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Purpose: This paper aims to outline the initial pilot use of the client complexity matrix (CCM), an outcome measure developed for an NHS Adult Intellectual Disabilities Intensive Support Team (IST) in the West Midlands of England. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method approach was used to report the results and evaluate the use of the CCM within this IST. The CCM was trialled for six months between January 2022 and June 2022. CCM scores pre and post IST intervention were analysed via t-test, and qualitative feedback from clinicians is detailed. Findings: Analysis suggests the CCM captures service success showing a significant decrease in complexity and risk post-intervention. Qualitative comments from clinicians were generally positive; however, there were requested changes regarding specific presentations, use of labels/language and for a digital version. Research limitations/implications: The tool is not co-constructed with the client. Because of this IST's caseload, the sample size was small. Only one clinician was asked to complete the CCM pre and post intervention. Future use of the measure will encourage two clinicians to complete the measure to evidence its inter-rater reliability. Each client's specific presentation was not explicitly analysed here. Practical implications: The CCM will be updated using the feedback from clinicians and from the peer review process. Research that examines the generalisability of this measure to other IST services would be beneficial. Originality/value: The CCM appears to fill a gap in outcome measurements for this IST service which looks at breadth and depth of client complexity and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: We know that there are similar rates of borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosed in both men and women; however, some research suggests that BPD is diagnosed later and less frequently in men. Some research suggests that males diagnosed with BPD present differently to women, but not much is known about how this influences the care men receive in inpatient mental health hospitals. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: This paper is the first to specifically ask inpatient staff about men diagnosed with BPD, and to hear about their perceptions and experiences.It identified that some staff do not feel as knowledgeable in identifying and treating BPD in men compared to women. Some staff talked about how emotional difficulties like BPD are often not the first thought when men present with distress compared to women. Staff also talked about needing a safe, open and transparent working culture to be able to ask questions and to be questioned on their own assumptions, biases or lack of training. What are the implications for practice?: This paper suggests that inpatient staff may hold some assumptions about men and their emotions, such as assuming that they are less likely to struggle with emotional difficulties like BPD. Staff anxieties about risk management may influence how they perceive and care for men in inpatient wards. The findings suggest that male‐specific training in identifying and treating BPD should be provided for staff on inpatient wards, to improve knowledge and confidence. Introduction: Research highlights discrepancies in recognition of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in men, despite similar rates of prevalence across genders. Aim: To investigate inpatient mental health professionals' experiences of delivering treatment for males with a diagnosis of BPD. Method: Six mental health professionals working within adult acute inpatient wards completed a semi‐structured interview. All participants were members of the nursing team. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Five themes were identified: Gender Differences, Stereotyping, Facilitators to Care Delivery, Barriers to Care Delivery and Ways to Improve Care. Participants talked of a lack of awareness and understanding of BPD in males impacting both diagnosis and treatment in an acute inpatient setting. Discussion: There may be factors ranging from gender stereotypes, limited knowledge and understanding of gender differences in presentations, and personal/organisational cultures influencing the formulation and treatment of males with a diagnosis of BPD in inpatient settings. Implications for Practice: The findings suggest that gender stereotypes such as masculine norms may influence how male patients' emotional difficulties are understood and managed, and that additional training in male‐specific issues to improve knowledge and care provision. This research will support inpatient staff, service leads and clinical educators to identify ways to adapt care provision for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Health Service (NHS) and general practice are increasingly adopting digital services. These services can impact both positively and negatively upon patient experiences, and access to digital services is not equal amongst all groups. Within a wider project examining digital facilitation (the Di-Facto study) our team conducted a patient survey amongst English primary care practices aiming to investigate patient views of what supports uptake and use of web-based services. This paper reports on the analysis of the free-text responses from the patient survey. Methods: The Di-Facto patient survey was distributed to practices in eight clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England between 2021–2022. We examined free-text responses to two questions relating to access to primary care web-based and support for web-based services. We used qualitative reflexive thematic analysis based on a six-stage process to analyse responses. Results: Of the 3051 patients who responded to the Di-Facto survey, 2246 provided a free-text response. We present our findings in two major themes: systems and structures and their impact on use of web-based services, and 'what works for me', a description of how respondents described what worked, or did not work in terms of their interactions with web-based services. Respondents described how the technology, such as poor practice website design, confusion over multiple digital apps, data security and concerns about eConsultation offerings impacted on use of web-based services. Respondents described practice level barriers, such as a lack of or inconsistent provision, which prevented optimal use of web-based services. Respondents described personal and technical barriers that impacted on their use of digital services, and described which web-based services worked well for them. Respondents felt that web-based services were not a replacement for face-to-face interactions with a doctor. Conclusions: This analysis of free-text responses from a large patient survey highlights the system, practice, and person level barriers and facilitators to use of digital services in primary care. With an increasing push towards digital solutions in NHS primary care, practices should consider the design, rollout and communication of their web-based services to support patient access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies of service reconfiguration in healthcare have explored the influence of power on processes and outcomes. However, in these accounts the moral agency of managers is often underemphasised. This paper draws on the theoretical tools provided by the sociology of morality to help deepen understanding of the interaction between power and moral agency in service reconfiguration in healthcare. It presents results from a qualitative study of a pan-organisational service reconfiguration in the NHS in England, involving nineteen in-depth interviews with those leading the change and the analysis of twelve programme documents. We combine concepts of the moral background and epistemic governance to interpret participants' conviction that the service change was 'the right thing to do'. The paper shows how epistemic work carried out by service change regulations shaped the moral background within which participants worked. This, in turn, channelled their moral agency – specifically their commitment to patient care – in a way that also reflected central priorities. The paper adds to sociological understandings of service reconfiguration through considering the interaction of structure, agency and power, while also developing the concept of the moral background to show how power relations can influence moral beliefs. • Managers can show strong faith in uncertain evidence for healthcare service change. • The moral background explains this in a way which considers power and moral agency. • Confidence in evidence depends on background assumption of future as predictable. • Confidence also depends on premise that finances are not open to moral evaluation. • Service change regulations carry out epistemic work on background assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were in early development when fieldwork took place. Public Health (PH) was moving into the local authority, and new ways of working were being established. Methods Three qualitative case studies in the North of England were undertaken using three different data collection methods: observations, interviews and the collection of documents that were related to the project. Comprehensive field notes were taken during observations, analysed alongside interview transcriptions and collected documentation using the software programme Atlas.ti. Results The relationship between the CCG and their local PH team was in development at the time of data collection. Three different PH roles could be discerned from the data: 'co-owner', 'service provider' and 'critical friend'. These roles impacted on the utilization of PH by CCGs and the wider relationship between the CCG and PH. Conclusions These models are 'ideal types', and in reality the CCG-PH relationship in most areas will contain elements of all three models. However, to think of them as set out in this paper is instructive for both CCGs and PH. It is important that CCGs and their PH colleagues to think clearly about what they are trying to achieve and how that can most effectively work together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experience feedback data is increasingly recognised as being helpful in improving healthcare services, and in meeting patient and family needs. This end-of-life care project, based on the principles of appreciative inquiry, sought to learn from the experiences of bereaved people whose relative had died in an acute hospital setting. Informal feedback, offered during a routine telephone call, was thematically analysed and interpreted in an appreciative manner. Confirmatory representations of caring practices and behaviours were identified, categorised and disseminated in a way that enabled staff to come to know and understand end-of-life care at its best, rather than as a set of problematised events. The findings served as a benchmark for individuals and teams to assess and progress their practice reflectively. The authors conclude that staff receptiveness to informal bereaved family feedback may be enhanced by focusing on the positive qualities of end-of-life care within existing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a sustained increase in demand for emergency and urgent care services in England. The NHS Long Term Plan aims to reduce the burden on emergency hospital services through changing how pre‐hospital care operates, including increased delivery of urgent care. Given the recognised potential of social prescribing to address wider determinants of health and reduce costs in other settings, this study aimed to understand the role that social prescribing can play in pre‐hospital emergency and urgent care from the perspectives of staff. Semi‐structured interviews (n = 15) and a focus group (n = 3) were conducted with clinical staff (n = 14) and non‐clinical health advisors (n = 4) from an English Ambulance Service covering emergency (999) and non‐emergency (111) calls. Data were analysed using a pre‐defined framework: awareness of social prescribing; potential cohorts suitable for social prescribing; and determinants of social prescribing. Awareness and knowledge of social prescribing was limited, though when social prescribing was explained to participants they almost universally recognised its benefits for their role. Social prescribing was considered to be most beneficial to those calling for reasons relating to mental health, loneliness or social isolation, in particular older people and frequent users of 999 and 111 services. Determinants of social prescribing were identified across the micro (patient and staff acceptability of social prescribing), meso (triage and referral pathways) and macro (commissioning and funding) levels of analysis. This is the first empirical study to explore social prescribing in pre‐hospital emergency and urgent care services, which suggests that it has potential to improve quality of care at the point of people accessing these services. There is a pressing need to address the micro, macro and meso level determinants identified within this study, in order to support staff within pre‐hospital emergency and urgent care services to socially prescribe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trafficked people require timely and ongoing access to healthcare services. Yet, many encounter difficulties accessing and utilising healthcare services, both while in situations of exploitation and after their escape. This research investigated barriers that hinder healthcare providers from identifying, providing care and making necessary referrals for trafficked people in the United Kingdom (UK). Semi‐structured, face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with healthcare (n = 23) and non‐health (n = 27) professionals with relevant policy or practical experience related to human trafficking in the UK. Topic guides covered identifying, referring and providing care to trafficked people. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Four interconnected themes emerged: trafficked persons' entitlements to healthcare, availability of healthcare resources, providers' knowledge about trafficking, and the particular needs of trafficked individuals. Providers explained that policies limiting entitlements to healthcare created significant obstacles to care, as did the inadequate resourcing of interpreter services, trafficking support services, and specialist mental health services. Few healthcare professionals reported having received training on responses to trafficked people and most were unaware of support options and referral routes. Healthcare professionals will be better equipped to serve trafficked individuals if they are provided training to identify and respond to human trafficking, guidance on referral and support options and entitlements to care. Simultaneously, improving trafficked people's healthcare access and use will also require government interventions to ensure they are not unjustifiably denied healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients receiving palliative care are vulnerable to patient safety incidents but little is known about the extent of harm caused or the origins of unsafe care in this population. Aim: To quantify and qualitatively analyse serious incident reports in order to understand the causes and impact of unsafe care in a population receiving palliative care. Design: A mixed-methods approach was used. Following quantification of type of incidents and their location, a qualitative analysis using a modified framework method was used to interpret themes in reports to examine the underlying causes and the nature of resultant harms. Setting and participants: Reports to a national database of 'serious incidents requiring investigation' involving patients receiving palliative care in the National Health Service (NHS) in England during the 12-year period, April 2002 to March 2014. Results: A total of 475 reports were identified: 266 related to pressure ulcers, 91 to medication errors, 46 to falls, 21 to healthcareassociated infections (HCAIs), 18 were other instances of disturbed dying, 14 were allegations against health professions, 8 transfer incidents, 6 suicides and 5 other concerns. The frequency of report types differed according to the care setting. Underlying causes included lack of palliative care experience, under-resourcing and poor service coordination. Resultant harms included worsened symptoms, disrupted dying, serious injury and hastened death. Conclusion: Unsafe care presents a risk of significant harm to patients receiving palliative care. Improvements in the coordination of care delivery alongside wider availability of specialist palliative care support may reduce this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To report the findings from an evaluation of the impact of the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy (National Health Service England (NHSE), 2012) on nursing, midwifery and care staff. Background: The Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy was a programme of work to highlight the importance of compassionate care following the Francis Report in 2013 into the deficits in care in an NHS Hospital Trust. It was launched by NHS England in 2012 at a time when fiscal cuts were introduced by the Department of Health in England. Design and setting: Mixed methods. Results: Inferential statistics were used to test whether there were significant differences between staff at different levels of seniority with regard to awareness and involvement in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy and their attitudes to it. Awareness and involvement of staff in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy were high amongst middle and senior management but limited at ward level. Staff involvement in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy was limited due to a lack of awareness. Ward level staff who were aware and involved, perceived a lack of support and communication from senior leadership to deliver the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy. Discussion: Results reveal professional anger, distress and resistance to the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy and a view of the programme as a top‐down initiative which did not sufficiently recognise structural constraints on nurses’ ability to deliver compassionate care. We discuss the implications of our findings for global nursing. Conclusion: Participants emphasised that compassion for patients is only sustainable where there is compassion for staff and many participants felt that they were not being treated with compassion. Relevance for clinical practice: National Health Service England should strongly affirm that nurses and midwives in general provide compassionate care. Trust leadership should provide support for ward level staff who deliver compassionate care in difficult circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Health Service (NHS) is known to be a challenging place to work, with financial and performance targets placing increasing pressure on the organisation. This study aimed to investigate whether these pressures and threats might be detrimental to the quality of care and the compassion that the NHS strives to deliver. Quantitative data were collected via self‐report questionnaires from healthcare professionals across 3 NHS trusts in England in order to measure Self‐compassion; Compassion for Others; Perceived Organisational Threat; and Perceived Organisational Compassion. Qualitative data were also collected to explore the threats considered most pertinent to healthcare professionals at present. The key findings suggest that an increase in Perceived Organisational Threat may reduce an individual's ability to give compassion to others; however, Self‐compassion and Perceived Organisational Compassion were better predictors of Compassion for Others. This highlights the need to consider compassion at a systemic level, providing interventions and training not only to cultivate self‐compassion in healthcare professionals, but also to encourage compassion across the NHS more generally. In promoting self‐compassion and increasing the level of compassion that employees feel they receive at work, healthcare professionals may be better able to maintain or improve their level of compassion for service users and colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The English health system experienced a large-scale reorganisation in April 2013. A national tri-partite delivery framework involving the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England was agreed and a new local operational model applied. Evidence about how health system re-organisations affect constituent public health programmes is sparse and focused on low and middle income countries. We conducted an in-depth analysis of how the English immunisation programme adapted to the April 2013 health system reorganisation, and what facilitated or hindered the delivery of immunisation services in this context.Methods: A qualitative case study methodology involving interviews and observations at national and local level was applied. Three sites were selected to represent different localities, varying levels of immunisation coverage and a range of changes in governance. Study participants included 19 national decision-makers and 56 local implementers. Two rounds of interviews and observations (immunisation board/committee meetings) occurred between December 2014 and June 2015, and September and December 2015. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and written accounts of observed events compiled. Data was imported into NVIVO 10 and analysed thematically.Results: The new immunisation programme in the new health system was described as fragmented, and significant effort was expended to regroup. National tripartite arrangements required joint working and accountability; a shift from the simpler hierarchical pre-reform structure, typical of many public health programmes. New local inter-organisational arrangements resulted in ambiguity about organisational responsibilities and hindered data-sharing. Whilst making immunisation managers responsible for larger areas supported equitable resource distribution and strengthened service commissioning, it also reduced their ability to apply clinical expertise, support and evaluate immunisation providers' performance. Partnership working helped staff adapt, but the complexity of the health system hindered the development of consistent approaches for training and service evaluation.Conclusion: The April 2013 health system reorganisation in England resulted in significant fragmentation in the way the immunisation programme was delivered. Some of this was a temporary by-product of organisational change, other more persistent challenges were intrinsic to the complex architecture of the new health system. Partnership working helped immunisation leaders and implementers reconnect and now the challenge is to assess how inter-agency collaboration can be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The community matron (CM) role was introduced in England to provide a single point of access to patients living with comorbid long-term conditions who had, or were at risk of, frequent emergency hospitalisation. Aim: This study explored the factors that affected embedding of the CM role. The qualitative study was undertaken in community health services in two cities and a rural area in central England. Method: Participants comprised health professionals (n=30) including CMs, community service managers, and service commissioners; patients (n=10); and their family carers (n=5). Results: Findings reveal that participants were largely positive about the role. However, difficulties with role setup had led to numerous changes in service delivery, which affected how the role has embedded. Conclusion: Many aspects of the CM role are invisible to other health professionals. Invisibility of community nursing, rather than autonomy of the CM role, seems to be a key factor in the challenges of embedding the role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last three years, there has been a major shift in healthcare policy within England. This has radically altered the relationship between General Practitioners (GPs) and patients. This article examines the role of patient and public involvement within the National Health Service (NHS) from the perspective of volunteers and health practitioners. The aim of the study is to explore how different models of patient and public involvement (PPI) are characterised through ideological perspectives which construct the goals and motivations of service users and health practitioners. This article draws on data from a small qualitative study of 16 participants analysing different narratives and experiences of patient and public involvement within the North East of England. The study analyses data from health professionals, including General Practitioners and health managers, and patient volunteers who make up part of a range of different health advisory groups in the NHS. Whilst all respondents agree about the importance of public involvement to assist localised NHS healthcare, it should be noted that what is meant by patient and public involvement in this study is somewhat unclear for people involved in the process. The research concludes by illustrating how practitioners' and volunteers' interpretations of patient and public involvement diverge in terms of their expressed motivations, aims, goals and expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In England, National Health Service (NHS) organisations have a legal duty to ensure public involvement in health service design and delivery, and health panels are suggested in the guidance as one method of involving the public in this way. The Somerset Health Panels were established in 1994 and continue to be used as the main example of health panels – a distinct method for gathering the views of the public about health services. This article provides an analysis of the changes that took place during their development (1994–2003) in terms of their design, the management and organisation of the panels, the impact of NHS reconfiguration and policy, and changes and relationships within the research team and reflects on how they remain a relevant method of public involvement. As the public involvement in health agenda continues to strengthen in England under the coalition government, lessons learnt about the sustainability, adaptability and flexibility of the panels are as important today as they were then. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]