30 September 2009

ABOUT THIS BLOG

This bulletin highlights recently produced documents that have appeared on websites. The aim is to trawl the web and produce a fortnightly review of what is found (coverage may not be comprehensive). If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this Bulletin, please send an email to library.pct@sthk.nhs.uk. All links are correct at time of publishing. Some documents are large and may take time to open so please be patient when waiting for links to open. If a link is incorrect please email me and I will correct the link and send you the document.

For those that are receiving this through an email or through a third party you can view the original Bulletin at http://www.newdocumentsbulletin.blogspot.com/ and also sign up to receive the Bulletin by RSS.


ALCOHOL

EMBRACE - Resources Supplement 5 (22nd September 2009)
This supplement, from Alcohol Concern, contains 6 pages of resources (including links to obtain them) that people working within alcohol and substance misuse may find useful.
Document

BULLETINS/NEWSLETTERS

EMBRACE Volume 2 Issue 2 (September 2009)


Telecare eNewsletter - September 2009 (22nd September 2009)

Telecare eNewsletter - Dementia supplement - September 2009 (22nd September 2009)

AHP Bulletin, Issue 73, September 2009 (28th September 2009)

GP and Practice Team Bulletin, Issue 87, September 2009 (23rd September 2009)

Medical Directors' Bulletin, Issue 96, September 2009 (25th September 2009)

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

Closing the Gap. Tackling cardiovascular disease and health inequalities by prescribing statins and stop smoking services (18th September 2009)
This new report, from Care Quality Commission (CQC) is calling for a renewed drive to cut numbers of people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) which is responsible for one in three deaths in England.

The report also highlights health inequalities between people in deprived areas and other parts of the country, of which CVD is the biggest cause.
Report


The right information, in the right place, at the right time: A study of how healthcare organisations manage personal data (21st September 2009)
This report, from CQC, calls for better patient care by ensuring the right patient information is in the right place, at the right time.

Healthcare organisations should meet the individual care needs of patients by making better use of the patient information they collect.
Report


Working together to prevent and control infections (21st September 2009)
Infections are passing between hospitals and care homes due to a lack of communication between care services.

This report highlights a need for hospitals and care homes to provide information about infections to each other to:
  • make sure that people with, or recovering from, an infection are cared for properly
  • reduce the chances of other people being infected
Report

2009 survey of mental health acute inpatient services (24th September 2009)
The biggest-ever national survey of people's experiences of acute mental health inpatient services reveals that too great a proportion feel they were let down in some important aspects of the care they received, says the CQC. More than 7,500 people recently discharged from 64 NHS trusts across England gave their views on each stage of their care from the moment they were admitted to hospital to the support they got after they left.
Survey

CARE/CARERS

Employment support for carers (September 2009)
This report is based on in-depth interviews with 55 carers, both working and non working, in Scotland and England during 2008.

The study aimed to explore how caring responsibilities affect people’s decisions about employment; fill the evidence gap on the role and effectiveness of existing services for carers; assess how DWP and Jobcentre Plus can effectively help claimants with caring responsibilities to return to the labour market; and provide evidence to enable the DWP to develop its strategy for carers.
Report

COMMISSIONING

Commissioning what works. The economic and financial case for supported employment (22nd September 2009)
Commissioning what works: the economic and financial case for supported employment shows that Individual Placement and Support (IPS), which helps people into paid competitive work, is effective, is good value for money and is affordable to the NHS.

Studies have shown that IPS is by far the most effective way of helping people who use mental health services to get jobs. And those who work regularly make less use of mental health services, needing fewer hospital admissions, as well as having a better quality of life and a higher income.

This briefing paper examines the cost of providing IPS services against the cost of other employment services.
Briefing

Let's Get Moving - A new physical activity care pathway for the NHS: Commissioning guidance (24th September 2009)
The commissioning guidance sets out an evidence-based behaviour charter model Let’s Get Moving encouraging local commissioning of physical activity interventions in primary care.
Guidance

Let's Get Moving feasibility study (24th September 2009)
Let's Get Moving (LGM) has been tested in a feasibility trial in 14 surgeries by the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, Loughborough University. The results of the trial demonstrated that LGM is feasible for delivery in primary care, and subject to recommendations is suitable for wide-scale implementation. LGM is now available to the NHS for commissioning.
Document

Commissioning Excellence - issue No. 4 September 2009 (September 2009)
Please note you need to be registered with a subscribing organisation to access this quarterly bulletin from NHS Primary Care Commissioning.
Bulletin

Virtual conference for World Class Commissioning Assurance - launch of Year 2 (September 2009)
Videos, Podcasts and Documents are now available from the conference that was held in London on 16th September 2009. These are additional to the Handbook that was in the last bulletin.
Resources

COMMUNITIES

2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Empowered Communities Topic Report (29th September 2009)
Using 2007-08 Citizenship Survey data, this report provides an in-depth examination of community empowerment: whether people feel they can influence local and national decisions; whether they would like to be more involved in decision making; what would make it easier to influence decision making; and how people would influence decisions if they wanted to. It also looks at people's trust in institutions and what activities people actually take part in (civic activism, civic consultation, civic participation and volunteering).
Report

COMMUNITY SERVICES

HSMC Policy Paper 5. Integrating Care and Transforming Community Services: What Works? Where Next? (24th September 2009)
Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) has recently launched a new policy paper on integrated care. This follows on from a seminar organised by HSMC earlier this year which brought together experts from the US and UK to consider the issues and the evidence for what works.

Ham and De Silva’s paper summarises the presentations made at the seminar and considers the implications for policy makers and practitioners, noting the increasing interest in integrated care given the context of an ageing population and the increasing burden of chronic disease.

The authors note that while integrated care may not be the only solution, it has an important role to play in ensuring quality and the effective use of resources.
Paper

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on the proposed framework for Quality Accounts (17th September 2009)
The Department of Health has launched a public consultation on the proposed framework for Quality Accounts. Quality Accounts will be legally required of all providers of NHS Healthcare from June 2010 (subject to the successful passage of the Health Bill). For the acute sector, the duty applies next year and it will apply to primary care and community services subsequently.

Closing date for comments is 10th December 2009.
Letter
Consultation

Prioritisation for Quality Improvement: National Quality Board stakeholder engagement (29th September 2009)
The National Quality Board will advise Ministers on clinical priorities for the NHS, and on topics for NICE quality standards. This stakeholder engagement document seeks views on the Board's process for doing so. The engagement process runs from 29 September 2009 to 10 November 2009.
Consultation

DIRECTIONS

The National Health Service (Nursing Care in Residential Accommodation) (Amendment) (England) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every Primary Care Trust.
Directions

The Delayed Discharges (Continuing Care) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every English NHS trust and Primary Care Trust.
Directions

The NHS Continuing Healthcare (Responsibilities) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every Strategic Health Authority, Primary Care Trust and social services authority in England.
Directions

DISABILITIES

Parental Experience of Services for Disabled Children - Qualitative Research (Phase 2): Exploring the Findings from the National Survey (24th September 2009)
This research sets out findings from a second phase of qualitative work looking at parental experiences and views of services they use in relation to their disabled child.

The research complements the ‘Parental Experience of Services for Disabled Children - National Survey’, which was published last month.
Report

DOCTORS

Confidentiality (28th September 2009)
The GMC has published new guidance for doctors on confidentiality. The guidance:
  • sets out the principles of confidentiality and respect for patients’ privacy that doctors are expected to understand and follow
  • takes account of the relevant legal and ethical considerations involved in helping doctors to make decisions that respect patients’ privacy, autonomy and choices and that also benefit the wider community of patients and the public
  • takes account of changes in the law and guidance from other sources on confidentiality in the four UK countries
  • is accompanied by seven pieces of supplementary guidance which explain how the principles in the core guidance apply in a range of situations doctors often encounter or find hard to deal with, including reporting concerns about patients to the DVLA, reporting gunshot and knife wounds and disclosing information about serious communicable diseases
Guidance

DRUGS

DS Daily - new current awareness service (21st September 2009)
A new current awareness service, DS Daily, has been launched by DrugScope. Subscribers get a daily email update of news in the drugs field and/or a weekly email with a summary of the week's news/reports.
Website

EDUCATION/SCHOOLS

Learning from Targeted Mental Health in Schools Phase 1 Pathfinders - Summary report (September 2009)
Improving the mental health of children and young people is a critical priority informing the improvement of children’s services. This summary report draws together the key points of learning from the quarterly action learning set summary reports, and 11 interviews with a range of people involved in delivering Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS).
Summary

EQUALITY

Young people: Know your rights (September 2009)
Young women and men may find themselves being treated unfairly because of their gender, age, disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status. This can happen whether they are at school, school leavers making career choices, new employees, part-time workers, students in further or higher education, apprentices or trainees.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission have put together some advice resources that should be useful to young people that experiencing discrimination.
Resource

FAMILIES

Nurse-Family Partnership Programme - Second Year Pilot Sites Implementation in England: The Infancy Period (23rd September 2009)
Young first time mothers are being helped to improve the life chances of their babies and fathers are more involved in the early years of their children’s lives thanks to the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme, independent research published today has found.

The second year evaluation report of the FNP programme by University of London, Birkeck, which is joint between the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health, found that:
  • Effective delivery is having a positive impact on some of the most vulnerable young families in society;
  • There are early signs that the programme is having a positive effect on reducing smoking during pregnancy and increasing rates of breastfeeding;
  • Mothers value the programme and believe it has made a positive difference to how they care for their baby and their own aspirations for the future;
  • Fathers’ involvement is especially high with more than half of fathers present for at least one pregnancy visit;
  • A strong nurse-client relationship is key to its success – and clients are overwhelmingly positive about their family nurses, rating them on average 9 out of 10; and
  • Nurses have reported that their clients are more confident as parents, were playing with their children more, wanted to learn, and had aspirations for the future.
Press Release
Report

FINANCE

The current and future state of NHS Finances. Results of an independent survey of Finance Directors in PCTs conducted by KPMG and Dr Foster Intelligence (published 30 July 2009 new to website 17th September 2009)
The overwhelming majority of PCT finance directors (84%) say they are not well enough prepared to identify substantial efficiency savings within the NHS, a survey by KPMG and Dr. Foster Intelligence has found.

The NHS has embarked on a self declared efficiency agenda and aims to identify savings between £15 and 20 billion over the next three years. However, the survey among PCT finance directors seems to suggest that most of them are not ready to take on the challenge. The survey also reveals that almost half of all finance directors feel that NHS frontline staff is aware of the efficiency challenge but limited in their understanding of its impact on budgets.
Report


Auditors' Local Evaluation (ALE) 2007/08 (24th September 2009)
The summary results for NHS trusts and primary care trusts are now available from the Auditors' Local Evaluation 2007/08 briefing.
Results

The Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) (No. 5) Directions 2009 (25th September 2009)
The Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) (No. 5) Directions 2009 were signed on 22nd September 2009 and come into force on the 1st October 2009. These amending directions make three changes to the dispensing provisions in the General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) published in April 2005.
Directions

FOUNDATION TRUSTS

Quality Reports Testing Exercise: Evaluation (Published 17th September 2009, Modified 22nd September 2009)
Monitor and the East of England SHA required all NHS foundation trusts in England and all NHS providers in the East of England region to produce Quality Reports in Spring-Summer 2009 serving as a useful trial for Quality Accounts. The Department of health commissioned a survey of the organisations that produced Quality Reports in 2008/09 and an evaluation of a selection of reports.
Report

GENERAL PRACTICE

General Practice in England - An Overview (25th September 2009)
General practice has changed considerably over the past decade. Practice size has increased, the workforce has grown and become more diverse, the range of services offered has expanded, and the contracting and financing arrangements for GPs have changed. Current government policy aims to improve access and choice for patients, to enable greater self-management by people with long-term conditions, to expand the role of GPs in areas such as health promotion, to reduce variations in the quality of care provided and to improve quality overall. In the next few years, accreditation will be introduced for GP practices, and new models for commissioning and delivering care will be expanded.

This briefing, from The King's Fund, sets out how general practice is organised, contracted and financed; analyses the impact of recent government policy; and looks at future trends.
Briefing

HEALTH INEQUALITIES

EVENT - Health inequalities forum: Lessons from DH National Support Team (NST) (17th September 2009)
The presentations from this event held at the Stobart Stadium, Widnes are now available.
Presentations

HOUSING

Building Better Lives Case Studies (28th September 2009)
The case studies to the Better Lives report, published on 9th September 2009 by the Audit Commission, are now available to download
Case Studies

Housing in England 2007-2008 (29th September 2009)
This is the last report published under the Survey of English Housing. The survey was merged with the English House Condition Survey into the English Housing Survey in 2008. Headline findings from the EHS will be published early 2010.
Report

Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-1994 to 2007-08 (29th September 2009)
A short report presenting some initial outputs from the SEH15 dataset, a new dataset which combines key household level data from each of the fifteen annual SEH datasets from 1993-94 to 2007-08. Its purpose is to bring the dataset to the attention of the research community and to highlight the type of analysis that can be undertaken.
Report

English House Condition Survey - 2007 Annual Report (29th September 2009)
The report presents detailed findings from the 2007 survey on the housing conditions and energy performance of the stock. The report included the following highlights:
  • The energy efficiency of the housing stock has steadily improved from 42 SAP points in 1996 to 50 in 2007.
  • In 2007, 41 per cent of homes were in the more efficient Energy Efficient Rating Bands A-D compared with only 19 per cent of homes in 1996. The proportion of homes in the least energy efficient Bands F and G nearly halved over this period (from 36 per cent to 19 per cent).
  • Social sector homes were more energy efficient with a SAP rating of 58 compared with 48 for the private sector and the rate of energy efficiency improvement since 1996 has been greater in the social sector.
Report

IMMUNISATION

Dosage of oseltamivir in children under one year of age with swine flu (24th September 2009)
This letter from Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, highlights the change in the dosage regime for oseltamivir in children aged 6 months and over and up to 1 year of age during an influenza pandemic outbreak and the steps that need to be taken to ensure a safe transition to the new dosage.
Letter

MANAGEMENT

Leading from the front (September 2009)
Staff on the front line of Britain's public services still enjoy little or no autonomy from central control. Instead they are burdened with targets and cumbersome management structures which often achieve little more than the appearance of good services.

This lack of trust from middle management and central government has left staff demoralised and services suffering. The result is a vicious circle of low morale, falling status and rising difficulty in attracting the top graduates needed to make our public services first class.

Charting decades of promises to empower front line staff, Leading from the Front argues that government must finally learn to relinquish some of its power to local control if we are to improve our public services in an era of austerity, creating instead a public service in which empowered citizens can seek and receive the services they need from empowered staff.
Report

MATERNITY/MIDWIFERY

Delivering high quality midwifery care: the priorities, opportunities and challenges for midwives (28th September 2009)
This report was produced from work undertaken by the Quality of Midwifery Care Project steering group, its subgroups of midwives, lay representatives and other stakeholders, supported by the Department of Health in response to the NHS Next Stage Review and reflecting the policy direction of Maternity Matters.
Guidance

MENTAL HEALTH

Safe and appropriate care for young people on adult mental health wards - pilot programme report (21st September 2009)
This is the pilot report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists Research and Training Unit, who were commissioned to develop a set of standards to identify safe and appropriate care for young people on adult wards.

The pilot highlights areas of concern, particularly in training and safeguarding, and access to CAMHS support. The recommendations include:
  • designating wards in advance
  • defined liaison for adult wards from one CAMHS team
  • closer joint working by commissioners of AMHS and CAMHS
  • workforce development and training
  • performance monitoring by SHAs
  • monitoring of commissioning and provision of services for under 18s by the CQC
Report

World Alzheimer Report (21st September 2009)
On 21 September 2009, World Alzheimer's Day, ADI released the World Alzheimer Report 2009, which presents the new and more accurate global figures indicating the true scale of the dementia epidemic we are facing.

The report presents the most comprehensive global prevalence study of dementia to date and looks at levels of mortality, disability, strain on carers and dependency. The report also offers examples of good national dementia plans and information on health service responses. Importantly, the report also includes eight recommendations that will provide a global framework for action on dementia.
Report

Benchmarking Mental Health Services (17th September 2009)
The NHS Benchmarking Network's new project on benchmarking mental health services aims to benchmark the commissioning and provision of mental health services and has 3 main components.
  • Adult Services
  • CAMHS
  • Community Mental Health Teams
The project aims to benchmark commissioning arrangements, local health needs, the scope of local services, access, activity / productivity, finance, quality, and the extent of local good practice innovation.
Information

NHS

Seeing double: meeting the challenge of dual diagnosis (24th September 2009)
Dual diagnosis is the term used to describe people who have concurrent mental health and substance misuse or alcohol problems. It affects a third of mental health service users, half of substance misuse service users and 70 per cent of prisoners.

This briefing identifies the key issues around dual diagnosis, explains existing policy and makes recommendations on what mental health providers and commissioners should be doing in this area.
Briefing

NHS Pay Review Body. Review for 2010. Information from the Health Departments relevant to the NHSPRB's consideration of the three year pay deal (25th September 2009)
Written and statistical evidence from the Health Departments for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Document

Improving care, reducing cost. Helping the NHS meet its 21st Century challenge (September 2009)
The debate about the future financing and organisation of the NHS is taking off once again, fuelled by the forthcoming general election, concern about the UK’s record budget deficit and worries about the quality of patient care. The use of management consultants by the NHS has been the focus of much attention, particularly in the wake of the recently leaked McKinsey report on how the NHS can reduce costs.

The Management Consultancies Association’s (MCA) report on management consulting and the NHS, Improving care, reducing cost, contains the first authoritative analysis of how much the NHS spends on management consultancy and the types of work that management consultants do. It is based on detailed research with MCA member companies, and contains a series of case studies. In addition to analysing the NHS’s spending on management consultancy, the MCA has asked its members to explain the work that they do with the NHS, why they think this work is valuable and how it fits with a future of healthcare that needs to deliver high quality care at a cost the UK taxpayer is able and willing to.
Report

ARTICLE - Early in-hospital mortality following trainee doctors' first day at work (23rd September 2009)
People admitted to English hospitals in an emergency on the first Wednesday in August have, on average, a six percent higher mortality rate than people admitted on the previous Wednesday, according to research published in PLoS One today.
HTML Full text
PDF Full text

NHS TRUSTS

NHS Machines. Utilisation of high-value equipment at NHS Trusts (25th September 2009)
A new report from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) provides evidence that many NHS Trusts are not adequately utilising expensive treatment and diagnostic equipment. With a crisis in the public finances and patients still forced to wait for important diagnostic and treatment procedures, the fact that many Trusts are under-utilising expensive and important facilities is of serious concern.
Report

NICE

Alcohol use disorders - clinical management: guideline consultation (17th September 2009)
A clinical practice guideline on Alcohol use disorders – clinical management is being developed for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Registered stakeholders for this guideline are invited to comment on the provisional recommendations via this website.

Closing date for consultation is 12th November 2009.
Consultation


Quitting smoking in pregnancy and following childbirth: consultation on the evidence (24th September 2009)
NICE was asked by the Department of Health (DH) to develop guidance on ‘How to stop smoking in pregnancy and following childbirth’.

All registered stakeholders are now invited to comment on the evidence that has been assembled to inform the development of this guidance. This evidence will be used by the Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee (PHIAC) to develop draft recommendations. The evidence comprises a review of effectiveness and barriers and facilitators, three expert reports and a supplementary economic analysis.

Closing date for comments is 22nd October 2009.
Consultation

Extracorporeal albumin dialysis for acute liver failure - Interventional Procedure Guidance IPG316 (23rd September 2009)
Extracorporeal albumin dialysis for acute-on-chronic liver failure involves pumping blood from the body through a thin membrane coated with albumin. Molecules that bind to the albumin membrane are then removed by passing through a charcoal column and an anion exchange, before being reintroduced into the circuit. Both water-soluble toxins (as in renal dialysis) and strongly albumin-bound toxins are removed by this process.

Albumin is purported to have important transport and detoxifications functions, such as the removal of albumin-bound substances, which may ameliorate some of the problems of liver failure.
Guidance


Sunitinib for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours - Technology Appraisal TA179 (23rd September 2009)
Sunitinib is recommended as a possible treatment for people with unresectable or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours if they have already tried imatinib treatment but it has not worked or was not suitable. The manufacturer of sunitinib has agreed to cover the cost of the drug for the first treatment cycle.

Treatment should be supervised by a specialist who is experienced in treating people with gastrointestinal stromal tumours.
Guidance


Hysteroscopic sterilisation by tubal cannulation and placement of intrafallopian implants - Interventional Procedure Guidance IPG315 (23rd September 2009)
Sterilisation results in the inability to conceive children naturally. It is sometimes chosen as a method of birth control and is usually permanent. In women, hysteroscopic sterilisation by tubal cannulation and placement of intrafallopian implants is used to block the fallopian tubes, with the aim of preventing the eggs from reaching the womb and becoming fertilised. The procedure is performed by passing a small camera and tube (hysteroscope) through the vagina and cervix. A very small implant called a microinsert is placed into each fallopian tube using specialised narrow surgical instruments that are passed through the hysteroscope. The presence of the microinserts causes scar tissue to form in the fallopian tubes, which eventually blocks them.
Guidance


Individually magnetic resonance imaging - designed unicompartmental interpositional implant insertion for osteoarthritis of the knee - Interventional Procedure Guidance IPG317 (23rd September 2009)
Osteoarthritis of the knee can cause pain, stiffness, swelling and difficulty in walking. In this procedure, an individually designed implant is inserted at the knee between the thigh and shin bones with the object of realigning the knee and preventing bone-on-bone rubbing. This aims to reduce pain and delay the progression of osteoarthritis and the need for further, more invasive surgery, such as knee replacement.
Guidance


Pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer - Technology Appraisal TA181 (23rd September 2009)
Pemetrexed is recommended as a possible treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if:
  • the cancer is a particular type (adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma) and
  • the person has not had any treatment for NSCLC before.
Healthcare professionals should not stop prescribing pemetrexed for people who do not have adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma who were already taking it when the guidance was issued. These people should be able to carry on taking pemetrexed until they and their specialist decide that it is the right time to stop treatment.
Guidance


Ustekinumab for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe psoriasis - Technology Appraisal TA180 (23rd September 2009)
Ustekinumab is recommended as a possible treatment for people with plaque psoriasis if:
  • standard assessments show that their psoriasis is severe and is affecting their quality of life and
  • their psoriasis has not improved with other treatments such as ciclosporin, methotrexate or PUVA (psoralen and long-wave ultraviolet radiation), or they have had side effects with these treatments in the past or there is a medical reason why they should not be given them.
Guidance

Guidance on differences in the uptake of immunisations (including targeted vaccines) in people younger than 19 years - Public Health Guidance PH21 (23rd September 2009)
This guidance is for NHS and other professionals responsible for the immunisation of children and young people. They may work in: children’s services, local authorities, education and the wider public, private, voluntary and community sectors. It may also be of interest to parents.

The guidance aims to increase immunisation uptake among those aged under 19 years from groups where uptake is low. It also aims to ensure babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B are immunised.
Guidance


Promoting young people's social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education - Public Health Guidance PH20 (23rd September 2009)
This guidance is for all those who have a responsibility for the social and emotional wellbeing of young people in secondary education. This includes teachers, support staff, governors and professionals with public health as part of their remit working in education (including the independent sector), local authorities, the NHS and the wider public, voluntary and community sectors.

It focuses on interventions to support all young people aged 11-19 who attend any education establishment.
Guidance

NURSING

Pain in Children (28th September 2009)
Originally published in 2000, and now completely revised and updated as of 2009, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guideline on the recognition and assessment of acute pain in children looks at when and how pain should be assessed and by whom. As well as the report itself, this resource provides high quality tailored material to inspire and support implementation of the findings and recommendations in the guideline.
Resources

PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

Authorisation of antiviral medicines - guidance on the use of FP10SS forms and Antiviral Authorisation Vouchers during the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in England (24th September 2009)
This is a new guidance document on the use of Antiviral Authorisation Vouchers.

This guidance has been issued for two reasons:
  • authorisation of antiviral medicines using Antiviral Authorisation Vouchers as well as specifically endorsed FP10SS forms has now been enabled.
  • a change in the recommended dose for oseltamivir for children 6 months and over and up to 1 year of age from 2mg/kg to 3mg/kg has been announced by the European Commission.
Guidance

Managing influenza-like illness (ILI) in nursing and residential homes during the current influenza pandemic (WHO Phase 6)
This guidance aims to provide advice on the generic management of cases or outbreaks of flu-like illness in nursing and residential homes, and provides specific guidance appropriate to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza.
Guidance

PARENTING

Launch of website for teen parents (28th September 2009)
A new social networking site for teen parents has been launched. The site has been created by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.

The site, Bubbalicious, was developed after consulting with young parents across the country. Users can chat, win prizes, upload pictures and take part in a four level baby care challenge.
Website

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

Let's Get Moving - patient resource (24th September 2009)
The Let's Get Moving (LGM) patient pack is designed to support patients in their efforts to become more active and contains helpful hints, practical examples, simple visual tools and personal planning exercises (practitioners might also wish to use the resource to guide patients towards becoming more active).

The pack has templates for relevant local information on indoor and outdoor activity opportunities. These templates should be completed locally, printed and inserted into the LGM patient pack prior to distribution to service deliverers. There is also an online search tool available on NHS Choices. Maps of local walking routes and green space are another supportive tool that can be included in the patient pack: these were very well received by patients in the LGM feasibility pilot.
Resources

Keep Warm Keep Well (24th September 2009)
The latest information to help the public maintain good health during winter.
Poster
Easy Read Leaflet
Guide for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions

Seasonal flu: why you should have the vaccination (17th September 2009)
This years campaign poster and leaflet.
Poster
Leaflet

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Helping the NHS put patients at the heart of care (25th September 2009)
Helping the NHS put patients at the heart of care: PPE work programme 2009-10

The Government is committed to help services become better at listening, understanding and responding to the needs and wishes of patients and the public. This document tells you more about the Department of Health support programme to help services engage patients and the public.
Guidance

Quality Accounts patient and public engagement report (Published 17th September 2009, Modified 22nd September 2009)
Over the summer, we focused our engagement efforts particularly on gaining views from the public, service users and patient organisations. CQC and DH jointly commissioned Ipsos MORI to run workshops with the public and LINks representatives to discuss how best to engage patients and the public in Quality Accounts and the role of LINks.
Report

PATIENT SAFETY

NCAS Casework - The first eight years (22nd September 2009)
The National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) has published the largest study of medical and dental performance concerns ever carried out in the UK.

The report analyses cases referred to NCAS since 2001 and identifies which groups of practitioners are more likely to be referred to NCAS and what can be learnt from these referral patterns. The report also examines episodes of suspension and exclusion of individual practitioners and, for more than 1,400 cases dealt with by NCAS since the end of 2007, it analyses the nature of concerns which led to referral.
Report

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical activity matters to the health of our nation (24th September 2009)
A new physical activity care pathway in primary care, Let's Get Moving, was launched on 24th September 2009. All the documents are now available to access.
Covering Letter
Feasibility Study
Commissioning Guidance
Patient and Staff Resources

POVERTY

Engaging public support for eradicating UK Poverty (24th September 2009)
Surveys suggest that public attitudes towards those experiencing poverty are harshly judgemental or view poverty and inequality as inevitable. But when people are better informed about inequality and life on a low income, they are more supportive of measures to reduce poverty and inequality.

This paper:
  • examines attitudes to poverty, what influences them, and ways to build public support for anti-poverty measures;
  • draws on the findings of the JRF Public Interest in Poverty Issues programme.
Paper

PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

The NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations: Information for Primary Care Trusts - revised September 2009 (17th September 2009)
This Guidance has been produced to assist Primary Care Trusts in the assessment and determination of applications to provide NHS pharmaceutical services. It incorporates reforms effective from 1 April 2005 to the regulatory system and amendments to the Regulations since. This includes the amendments which came into force on 17 September – SI 2009/2205.
Regulations

PUBLIC HEALTH

APHO Technical Briefing 6: Using small area data in public health intelligence (31st August 2009)
In this briefing, from the Association of Public Health Observatories, they assess the types of small area data available to analysts and local policy makers across the UK and Ireland, reflecting, as much as possible, the differences between the constituent nations. A range of analytical and presentational methods that may be used and some of the analytical issues that may be encountered are described.
Briefing

Violence Prevention: The Evidence. (17th September 2009)
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Public Health have produced a series of eight briefings. The series summarises the evidence for interventions to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence, providing clear directions for how violence prevention funders, policy makers and programme implementers can boost the impact of their violence prevention efforts.
Violence prevention: the evidence. Overview
Reducing violence through victim identification, care and support programmes
Changing cultural and social norms that support violence
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women
Guns, knives and pesticides: reducing access to lethal means
Preventing violence by reducing the availability and harmful use of alcohol
Preventing violence by developing life skills in children and adolescents
Preventing violence through the development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships between children and their parents and caregivers


Sustainable plastic usage and public health. Fact sheet 5 (25th September 2009)
This fact sheet examines both the public health benefits and issues associated with our addiction to plastics
Fact sheet

ARTICLE - Identifying primary care patients at risk for future diabetes and cardiovascular disease using electronic health records (22nd September 2009)
Prevention of diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) is possible but identification of at-risk patients for targeting interventions is a challenge in primary care. This study looked at the electronic health record (EHR) data for 122,715 patients from 12 primary care practices. After excluding patients with diabetes/CHD at baseline 78,293 patients were eligible for analysis.
Article

ROAD SAFETY

Road Safety Research Report 109. Collisions involving Older Drivers: an in-depth study (24th September 2009)
In-depth analysis of road crashes involving older drivers aged over 60. A sample of over 2,000 police files from three midland UK police forces was reviewed, providing a database including the main objective features, a summary narrative, a sketch plan and a list of explanatory factors. The analysis identifies the types of collisions older drivers are involved in, with particular attention to the driving situations and tasks that are most likely to present them difficulties.
Report


SEXUAL HEALTH

United Kingdom national guideline on the management of sexually transmitted infections and related conditions in children and young people (2009)
This guideline provides recommendations on the assessment, examination, diagnostic tests, treatment regimens and prophylaxis for the effective management of children and young persons under 16 at risk of, or who have, an STI. It offers guidance on consent and confidentiality on children and young people presenting to health care professionals working in sexual health services. It is also applicable to young people aged 16-18 who have learning difficulties or who are 'vulnerable’.
Guideline

SOCIAL CARE

Report 23: A review of knowledge management and evidence-based practice activities and networks in adult social care in the North West of England (August 2009)
The purpose of this report is to review existing knowledge management and evidence-based practice activities and networks in the North West region and to develop a regional strategy for taking this forward. Time and resources are often wasted because people develop methods over and over again, rather than sharing what they know through reliable local, regional, national and international networks. Sharing knowledge and lessons learned can result in improved care for people who use services, increased staff motivation, opportunities for research and innovation, and better communication and IT systems.
Report

STATISTICS

Monthly Digest of Statistics - September 2009 (25th September 2009)

Quarterly Population Estimates (experimental) - Q2 2009 and revised Q3 2007 to Q1 2009 (25th September 2009)

Estimates of Household Population for England and Wales (experimental) - Mid 2008 (25th September 2009)

Genito-Urinary Medicine Access Monthly Monitoring - July 2009
(24th September 2009)

Food Statistics Pocketbook 2009 (24th September 2009)

Road Casualties in England: Local Authority Tables - 2008 Results (24th September 2009)

Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report - 2008 Edition (24th September 2009)

Population Trends No 137 (24th September 2009)

Place Survey - England - 2008 Further Results (23rd September 2009)

Autism Spectrum Disorders in adults living in households throughout England - report from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (22nd September 2009)

NHS Referral to Treatment Waiting Times - July 2009 (17th September 2009)

Direct Access Audiology Waiting Times - July 2009 (17th September 2009)

NHS Staff Earnings April to June 2009
(17th September 2009)

Referrals, assessments and children and young people who are the subject of a child protection plan, England - Year ending 31 March 2009 (17th September 2009)

Population estimates of the very elderly (experimental) - Mid 2008 estimates (17th September 2009)

Investment in General Practice: England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - 2003/04 to 2008/09 (16th September 2009)

GP Earnings and Expenses - 2007/08 Provisional report (16th September 2009)

Supporting People - Quarterly Client Records and Outcomes - April 2008 to March 2009 - Finalised (16th September 2009)

Labour Market Statistics - September 2009 (16th September 2009)

Regional Labour Market Statistics - September 2009
(16th September 2009)

Practice-based commissioning: GP practice survey (wave 8) (30th September 2009)

Bed availability and occupancy, 2008-09 (30th September 2009)

Quality and Outcomes Framework, 2008/09 Achievement data (29th September 2009)

Statistics on Smoking, England 2009
(29th September 2009)

Social Care and Mental Health Indicators from the National Indicator Set - further analysis, provisional, England 2008-09 (30th September 2009)

Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity, England - Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities tables, provisional, 2008-09 (30th September 2009)

Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs, England Provisional 2008-09 (30th September 2009)

Personal Social Services: Home Care Users Aged 65 or over, England - Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities tables, provisional, 2008-09 (30th September 2009)

Routine Mental Health Minimum Dataset (MHMDS) Data Quality (Trust Analysis) Reports - Quarter 3 2008/09 (delayed from June 30th and 13th August for technical reasons) (30th September 2009)

TOOLKIT

Action to deliver same-sex accommodation: root cause analysis (17th September 2009)
Use of the toolkit will enable trusts to identify, understand and address issues relating to mixed sex accommodation occurrences. The purpose is to facilitate local learning and improvement and to make this sustainable.
Toolkit

VULNERABLE PEOPLE

Keep Warm, Keep Well: Supporting vulnerable people during cold weather (18th September 2009)
This leaflet is part of the national Keep Warm Keep Well programme, which aims to reduce chronic and acute health risks associated with cold weather. It contains advice for people working in primary care or social services, and for home care providers.
Leaflet