Bank holidays are peak times for out of hours and other urgent health services. In the run-up organisations work hard to plan capacity to ensure that available resources meet demand.
All primary care trusts must become world class by commissioning services that "add life to years and years to life" and specifying the outcomes to be delivered.
The next stage review has again highlighted the opportunities for providing elements of urgent and chronic care outside the acute inpatient setting.
The national stroke strategy, which launched in December 2007, aimed to improve services for those who suffer stroke and to intervene early to prevent stroke.
Ambulatory care sensitive conditions are long-term health conditions that can often be managed with timely and effective treatment without hospitalisation.
The NHS Better Care, Better Value indicators are designed to help organisations spot opportunities for improving productivity and efficiency.
At the British Medical Association's annual conference this month, chair Hamish Meldrum put in a plea for England to emulate Scotland's anti-market approach
A patient is allocated a healthcare resource group of "S22" when they are admitted to hospital but their procedure is cancelled. There are three people who can cause this.
How many disabled children are there in England? This sounds a relatively straightforward question. Service improvements for children with disability are a government priority and require a robust evidence base.
Looking back over the past 60 years reminds us of some familiar debates in the NHS: concerns about financial sustainability, wastefulness, and rationing of resources are all familiar issues today.
