A comparison of the quality of care in accident and emergency departments in England and the Netherlands as experienced by patients.

Background: Measuring patients' experiences to determine health-care performance and quality of care from their perspective can provide valuable evidence for international improvements in the quality of care. We compare patients' experiences in Accident & Emergency departments (A&E) in England and the Netherlands and discuss the usefulness of this comparison.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients attending A&Es aged 18 years and older.

The end of growth? Analysing NHS nurse staffing.

Aim: To present an overview of UK National Health Service nurse staffing changes across the last 10 years.

Background: National Health Service funding is now being constrained as part of the overall measures to reduce UK public expenditure. This has implications for future staffing levels and deployment.

Using scenarios to assess the future supply of NHS nursing staff in England.

This paper examines issues related to the future supply of registered nursing staff, midwives and health visitors in the National Health Service (NHS) in England at a time when there are major public sector funding constraints and as more of these staff are reaching retirement age. Based on available workforce data, the paper reviews different possible scenarios for the supply of NHS nurses over a ten year period, assessing the impact of different numbers of new staff being trained and of varying retirement patterns from the ageing profession.The government in England has more policy levers available than is the case in many other countries.

Ethnic and social inequalities in women's experience of maternity care in England: results of a national survey.

Objective: To examine ethnic and social inequalities in women's experience of maternity care in England.

Design: A 2007 national survey of women (16 years or over) about their experience of maternity care. Multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for several maternal characteristics, was used to examine inequalities by ethnicity, partner status and education.

Do associations between staff and inpatient feedback have the potential for improving patient experience? An analysis of surveys in NHS acute trusts in England.

Objective: To examine whether staff feedback on quality, safety and workforce issues is reflected in patient-reported experience.

Setting: 166 NHS acute trusts in England.

Participants: Respondents to the 2006 surveys of adult inpatients and staff in 166 NHS acute trusts in England.