Hospital’s £30m wing half-finished

Hospital’s £30m wing half-finished:

Construction of a new £30m wing for Kettering General Hospital has reached the half-way mark. Evening Telegraph

The care sector needs cash not lawsuits

The care sector needs cash not lawsuits: Reform of statute alone won't address the root problem of cash-strapped councils making cuts to adult social care, says David BrindleLegal rulings against councils' cheese-paring of adult social care are starting to flow thick and fast. One day it's a censure over the tightening of eligibility criteria; the next it's a reprimand for the screwing down of fees for care operators.Such judgments are invariably hailed as "landmark", but in truth they rarely have a wider impact. The Guardian

From illness to wellness: achieving efficiencies and improving outcomes

From illness to wellness: achieving efficiencies and improving outcomes:

This briefing is intended to share learning with commissioners and providers in the NHS, local government and health and wellbeing boards, to support integration of wellness approaches within existing programmes and services and scale-up system-wide change. NHS Networks

New online self-management support resource centre

New online self-management support resource centre:

The resource centre provides information and practical tools that can be adopted and adapted locally to enable services and health professionals to develop their own self management support programmes.

It builds on learning from the Health Foundation’s Co-creating Health programme and a wide range of national and international evidence. It’s a good starting point to learn more about what self management support is, how it can be implemented and the business case for commissioning.

Find out more by visiting www.health.org.uk/sms

NHS Networks

Doctors call for car smoking ban

Doctors call for car smoking ban: All smoking in cars should be banned across the UK to protect people from second-hand smoke, doctors say. BBC News

Further unions vote for industrial action

Further unions vote for industrial action: Members of a further two health trade unions have voted to support industrial action on the 30 November. NHS Employers

European Working Time Directive needs common sense solution, says NHS

European Working Time Directive needs common sense solution, says NHS: The NHS European Office has announced the opening of negotiations between employer and trade union representatives at European level regarding revisions to the working time directive legislation. NHS Confederation

NHS Confederation support for clinical commissioning groups

NHS Confederation support for clinical commissioning groups:

This briefing provides an overview of NHS Confederation's functions and role for Clinical Commissioning Groups.

• Briefing


• NHS Confederation - publications

The Kings Fund

Opportunities for volunteering: the legacy report

Opportunities for volunteering: the legacy report:

This publication provides a history and overview of volunteering in health and social care over the past 30 years. It also provides examples of best practice and case studies where volunteering has been successfully utilised.

• Report

The Kings Fund

Operation follow-up appointments cut to save money

Operation follow-up appointments cut to save money: Health authorities have cut the number of follow-up appointments for people who have had operations by up to a third in a single year, figures show, as they strugrgle to save money. The Telegraph

Health watchdog branded unfit for purpose by patients groups as concerns mount

Health watchdog branded unfit for purpose by patients groups as concerns mount: The health watchdog has been branded "not fit for purpose" by a patients' group as it faces fresh criticism in a series of official reports. The Telegraph

Strengthening Primary Care: Recent Reforms and Achievements in Australia, England, and the Netherlands

Strengthening Primary Care: Recent Reforms and Achievements in Australia, England, and the Netherlands: This brief outlines how primary care is provided in Australia, England, and the Netherlands. It evaluates data on a range of primary care system performance indicators, and it examines the three countries' major strategies for strengthening primary care. Commonwealth Fund

Commissioning for outcomes: A resource guide for commissioners of health and social care

Title: Commissioning for outcomes: A resource guide for commissioners of health and social care

The Skinny: Resource pack from Gina Perigo and Steve Callaghan of Liverpool PCT that aims to support the commissioner to commission for outcomes effectively, efficiently and competently. This pack will also help the commissioner to provide a comprehensive approach to commissioning from a strategic overview to the writing of detailed outcome statements.

In addition, it helps to generate the detail required for service specifications and provides important links to areas such as service redesign, care pathways, quality standards, outcome frameworks and performance management etc.

Publisher: Liverpool PCT

Published: November 2011

Size: 34p.