Local Health Economies Research Articles

Developing public health work in local health systems

Current government policy aims to create a wider ‘community of public health practice’ within local systems, working in a coherent and coordinated way in partnership with local people to reduce health inequalities. However, for this to happen policymakers and practitioners across the public sector have to reconsider boundaries, role definitions, professional identities and responsibilities. On the basis of documentary analysis and fieldwork involving interviews with individuals from various sectors and nonparticipant observation of public health nursing and primary care organizations within two local health economies in England, the paper explores the ways in which these processes of reconfiguration have been developing in local health systems. It illuminates new exclusions and tensions emerging from inherent contradictions in national policy and from difficulties individuals have thinking beyond existing spatial, conceptual and organizational boundaries and divisions. Paradoxically, therefore, rather than opening up new spaces for public health practice these tensions may ‘force’ some people back into narrower more traditional roles or ultimately out of public health altogether. The paper also uses the notion of communities of practice to explore issues of ‘agency’ in professional practice – that is the way in which individuals reflexively construct their practice and in so doing engage with or resist the relevant policy imperatives. The research illuminates some of the boundaries that are operating to discourage people from engaging with public health. This analysis suggests people may need more time and support to respond constructively to the new public health agenda. Without this, potential members of the wider public health workforce may respond defensively and resist alignment to public health goals in order to protect their embattled workspaces.

‘In the eye of the beholder’: perceptions of local impact in English Health Action Zones

Contemporary efforts to promote population health improvement and to reduce inequalities in the UK are characterised by their complexity as they engage with a multiplicity of agencies and sectors. Additionally, the emphasis on promoting evidence-based practice has challenged evaluators tasked with collecting and interpreting evidence of impact in complex local health economies. National policy makers, local implementers and other stakeholders will have varying perspectives on impact and the Labour Government's centralising tendencies have acted to ‘crowd out’ local voices from the policy process. Drawing on the national evaluation of Health Action Zones (HAZ) this article ‘gives voice’ to local stakeholders and their perceptions of impact. Informed by a Theories of Change perspective, we explore HAZ interventions to articulate the nature of impact and its limits. We analyse the claims made by local HAZs with reference to the evidence base and examine their significance in the context of overall HAZ objectives. We conclude that local implementer perspectives are no less sophisticated than those at the policy centre of central government, but that they are informed by three important factors: the local context, a need to be pragmatic and the limited potency of evidence in the public policy system.

Nurse staffing levels and budgeted expenditure in acute mental health wards: a benchmarking study.

This paper describes benchmarking research undertaken within one former National Health Service Executive region examining acute ward funded and actual staffing establishments and funded expenditure for mental health nursing staff. Staffing establishment data were obtained for all 73 acute wards within the region. Of the established posts for trained mental health nurses across these wards, it was identified that there were 12% vacancies (117.99 whole time equivalent) at the time of the study. While some of the shortfall was dealt with by recruiting untrained nursing staff above funded establishments, there remained an overall shortfall in the total nursing workforce across the system of acute wards in the region. Although most of the provider trusts in the region were in development or experiencing major organizational change at the time of the study, considerable variation existed within and between trusts. Variations were identified in funded and actual nursing establishments and cost per bed, raising significant issues for trusts and their local mental health economies. Variations based on mixed- and single-sex wards were also noted. Findings are discussed in respect of the issues raised for the development of wards, provider trusts and their local systems. The utility of the methodology developed in this work is also discussed.

Do information systems meet the needs of primary care trusts?

To function effectively, primary care trusts (PCTs) need information from a range of sources. The general practice clinical record is a key source of information for PCTs but has often proved to be of variable quality. PCTs have developed rapidly and now have responsibility for 75% of the healthcare budget. They have a range of information needs that must be met if they are to ensure that healthcare provision meets the needs of patients. Since the abolition of health authorities PCTs have full responsibility for developing practice systems as well as having a key role to play in developing information management and technology (IM&T) within local health economies. The paper describes the problems PCTs face in accessing information to support their core functions and the progress they have made in retrieving data to support service development. It also describes the progress and developments in information and information systems within general practice using data from the National Tracker Survey of Primary Care Groups and Trusts (PCG/Ts). The survey began in 1999 when PCGs were established and has tracked the progress of PCG/Ts over three years. This paper presents the findings from the third survey relating to the development of information to support the needs of PCG/Ts. The findings show that information available to PCG/Ts does not meet their needs in a range of key areas. Many PCG/Ts are collecting data to support the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (CHD NSF) and monitoring some areas of service provision in general practice. The use of information management tools has risen significantly since the second survey and involvement in the Primary Care Information Services (PRIMIS) initiative has more than doubled. The paper concludes that although PCG/Ts and general practices have made substantial progress, there is a long way to go before information providers generate high-quality information to support the needs of PCTs.

Impact on health authorities of the introduction of primary care groups and trusts.

The National Tracker Survey of Primary Care Groups (PCGs) and Trusts (PCTs) in the UK has provided evidence about how PCGs and Health Authorities managed the transition to PCTs. This was a major challenge for both organizations. Devolution of responsibilities was dependent on the capacity and readiness of PCGs to take on their new roles. The development of good working relationships between the principal parties was critical to this process. Health Authorities started to let go and all put in place basic mechanisms for holding PCGs to account in their first year. However, a number of PCGs regarded their Health Authority as authoritarian. Most Health Authorities were found to have started to provide information to support PCGs in their core functions, but resources were frequently problematic. It will be important for Health Authorities and PCG/Ts to negotiate a shared view of their respective roles and responsibilities. The future role of Health Authorities in providing strategic leadership for their local health economies was not sufficiently well defined or understood.

The elusive NHS consumer: 1948 to the NHS Plan

Since the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, patients have never been fully‐fledged consumers of healthcare; they have never held personal economic power with which to express their needs and preferences to service providers. Nonetheless, the history of the NHS has demonstrated an ever‐increasing policy interest in the needs of individual patients and in the responsiveness of services to these needs. Following the collapse of the postwar consensus which gave birth to the welfare state, successive governments have pledged to give priority to consumer needs, but have struggled to realise this priority in practice.Professional and state paternalism in defining patient needs and choices have endured. current policy emphasis on ‘patient and public involvement’ and ‘partnership working’ sustains a top‐down bureaucratic approach but tempers practice with input from all stakeholders in local health economies. There is much to do to make the culture of the NHS genuinely responsive to consumer needs.