PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

Easements to quality and outcomes framework (QOF): patient experience indicators 7 and 8 (24th February 2010)
Dear colleague letter which provides advice for PCTs on calculating the easements to the thresholds for Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators PE7 and PE8 contained in the Directions on the swine flu (H1N1) vaccination agreement for clinical priority groups.
Letter

Monitoring use of money to implement End of Life Care Strategy - PCTs (25th February 2010)

Templates to monitor how the additional money provided to help implement the End of Life Care Strategy in 2009/10 is being invested have been issued to SHA and PCT Directors of Finance.

Templates

STRATEGIC HEALTH AUTHORITY

Monitoring use of money to implement End of Life Strategy - SHA's (25th February 2010)

Templates to monitor how the additional money provided to help implement the End of Life Care Strategy in 2009/10 is being invested have been issued to SHA and PCT Directors of Finance.

Templates

Priority review of long term conditions care planning and PSA target (4th March 2010)

Letter to Strategic Health Authorities on information needed to report to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit on progress against the commitment, made in High Quality Care for All, to offer everyone with a long term condition a personalised care plan.

Information

END OF LIFE CARE

Delivering better care at end of life. The next steps (27th January 2010)
The document includes papers given at the Sir Roger Bannister Summit at Leeds Castle in November 2009 and an account of the debate generated. The summit, organised by The King's Fund covered issues including commissioning, hospice and hospital care, quality markers and challenges for providers. It identified 10 critical actions to help the successful implementation of the government's End of Life Care Strategy. This document should be invaluable for those seeking to improve the quality of the care offered to patients at the end of life.
Document

ANNUAL REPORT

End of life care strategy: first annual report (14th July 2009)
In July 2008 the Department of Health published the End of life care strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. This report sets out progress over the first year.
Annual Report

The National Suicide Prevention Annual Report of progress in 2008 (10th July 2009)
The report highlights progress made on a number of specific initiatives during 2008 as well as outlining some key issues for 2009. The suicide rate continues to fall and is now the lowest rate on record. In addition, there has bee a further fall in the rate of suicide amongst young men under the age of 35. There has also been a further reduction in suicides amongst mental health in-patients and in prisons. We cannot afford to be complacent however. Previously periods of high unemployment or severe economic problems have had an adverse effect on the mental health of the population and have been associated with higher rates of suicide. PCTs and other front-line agencies are aware of the situation and continue to identify and support vulnerable individuals wha are at risk.
Report

BULLETINS/NEWSLETTERS

Health Protection Report Vol. 3 No. 25 (26th June 2009)

Health Protection Report Vol. 3 No. 26 (3rd July 2009)

Sexual Health Quarterly Bulletin June 2009 (29th June 2009)

The month: issue 22, June 2009 (3rd July 2009)

CNO Bulletin, Issue 79, June 2009 (26th June 2009)

Children, Families and Maternity e-bulletin - July 2009 Edition 52 (July 2009)

GP and Practice Team Bulletin, Issue 85, June 2009 (25th June 2009)

Medical Directors' Bulletin, Issue 94, June 2009 (26th June 2009)

End of Life Care Programme Newsletter: issue 14 (1st July 2009)

END OF LIFE CARE

End of life care strategy: quality markers and measures for end of life care (30th June 2009)
The end of life care strategy published in July 2008 included a commitment to publish quality markers for end of life care.

This was a response to the SHA Pathway Chairs for the NHS Next Stage Review, who identified the need for a national approach in order to raise the quality of care for people at the end of life. The SHA Pathway Chairs helped produce the consultation draft which was published in November 2008. This publication reflects the comments the Department of Health received through the consultation.
Guidance

Common core competences and principles for health and social care workers working with adults at the end of life. To support the National End of Life Care Strategy (26th June 2009)
The National End of Life Care Programme has worked with Skills for Health and Skills for Care to outline the core skills and knowledge that will allow staff across health and social care to respond with confidence to one of the most challenging areas of care.

Common core competences and principles for health and social care workers working with adults at the end of life outlines the principles that underpin quality end of life care. The document is a guide to the core skills and knowledge that will equip you to play your part in the delivery of high quality end of life care.
Document

PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Public Accounts Committee - End of life care - Nineteenth Report of Session 2008-09 (14th May 2009)

Public Accounts Committee - Financial Management in the NHS: Report on the NHS Summarised Accounts 2007-08 - Twenty-second report of session 2008-09 (21st May 2009)

END OF LIFE CARE

Planning for your future care - a guide (7th April 2009)
The National End of Life Care (EoLC) Programme has launched a basic patient guide on advance care planning. It explains in simple language the wide range of issues which can be covered through advance care planning as well as giving practical advice on how to develop written plans and decisions.
Guide

COMMISSIONING

Transforming community services and world class commissioning: resource pack for commissioners of community services (13th January 2009)
This resource pack sets out the principles of good practice when commissioning community services, showcases examples of existing good practice through case studies in 6 clinical areas and signposts commissioners to the most pertinent and relevant information.
Resource Pack

Cancer Commissioning Guidance (12th January 2009)
The cancer commissioning guidance announced as part of the Cancer Reform Strategy has been developed to support world-class commissioning of cancer services across the NHS. The guidance sets out, in an easy-to-use format, key issues and questions that commissioners and cancer network teams will want to take into consideration when assessing health needs, reviewing services, developing their contract service specifications and monitoring performance.
Guidance

Supporting people with long term conditions: commissioning personalised care planning - a guide for commissioners (19th January 2009)
This guide will provide commissioners of health and social care services with the information and support they need to embed personalised care planning in their localities.
Guidance

Information for commissioning end of life care (January 2009)
This information from the National End of Life Care Programme team, in conjunction with the Department of Health, commissioning work group, the end of life care service specification working group and individual commissioners, will support the commissioning of a whole-systems approach to end of life care and is intended for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), practice based commissioners, mental health service commissioners, older people service commissioners and long term condition service commissioners.
Information

Commissioning to improve oral health (12th January 2009)
NHS PCC has published a paper covering the background and approach to commissioning for improvement in oral health. Based on a presentation at the "Delivering better oral health - embedding prevention in NHS practice" events in September 2008, the paper includes a step by step guide to strategic planning for prevention.
Paper

PALLIATIVE CARE/END OF LIFE CARE

End of Life Care (26th November 2008)
This report, by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that some people approaching the end of their life receive a high quality service, but that there is room for improved coordination between health and social care services in planning and delivering end of life care.
Report
Executive Summary
Other related reports/surveys

RENAL

Renal supportive and end of life care: a one day workshop organised by the Department of Health on Monday 14th April 2008 (6th August 2008)
This is the report of a workshop on renal supportive and end of life care held on 14 April 2008. The aim of the workshop was to consult on the possible contents of an action plan to assist the NHS in implementing the renal national service framework over the next 18 months to two years. The action plan will be published later in 2008.
Click here for the Report

PALLIATIVE CARE/END OF LIFE CARE

End of Life Care Strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life (16th July 2008)
The Government has published the End of Life Care Strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life which is the first for the UK and covers adults in England. Its aim is to provide people approaching the end of life with more choice about where they would like to live and die. It encompasses all adults with advanced, progressive illness and care given in all settings. The strategy has been developed by an expert advisory board chaired by Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director, and including key stakeholders from statutory health, social care, third sector organisations, professional and academic organisations. The strategy has been informed and shaped by the work on end of life care undertaken by strategic health authorities for the NHS Next Stage Review.
Strategy
Executive Summary
Impact Assessment
Results of PCT survey on expenditure
Bibliography
End of Life Care Strategy advisory board and working group members
Presentation in PowerPoint
Presentation in PDF

END OF LIFE CARE

Improving Choice at End of Life - A descriptive analysis of the impact and costs of The Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme in Lincolnshire (23rd April 2008)
This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the impact and costs of new services as part of the Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme, which was launched in 2004. Delivery of care for patients at the end of their lives is becoming an increasing policy concern. Although the majority of people report that they would choose to die in their home, only a minority of patients achieve this wish. The Delivering Choice Programme aims to develop and help provide the best possible service for patients at the end of their lives.
Click here for the Paper

Improving Environments for Care at End of Life - Lessons from eight UK pilot programmes (23rd April)
In 2006 a pilot programme was launched in partnership with six NHS trusts, supported by their charities, and two Marie Curie Cancer Care hospices to improve Environments for Care at End of Life. The objective was to see whether the King’s Fund run Enhancing the Healing Environment (EHE) could be adapted to these sensitive health care environments. As a result of the pilot programme the Department of Health has funded an extension of the programme in a further 20 health care environments in England. This report shares the lessons learnt from this project.
Click here for the Report