MIAA is a member of the Internal Audit Network (TIAN) which comprises the seven NHS internal audit consortiums and in-house teams operating in England. These organisations collaborate across a number of areas to leverage their collective knowledge and expertise and drive efficiency and effectiveness. The monthly insight report highlights key publications and is intended as a useful update and reference tool. This report is produced by TIAN and shared by MIAA. 

 

Department of Health and Social Care - Health trends and variation in England, 2025

 

This annual report provides an overview of the health of England’s population, including trends over time and geographical variation. It looks at life expectancy and population change, mortality and morbidity, maternal and child health, risk factors and wider determinants, and screening and vaccination

For information

 

NHS England – 10 point plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives

The 75,000 resident doctors working across the NHS are the backbone of the service – but too often they are let down on basic issues like payroll errors, poor rota management, lack of access to rest facilities and hot food, and unnecessarily repeating training. This document sets out ten ways in which NHS England is improving resident doctors working conditions over the next 12 weeks.

For information

 

NHS England – NHS oversight framework: NHS trust performance league tables process and results

This dashboard provides a view of how NHS trusts are performing in key services including urgent and emergency care, elective services, mental health and more. The accompanying documentation explains how the league tables have been derived and what they can and cannot tell you about the performance of trusts.

For information

 

NHS England – Planning framework for the NHS in England

This framework is intended as a guide for local leaders responsible for shaping medium-term plans. It provides clarity on roles and responsibilities within the context of the new NHS operating model outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan. It sets out core principles and key planning activities, which should be adapted based on local needs and circumstances.

For information and implementation

 

Care Quality Commission – 2024 adult inpatient survey: statistical release

The results of the latest annual survey of hospital inpatients reveal that patient satisfaction levels have improved slightly in the past year with a greater number of respondents rating their overall experience as nine or ten out of ten. However, the results still indicate that many aspects of inpatient care are worse than pre pandemic and show that waiting times and access to treatment are a continued frustration.

For information 

 

UK Covid-19 Inquiry – Children and young people’s voices: final report

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry commissioned Verian to undertake this project to provide an insight of children and young people’s experiences, and how they perceived the impact of the pandemic on them. This report recounts how children and young people experienced lockdown restrictions. While some found moments of closeness with family and friends, others faced new and difficult circumstances such as heightened tensions at home, disrupted education, and challenges with their physical and mental health.

For information

 

Nuffield Trust – All or nothing? Access and variation in NHS continuing health care

NHS continuing health care provides funded health and social care support for people with very complex needs outside hospital. This report shows the system is inconsistent, with regional variation in eligibility, spending and practice. It also shows how families and patients sometimes struggle to access the care they need. The report concludes that continuing health care shines a light on the wider fractures between health and social care: a system under pressure, struggling to deliver fair, timely and sustainable support – and one that needs reform.

For information

 

Nuffield Trust – From hospital to community: international lessons on moving care closer to home

The new 10 Year Health Plan for England promises to shift more care from hospitals into the community, but history shows how hard this ambition is to deliver. This report looks to Denmark and Ireland, two countries pursuing bold reforms to rebalance care, to understand what it really takes and provide a set of lessons for England.

For information

 

Nuffield Trust – Assisted dying in practice: international experiences and implications for health and social care

This report explores 15 jurisdictions across the world to see what the UK can learn from other countries as the UK and Scottish Parliaments debate bills to legalise assisted dying and potentially set up assisted dying services. It finds that that safe and effective implementation will require substantial planning, infrastructure and funding, all of which are scarce in today’s NHS amid staff cuts, reorganisation, tight finances and variation in access to end of life care.

For information

 

The Health Foundation – Bringing NHS England back under closer political control: lessons from history

In March 2025, the Labour government announced plans to abolish NHS England, the national body responsible for the day-to-day management of the English health service. This briefing summarises the history of efforts to define (and redefine) roles and responsibilities for managing the NHS; identifies unresolved tensions that underpin these changes and sets out implications for the latest round of reform.

For information

 

The Health Foundation – Health care for older adults

In 2024, the Health Foundation collaborated with the Commonwealth Fund to survey older adults (65 and older) in ten high-income countries about their experiences using a range of services, including primary care, hospital care and specialist care. This piece analyses the results of the 2024 survey, comparing UK responses with those from other countries. It presents findings on a range of experiences, including general practice, out-of-hours and remote care, hospital care, the cost of accessing services and end-of-life care planning. The final section draws out some themes for policymakers, with a focus on England.

For information

 

NHS Confederation – Towards a new co-investment model: what is next for NHS public-private partnerships?

To ensure the NHS can deliver on the ambitions of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, more capital investment is crucial. This report gives insights and learning from NHS private finance initiatives in England and abroad and recommendations on what any future model should look like.

For information

 

NHS Confederation – ICB clusters and mergers: what you need to know

In March 2025, NHS England announced that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce their running and programme costs by 50% to become more efficient and reduce duplication, by December 2025. To meet these cost reductions the majority of ICBs have agreed ‘clustering’ arrangements, with two or more ICBs working together across a larger footprint but remaining separate organisations legally. This briefing explains what clustering is, which ICBs are doing it and how it differs from merging.

For information 

 

NHS Confederation – Delivering a neighbourhood health service: what the 10 Year Health Plan means for local integration

The government’s 10 Health Year Plan has put the establishment of a neighbourhood health service front and centre. This aims to deliver a model of care that is preventative and better supports those most in need, including those with long-term conditions who regularly come into contact with different health and care services. This long read examines the vision for a neighbourhood health service and examines what is needed to make neighbourhood working a success, looking at their features, merits and drawbacks.

For information

 

NHS Confederation – The model region blueprint: what you need to know

The model region blueprint sets out a high-level vision for the future role of NHS regions within a redesigned and streamlined national centre. It forms a key part of the new NHS operating model and the delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan. NHS England intends for the blueprint to support integrated care boards (ICBs) as they implement the model ICB, to clarify the future operating model and reduce the burden that central bodies place on systems and providers.

For information

 

NHS Employers – Student placements: diversifying opportunities and providing a quality experience

Clinical placements are a cornerstone of health care education and workforce development. This guide aims to provide employers with practical examples to help manage and diversify their placement capacity whilst providing excellent student learning experiences. Evidence shows that students who have a good placement experience will normally apply for a position within that organisation or specialty at the end of their training.

For information

 

Policy Exchange – Out of control: addressing the rise in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders amongst children & young people

There has been a significant growth in reported and formally diagnosed mental ill-health and neurodivergence over the last decade amongst children and young people (CYP). This report considers the reasons behind this growth, examines the current provision of support across health care, education and welfare and sets out proposals to improve outcomes for CYP by delivering a more coherent, proactive and sustainable system.

For information

 

Policy Exchange – National Health Service or National Safe Haven

The NHS operates on a clear statutory principle with regards to treatment: treatment is available to those ordinarily resident in the UK, with certain exemptions, but charges must be recovered from overseas visitors who do not meet those criteria. This paper explores what happens when that principle is put to the test, not in theory, but in the day-to-day practice of NHS trusts, integrated care systems, and clinical leadership teams. It also examines how policies concerning cost recovery from overseas visitors and the identification of chargeable patients are implemented across the health system.

For information

 

House of Commons Library – Deciding which medicines are used in the NHS

Before a new medicine can be used in the NHS, it must be licensed and evaluated to ensure that it works and will be cost-effective.  In July 2025, the government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England and a Life Sciences Sector Plan. Both documents set out commitments to speed up approval processes for new medicines.

For information

 

Re:State – Operation automation: how to achieve productivity gains in the healthcare system

Despite the clear and significant benefits of automation technologies, their adoption across the NHS remains limited. This paper explores how progress can be accelerated rapidly to ensure adoption becomes the norm rather than the exception. This includes simplifying access to capital investment, streamlining the business case process and strengthening change management support.

For information

 

NHS Counter Fraud Authority – Guidance on the ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence

The NHS Counter Fraud Authority has published guidance around the ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence, which came into effect on 1 September. The guidance, which is designed to help NHS organisations understand the impact of the new offence, provides an overview of the offence and sets out the actions and next steps that NHS organisations might consider when preparing for implementation of the offence. This guidance supplements the Home Office guidance on failure to prevent fraud and is designed to be used alongside it.

For information and implementation/consideration

 

Clue - A National Security Threat Assessment for 2025 and Beyond

Clue's latest threat assessment, explores how the UK can respond to a rapidly evolving landscape of hybrid, digital, and cross-sector threats through better intelligence and collaboration.  The assessment outlines the major trends shaping the UK’s threat landscape in 2025 and beyond. It draws on operational insights from law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and technology leaders to deliver a practical assessment of risks and the strategies needed to mitigate them. Many of these trends have been underscored within the UK Government’s NSS 2025, including its new strategic framework of Security at Home, Strength Abroad, and Sovereign Capabilities.

For information

 

HFMA - Combining NHS bodies

The checklist sets out the actions that will support finance teams in developing a work plan to support reorganisation.  It is not uncommon for NHS bodies to reorganise as a result of government policy, regulatory action or to develop service provision. Whatever the reasons for it, any reorganisation or merger will always require effort and hard work from all affected staff to make it a success. 

From experience, we know that there is a huge impact on the finance team. This guidance, which takes the form of a downloadable checklist, has been developed with NHS colleagues who have first-hand experience of a reorganisation.

For information

 

HFMA - Implementing an electronic patient record

The briefing details the expected clinical, analytical, secondary uses and other benefits of implementing an electronic patient record (EPR). This is particularly pertinent given the Government's plan for a single patient record by 2028. The downsides to implementing an EPR are considered, along with the accounting treatment, and a summary of findings from the case studies.

Four case studies are presented: Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation trust, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, along with a summary list of findings from the case studies.

This briefing is aimed at finance and non-finance staff wishing to understand more about the implementation of new electronic patient record systems. The briefing also gives some themes and top tips for organisations planning to upgrade their EPR.

For information

 

HFMA – Pocket guide to NHS Finance

The HFMA’s pocket guide provides an easy-to-read introduction to finance in the NHS. This updated guide sets out the key themes of how the NHS finance regime works, and how this fits within the wider NHS landscape. It is designed to give readers a basic understanding of the key aspects of NHS finance.

For information

 

HFMA – Medium term financial planning

This briefing explores the basic principles of medium-term planning; the role of leadership, governance, partnership and the processes and information needed to create the right environment for the development of a challenging but realistic financial plan.  2025/26 is the first year since Covid that nationally mandated and formatted medium-term plans will be required. The plans, of which financial plans are just one element, cover the first half of the NHS 10-year plan for England. These 5-year plans link the long-term plan and the annual planning cycle, creating delivery milestones for long-term targets and an indication of resource allocation to achieve them. The requirements reflect the return to organisations as the unit of planning, although they must remain aligned with system partner plans as the duty to co-operate continues. Guidance on allocations and targets has yet to be issued, but the scale of the task requires work to start before that information is available.

For information