OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a novel comorbidity score (multisource comorbidity score (MCS)) predictive of mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare costs using multiple source information from the administrative Italian National Health System (NHS) databases. METHODS An index of 34 variables (measured from inpatient diagnoses and outpatient drug prescriptions within 2 years before b...

To cite: Lorenc A, Robinson N. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2015;41:8–12. BACKGROUND Patient and public engagement (PPE) consists of involving, consulting and listening to patients and the public, to make services responsive to patients’ needs and improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. PPE has a central role in the UK National Health Service (NHS), at every level, from planning to ...

Health Improvement, Efficiency, Access to Services, and Treatment (HEAT) in the Scottish National Health Service (NHS) refers to a management system that includes a target to reduce health harms due to alcohol. The Government set NHS Scotland a HEAT target of delivering 149,449 alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) between 2008 and 2011. National guidance was offered on delivery models in a range ...

To cite: Astbury-Ward E. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care Published Online First: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/jfprhc2014-101104 BACKGROUND Before the creation of the National Health Service (NHS), the health of the British nation was in a perilous state and hospitals survived on the philanthropy of rich benefactors. Following its introduction on 5 July 1948, the NHS was the bigges...

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by acute symptomatic episodes with variable severity and duration. Pharmacological asthma management aims to achieve and maintain control without side effects, thus improving quality of life and reducing the economic impact. Recently, a clinical trial showed the non-inferiority of beclomethasone/formoterol (BDP/F) versus fluticasone propionat...

I am very proud of living in the UK where there is a National Health Service (NHS) that is (more or less) free at the point of delivery. However, it is becoming widely acknowledged that the health service in England needs to change significantly if it is going to survive the next decade and beyond. The new chief executive of NHS England (Simon Stevens) has tried to tackle this head on and laid ...

OBJECTIVES To describe implementation of a new national preventive programme to reduce cardiovascular morbidity. DESIGN Observational study over 4 years (April 2009--March 2013). SETTING 655 general practices across England from the QResearch database. PARTICIPANTS Eligible adults aged 40-74 years including attendees at a National Health Service (NHS) Health Check. INTERVENTION NHS Heal...

BACKGROUND Most major public and private sector pension schemes have provision for ill-health retirement (IHR) for those who become too ill to continue to work before their normal retirement age. AIM To compare the causes, process and outcomes of IHR in teachers and National Health Service (NHS) staff in Scotland. METHODS A total of 537 teachers and 863 NHS staff who retired due to ill-heal...