This week’s HSJ Efficiency supplement looks at the growing phenomenon of patient hotels, and how CCGs can best achieve the Nicholson challenge

Snoozebox hotel

NOT FOR REUSE

Snoozebox patient hotel

The first chapter of this week’s supplement looks at patient hotels, which provide accommodation on hospital sites for medically fit patients who still require treatment. There is scope to use the model to improve patient experience and ease pressure on NHS services. Jennifer Trueland explores the rise of patient hotels for people who need to be close to, but not in, a hospital bed.

We also report on how the patient hotel model used in Norway is now being tested in the UK at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

In the second chapter, Varya Shaw find the quality, innovation, productivity and prevention initiative needs to refocus to deliver Sir David Nicholson’s £20bn efficiency savings target. QIPP offers a long term opportunity for clinical commissioning groups to overhaul health services by embedding efficiencies in new, improved ways of working.

In the case studies, we see how spending on insulin has fallen in Norfolk despite a growing prevalence of diabetes, while care for osteoarthritis has been brought closer in Worcestershire.