policy

Learning Exchange collection policy

As the name suggests, the Learning Exchange is based on the notion of collaboration. Third party organisations - Learning Exchange Contributing Organisations - which have specific subject expertise are invited to contribute resources to a designated collection within the Learning Exchange. The purpose of these collections is to provide a way for organisations with subject expertise to collect, organise and share resources.

Individual patient budgets: background and frequently asked questions (Policy paper 1)

Following Lord Darzi’s pledge to pilot direct payments and individual budgets in health care, this paper provides a brief background to the concept and principles of these ways of working, before focusing in more detail on some frequently asked questions.

The paper is intended to help inform forthcoming pilots, and was initially commissioned by NHS West Midlands as part of their Investing for Health strategy.

Integrating care and transforming community services: what works? where next? (Policy paper 5)

The Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham organised a seminar in June 2009 bringing together experts from the US and the UK.

The seminar focused on the evidence for integration; the current policy context in the NHS in England; case studies of integration from different parts of the country; and the contribution of the independent sector.

This report summarises the presentations made at the seminar and draws out the implications for policy and practice.

GP budget holding: lessons from across the pond and from the NHS (Policy paper 7)

Paper which draws on evidence from the US as well as on previous experience in the NHS of GP commissioning in different forms, to identify lessons for policy makers as they take this policy forward.

While the government is on the right lines in promoting GP budget holding, the paper suggests that there is a need for caution in promoting budget holding as a universal solution without regard to the capabilities of practices to manage a budget and the safeguards that need to be put in place to avoid the downside risks.