The government’s proposed reforms to the health and social care system include clear aspirations for the voluntary and community sector as a provider of health services, a source of support for commissioning and a partner in tackling health inequalities. However, the reforms also present a number of challenges and risks. ...
This report considers the role and value of volunteers in health and social care. It looks at the important part that volunteers play in improving patient experience, addressing health inequalities, and building a closer relationship between services and communities.
This new analysis of data for the final quarter of 2012/13 shows that nearly six per cent of patients waited four hours or longer in A&E departments, the highest level since 2004. It shows that 313,000 patients (5.9 per cent) spent four hours or more in A&E in the period ...