Wednesday, 23 November 2011
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Public services will be hit on strike day
Public services will be hit on strike day:
Schools, hospitals, bin collections, libraries, job centres, courts, day centres and many other services are expected to be hit when public sector workers strike over pension reforms next week. Evening Telegraph
St Andrew’s hospital restructure putting jobs ‘at risk’
St Andrew’s hospital restructure putting jobs ‘at risk’:
A PRIVATE mental health hospital in Northampton could shed at least 20 staff. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Getting personal? Making personal budgets work for people with dementia
Getting personal? Making personal budgets work for people with dementia:
It calls for the personal budget system to be adapted to meet the specific needs of people with dementia. More …. NHS Networks
Have your say in our webchat about health and care information
Have your say in our webchat about health and care information:
Using information help improve health, care and wellbeing is the hot topic for a webchat on Tuesday 22 November at 3.30pm.
NHS Future Forum leads Professor David Haslam and Jeremy Taylor will take part in the chat. They are looking for people’s views on the following issues:
- How can information be improved for users of service and professionals?
- How can we ensure information is available that enables people to take more control of their own care and enable shared decision-making?
- How can we ensure that information supports improved care and better integration of services while protecting patient confidentiality?
- How can we open up access to information and support people to use it?
- How would you like to see data used to improve the quality of NHS services?
- What are the benefits of giving patients access to their health care records in primary care?
- How can cultural and behavioural change be fostered to stimulate collection and use of data among all professionals?
David Haslam is National Clinical Adviser to the Care Quality Commission, an expert member of the National Quality Board and chair of their Quality Information Committee. Jeremy Taylor is chief executive of National Voices, the national coalition of health and social care charities.
Urgent mental health care warning
Urgent mental health care warning: People with urgent mental health problems are struggling to get emergency treatment in England and Wales, campaigners say. BBC News
Cancer survival progress charted
Cancer survival progress charted: Overall median survival periods for cancer have risen from 12 months to nearly six years since the 1970s, but with little change in some cancers, figures show. BBC News
Home care firms face inspections
Home care firms face inspections: Companies offering home care services in England are to be subject to inspection from April, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) announces. BBC News
GPs may be stripped of responsibility to sign off long-term sick patients
GPs may be stripped of responsibility to sign off long-term sick patients: GPs should be stripped of their responsibility to sign off patients on long-term sick, a government-commissioned review is set to recommend. GP Online
DoH report backs incentivising practices to cut urgent care
DoH report backs incentivising practices to cut urgent care: Practices should receive financial incentives for cutting their patients' use of urgent care, according to the author of a DoH-sponsored report. Public Service
Industrial action FAQs and free legal advice line
Industrial action FAQs and free legal advice line: Dean Royles has written to HR directors in the NHS to highlight the latest resources we have made available to help employers plan and prepare for the proposed day of action on 30 November. NHS Employers
New service launched to help GP commissioners face their biggest challenge
New service launched to help GP commissioners face their biggest challenge: A new service for GP commissioners launched by the Mental Health Network and pharmaceutical firm Janssen will link up GPs using a social networking programme to help them commission mental health services more effectively. NHS Confederation
NHS patients in England face 'confusing mix' of urgent healthcare
NHS patients in England face 'confusing mix' of urgent healthcare:
Report from alliance of NHS workers says increased services at GPs and A&E units make it hard to know where to go
Patients face such a confusing mix of places to seek urgent health care or advice in England that their safety could be at risk, the government has been warned.
The services that had proliferated between GP surgeries and A&E departments made it difficult to define who was responsible for care as patients moved across organisational boundaries within the NHS, according to the NHS Alliance, representing commissioners, and the Primary Care Foundation, a company that advises on best practice.
Calling for the system of 24/7 care outside hospital to be simplified, their report said: "In addition to NHS Direct [the phone and web advice service], general practice, emergency departments and the ambulance service, a host of new facilities, including walk-in centres, urgent care centres, polyclinics, equitable access centres and GP-led health centres all offer a slightly different range of services available at varying times."
Most people on average only used out-of-hours services once every six years and A&E every three years, but such fragmentation without clean lines of responsibility put both staff and public at risk, said the report.
It also challenged the idea that it was better for patients and for organisations that treatment was prioritised under triage arrangements, saying these were often used to cope with delays caused by poor planning. "There is a real danger that the assumption is made that the assessed patient is safe to wait when, in reality, the condition of some patients can change rapidly."
A new 111 service planned to merge with NHS Direct over the next two years could potentially undermine the role of GPs, said the report, while successive governments' demands for frequent retendering of out-of-hours GP services were criticised too. "Tendering is expensive (estimated as at least £100,000 for the commissioner and for each provider involved) and disruptive and in some cases may lead to too much focus on the tender price rather than the quality, patient safety and the overall cost to the wider healthcare system."
The report said: "If a provider is to invest in a service, the time horizon needs to be long enough to make it worthwhile – or at least five years. Short contracts and short-term extensions will discourage investment in training, equipment, staff and systems." The Guardian
Goverment planning to privatise swathes of NHS, claim GPs
Goverment planning to privatise swathes of NHS, claim GPs: GPs claim a leaked document shows that the Government plans to privatise large swathes of the NHS under its reforms.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Patients face drugs shortage as medicines sold abroad: inquiry launched
Patients face drugs shortage as medicines sold abroad: inquiry launched: NHS patients are facing a critical shortage of vital medicines as pharmacists and hospitals sell the drugs abroad for profit, MPs have warned as a major investigation into the practice is launched.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
RCN calls for investment in community nursing
RCN calls for investment in community nursing: The Royal College of Nursing has called for a renewed investment in community nursing as a new RCN report highlights the value of community nurses. Royal College of Nursing
Advice on reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning over winter
Advice on reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning over winter: With the start of Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, the Health Protection Agency is advising people to have their fossil fuel and wood burning appliances - such as boilers, heaters and cookers - checked by an appropriately registered engineer before the winter sets in. Health Protection Agency
Monday, 21 November 2011
Data blog: What's happening to NHS redundancies?
Data blog: What's happening to NHS redundancies?: James Thompson explores the figures behind this year's NHS redundancies in his data blog. (Blog, 18 Nov 2011) Kings Fund
EHI PC survey identifies CCG IT plans
EHI PC survey identifies CCG IT plans: Clinical commissioning groups have identified tools to compare GP practice data and to share data with secondary care as priorities for IT investment. E-Health Insider
Ministers deny claims of cutting clinical jobs in NHS
Ministers deny claims of cutting clinical jobs in NHS:
Royal College of Nursing attacked by ministers for saying 56,000 staff face the axe under coalition programme
The main nursing union was embroiled in a furious row with ministers last night after claiming that 56,000 doctors, nurses, midwives and other NHS staff have lost or are due to lose their jobs, despite David Cameron's pledge to protect front line health workers from the brunt of the cuts.
Analysis by the Royal College of Nursing, which warns of an impending crisis in the NHS, says clinical posts make up 49% of the 56,058 job losses in the workforce, with nursing posts accounting for 34% of the jobs already lost or earmarked to be cut.
David Cameron and Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, have promised repeatedly that frontline staff would be protected from the effects of £20bn in efficiency savings to the NHS being carried out over three years as part of efforts to reduce the national deficit.
In the run-up to the general election, Cameron said he would "cut the deficit, not the NHS". Accusing the government of making hollow promises in its election manifesto, the RCN says it has found evidence that 8% of qualified nursing jobs will be jettisoned under the trusts' plans and that patients' lives will be put at risk.
Dr Peter Carter, the union's chief executive and general secretary, said: "These figures reveal the deeply worrying acceleration in NHS post losses in recent months. It is only 18 months ago that we were concerned about losing around 5,000 NHS jobs. Now it is more than 10 times that figure. Cutting staff numbers by up to a quarter and axing a third of nursing posts will undoubtedly have a deep and potentially dangerous impact on patient care."
The figures emerged at the end of an embarrassing week for the government during which the health secretary was forced to make a U-turn on previous waiting list targets by issuing an extra care directive in response to fresh evidence that waiting times were creeping higher.
The RCN says Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Berkshire lost 280 staff in 2010-11 and plans to axe 533 more from 2011-2014 as part of its "transformation project". This equates to a loss of 25% of its total 2010 workforce. Kingston Hospital NHS trust in Surrey, the union says, plans to reduce staff numbers by 486 posts from 2011 to 2016. This is 19% of its total 2010 workforce.
The RCN's figures drew a furious response from the government last night. Simon Burns, the health minister, described them as "union scaremongering" and said the health department did not "recognise" them.
"Official government statistics show only a 1% drop in nurses since May 2010. This is only 500 less nursing staff than there were in September 2009. In contrast this government has taken tough action to slash the number of managers by 13%.
"It is simply untrue to suggest that it is impossible to make efficiency savings in the NHS. We delivered savings of £4.3bn in 2010-11, and patient care improved all the time. Waiting times are low and stable, mixed-sex accommodation has been reduced by 90%, and more treatments are being offered – including the 7,500 patients who benefitted through our cancer drugs fund."
The NHS Confederation, which represents health care organisations, also accused the RCN of taking an unbalanced approach. David Stout, its deputy chief executive, said: "Given that about 70% of the NHS budget is spent on people, it is unrealistic to expect staff to be unaffected. The RCN is counting the number of job losses and automatically assuming that any job going is bad for patients. That is just is not the case.
"We all need to be honest with the public, patients and staff that we have no pain-free option. Managing the financial challenge, while undergoing a huge structural reorganisation, is going to be tough. There is no doubt that many staff will find this personally very difficult," he added.
The RCN says it has found examples of cuts to preventative services, to the community health sector and to mental health services. In Birmingham and Solihull NHS Cluster it cites plans to decommission Birmingham Own Health, a healthcare service for people with long-term conditions which is run by NHS Direct. The service provides one-to-one advice and support to people in several languages to help manage their condition.
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust's proposed redesign of inpatient adult mental health services in Hampshire would mean the closure of two hospitals – the Meadows and Woodhaven, the union says. This would result in a loss of 48 beds. The Guardian
Elderly care cut as councils divert £2bn cash to plug gaps
Elderly care cut as councils divert £2bn cash to plug gaps: Elderly people are suffering because councils are cutting hundreds of millions of pounds from their nursing and care home budgets, the Coalition admits today.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Cuts are pushing mental health services to the edge, says study
Cuts are pushing mental health services to the edge, says study:
Mental health services for society's most vulnerable people are unfit for purpose, according to the findings of a damning independent inquiry published today. The Independent
RCN: NHS heading for crisis point as job losses mount
RCN: NHS heading for crisis point as job losses mount: The Royal College of Nursing has warned that the NHS is heading for crisis point with, with 56,058 NHS positions across the UK due to be cut. Royal College of Nursing
Over half of all people who visit their doctor with coughs and colds still expect antibiotics
Over half of all people who visit their doctor with coughs and colds still expect antibiotics: Twenty per cent of adults visited their doctor with a recent respiratory tract infection such as a cough, cold, flu or sore throat and half expected to be prescribed antibiotics for their illness, according to research, commissioned by the Health Protection Agency (HPA)and launched on European Antibiotic Awareness Day today (Friday). Health Protection Agency
Friday, 18 November 2011
Evaluating quality improvement: time for a new approach?
Evaluating quality improvement: time for a new approach?: The relationship between people who strive for quality improvement and those tasked with evaluating their efforts has not always been an easy one. Indeed, there have been some high profile fall outs over the perceived merits of improvement programmes, says Dale Webb. The Health Foundation
Winterwatch keeps public up-to-date
Winterwatch keeps public up-to-date:
Visit Winterwatch
Department of Health
The online hub will provide regular updates about the increased demand on the NHS during the cold winter months and offer practical advice on keeping well when the weather is very cold.
Winterwatch will be published at 2pm each Thursday and you can sign up for the weekly Winterwatch email alerts.
It is the second year that Winterwatch has been available and, for first time, it will also publish information about flu, pressure on A&E and hospital statistics in one place. This will provide an invaluable source of information for health and social care professionals around the country.
Figures released today show that 29% of healthcare workers are currently vaccinated compared to only 11% this time last year. Although this shows a positive increase in the early uptake of the vaccination, the numbers are still too low and more work needs to be done.
Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, said: “The cold winter months bring additional risks to our health and well-being. It’s important we all look after ourselves and those around us to make sure we stay safe and well.
“Winterwatch will provide an invaluable source of information for doctors, nurses and commissioners around the country.“NHS staff keep our health service running and it is vital they continue to protect themselves, their patients and their families over the coming months.”The Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, has today also announced that five hospitals will be able to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) this winter. ECMO is an additional treatment for patients with severe reversible respiratory failure.Visit Winterwatch
Department of Health
HR agreement for staff affected by public health transition
HR agreement for staff affected by public health transition:
A best practice framework for organisational changes affecting staff as part of the transition between the NHS and local government has been published.
The Public Health Human Resources Concordat sets out a range of principles jointly agreed by the Department of Health, NHS employers and the Local Government Association. The Concordat was developed in partnership with employers and trade unions.
‘Our aim in developing this Concordat is to help ensure that the HR transition processes are transparent, fair and clear,’ said Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, John Ransford, LGA Chief Executive, and Sir Neil McKay, Chief Executive NHS Midlands and East SHA Cluster, in a joint letter. Department of Health
DoH must remove barriers to NHS integration, says NHS Future Forum
DoH must remove barriers to NHS integration, says NHS Future Forum: The government should allow local flexibility in NHS tariffs to help 'align incentives' for integration in the health service, the NHS Future Forum has recommended. GP Online
Training boosted for healthcare assistants
Training boosted for healthcare assistants: Unison welcomes plans to support the training standards of healthcare assistants unveiled by Andrew Lansley Public Service
Nuffield issues predictive risk guide
Nuffield issues predictive risk guide: The Nuffield Trust has issued a guide to choosing a predictive risk model for commissioners wondering where to turn after the government stopped funding for the two models developed for the English NHS. E-Health Insider
Free wi-fi 'would calm down A&E patients'
Free wi-fi 'would calm down A&E patients': Offering patients free wi-fi in accident and emergency waiting rooms would cut the number of aggressive and violent incidents, say designers. The Telegraph
Report reveals significant challenges for mental health tariff
Report reveals significant challenges for mental health tariff: A new report commissioned by the NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network shows that despite enthusiasm for the policy, the first tariff in mental health faces significant challenges. NHS Confederation
Integrated service improves care and saves at least £3.4 million in just one hospital
Integrated service improves care and saves at least £3.4 million in just one hospital: A study commissioned by the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network shows integrated services saved at least £3.4 million in one hospital alone. NHS Confederation
NHS waiting times force coalition U-turn on targets
NHS waiting times force coalition U-turn on targets: 
Government forced to abandon opposition to NHS waiting time targets as number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks grows
The government has been forced to abandon its opposition to NHS waiting time targets and introduce a new rule to halt the growing number of patients not being treated within the promised 18 weeks. The Guardian
First rise in patients on mixed wards since ban
First rise in patients on mixed wards since ban: Hospitals reported 1,244 breaches of the guidance in England during October, compared with 1,079 in September.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Antibiotic-resistant infections spread through Europe
Antibiotic-resistant infections spread through Europe: 
The world is being driven towards the "unthinkable scenario of untreatable infections", experts are warning, because of the growth of superbugs resistant to all antibiotics and the dwindling interest in developing new drugs to combat them. The Independent
Electronic Health Records: An International Perspective on "Meaningful Use"
Electronic Health Records: An International Perspective on "Meaningful Use": This issue brief describes the extent of meaningful use in three countries with very high levels of health information technology adoption—Denmark, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Commonwealth Fund
Commonwealth Fund
Good governance
Good governance:
The Foundation Trusts Network website is well worth exploring for information on benchmarking, social enterprises (in Publications) and NHS management and finances (news). NHS Confederation
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Delight as axe is finally lifted from the under-threat daycare centre Favell House
Delight as axe is finally lifted from the under-threat daycare centre Favell House:
FAVELL House, a Northampton day centre for people with multiple sclerosis, will not close, NHS bosses have said, after they revealed funding will not be removed until a charitable solution is found. Northampton Chronicle & Echo
New managing sickness absence briefing available
New managing sickness absence briefing available:
The NHS is committed to reducing the costs of sickness absence by £555 million by 2013/14. Trust boards need to understand the variety of policies that can contribute to a reduction in sickness absence and embed those policies in the long term.
This briefing includes a variety of good practice examples from NHS trusts as well as a private sector business example. Also included is a useful checklist for managing sickness absence. NHS Networks
Guide to using quality improvement tools to drive clinical audits
Guide to using quality improvement tools to drive clinical audits:
This guidance aims to help implement improvements to health services through quality improvement tools that can be applied to the clinical audit process. NHS Networks
Scheme to support healthcare assistants unveiled
Scheme to support healthcare assistants unveiled:
The project
will be taken forward jointly by Skills for Health and Skills for Care – in partnership with unions, employers, regulators, educators and others. It will focus on areas like communication, confidentiality, nutrition and hydration, and basic observations.
European Strategic Action Plan on antibiotic resistance published
European Strategic Action Plan on antibiotic resistance published:
The UK government, along with other European Union member states, has agreed this new World Health Organization (WHO) initiative on antibiotic resistance in recognition that ‘together we will have greater impact’.
The European strategic action plan on antibiotic resistance 2011-2016 recognises that antibiotic resistant bacteria do not stop at national boundaries and it is vital to:- share information
- develop effective interventions to prevent and slow down the development of multi-resistant bacteria
- work together to stimulate the development of new drugs and diagnostics
The recommendations of the Action Plan include:
- strengthening surveillance of antibiotic resistance
- promoting prudent prescribing
- strengthening infection control
- promoting innovation and research on new drugs and technology
- improving patient awareness to develop an integrated approach
All European countries are expected to bolster a whole range of activities to tackle antibiotic resistance under a resolution passed by the European Regional Committee of the WHO. Department of Health
'One in 12 teenagers self-harm'
'One in 12 teenagers self-harm': Self-harm is common in teenagers, especially adolescent girls, a new study finds. BBC News
Lansley defends DoH's reluctance to publish NHS reform 'risk register'
Lansley defends DoH's reluctance to publish NHS reform 'risk register': Health secretary Andrew Lansley has defended the DoH over its reluctance to publish a report outlining the risk of NHS reforms. GP Online
Discontinuation of commissioning tools could drive up CCG workload
Discontinuation of commissioning tools could drive up CCG workload: A DoH decision to discontinue its support for the development of two commissioning tools could drive up clinical commissioning groups' (CCG) workload, the Nuffield Trust has warned. GP Online
ISB approves barcode wristband standard
ISB approves barcode wristband standard: The Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care has approved a requirement for all trusts to issue patients with barcoded wristbands - but they have been given yet another year to comply. E-health Insider
GPs face huge gaps in COPD funding
GPs face huge gaps in COPD funding: A lack of PCT investment in the 'gold standard' treatment for COPD is undermining patients' quality of life and increasing practice workload, a GP investigation has found. GP Online
With money in mind: the benefits of liaison psychiatry
With money in mind: the benefits of liaison psychiatry: This briefing outlines the benefits that the Birmingham RAID liaison psychiatry service has brought in terms of cost savings and improved health and well-being for patients. NHS Confederation
Exclusive: Lansley on the CQC, integration the reform risk register and ... - Nursing Times
Exclusive: Lansley on the CQC, integration the reform risk register and ... - Nursing Times:
 Telegraph.co.uk | Exclusive: Lansley on the CQC, integration the reform risk register and ... Nursing Times Andrew Lansley has told Nursing Times' sister journal, HSJ, the Care Quality Commission is now running a “proactive and tough” inspection regime and revealed he does not favour further reorganisation of NHS regulation. In an exclusive interview, ... Health watchdog branded unfit for purpose by patients groups as concerns mountTelegraph.co.uk Quality of care for the vulnerableThe Guardian all 19 news articles » |
Government pledges to cut NHS waiting lists
Government pledges to cut NHS waiting lists: 
Too many patients waiting too long for treatment, health minister admits, with hospitals given no incentive to improve situation
The government has said it will crack down on NHS patient waiting lists in England, saying too many have to wait for a long time time to receive treatment.
The current target time for hospitals to see non-urgent patients is 18 weeks, but ministers are concerned there is no incentive to treat people once that period has elapsed.
It was reported that 250,000 people are still waiting for treatment after the target was missed in their cases.
A spokesman for the Department of Health confirmed the initiative was in place and said full details would be announced on Thursday.
The health secretary, Andrew Lansley, said targets under the Labour government had created "hidden waiting lists".
He told the BBC: "Because of Labour's perverse approach the NHS actually had an incentive not to treat patients.
"The new approach we will take from next year will clamp down on this practice. We will reduce the number of patients on hidden waiting lists, ensuring everyone gets access to the treatment they need." The Guardian
'Hidden NHS waiting lists' tackled
'Hidden NHS waiting lists' tackled:
The Government is set to launch a crackdown on the number of NHS patients in England who have to wait for an extended period of time to receive treatment. The Independent
The Quality and Outcomes Framework exception reporting 2010/11
The Quality and Outcomes Framework exception reporting 2010/11: SummaryThe Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) allows practices to exception-report (exclude) specific patients from data collected. NHS Information Centre
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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.
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.
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
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
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
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 2011Size: 34p.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Commonwealth Fund survey: If the NHS is doing well, why is it changing?
Commonwealth Fund survey: If the NHS is doing well, why is it changing?: As a new Commonwealth Fund survey reflects a positive light on the NHS, Chris Ham asks why we are still moving forward so quickly with health reforms? (Blog) Kings Fund
Guidance on emergency cover during industrial action
Guidance on emergency cover during industrial action:
Unison has produced new guidance on emergency cover and exemptions from industrial action. It encourages their branches to engage with employers when they seek to discuss levels of cover. You can download the guidance from the Unison website.
Guidance has also been issued by Unite which can also be downloaded from their website. NHS Networks
A framework for technology enhanced learning
A framework for technology enhanced learning:
This framework provides guidance to help commissioners and providers of health and social care deliver high quality, cost effective education, training and continuous development to the workforce for the benefit of patients through the effective use of technology as part of a blended learning process. NHS Networks
Department of Health response to the CCP’s report on patient choice
Department of Health response to the CCP’s report on patient choice:
The Department of Health has now published the response to the Co-operation and Competition Panel’s (CCP’s) recommendations to ensure patient choice is protected.
The Co-operation and Competition Panel published their report in July where they looked at the implementation of patient choice in the NHS and in particular any instances where primary care trusts were not acting in the best interests of patients or the taxpayer.
See press release
Department of HealthLansley bans minimum patient waiting times and caps on operations
Lansley bans minimum patient waiting times and caps on operations: Health secretary Andrew Lansley has banned PCTs from enforcing minimum waiting times on referrals and placing caps on operations. GP Online
NHS Direct app helps one million patients
NHS Direct app helps one million patients: Health advice given to more than one million NHS patients through their smartphones in six months. Public Service
Lack of joined up thinking to improve health and well-being is a missed opportunity to drive savings
Lack of joined up thinking to improve health and well-being is a missed opportunity to drive savings: The lack of integrated services to improve health and well-being across the NHS and local government is a missed opportunity to create long-term savings and make a real impact on patients and local communities. NHS Confederation
PCT Network statement on Government's announcement on minimum waiting times and arbitrary rationing
PCT Network statement on Government's announcement on minimum waiting times and arbitrary rationing: Commenting on the Government's announcement on minimum waiting times and arbitrary rationing, the Primary Care Trust Network said it is right that all NHS commissioners are transparent and should follow due process in the way they plan health services. NHS Confederation
NHS watchdog faces investigation as concerns mount over patient care
NHS watchdog faces investigation as concerns mount over patient care: 
NHS insiders questioning whether the Care Quality Commission, set up by Labour in 2009, is fit for purpose
The watchdog responsible for overseeing NHS hospitals and care homes is being urgently investigated by the Department of Health over a series of alleged failures that could have risked patient care.
DoH officials and NHS bosses have acted after mounting concerns about the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Guardian can reveal.
The CQC's chief executive, Cynthia Bower, spent last Thursday morning being questioned by Una O'Brien, the health department's permanent secretary, before a team of Whitehall officials descended on the watchdog's headquarters in the City that afternoon.
The inquiry coincides with investigations by the National Audit Office and the Commons public accounts committee.
In September the prime minister endorsed a damning report by the health select committee on the CQC, which accused the regulator of neglecting its core duty of scrutinising patient care in favour of bureaucratic "registration" of care providers. Within the NHS many have serious doubts whether the CQC is now fit for purpose.
The CQC's alleged shortcomings have forced the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, to consider yet another overhaul of NHS regulation. The CQC, set up by Labour in 2009, regulates the NHS, social care and mental health, with a mandate to oversee 20,000 hospitals, care homes and treatment clinics.
Bower, who is paid more than £195,000 a year, was formerly chief executive of the NHS West Midlands' strategic health authority, where she was responsible for supervising the performance of Stafford hospital. A critical report is expected early next year from a public inquiry into a scandal at the hospital, where poor care led to hundreds of needless patient deaths between 2005 and 2008, and how it went undetected for so long.
The Guardian has established that:
• The CQC misled parliament in its annual report, overstating the number of inspections and reviews of the NHS, independent healthcare and adult social care sectors it carried out. Rather than the 15,220 "inspections and reviews" it claimed to have undertaken in the year ending March 2011, it has now admitted to the DoH that the correct figure is 7,368.
• There has been rising disquiet over the CQC's "light touch" regulation. Until May 2011, when BBC's Panorama exposed the scandal of abuse at Winterbourne View, a private hospital for people with learning disabilities, the CQC had launched just one investigation. By contrast, its predecessor, the Healthcare Commission, completed 16 investigations in five years. After the BBC's story the regulator launched two investigations into NHS hospital trusts.
• One of the first acts under Bower's leadership was to disband the investigations team – because, in the words of the then chair Barbara Young, it was being used to "bayonet the wounded on the battlefield". The decision caused consternation among NHS bosses, who feared that failing to expose and publicise examples of poor care would encourage complacency.
• Senior CQC staff who disagreed with the board say they felt marginalised and complained of a culture of fear, underlined by the "language of witch hunt". There has been an exodus of staff who have been gagged to prevent them from speaking about the CQC. In 2009, employees wrote to senior managers complaining about what they saw as a "bullying culture", following which a senior executive left. The letter warned of the "potential impact of the proposed reduction in inspection frequency for … adult social care services".
In 2010 an internal staff survey showed just 16% of staff felt the regulator was well managed, only 14% had confidence in the decisions made by the executive board, and 8% felt change was well managed. One analyst, Rona Bryce, told the Mid Staffs inquiry that she was told she could have been "suspended" after she analysed the evidence provided under oath by her boss at the CQC, Richard Hamblin.
Heather Wood, who led the inquiry into hundreds of deaths at Stafford hospital, left the CQC last year and had been gagged from speaking out about her time there. However, under subpoena to the Mid Staffs inquiry, Wood warned that under the current regulatory set-up "the investigation [into Stafford hospital] would almost certainly not have taken place".
Officially, the DoH inquiry into the CQC is a "pilot of a new annual performance and capability review" of its many quangos. In reality, ministers have been greatly concerned that the regulator is not seen as a toothless watchdog after a series of damning reports saw patient care become a key issue for the public.
The DoH said it was "essential that the ... CQC is performing to the highest possible standards. We are currently carrying out a review to ensure that it is doing the best it can to protect patients. The findings of the review will be made public in the new year."
Ministers became alarmed in June when Panorama exposed the scandal of abuse at Winterbourne View. After the disturbing footage was aired it emerged that the regulator had failed to investigate claims made by a whistleblower, Terry Bryan, who was apparently so exasperated by the CQC's inaction – he was told when he rang up that the inspector was on holiday – that he took the matter to the BBC.
The regulator has argued that it is not adequately funded. The three previous regulators it replaced had over 3,000 posts, whereas the CQC began life with just under 2,100 in 2009, a cut of 30% in the workforce.
The CQC has asked the government for £15m to fund a new regime, including a 15% jump to in boost to its 800-strong inspection workforce.
A spokeswoman for the CQC said: "The review has been openly discussed with CQC stakeholders and staff and we have found it an extremely helpful process." The Guardian
Student midwives 'struggling to get jobs despite shortage'
Student midwives 'struggling to get jobs despite shortage': Student midwives cannot find a job in the NHS despite a critical shortage of qualified staff on the labour wards, the Royal College of Midwives has warned.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Lansley 'must let NHS trusts control cuts'
Lansley 'must let NHS trusts control cuts':
Health trusts are to be banned from rationing NHS operations and imposing minimum waiting times to cut costs, the Heath Secretary, Andrew Lansley, will announce today. Independent
Rethinking disability policy
Rethinking disability policy:
Since concerns about the impact of reductions in benefits and public services on disabled people are growing, is it time to develop radical challenges to the current disability policy agenda?
This Viewpoint reviews some aspects of disability policy literature since the early 1990s before concluding with a detailed assessment of the most recent literature and changes being introduced by the Coalition Government.
Joseph Rowntree Trust
The Health and Social Care Bill: Monitor's evolving role
The Health and Social Care Bill: Monitor's evolving role: This information sheet outlines Monitor’s proposed roles and responsibilities as set out in the Health and Social Care Bill.
Monitor
Monitor
Monday, 14 November 2011
Guidance on emergency cover during industrial action
Guidance on emergency cover during industrial action: Both Unison and Unite have issued guidance to their members on providing emergency cover during the planned industrial action on 30 November 2011. NHS Employers
Health secretary must reveal DOH assessment of restructuring risks - The Guardian
Health secretary must reveal DOH assessment of restructuring risks - The Guardian:
 The Guardian | Health secretary must reveal DOH assessment of restructuring risks The Guardian Public interest in information about the coalition's NHS plans was more important than ministers' insistence that disclosure would impede the formulation of government policy, Graham ruled. "Disclosure would significantly aid public understanding of ... UK Lords Challenge Plans To Let NHS Be Run By Unaccountable Quango – OpEdEurasia Review Andrew Lansley ordered to reveal secret health reportEvening Standard Health and social care ''still not joined up''Public Service all 18 news articles » |
Fraud by staff and patients costs NHS '£3bn a year'
Fraud by staff and patients costs NHS '£3bn a year': 
The true cost of fraud to the NHS is more than £3bn a year, putting patients' lives at risk, according to a new report. The staggering figure – enough to build dozens of new hospitals – is the work of a "dishonest minority" of doctors, staff, patients and contractors, the report, to be published tomorrow, says. The Independent
Lansley warns NHS trusts not to cut services to save money
Lansley warns NHS trusts not to cut services to save money:
Health trusts are to be banned from rationing NHS operations and imposing minimum waiting times to cut costs, the Heath Secretary, Andrew Lansley, will announce today. The Independent
Recall of Loyd Grossman Korma sauces following botulism link
Recall of Loyd Grossman Korma sauces following botulism link: Preliminary tests carried out by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have identified the toxin that causes botulism from a used jar of Loyd Grossman Korma sauce. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is advising consumers who have purchased the particular batch of the product to not consume it. A full recall of this product batch has been issued and the sauce is being removed from shop shelves. Health Protection Agency
Developing the new NHS Provider Licence: A Framework Document
Developing the new NHS Provider Licence: A Framework Document: The Developing the new NHS provider licence – a framework document gives you the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the proposals relating to Monitor in the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
Monitor
Monitor
Keeping Change on Track – Change Management
Keeping Change on Track – Change Management:
Keeping Change on Track, Journal for Quality & Participation, Apr2011, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p4-9
Richard Bevan
Abstract:
The article discusses several factors needed to ensure successful change. Some pitfalls to change management include unrecognized costs, limited communication and minimal involvement. The seven core factors that support successful change are clarity, engagement, adequate resources, systems alignment, leadership, communication and tracking. Assessment of status and key issues as well as creating change readiness are deemed important in managing the change process.
Northamptonshire staff can request the full-text of this paper from the Library.
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