Poor performers or a poor system?

Poor performers or a poor system?: When it comes to patient safety and errors made by healthcare staff, we can’t investigate and learn, and we can’t be open with patients, if we don’t understand what has happened and why professionals made sense of situations that subsequently look ridiculous, says Martin Bromiley. Health Foundation

New institute to help narrow the health gap

New institute to help narrow the health gap:

The UCL Institute of Health Equity, which will be led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, will receive £1 million funding from the Department of Health over the next three years to take forward action that will reduce health inequalities in England.

The Institute, which will be independent, will also be supported by UCL, the British Medical Association and independently commissioned projects.

The UCL Institute of Health Equity will collect the latest evidence, provide expert advice and share best practice both locally and internationally. It will build on previous world-renowned research and reviews led by Professor Marmot such as The Whitehall Study and the Fair Society, Healthy Lives review, which underpinned the recent public health white paper. NHS Networks

Lansley defends looped NHS video

Lansley defends looped NHS video: Health Secretary Andrew Lansley defends a welcome message played on a continuous loop in hospitals in which he tells patients their care "really matters to me". BBC News

Home care 'breaches human rights'

Home care 'breaches human rights': The standards of basic home care for the elderly in England are so bad in some cases that they breach human rights, an inquiry says. BBC News

You can find the full report on the Equality and Human Rights Commission web site.

Slow paracetamol overdose warning

Slow paracetamol overdose warning: Experts are warning that taking slightly too much paracetamol day after day can lead to a fatal overdose. BBC News

Women can choose Caesarean birth

Women can choose Caesarean birth: Women who ask for a Caesarean birth should be allowed to have one, even if there is no medical need, new guidelines for England and Wales say. BBC News

Leading commissioner warns 'constrained' running costs could hinder quality checks

Leading commissioner warns 'constrained' running costs could hinder quality checks: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) may not be able to adequately monitor the quality of services because of their 'constrained' running cost envelope, a leading GP commissioner has warned. GP Online

NHS sustainability portal

NHS sustainability portal:

University College London Hospitals and Building Research Establishment have set up a web portal to help Trusts and other healthcare organisations cut carbon emissions, energy use and operate more efficiently. It will give healthcare organisations access to methodologies, processes and information inspired by and developed in the style of Marks and Spencer's Plan A.

• Sustainability portal


• NHS Sustainable Development Unit - news

Listening to experience: an independent inquiry into acute and crisis mental healthcare

Listening to experience: an independent inquiry into acute and crisis mental healthcare:

This report found that while excellent crisis care does exist, there are problems with inpatient hospitals and community crisis teams including people struggling to get help, staffing problems, poor quality care environments and not enough treatment provided to help people recover. It also sets out a series of recommendations on how crisis care should be improved to give the best possible treatment to some of the most vulnerable people in NHS care.

• Report


• Mind - press release

Mind

Joining in the conversation - social media and mental health services

Joining in the conversation - social media and mental health services:

This briefing looks at social media innovations underway in healthcare as a whole and highlights case studies from Mental Health Network member organisations.

• Briefing


• NHS Confederation - publications

NHS Confederation

Improving outcomes and experiences for older women with breast cancer

Improving outcomes and experiences for older women with breast cancer:

This briefing focuses on the key issues for older women affected by breast cancer and presents recommendations for service improvements in three main areas: early diagnosis; treatment and assessment; and information and support.

• Policy briefing


• Policy briefing - executive summary


• Breast Cancer Care - policy

Breast Cancer Care

New NICE guidance for the longer-term management of self-harm

New NICE guidance for the longer-term management of self-harm: NICE, the healthcare guidance body, has today published a new clinical guideline on the longer-term care of adults, children and young people who self-harm. NICE

Man with Down's Syndrome ignored after he was detained in hospital and locked up before he died

Man with Down's Syndrome ignored after he was detained in hospital and locked up before he died: A man with Down's Syndrome had his basic human rights ignored after he was detained in hospital and then kept locked up before he died, an investigation has found. The Telegraph

Midwife shortage linked to rise in Caesarean births

Midwife shortage linked to rise in Caesarean births:

Caesarean birth rates may rise from their present record levels unless urgent action is taken to address the "massive" midwife shortage, childbirth experts have warned. The Independent

Drug misuse: hospital admissions for mental health and behavioural disorders up 14%

Drug misuse: hospital admissions for mental health and behavioural disorders up 14%: Hospital admissions for drug-related mental health and behavioural disorders rose from 5,809 in 2009/10 to 6,640 in 2010/11 – a 14 per cent increase... NHS Information Centre

This will definitely affect your authorisation...

This will definitely affect your authorisation...:

I have a question for colleagues working in CCGs – how many times do you hear the phrase ‘this will affect your authorisation’? Once a month? Once a week? More? I think at present I hear this at least once a day. So far this week the things that I have to do or else my authorisation will be affected are: reconfigure 5 acute hospitals across the patch; ensure every GP practice in the county carries out Health Checks; lead the equality and diversity strategy for the county; land on the moon. I am dreading next week’s requirements!!

The issue seems to be one of control. CCGs have in many places been given control, through the delegation of budgets. Staff not working in CCGs feel the responsibility to deliver whatever their agenda is, but come up against people like me in CCGs who may have different ideas on what or how things should be done. They need to find a way of influencing me, and at present it appears to be beating me with the ‘this will affect your authorisation’ stick!

As CCGs we have a tendency to protect our independence. At the same time we do have new responsibilities and we do have to rise to them. We can’t pick and choose the responsibilities we want, but have to take on the whole range. We do however have the freedom to decide how we do things and how we prioritise things. Both of these may be (and are likely to be) different to what has gone before. A key challenge for us as CCGs is how we build confidence in those who are delegating responsibility to us that the way we want to work will be successful. The more we do this, the less others will feel the need to try and control us. So maybe I will take it as a marker of my success when I start to be told what will affect my authorisation slightly less often. Nene Commissioning