All Comment articles – Page 3
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CommentNHS management consultants need recognition and support
New research offers the first systematic mapping of internal consulting teams operating across the NHS - and argues that, with greater visibility and investment, they could form a genuine alternative to expensive external advisers
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CommentIf ‘value’ is to have a greater role in buying decisions, we first need to measure it
The Department of Health’s new value-based procurement framework is a necessary and welcome step, but omits clear accountability for outcomes and the data infrastructure to track them
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CommentWithout better data, the NHS will squander the opportunities offered by AI
AI promises to transform healthcare, but fragmented data systems and inconsistent governance remain the biggest barriers to safe, effective, and trustworthy implementation across the NHS
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CommentRespiratory care is the litmus test for neighbourhood health
Neighbourhood health offers a chance to transform respiratory care, but success will depend on sustained investment, community diagnostics and making lung health a national priority
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CommentWaiting list grows again
The NHS missed its recovery trajectory by 89,000 patient pathways in May
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CommentMinisters must decide between being ‘fair’ or ‘sensible’ on health spending
The NHS says it can improve efficiency and reduce inequality at the same time. In reality, every funding decision prioritises one over the other
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CommentPaying people to walk is not the simple solution the government thinks it is
A reward scheme for walking is welcome. But such programmes are far easier to launch than to make work
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Comment12 months on, the 10-Year Health Plan is still on the launchpad
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan promised transformative change, but one year on, implementation remains slow, uneven, and lacking transparency
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CommentWhat the NHS can learn from Indian healthcare
India’s experience shows the NHS can improve productivity and patient care by consistently applying proven operational disciplines
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CommentThe unrecognised profession with a national shortage
Sonographers have spent more than a decade on the NHS shortage occupation list, yet remain one of the few clinical workforces without statutory regulation, a protected title, or mandatory qualification standards
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CommentCutting the use of agency staff won’t solve the NHS’s workforce woes
The promised new NHS workforce plan offers the opportunity to abandon the ideological focus on cutting agency use as a wonder cure for all staffing costs
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CommentNot sharing information effectively is a bigger problem than privacy
Better data sharing, national digital infrastructure, and clear accountability are essential if WorkWell is to transform work and health support
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CommentDigitally strong trusts more likely to avoid NHSE intervention
Research matching NHS Oversight Framework segments with Digital Maturity Assessment scores across 58 trusts reveals a clear and consistent pattern: the higher a trust’s digital capability, the less likely it is to face regulatory intervention.
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CommentA national diagnostic strategy is needed to maximise productivity
Rapidly evolving diagnostic services are outgrowing the governance structures designed to support them. Variation, duplication, and pathway drift are growing problems
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CommentWe need a NICE for operational excellence
Operational decisions directly affect patient outcomes, yet lack the scientific infrastructure supporting clinical care. From theatre scheduling to risk stratification tools, the NHS has adopted interventions without the rigorous evaluation expected of clinical treatments
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CommentThe meter is always running: AI’s true cost
The NHS has embraced AI as a cornerstone of future productivity, but agentic systems are fundamentally different from traditional software. Their costs scale with use, their environmental footprint grows with every task, and their success will depend as much on oversight as adoption
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CommentThe crucial diagnostic sector being left behind by the AI revolution
Artificial intelligence is reshaping diagnostic imaging across the NHS - but ultrasound continues to lag behind
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CommentThe NHS is not ready for the World Cup
England’s World Cup matches risk worsening NHS pressures, with predictable overnight accident and emergency surges colliding with existing corridor care crises
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CommentInvolving patients and charities is the key to making neighbourhood health work
Voluntary sector partnerships and patient involvement are essential to delivering preventive and effective neighbourhood care
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CommentReducing hospital demand is not the right test for neighbourhood care
The idea that neighbourhood care can reduce demand on hospitals is not the given many claim it to be. But is it even the right question to ask?