Stage Review: A vision for primary and community care
As part of the NHS Next Stage Review, the Government has published its vision for primary and community care services. The document focuses on how change will be driven by local choices and priorities, rather than top-down targets. |
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 15 July 2008
Health inequalities: progress and next steps
This briefing outlines key points from the DH's report Health inequalities: progress and next steps, examining progress towards the Government's 2010 target for reducing health inequalities and what is necessary to carry forward progress beyond 2010. |
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 15 July 2008
Carers at the heart of 21st century families
The Government has produced a ten-year strategy to improve support for carers. This Briefing summarises the strategy's priorities, highlighting those that will have the most impact upon NHS organisations. |
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 10 July 2008
The NHS Constitution
As part of the NHS Next Stage Review the Government has launched a consultation on a draft constitution for the NHS. This Constitution will lay out the principles and values of the NHS and the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. The draft constitution follows extensive discussions with patients, staff and the public and signifies the start of a 14 week consultation on its contents. With the NHS Constitution set to be published at the end of 2008 this is an opportunity to influence the final version. |
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 9 July 2008
Saving Carbon, Improving Health: A Carbon Reduction Strategy for the NHS in England
The NHS Confederation's summary of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit draft strategy for consultation. |
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 4 July 2008
High-quality care for all
Lord Ara Darzi's much anticipated final report of his Next Stage Review has been published in the week of the 60th anniversary of the NHS. This briefing summarises the findings of that report, along with giving the confederation viewpoint. |
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30 June 2008
World-class commissioning assurance
World-class commissioning is intended to deliver a more strategic approach to commissioning services. This briefing concentrates on the assurance system, outlining the three elements PCTS will be assessed across and the five stages of the assurance process.
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 19 June 2008
A vision for emergency and urgent care: the role of ambulance services
This report sets out the Ambulance Service Network's vision for emergency and urgent care, and explains how ambulance services can help transform patients' experiences and outcomes, and deliver better value for money for taxpayers. |
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 19 June 2008
Act on reporting: five actions to improve patient safety reporting
This Briefing is based on the outcome of a seminar for high-reporting acute organisations held jointly by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the NHS Confederation in March 2008. It proposes an action plan for boards to strengthen reporting. |
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 18 June 2008
Annual review 2007/08
Our 2007/08 annual review outlines the Confederation's key achievements over the past year on behalf of the whole NHS and sets out our priorities for the year ahead. |
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 18 June 2008
Discussion paper: A new vision for mental health
This is a discussion paper intended to provoke a wide-ranging debate about the best direction for mental health policy. It outlines a vision of change developed by seven national mental health organisations, who together make up the Future Vision Coalition.
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 18 June 2008
Foundation Trust Network Annual Report 2007/08
A review of the FTN's work during 2007/08 |
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 18 June 2008
Disruptive Innovation: What does it mean for the NHS?
This paper explores how innovation in service models, consumer behaviour and technology might disrupt or improve the way the NHS works and how organisations should respond to this. It suggests that some of the most significant areas of change for the NHS will come from the ability of technology to empower people. Read the paper and join the debate at www.debatepapers.org.uk |
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 16 June 2008
Should topping up be allowed?
The fourth in our series of debate papers in the run up to our annual conference and exhibition from 18 to 20 June looks at the issues surrounding whether or not patients should be able to buy additional treatments not offered by the NHS. The paper critically evaluates the current system, highlighting how the current inconsistencies must be addressed so that the NHS is not undermined. Read the paper and join the debate at www.debatepapers.org.uk |
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 13 June 2008
Discussion paper: World-class mental health commissioning
The NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network and Primary Care Trust Network held a one-off workshop on world-class mental health commissioning on 27 February. This discussion paper summarises the discussions and thinking created at the workshop. |
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 13 June 2008
Implementing national policy on violence and abuse
This Briefing outlines the current DH policy on violence and abuse pertaining to adult mental health services; the pilot implementation of this policy under the aegis of the Mental Health Trusts Collaboration Project; the forthcoming national implementation of the pilot process |
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 11 June 2008
Globalisation: How will it affect the NHS?
This paper looks at the challenge of serving a population that is increasingly subject to global influences. It considers the impact of rising public expectations as information on global healthcare systems becomes increasingly accessible, as well as the effect of ethnic diversity in the UK and what it means for commissioners and providers. The paper challenges NHS leaders to design services for the future that genuinely respond to the needs of the populations they serve. Read the paper and join the debate at www.debatepapers.org.uk |
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 4 June 2008
Information to patients: Empowering the individual or advertising by another name?
This briefing provides an overview of the recent consultation on the laws governing information to patients and the NHS response to this.
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 4 June 2008
The revision of the European Emissions Trading Scheme and its impact on the NHS
This briefing gives an overview of the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the implications of the current review, and suggests the way forward for the NHS.
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 30 May 2008
Compassion in healthcare: The missing dimension of healthcare reform?
This paper explores how, despite the scope and sophistication of modern healthcare, care and compassion appear to be under strain in health systems globally. It does this through the story of Robin Youngson, an anaesthetist and clinical leader in New Zealand, and his daughter's treatment in hospital after an accident. Through his prescription for compassion, Robin considers how to put the compassion back in to modern healthcare across the world. View the paper and join the debate at www.debatepapers.org.uk |
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 14 May 2008
Challenges for Darzi
In Summer 2007, health minister Professor Lord Ara Darzi set about a wide-ranging review of the NHS. This paper highlights some of the ideas we believe will make the biggest difference and outlines a number of tests we believe Lord Darzi's proposals should be judged against to ensure they create positive outcomes for patients and the public. |
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 9 May 2008
Pharmacy in England
This briefing outlines the main points of the recent White Paper on the future of pharmacy services, Pharmacy in England, Building on strengths, delivering the future. |
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 8 May 2008
Access all areas: improving GP and primary care access
An overview of what the general medical services (GMS) contract is delivering for patients and the wider issues facing all primary care professionals in delivering first-rate access to general practice.
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 2 May 2008
Future registration framework for health and social care
The Heath and Social Care Bill will establish a new system of regulation for health and adult social care in England. The Department of Health (DH) is now consulting on how the registration scheme should work. This briefing summarises the main proposals and their implications for providers of NHS care.
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 1 May 2008
Towards autonomy
The debate about organisational models for community provider services has been ongoing since 2005. The NHS Confederation has consistently said there is no single model for how services should be run and that solutions must be locally determined. One model being examined is that of a community foundation trust (CFT), allowing community service providers to acquire the same freedoms as acute and mental health foundation trusts.
This report draws on the experiences of eight CFT pilots and looks at what other organisations can learn from them. The pilot CFTs have had different experiences but some common themes emerge, most importantly the potential to bring benefits for patients. |
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 29 April 2008
The NHS handbook 2008/2009
Now in its tenth edition, this popular guide has been extensively revised, updated and redesigned this year to reflect the changes in the health service and make the guide even easier to use. As well as outlining the latest policy, new sections provide you with an update on commissioning, accountability and regulation, research and development, and Europe. |
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 23 April 2008
Funding tomorrow today: social care for older people and vulnerable adults
Social care funding must be fairer if provision of social care is to survive. This paper argues that the long term solution to society's biggest problem , could be a minimum package of entitlement paid for through a new insurance system. View, download the report and contribute to the debate at www.debatepapers.org.uk |
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 21 April 2008
NHS Partners Network annual report 2007/08
NHS Partners' first annual report outlines its key achievements since it became part of the NHS Confederation in June 2007.
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 17 April 2008
Ideas from Darzi: polyclinics
Report examining polyclinics, the key design rules for them and three possible models, as well as key lessons learned, and the misconceptions and concerns associated with them. |
