Emergency admissions to hospital: managing the demand
Many emergency admissions to hospital are avoidable and many patients stay in hospital longer than is necessary.
31 Oct 2013
Many emergency admissions to hospital are avoidable and many patients stay in hospital longer than is necessary.
Most women have good outcomes from NHS maternity services, but there are significant and unexplained variations in performance around the country.
The NAO has identified inconsistencies in the way trusts measure waiting time and errors in the time recorded.
Monitor has achieved value for money in regulating NHS foundation trusts, and has generally been effective in helping trusts in difficulty to improve.
The provision of adequate adult social care poses a significant public service challenge. Demand for care is rising while public spending is falling.
This Departmental Overview is one of 17 we have produced covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Health.
In response to questions raised by the House of Commons Health Committee in late 2013 and wider Parliamentary interest, we conducted an investigation into five specific concerns about NHS Property Services. Our investigation established the facts relating to these concerns.
May 2014
Although some areas of the NHS in England are achieving value for money for out-of-hours GP services, this is not the case across the board.
There is wide variation in the extent to which £79 billion in central funding allocated to local health bodies differs from target allocations that are based on relative need.
• This is NAO’s first report on funding since the 2013 health reforms took effect. Where possible comparisons have been made with funding under the previous system set out in a 2011 NAO report.
Financial risk is increasing in NHS trusts and foundation trusts. Those in severe financial difficulty continue to rely on cash support from the Department of Health.