HPA press release: Confirmed case of Anthrax in injecting drug user in England:
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued a press release to confirm that it is aware that a person who injected drugs (PWID) has died in hospital in Blackpool with confirmed anthrax infection. The HPA is also aware of an ongoing outbreak of anthrax amongst PWID affecting a number of countries in Europe. Seven cases have been identified since early June: one in Scotland, three in Germany, two in Denmark, and one in France. The source is presumed to be contaminated heroin.
It is unclear as yet whether the current case and a case in Scotland at the end of July are linked to the outbreak in Europe but the HPA will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days and weeks.
Health Protection Agency (HPA)
Monday, 20 August 2012
RPS publishes online pharmacist prescriber resource
RPS publishes online pharmacist prescriber resource: Source: RPS
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has developed a new area of their website covering pharmacist prescribers which provides information to users about pharmacist prescribers and prescribing, how to qualify as a prescriber, details of training courses and signpost existing prescribers to key documents that will be relevant to their daily practice. NeLM News
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has developed a new area of their website covering pharmacist prescribers which provides information to users about pharmacist prescribers and prescribing, how to qualify as a prescriber, details of training courses and signpost existing prescribers to key documents that will be relevant to their daily practice. NeLM News
Can general practitioner commissioning deliver equity and excellence? Evidence from two studies of service improvement in the English NHS.
Can general practitioner commissioning deliver equity and excellence? Evidence from two studies of service improvement in the English NHS.:
Can general practitioner commissioning deliver equity and excellence? Evidence from two studies of service improvement in the English NHS.
J Health Serv Res Policy. 2012 Apr;17(2):87-93
Authors: Gridley K, Spiers G, Aspinal F, Bernard S, Atkin K, Parker G
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore some of the key assumptions underpinning the continued development of general practitioner-led commissioning in health services.
METHODS: Qualitative data from two studies of service improvement in the English NHS were considered against England's plans for GP-led commissioning. These data were collected through in-depth interviews with a total of 187 professionals and 99 people affected by services in 10 different primary care trust areas across England between 2008 and 2009.
RESULTS: Internationally, GPs are seen to have a central position in health systems. In keeping with this, the English policy places emphasis on the 'pivotal role' of general practitioners, considered to be ideally placed to commission in the best interests of their patients. However, our evidence suggests that general practitioners do not always have a pivotal role for all patients. Moreover, it is planned that the new commissioning groups in England will not be subject to top-down performance management and this raises the question of how agreed quality standards will be met under the proposed new system.
CONCLUSIONS: This paper questions the assumption that GPs are best placed to commission health services in a way that meets quality standards and leads to equitable outcomes. There is little evidence to suggest that GPs will succeed where others have failed and a risk that, without top-down performance management, service improvement will be patchy, leading to greater, not reduced, inequity.
PMID: 22315464 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 | Related Articles |
J Health Serv Res Policy. 2012 Apr;17(2):87-93
Authors: Gridley K, Spiers G, Aspinal F, Bernard S, Atkin K, Parker G
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore some of the key assumptions underpinning the continued development of general practitioner-led commissioning in health services.
METHODS: Qualitative data from two studies of service improvement in the English NHS were considered against England's plans for GP-led commissioning. These data were collected through in-depth interviews with a total of 187 professionals and 99 people affected by services in 10 different primary care trust areas across England between 2008 and 2009.
RESULTS: Internationally, GPs are seen to have a central position in health systems. In keeping with this, the English policy places emphasis on the 'pivotal role' of general practitioners, considered to be ideally placed to commission in the best interests of their patients. However, our evidence suggests that general practitioners do not always have a pivotal role for all patients. Moreover, it is planned that the new commissioning groups in England will not be subject to top-down performance management and this raises the question of how agreed quality standards will be met under the proposed new system.
CONCLUSIONS: This paper questions the assumption that GPs are best placed to commission health services in a way that meets quality standards and leads to equitable outcomes. There is little evidence to suggest that GPs will succeed where others have failed and a risk that, without top-down performance management, service improvement will be patchy, leading to greater, not reduced, inequity.
PMID: 22315464 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Not tackling infections in homeless could spark epidemics
Not tackling infections in homeless could spark epidemics:
Onmedica Online
| Tuberculosis 34 times higher in homeless people |
Friday, 17 August 2012
About 1,260 hospital admissions a day due to smoking, new figures show
About 1,260 hospital admissions a day due to smoking, new figures show: An estimated 460,000 hospital admissions in 2010/11 among people aged 35 and over were due to smoking, according to new figures. This is the equivalent...NHS Information Centre
General needs to improve A&E waits in Northampton - Northampton Chronicle & Echo
General needs to improve A&E waits in Northampton Northampton Chronicle & Echo Christine Allen, Northampton General Hospital's chief operating officer, said: “We've done all we can in terms of creating capacity, but what we now need to do is work with our commissioners to improve the urgent care pathway from primary care right ... |
Majority of organisations ready for revalidation
Majority of organisations ready for revalidation:
The Organisational Readiness Self-Assessment Report 2011-12, which shows the state of organisational readiness for medical revalidation in England at 31 March 2012, reveals that 82% of doctors covered by the survey are linked to organisations that are ready to support them with revalidation.
NHS Networks
The Organisational Readiness Self-Assessment Report 2011-12, which shows the state of organisational readiness for medical revalidation in England at 31 March 2012, reveals that 82% of doctors covered by the survey are linked to organisations that are ready to support them with revalidation.
NHS Networks
Review of local formulary processes to support Innovation Health and Wealth
Review of local formulary processes to support Innovation Health and Wealth:
The NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre has been commissioned to develop supporting good practice guidance on local medicines formularies. This is likely to be published by the end of 2012. In advance of the publication of that guidance Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, has written a letter to NHS acute, mental health and primary care chief pharmacists, England and strategic health authority pharmacy and prescribing leads, encouraging action to review local formulary processes to begin implementation of the Innovation Health and Wealth (IHW) action. This work should be undertaken in collaboration with emerging clinical commissioning groups and in a way that not only supports the IHW action, but considers:
The NHS Chief Executive’s report Innovation Health and Wealth sets out a broad range of actions, under a programme of work being led by Sir Ian Carruthers. The whole programme is being implemented in partnership with the life sciences industry, and include a commitment to:
‘require that all NICE technology appraisal recommendations are incorporated automatically into relevant local NHS formularies in a planned way that supports safe and appropriate clinical practice.’
David Nicholson wrote to NHS CEOs on the 9 August, on the work, and alerted colleagues to a requirement to publish local NHS formularies by 1 April 2013.
Department of Health
The NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre has been commissioned to develop supporting good practice guidance on local medicines formularies. This is likely to be published by the end of 2012. In advance of the publication of that guidance Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, has written a letter to NHS acute, mental health and primary care chief pharmacists, England and strategic health authority pharmacy and prescribing leads, encouraging action to review local formulary processes to begin implementation of the Innovation Health and Wealth (IHW) action. This work should be undertaken in collaboration with emerging clinical commissioning groups and in a way that not only supports the IHW action, but considers:
- local clinical and patient needs
- how best to reduce inappropriate variation
- how best to optimise medicines use
- whether there is scope to reduce any administrative burdens of formulary maintenance.
The NHS Chief Executive’s report Innovation Health and Wealth sets out a broad range of actions, under a programme of work being led by Sir Ian Carruthers. The whole programme is being implemented in partnership with the life sciences industry, and include a commitment to:
‘require that all NICE technology appraisal recommendations are incorporated automatically into relevant local NHS formularies in a planned way that supports safe and appropriate clinical practice.’
David Nicholson wrote to NHS CEOs on the 9 August, on the work, and alerted colleagues to a requirement to publish local NHS formularies by 1 April 2013.
Department of Health
Maintaining and improving quality in the new health system – National Quality Board report published
Maintaining and improving quality in the new health system – National Quality Board report published:
The National Quality Board have published a report setting out how quality will be maintained and improved in the new health system.
The NQB brings together the national organisations across the health system responsible for quality including the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, the Care Quality Commission, Monitor, the NHS Trust Development Authority, NICE, the General Medial Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Department of Health.
This report, focuses predominantly on how the new system should prevent, identify and respond to serious failures in quality and provides a collective statement from NQB members as to:
The report is in draft form, and the NQB would welcome views on the approach it describes from those working in or with an interest in the health system. Please send any views to nationalqualityboard@dh.gsi.gov.uk by 30 September 2012.
The NQB will publish a final version, once it has been able to consider any relevant conclusions, findings and recommendations from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry.
Read letter on the report from NQB Chair Sir David Nicholson
NHS Commissioning
The National Quality Board have published a report setting out how quality will be maintained and improved in the new health system.
The NQB brings together the national organisations across the health system responsible for quality including the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, the Care Quality Commission, Monitor, the NHS Trust Development Authority, NICE, the General Medial Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Department of Health.
This report, focuses predominantly on how the new system should prevent, identify and respond to serious failures in quality and provides a collective statement from NQB members as to:
- the nature and place of quality in the new health system;
- the distinct roles and responsibilities for quality of the different parts of the system;
- how the different parts of the system should work together to share information and intelligence on quality and to ensure an aligned and coordinated system wide response in the event of a quality failure; and
- the values and behaviours that all parts of the system will need to display in order to put the interests of patients and the public first and ahead of organisational interests.
The report is in draft form, and the NQB would welcome views on the approach it describes from those working in or with an interest in the health system. Please send any views to nationalqualityboard@dh.gsi.gov.uk by 30 September 2012.
The NQB will publish a final version, once it has been able to consider any relevant conclusions, findings and recommendations from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry.
Read letter on the report from NQB Chair Sir David Nicholson
NHS Commissioning
Monitor launches consultation on proposed Commissioner Requested Services Guidance
Monitor launches consultation on proposed Commissioner Requested Services Guidance:
Monitor has today launched the draft Commissioner Requested Services and Protected Services Guidance for consultation.
The guidance sets out a process for commissioners to follow to ensure that key NHS services remain available for patients if a provider gets into serious financial difficulty.
Commissioner Requested Services are services that will be considered by the commissioner for protection should a provider fail. The system will form part of Monitor’s Continuity of Service framework which aims to make sure patients continue to have access to the services they need in their local area.
As part of the Continuity of Service framework, commissioners will decide which services should be designated Commissioner Requested Services and the guidance helps them to do this. Providers of Commissioner Requested Services will be subject to additional licence conditions in the proposed NHS provider licence, which was released for consultation on 31 July.
The Consultation on the Commissioner Requested Services guidance: The consultation will start on 16th August 2012 and run for 12 weeks until 8th November. The Commissioner Requested Services guidance will act as a guide for clinical commissioning groups as they work to ensure the availability of good quality NHS services for patients if a provider has serious financial problems. Further information and the consultation document can be found on the Monitor website.
Monitor is launching a number of other consultations and documents over the next six months.
NHS Commissioning
Monitor has today launched the draft Commissioner Requested Services and Protected Services Guidance for consultation.
The guidance sets out a process for commissioners to follow to ensure that key NHS services remain available for patients if a provider gets into serious financial difficulty.
Commissioner Requested Services are services that will be considered by the commissioner for protection should a provider fail. The system will form part of Monitor’s Continuity of Service framework which aims to make sure patients continue to have access to the services they need in their local area.
As part of the Continuity of Service framework, commissioners will decide which services should be designated Commissioner Requested Services and the guidance helps them to do this. Providers of Commissioner Requested Services will be subject to additional licence conditions in the proposed NHS provider licence, which was released for consultation on 31 July.
The Consultation on the Commissioner Requested Services guidance: The consultation will start on 16th August 2012 and run for 12 weeks until 8th November. The Commissioner Requested Services guidance will act as a guide for clinical commissioning groups as they work to ensure the availability of good quality NHS services for patients if a provider has serious financial problems. Further information and the consultation document can be found on the Monitor website.
Monitor is launching a number of other consultations and documents over the next six months.
NHS Commissioning
Whooping cough outbreak warning
Whooping cough outbreak warning: Scotland is experiencing the worst outbreak of whooping cough since the 1980s, according to health chiefs. BBC Health News
NHS trusts 'competition warning'
NHS trusts 'competition warning': Eight NHS trusts are warned about anti-competitive behaviour over the way they ran their private patient units. BBC Health News
Statistics on smoking and NHS Stop Smoking services in England now available
Statistics on smoking and NHS Stop Smoking services in England now available:
The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) has published the following statistics on its website:
. Smoking in England - 2012
This report presents a range of information on smoking which is drawn together from a variety of sources. The report aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to smoking in England and covers topics such as smoking prevalence, habits, behaviours and attitudes among adults and school children, smoking-related ill health and mortality and smoking-related costs.
The report's main findings include (direct from source):
. An estimated 460,000 hospital admissions in 2010/11 among people aged 35 and over were due to smoking
. This is the equivalent of 1,260 admissions a day; representing one in 20 of all admissions to hospital in 2010/11.
Among people aged 35 and over:
. Around 1.5 million hospital admissions had a primary diagnosis of a disease that can be caused ...
The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) has published the following statistics on its website:
. Smoking in England - 2012
This report presents a range of information on smoking which is drawn together from a variety of sources. The report aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to smoking in England and covers topics such as smoking prevalence, habits, behaviours and attitudes among adults and school children, smoking-related ill health and mortality and smoking-related costs.
The report's main findings include (direct from source):
. An estimated 460,000 hospital admissions in 2010/11 among people aged 35 and over were due to smoking
. This is the equivalent of 1,260 admissions a day; representing one in 20 of all admissions to hospital in 2010/11.
Among people aged 35 and over:
. Around 1.5 million hospital admissions had a primary diagnosis of a disease that can be caused ...
Thursday, 16 August 2012
General needs to improve A&E waits in Northampton
General needs to improve A&E waits in Northampton:
A greater proportion of Northampton General Hospital emergency patients wait more than four hours than almost any other hospital. Chronicle and Echo
A greater proportion of Northampton General Hospital emergency patients wait more than four hours than almost any other hospital. Chronicle and Echo
Consultations launched on sector regulation of health service
Consultations launched on sector regulation of health service:
Two consultations that will help ensure that patients’ interests will be protected throughout the health service are launched today by the Department of Health.
The consultations set out proposals for how Monitor, as the sector regulator for the health service, will ensure that the new system operates in the best interest of patients.
Specifically, the consultations seek views in relation to:
Two consultations that will help ensure that patients’ interests will be protected throughout the health service are launched today by the Department of Health.
The consultations set out proposals for how Monitor, as the sector regulator for the health service, will ensure that the new system operates in the best interest of patients.
Specifically, the consultations seek views in relation to:
- Licensing – this covers which providers of NHS funded services will need to hold a licence with Monitor. For the first time, Monitor will regulate private and voluntary providers, setting out the safeguards to ensure patients receive the best quality care possible. These safeguards will also prevent abuses of power, such as providers charging higher prices to boost profits or refusing to cooperate in service integration. Find out more about consultation about licensing
- Procurement, choice and competition – this covers minimum requirements for commissioners to ensure that they deliver best value for patients. This also explains how, for the first time, patients’ rights to choice under the NHS Constitution will be enforceable wherever they live in England.Find out more about consultation about procurement, choice and competition
Launch of part two of the single operating model for strategic health authority clusters
Launch of part two of the single operating model for strategic health authority clusters:
The guidance for this next stage of the SOM details the rationale for this launch alongside the detail of the model and the associated tools to deliver this.
Editable versions of the self certification templates can be found here. NHS Networks
The guidance for this next stage of the SOM details the rationale for this launch alongside the detail of the model and the associated tools to deliver this.
Editable versions of the self certification templates can be found here. NHS Networks
Why is there variation in the NHS?
Why is there variation in the NHS?:
Author of a recent Kings Fund report on variation in emergency admissions discusses why there is variation in the NHS at all – after being asked why the NHS can't be more like Pizza Express
"When I go to Pizza Express I am guaranteed a good quality pizza, why can't the NHS do the same?" This incredulous question was put by a regional radio presenter who interviewed me about our new report Older people and emergency bed use - exploring variation.
Our report describes a fourfold variation in the rate of hospital bed use by older people admitted as an emergency. This is driven in equal part by differences in length of stay and rates of admission for older people. Our working hypothesis was that we would be able to link the use of hospital beds with other factors like spend on social care, the number of community beds, and the number of GPs, but we couldn't demonstrate a relationship.
The variation in these other factors was just as great if not greater than the variation in bed use and no clear pattern emerged. The only factor that those areas with the lowest use of beds had in common was that a high number of them had a history of joint working between health and social care. Guardian
Candace Imison is deputy director of policy for the Kings Fund, and lead author of Older people and emergency bed use - exploring variation.
"When I go to Pizza Express I am guaranteed a good quality pizza, why can't the NHS do the same?" This incredulous question was put by a regional radio presenter who interviewed me about our new report Older people and emergency bed use - exploring variation.
Our report describes a fourfold variation in the rate of hospital bed use by older people admitted as an emergency. This is driven in equal part by differences in length of stay and rates of admission for older people. Our working hypothesis was that we would be able to link the use of hospital beds with other factors like spend on social care, the number of community beds, and the number of GPs, but we couldn't demonstrate a relationship.
The variation in these other factors was just as great if not greater than the variation in bed use and no clear pattern emerged. The only factor that those areas with the lowest use of beds had in common was that a high number of them had a history of joint working between health and social care. Guardian
Candace Imison is deputy director of policy for the Kings Fund, and lead author of Older people and emergency bed use - exploring variation.
Four NHS staff to be charged with mistreating patients with learning disabilities
Four NHS staff to be charged with mistreating patients with learning disabilities:
Charges of mistreating and neglecting patients with learning disabilities are to be laid against four health centre staff after a five-year inquiry during which two previous attempts to bring criminal proceedings have failed.
Two men and two women will appear before magistrates in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in August and September accused of the offences between 2005 and 2007 at the Solar Centre in St Catherine's hospital at Balby, Doncaster.Guardian
Two men and two women will appear before magistrates in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in August and September accused of the offences between 2005 and 2007 at the Solar Centre in St Catherine's hospital at Balby, Doncaster.Guardian
Dementia patients given right to say on end-of-life care
Dementia patients given right to say on end-of-life care: People in the early stages of dementia are to be given a right to have a say in how and where they want to die under guidelines for medical staff and social workers.
Telegraph Health News
Telegraph Health News
GP providers win just a fifth of NHS 111 contracts
GP providers win just a fifth of NHS 111 contracts: GPs providers have won just five of the 26 NHS 111 contracts awarded so far, with NHS Direct revealing it has won a further nine contracts covering 30% of the population in England. GP Online News
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