scholarly journals Financial performance of English NHS trusts and variation in clinical outcomes: a longitudinal observational study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e021854
Author(s):  
Myura Nagendran ◽  
Grace Kiew ◽  
Rosalind Raine ◽  
Rifat Atun ◽  
Mahiben Maruthappu
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Satisfaction Score ◽  
Process Measures ◽  
Longitudinal Observational Study ◽  
Operating Margin

ObjectivesTo examine the association between financial performance as measured by operating margin (surplus/deficit as a proportion of turnover) and clinical outcomes in English National Health Service (NHS) trusts.SettingLongitudinal, observational study in 149 acute NHS trusts in England between the financial years 2011 and 2016.ParticipantsOur analysis focused on outcomes at individual NHS Trust-level (composed of one or more acute hospitals).Primary and secondary outcomesOutcome measures included readmissions, inpatient satisfaction score and the following process measures: emergency department (Accident and Emergency (A&E)) waiting time targets, cancer referral and treatment targets and delayed transfers of care (DTOCs).ResultsThere was a progressive increase in the proportion of trusts in financial deficit: 22% in 2011, 27% in 2012, 28% in 2013, 51% in 2014, 68% in 2015 and 91% in 2016. In linear regression analyses, there was no significant association between operating margin and clinical outcomes (readmission rate or inpatient satisfaction score). There was, however, a significant association between operating margin and process measures (DTOCs, A&E breaches and cancer waiting time targets). Between the best and worst financially performing Trusts, there was an approximately 2-fold increase in A&E breaches and DTOCs overall although this variation decreased over the 6 years. Between the best and worst performing trusts on cancer targets, the magnitude of difference was smaller (1.16 and 1.15-fold), although the variation slowly rose during the 6 years.ConclusionsOperating margins in English NHS trusts progressively worsened during 2011–2016, and this change was associated with poorer performance on several process measures but not with hospital readmissions or inpatient satisfaction. Significant variation exists between the best and worst financially performing Trusts. Further research is needed to examine the causal nature of relationships between financial performance, process measures and outcomes.

scholarly journals Association between National Early Warning Scores in primary care and clinical outcomes: an observational study in UK primary and secondary care

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (695) ◽  
pp. e374-e380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren J Scott ◽  
Niamh M Redmond ◽  
Alison Tavaré ◽  
Hannah Little ◽  
Seema Srivastava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Secondary Care ◽  
Early Warning Score ◽  
Medical Review ◽  
News Values ◽  
Process Measures ◽  
Sepsis Diagnosis

BackgroundNHS England has mandated use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), more recently NEWS2, in acute settings, and suggested its use in primary care. However, there is reluctance from GPs to adopt NEWS/NEWS2.AimTo assess whether NEWS calculated at the point of GP referral into hospital is associated with outcomes in secondary care.Design and settingAn observational study using routinely collected data from primary and secondary care.MethodNEWS values were prospectively collected for 13 047 GP referrals into acute care between July 2017 and December 2018. NEWS values were examined and multivariate linear and logistic regression used to assess associations with process measures and clinical outcomes.ResultsHigher NEWS values were associated with faster conveyance for patients travelling by ambulance, for example, median 94 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 69–139) for NEWS ≥7; median 132 minutes, (IQR 84–236) for NEWS = 0 to 2); faster time from hospital arrival to medical review (54 minutes [IQR 25–114] for NEWS ≥7; 78 minutes [IQR 34–158] for NEWS = 0 to 2); as well as increased length of stay (5 days [IQR 2–11] versus 1 day [IQR 0–5]); intensive care unit admissions (2.0% versus 0.5%); sepsis diagnosis (11.7% versus 2.5%); and mortality, for example, 30-day mortality 12.0% versus 4.1% for NEWS ≥7 versus NEWS = 0 to 2, respectively. On average, for patients referred without a NEWS value (NEWS = NR), most clinical outcomes were comparable with patients with NEWS = 3 to 4, but ambulance conveyance time and time to medical review were comparable with patients with NEWS = 0 to 2.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that higher NEWS values calculated at GP referral into hospital are associated with a faster medical review and poorer clinical outcomes.

scholarly journals The effect of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on consultation numbers, consultation reasons and performed services in primary care: results of a longitudinal observational study

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingmar Schäfer ◽  
Heike Hansen ◽  
Agata Menzel ◽  
Marion Eisele ◽  
Daniel Tajdar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Longitudinal Observational Study ◽  
Multivariable Analyses ◽  
Gastrointestinal Complaints ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Quota Sampling ◽  
Primary Care Practices

Abstract Objectives The aims of our study were to describe the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on primary care in Germany regarding the number of consultations, the prevalence of specific reasons for consultation presented by the patients, and the frequency of specific services performed by the GP. Methods We conducted a longitudinal observational study based on standardised GP interviews in a quota sampling design comparing the time before the COVID-19 pandemic (12 June 2015 to 27 April 2017) with the time during lockdown (21 April to 14 July 2020). The sample included GPs in urban and rural areas 120 km around Hamburg, Germany, and was stratified by region type and administrative districts. Differences in the consultation numbers were analysed by multivariate linear regressions in mixed models adjusted for random effects on the levels of the administrative districts and GP practices. Results One hundred ten GPs participated in the follow-up, corresponding to 52.1% of the baseline. Primary care practices in 32 of the 37 selected administrative districts (86.5%) could be represented in both assessments. At baseline, GPs reported 199.6 ± 96.9 consultations per week, which was significantly reduced during COVID-19 lockdown by 49.0% to 101.8 ± 67.6 consultations per week (p < 0.001). During lockdown, the frequency of five reasons for consultation (-43.0% to -31.5%) and eleven services (-56.6% to -33.5%) had significantly decreased. The multilevel, multivariable analyses showed an average reduction of 94.6 consultations per week (p < 0.001). Conclusions We observed a dramatic reduction of the number of consultations in primary care. This effect was independent of age, sex and specialty of the GP and independent of the practice location in urban or rural areas. Consultations for complaints like low back pain, gastrointestinal complaints, vertigo or fatigue and services like house calls/calls at nursing homes, wound treatments, pain therapy or screening examinations for the early detection of chronic diseases were particularly affected.

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