This brief evidence summary was prepared a number of years ago to provide policy colleagues with an overview of what we know about the size of commissioning organisations. As Integrated Care Boards merge and enlarge this evidence may be relevant in considering how commissioning should be organised.

Since 1999, the University of Manchester has been surveying GPs about their experience of their working lives. In Autumn 2024 we undertook the 12th iteration of the survey, and today we are publishing the report. The surveys provide a unique and detailed look at how GPs’ experiences have changed over time.

This is the Phase 1 Interim report for the ongoing Post Implementation Review of the Health and Care Act 2022 project (2023-2026). It aims to establish an evidence base concerning the development of collaboration in ICSs, identify appropriate metrics for assessing the impact and outcomes of this collaboration, disseminate findings to support local ICS practice, and support Ministers and policymakers with future policy. It represents the findings from independent research commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (Ref: PRP ST-01-49). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Policy Research Programme, NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Being given early exposure to new policy ideas and their implementation is one of the most interesting things about conducting research for PRU HSSC, but thinking about the policy making process and its evaluation is not without its challenges.

Our ‘Place’ project has been exploring what we know from the literature about effectively commissioning local integrated services. Our interim report highlights the things which research suggests need to be in place to support integrated service delivery.

Policy making is hard. Those responsible must account for a wide range of interests and ideas, as well as understanding the political issues relevant to the area. Evidence, therefore, can only ever be one aspect of what goes into the policy making ‘pot’. This can be hard for researchers to get to grips with – especially those of us who come from a medical or science background, where evidence is seen as the foundation on which decisions are made.

Since 2015, health care policy in England has shifted away from a focus on competition, as a way to drive performance towards more collaborative and integrated ways of working. Integrated Care Systems are at the forefront of this shift, intended to ensure better collaboration between NHS organisations and other NHS partners such as Local Authorities, and the voluntary sector.

Since 2015, health care policy in England has shifted away from a focus on competition, as a way to drive performance towards more collaborative and integrated ways of working. Integrated Care Systems are at the forefront of this shift, intended to ensure better collaboration between NHS organisations and other NHS partners such as Local Authorities, and the voluntary sector. This research investigates how governance, accountability and decision-making arrangements are developing to support the achievement of system goals.

Before the election, the Labour Party in the UK promoted neighbourhood health centres, based on a system being introduced in Australia. These centres offer walk-in services seven days a week for urgent but not major emergencies. Stephen looks back at health policy over the decades, to see what we can learn from the past. 

The GP Worklife Survey is back today for its 12th edition. If you are a GP, please check your inbox over the coming weeks in case you are one of the GPs selected at random to take part, and ask your colleagues to do the same.

From Dr Donna Bramwell, Professor Kath Checkland, Professor Lindsay Forbes, Dr Sarah Partridge, Professor Stephen Peckham, and Dr Sharon Spooner. We reviewed the international published literature on processes and outcomes of financial incentivisation of QI activity in primary care.