Friday, 27 April 2012
Home inspector in bribery arrest
Home inspector in bribery arrest: A former care home inspector is arrested at her Northamptonshire home over allegations that she pressured homes into giving money in exchange for favourable reports. BBC Northamptonshire
Payout for victim of hospital errors
Payout for victim of hospital errors:
A WOMAN who was twice failed by medics at Kettering General Hospital has received a compensation pay-out in London’s High Court and an apology. Evening Telegraph
A WOMAN who was twice failed by medics at Kettering General Hospital has received a compensation pay-out in London’s High Court and an apology. Evening Telegraph
Hospital nurse is suspended following hearing
Hospital nurse is suspended following hearing:
A NURSE who accused relatives of trying to kill a dying man when they asked her to give him pain relief has been suspended for a year. Evening Telegraph
A NURSE who accused relatives of trying to kill a dying man when they asked her to give him pain relief has been suspended for a year. Evening Telegraph
EXCLUSIVE: Mums celebrate as date is set for re-opening of Northampton breast-feeding cafe
EXCLUSIVE: Mums celebrate as date is set for re-opening of Northampton breast-feeding cafe:
MUMS in Northampton were last night celebrating news that a cafe specialising in breast-feeding support will re-open in the town in just over two weeks’ time. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
MUMS in Northampton were last night celebrating news that a cafe specialising in breast-feeding support will re-open in the town in just over two weeks’ time. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Patient choice scheme guidance for all PCTs published
Patient choice scheme guidance for all PCTs published:
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all primary care trusts (PCTs) on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure.
The Patient choice scheme guidance reiterates the aspects of the patient choice pilot scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the patient choice scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
PCTs and practices may it helpful to be able to access the following individual documents, which appeared in the annexes to the patient choice scheme guidance:
Department of Health
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all primary care trusts (PCTs) on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure.
The Patient choice scheme guidance reiterates the aspects of the patient choice pilot scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the patient choice scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
PCTs and practices may it helpful to be able to access the following individual documents, which appeared in the annexes to the patient choice scheme guidance:
- local enhanced service specification
- form for PCTs to notify out of area patients of arrangements for accessing primary medical care services at home
- day patient application form
- patient leaflet
- text for a letter from GP practices to a patient saying that it is no longer appropriate for them to be registered as an “out of the area patient”
Department of Health
Have your say on the future of nursing and care
Have your say on the future of nursing and care:
The independent Nursing and Care Quality Forum would like to hear your views on the quality of nursing and care, and how you think this could be improved.
The Forum’s aim is to help all those involved in providing nursing and care, in all care settings, to:
Department of Health
The independent Nursing and Care Quality Forum would like to hear your views on the quality of nursing and care, and how you think this could be improved.
The Forum’s aim is to help all those involved in providing nursing and care, in all care settings, to:
- deliver the fundamental elements of good care – compassion, dignity, respect and safety – first time, every time and to everyone
- achieve their ambition of providing the very highest quality of care through supporting the adoption of best practice and promoting innovation.
‘We want to hear your views to help us shape our messages to the Government and to influence what the Forum focuses on over the coming months.’Send your views using the online questionnaire
Department of Health
Practice boundaries to be reviewed by July
Practice boundaries to be reviewed by July: PCTs could seek to overhaul practices' existing catchment areas as part of negotiations to agree an 'outer boundary' by 1 July, according to DH guidance. GP Online
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach: The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published 'Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach '. The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others' services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
New subject specific 5 high impact actions
New subject specific 5 high impact actions: Under each of the high impact actions for reducing agency spend, we have identified a number of specific activities that NHS trusts can undertaken to help optimise the productivity of the flexible workforce. NHS Employers
Choice of GP practice: guidance for all PCTs - covering outer boundaries, open and closed lists and aspects of the patient choice scheme
Choice of GP practice: guidance for all PCTs - covering outer boundaries, open and closed lists and aspects of the patient choice scheme:
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all PCTs on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure. The guidance reiterates the aspects of the scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all PCTs on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure. The guidance reiterates the aspects of the scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
Baseline spending estimates for the new NHS and public health commissioning architecture
Baseline spending estimates for the new NHS and public health commissioning architecture:
This briefing summarises the Department of Health document published on 7th February 2012 on baseline spending estimates on public health. It also gives the LGA's key messages in relation to public health funding and provides Chief Executives and Directors of Finance with advice on how they can assure themselves that the PCT estimate of public health spending will be adequate to meet the future resource requirements for public health from 2013.
This briefing summarises the Department of Health document published on 7th February 2012 on baseline spending estimates on public health. It also gives the LGA's key messages in relation to public health funding and provides Chief Executives and Directors of Finance with advice on how they can assure themselves that the PCT estimate of public health spending will be adequate to meet the future resource requirements for public health from 2013.
Give contraceptive pill without prescription
Give contraceptive pill without prescription: A new NHS report has suggested teenage girls as young as 13 should be given the contraceptive Pill without having to see a doctor.
The document, produced by NHS South East London, recommends that high street pharmacists across Britain routinely hand it out to teenagers under the legal age of consent in the hope of reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Normal practice is for girls and women to only be prescribe... Healthcare Today
The document, produced by NHS South East London, recommends that high street pharmacists across Britain routinely hand it out to teenagers under the legal age of consent in the hope of reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Normal practice is for girls and women to only be prescribe... Healthcare Today
Cancer patients 'not being prescribed appropriate drugs'
Cancer patients 'not being prescribed appropriate drugs':
MPs have suggested that three-quarters of cancer specialists are struggling to overcome NHS bureaucracy barriers to prescribe new drugs.
In a report to pharmaceutical company Merck Serono, they claim cancer patients are not always being prescribed with the most appropriate treatment. More than 50 out of 100 cancer specialists surveyed admitted they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ prescribe a treatment that is not ... Healthcare Today
MPs have suggested that three-quarters of cancer specialists are struggling to overcome NHS bureaucracy barriers to prescribe new drugs.
In a report to pharmaceutical company Merck Serono, they claim cancer patients are not always being prescribed with the most appropriate treatment. More than 50 out of 100 cancer specialists surveyed admitted they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ prescribe a treatment that is not ... Healthcare Today
Drug company attacks Nice for rejecting new lupus treatment
Drug company attacks Nice for rejecting new lupus treatment:
GlaxoSmithKline criticises NHS pharmaceutical approval body over rejecting belimumab drug
Britain's largest drug company has launched a forthright attack on the NHS's drug rationing body, accusing it of blocking innovation after it failed to approve the first new medicine in a decade to treat the disabling condition lupus.
GlaxoSmithKline was unusually critical of the decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and also the Scottish Medicines Consortium, to reject its drug belimumab (brand name Benlysta) in final draft guidance. The UK's appraisal system, said GSK, was "a fundamental problem".
In a statement, Simon Jose, general manager of GlaxoSmithKline UK, warned that the system for approval of drugs on the NHS needed to change. "The failure to recognise and adopt innovative new medicines continues to be a systemic problem in the UK … The UK is a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of medicines, but is one of the slowest to enable patients to have access to innovative new treatments. This is a situation that must be addressed."
Nice's rejection of new drugs has frequently outraged patient groups. When Health Secretary Andrew Lansley took office, he let it be known he would strip Nice of its powers to turn down new medicines, but there has been little information since as to how a new system would work. Most experts believe something like Nice is needed to assess the value of a new drug. There is agreement, however, that drug companies should get a premium price for new medicines that are "innovative", rather than variants on those already on the market. GSK's attack on Nice adds to the pressure on government for change.
Nice caused further controversy by turning down two drugs to check the spread of certain types of advanced breast cancer. Patients groups expressed their diappointment as Nice said it was unclear whether lapatinib (Tyverb, also made by GSK) and trastuzumab (Herceptin, made by Roche) extended women's lives and they did not appear to represent good value for money for the NHS.
Jose, who is also president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said he recognised that difficult funding decisions had to be made because the NHS had limited money. But Nice should not compare belimumab to cheap, older medicines that are now out of patent. That, he said, "fails to recognise the benefit of this clinically proven medicine".
He said: "These are devastating decisions for patients with lupus whose disease is currently uncontrolled by existing therapies. By denying access to belimumab, which is the first treatment specifically developed and licensed for lupus in over 50 years, UK patients are being left behind those in other countries including the US, Germany and Spain who already have access to this medicine."
He said the company had "priced belimumab responsibly" and offered an NHS discount via a patient access scheme "which we firmly believe represents value for both a cost-constrained NHS and patients with uncontrolled lupus".
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs – and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab.
Nice's defended its final draft guidance, which now goes out to consultation. Chief executive, Sir Andrew Dillon, said the independent appraisal committee had looked very carefully at the evidence and taken into account the views of people with lupus and their doctors.
"The committee concluded that compared with standard care, there was some evidence of the clinical effectiveness of belimumab. However, the evidence considered did not persuade the committee that belimumab provided enough health benefit for patients in view of how much the NHS would need to pay for it compared to standard care, as the cost of the drug in relation to how well it works is very high," said Sir Andrew in a statement.
Nice says the cost of the drug – without the discount – is more than £2,300 for the first month and then £769.50 every subsequent four weeks. That equates to more than £61,000 per QALY (a year of good quality life). Nice usually rejects drugs costing more than £30,000 per QALY except in terminal illness. GSK declined to make public the amount of the offered discount, which it says is commercially confidential.
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs, and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab. The Guardian
Britain's largest drug company has launched a forthright attack on the NHS's drug rationing body, accusing it of blocking innovation after it failed to approve the first new medicine in a decade to treat the disabling condition lupus.
GlaxoSmithKline was unusually critical of the decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and also the Scottish Medicines Consortium, to reject its drug belimumab (brand name Benlysta) in final draft guidance. The UK's appraisal system, said GSK, was "a fundamental problem".
In a statement, Simon Jose, general manager of GlaxoSmithKline UK, warned that the system for approval of drugs on the NHS needed to change. "The failure to recognise and adopt innovative new medicines continues to be a systemic problem in the UK … The UK is a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of medicines, but is one of the slowest to enable patients to have access to innovative new treatments. This is a situation that must be addressed."
Nice's rejection of new drugs has frequently outraged patient groups. When Health Secretary Andrew Lansley took office, he let it be known he would strip Nice of its powers to turn down new medicines, but there has been little information since as to how a new system would work. Most experts believe something like Nice is needed to assess the value of a new drug. There is agreement, however, that drug companies should get a premium price for new medicines that are "innovative", rather than variants on those already on the market. GSK's attack on Nice adds to the pressure on government for change.
Nice caused further controversy by turning down two drugs to check the spread of certain types of advanced breast cancer. Patients groups expressed their diappointment as Nice said it was unclear whether lapatinib (Tyverb, also made by GSK) and trastuzumab (Herceptin, made by Roche) extended women's lives and they did not appear to represent good value for money for the NHS.
Jose, who is also president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said he recognised that difficult funding decisions had to be made because the NHS had limited money. But Nice should not compare belimumab to cheap, older medicines that are now out of patent. That, he said, "fails to recognise the benefit of this clinically proven medicine".
He said: "These are devastating decisions for patients with lupus whose disease is currently uncontrolled by existing therapies. By denying access to belimumab, which is the first treatment specifically developed and licensed for lupus in over 50 years, UK patients are being left behind those in other countries including the US, Germany and Spain who already have access to this medicine."
He said the company had "priced belimumab responsibly" and offered an NHS discount via a patient access scheme "which we firmly believe represents value for both a cost-constrained NHS and patients with uncontrolled lupus".
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs – and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab.
Nice's defended its final draft guidance, which now goes out to consultation. Chief executive, Sir Andrew Dillon, said the independent appraisal committee had looked very carefully at the evidence and taken into account the views of people with lupus and their doctors.
"The committee concluded that compared with standard care, there was some evidence of the clinical effectiveness of belimumab. However, the evidence considered did not persuade the committee that belimumab provided enough health benefit for patients in view of how much the NHS would need to pay for it compared to standard care, as the cost of the drug in relation to how well it works is very high," said Sir Andrew in a statement.
Nice says the cost of the drug – without the discount – is more than £2,300 for the first month and then £769.50 every subsequent four weeks. That equates to more than £61,000 per QALY (a year of good quality life). Nice usually rejects drugs costing more than £30,000 per QALY except in terminal illness. GSK declined to make public the amount of the offered discount, which it says is commercially confidential.
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs, and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab. The Guardian
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