Shaping the future of the health and care system to ensure the best care for all Equitable access to high-quality health services is essential to protect and improve the nation’s health

We analyse the performance of the NHS and social care and identify priorities for improvement. This includes what the public thinks about the state of these services, including through our long-term public perceptions research, and how the NHS compares internationally.

We also identify the resources needed to sustain and improve the NHS and social care over the long term, including by publishing long-term projections of funding.

We independently assess and inform the overall direction of health and social care policy in England – including priorities for reform and how to achieve them. We collaborate internationally to learn from countries facing similar challenges and bring together policymakers and others to discuss the biggest questions for the future.

We look squarely at the politics of the NHS and its future – considering options if the gap between investment and demand grows – and focus on the policy changes needed to boost productivity. We are also expanding our work on the future of primary care and community services. This includes analysing major reforms to develop joined-up neighbourhood health services and identifying evidence-informed solutions to their current challenges.

We are working to better understand and shape how technological innovations can improve health and care. This includes tracking how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the health system, understanding evidence on impact and influencing national policy on its development, oversight and regulation, adoption and spread.

We are also focusing on how to steer the development of AI to meet the health system’s needs, responsible and equitable take-up, and the effect on patients and staff. We work directly with the public to ensure their views inform policy on AI – including in-depth work with patients and the public on key dilemmas and trade-offs.

Explore our work on technology, AI and data and innovation and new approaches to care. 

Boosting NHS productivity is essential to improve quality of care, financial sustainability and value for money. After a decade of austerity and COVID-19, the NHS is struggling to improve productivity, which remains below pre-pandemic levels. Our commission is looking at productivity across the NHS in England and will recommend how national policy ‘levers’ – such as targets, regulation and incentives – should be used to boost long-term productivity growth. It will provide decision makers with a package of evidence-based reforms to improve productivity and therefore the long-term sustainability of the NHS.