Thursday 17 September 2015

Guidance: Flu vaccination: easy read invitation letter template

Guidance: Flu vaccination: easy read invitation letter template


This letter is for health professionals to give to people with learning difficulties and their parents and carers/guardians, either by hand or by post, preferably with an accompanying information leaflet.

Staff can adapt the template format for GP surgeries and health professionals for patients to have their annual flu vaccination.

Download the file to add the name of the practice and other details as appropriate, or print as-is, add notes by hand and then photocopy to share. Public Health England

Outpatient appointment referrals survey

Outpatient appointment referrals survey

This survey indicates that too few NHS patients say that they are being offered a choice about where they receive care, indicating that more work needs to be done to promote patient choice across the NHS. 40 per cent of respondents to NHS England and Monitor’s annual survey into patient choice said they were offered a choice of hospital or clinic for their first outpatient appointment by their GPs. The survey indicated that, where patients are offered a choice, they are much more likely to be able to go to the hospital or clinic they want. Monitor - NHS Evidence
Survey results
Summary
Press release

Investigation into the Cancer Drugs Fund

Investigation into the Cancer Drugs Fund

The National Audit Office has published the findings from its investigation into the Cancer Drugs Fund. The government set up the Fund in 2010 to improve access to cancer drugs that would not otherwise be routinely available on the NHS.

The Fund is unique in that no other condition has a dedicated fund to provide access to drugs not routinely available on the NHS. It was initially intended to run until March 2014, with a budget of £650 million, while a long-term pricing mechanism was worked out that would allow patients access to the drugs and treatments that their doctors thought would help them. In 2013, the government extended the Fund until March 2016. The Fund now has a total lifetime budget of £1.27 billion.

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies


This briefing sets out policy on maximum waiting time standards and patient choice in the English NHS.
House of Commons Library
Briefing
Commons Library publications

'Urgent' changes needed at Broadmoor

'Urgent' changes needed at Broadmoor

Broadmoor Hospital is told to make urgent changes after being rated inadequate in an inspection which highlighted the overuse of physical restraint on patients. BBC News

Anti-depressant was given to millions of young people 'after trials showed it was dangerous'

Anti-depressant was given to millions of young people 'after trials showed it was dangerous'

Millions of young people were prescribed a common anti-depressant on the basis of a notorious medical trial that actually showed the drug was neither safe nor effective in children and adolescents, a major review has confirmed. Independent

Improving communication about gender identity services – Will Huxter

Improving communication about gender identity services – Will Huxter

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a regular series of on-line postings about NHS England’s work to improve gender identity services.

I have heard directly from individuals and organisations across the trans and non-binary community regarding concerns they have about limited communication from NHS England in relation to this service area. I want to use this blog to start to change that, by talking about the work both underway, and planned, in relation to gender identity services. I hope you find it useful.

Health matters: a new resource to aid local public health professionals

Health matters: a new resource to aid local public health professionals

Health matters is a new resource for public health professionals. It is designed to support commissioning and delivering services across local areas. NHS Networks

Nearly 200 children are treated for infection after a major outbreak of tuberculosis at a British school 

Nearly 200 children are treated for infection after a major outbreak of tuberculosis at a British school 

Health bosses revealed the results of a major TB screening programme when all pupils were tested at Teign School near Newton Abbot after two caught the infectious disease. Daily Mail