ALCOHOL

Review of alcohol-related harm in Wigan and Leigh, July 2008 (20th October 2008)
In order to fully understand the impacts of alcohol on the local area, Wigan Drug and Alcohol Action Team commissioned the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University to conduct a review examining areas such as alcohol-related ill health and alcohol-related crime.
Review

Reducing Alcohol Harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse (29th October 2008)
This report evaluates work by the Department of Health and the National Health Service to address the health effects of alcohol misuse. Alcohol-related ill-health is an increasing burden for the National Health Service. Alcohol misuse costs the health service in the order of £2.7 billion a year, but efforts to address it locally are not in general well-planned, the National Audit Office reported today. The Department of Health is however raising the profile of alcohol misuse by providing information and guidance to underpin local action, centred on encouraging PCTs to gauge their performance against the rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Report
Summary

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Self-referral pilots to musculoskeletal physiotherapy and the implications for improving access to other AHP services (21st October 2008)
Report of work to explore the impact of opening up access to musculoskeletal physiotherapy through self-referral where it had not previously been part of usual service provision. The report also considers the implications for access to other allied health professions services. Findings highlight benefits to patients and services.
Report

Framing the contribution of allied health professionals: delivering high-quality healthcare (21st October 2008)
Document to frame the Next Stage Review for allied health professionals and describe the improved AHP service offer to patients and the public.
Document

Occupational therapy in adult social care in England: sustaining a high quality workforce for the future (21st October 2008)
This report is the result of partnership working between the Department of Health and the College of Occupational Therapists (COT). It was commissioned in 2007 in light of the Options for Excellence workforce review. It reflects the recognised need to build an occupational therapy social care workforce for the future by improving opportunities for student placements and supporting newly qualified staff. The report is a useful tool to promote dialogue locally. It proposes next steps to enable innovative solutions that support service transformation and deliver sustainable outcomes for service users and carers.
Report

ANNUAL REPORTS

National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan - Annual Progress Report 2007/08 (31st October 2008)
Domestic Violence accounts for 16% of all reported violent incidents. It has more repeat victims than any other crime, with repeat victimisation accounting for 73% of all incidents of domestic violence with over one in four (27%) victims having been victimised three or more times.
Report

National Specialised Commissioning Group (NSCG) - Annual Report 2007/08 (October 2008)
This is the first annual report of the NSCG. The report highlights each of the 10 Specialised Commissioning Groups (SCG’s) progress during 2007/08.
Report

The State of the Drug Problem in Europe - Annual Report 2008 (7th November 2008)
This is the thirteenth annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
Report

Tuberculosis in the UK: Annual report on tuberculosis surveillance in the UK 2008 (30th October 2008)
Tuberculosis (TB) figures released today by the Health Protection Agency show that the upward climb in numbers we have seen in recent years is beginning to stabilise but scientists are warning the figures are still too high. In total there were 8,417 cases of TB reported in the UK in 2007, this compares with 8,495 in 2006. This is a small decline of 0.9%. In 2000 there were 6,726 cases in the UK.
Annual Report

AUDIT

Code of Audit Practice 2008 - for local government bodies (20th October 2008)
The Code determines the nature, level and scope of local audit work and has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders. The Code will enable the Audit Commission to provide the assurances on proper stewardship and value for money in the use of resources which underpin the delivery of high quality services to the public. This is an amended edition, which replaces the Code first published in March 2005 by the Audit Commission for local authorities and the National Health Service in England.
Document

CANCER

ARTICLE - Variation in incidence of breast, lung and cervical cancer and malignant melanoma of skin by socioeconomic group in England (October 2008)
Cancer incidence varies by socioeconomic group and these variations have been linked with environmental and lifestyle factors, differences in access to health care and health seeking behaviour. Socioeconomic variations in cancer incidence by region and age are less clearly understood but they are crucial for targeting prevention measures and health care commissioning. National comparison of socioeconomic variations in cancer incidence by region and age can provide an unbiased basis for public health prevention and health commissioning. Decreasing inequalities in incidence requires the integration of information on risk factors, incidence and projected incidence but targeted public health interventions could help to reduce regional inequalities in incidence and reduce the future cancer burden.
Article

New measures for the Manual for Cancer Services 2008 (7th November 2008)
This revised Manual of Cancer Services is an integral part of the NHS Cancer Plan, Cancer Reform Strategy and modernisation of cancer services. It will support quality assurance of cancer services and enable quality improvement.
Documents

CARE/CARERS

Integrated Care Pilot Programme - prospectus launch (16th October 2008)
The Primary and Community Care Strategy announced that the Department would pilot new clinically-led models of integrated care. This prospectus invites innovative applications from clinicians, care professionals and managers. It sets out the scope of the programme and the process for selection.
Covering Letter
Prospectus
Evidence Base
Application form

Improving care in residential care homes: a literature review (29th October 2008)
This review examines the research evidence available to support improved care for older people in residential homes.
Review

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Drug Education: An entitlement for all - a report to the Government by the Advisory Group on Drug and Alcohol Education (October 2008)
Young people who drink alcohol or take illegal drugs can inflict serious damage on their own health and well-being, and wider negative impacts on their families and local community. Despite improvements in the past ten years, drug and alcohol education in schools, colleges and non-formal settings could be better. Following the analysis of the evidence, and using the knowledge and expertise of the Advisory Group, a series of recommendations have been put before the Government to act upon.
Report

Government Response to the Advisory Group on Drug and Alcohol Education (October 2008)
This publication is the Government’s response to the recommendations made in the Advisory Group on Drug and Alcohol Education’s report. It lists the actions that the Government intends to carry out with regards to the Advisory Groups recommendations.
Publication

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Are we there yet? Improving governance and resource management in children’s trusts (29th October 2008)
This report examined the progress local councils and their partners are making in developing children's trusts. The report concludes that the 'children's trusts' created by the government after the death of Victoria Climbie have been confused and confusing. Five years after the green paper Every Child Matters and eight years after the child's death, 'there is little evidence of better outcomes for children and young people' resulting from the requirement that local areas in England set up arrangements to coordinate children's services. A third of directors of children's services say that their partner organisations are 'unclear' of the purpose of children's trusts, and the uncertainty is hampering their efforts to deliver better services. However the study did find that progress has been made in bringing professionals together, but sometimes by navigating around the 'centrally-directed approach'. Local agreements worked better than external direction.
Report
Summary
Self-assessment tool

Information sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers (October 2008)
This guidance is for practitioners who provide services to children, young people and adults, who have to make decisions about sharing personal information on a case-by-case basis. It is also for managers and advisors who support these practitioners in their decision making and for others with responsibility for information governance.
Guidance

COMMISSIONING

Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Commissioning weight management services for children and young people (7th November 2008)
This guide has been developed to support local areas in commissioning weight management services for children and young people. It is designed to reflect the move towards world class commissioning and joint commissioning of children’s services, and complements the existing suite of Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives publications. The guide includes an introduction setting out the wider context and additional plans to provide support to commissioners in this area, and 15 separate tools covering key steps in the commissioning process.
Guide

Commissioning IAPT for the whole community: improving access to psychological therapies (6th November 2008)
This document is intended to assist commissioners (including practice-based commissioners), to deliver Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services that are effective and appropriate for the whole community, using innovative ways of meeting the needs of local people. It is drawn from the work of the IAPT special interest groups (SIGs).
Document

World Classing Commissioning and Audit Commission Auditors’ Local Evaluation (Use of Resources from 08/09) (5th November 2008)
This letter from Mark Britnel, Director General of Commissioning & System Management, and Andy McKeon, Managing Director of Health, Audit Commission, outlines how the Audit Commission Auditors’ Local Evaluation (Use of Resources from 08/09) will provide a basis to help PCTs develop under the World Class Commissioning assurance system.
Document

Mental Health Act 2007 - briefing regarding children and young people (October 2008)
As of November 3 2008, PCT and children’s trust commissioners will need to be aware that they have a new legal duty under sections 39 and 140 of the Mental Health Act 2007 to inform the courts and local authorities where beds and facilities for under 18 year olds have been (or could be) commissioned. Children under the age of 16 should not be placed on adult wards at all by December 1.
Briefing

Primary and Community Care Strategy Presentation (22nd October 2008)
The Department of Health set out its vision of primary care in a document published in July. NHS Next Stage Review, Our Vision for Primary and Community Care lays down a clear challenge to healthcare professionals and commissioners to deliver high-quality care at the point of need consistently and fairly. The document identifies development goals for the next 10 years, defining essential standards and describing a framework for delivering innovation and excellence. NHS PCC has developed a presentation that PCT commissioners can use to communicate the aims and objectives of the strategy locally. The presentation should assist PCTs in setting their own strategic priorities for primary and community care in line with national policy.
Presentation

Accessing and using NICE commissioning tools - new tutorials (October 2008)
In response to feedback from users of the commissioning tools, NICE has published three tutorials to help commissioner understand how to use them, and how to get the best out of their use.
Tutorials

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

General Medical Council (Constitution) Order 2008 constitution report: October 2008: response to consultation (16th October 2008)
A summary response to the public constitution on the draft regulations; setting out proposals for the GMC (Constitution) Order 2008.
Response
Original consultation

Nursing and Midwifery Council (Constitution) Order 2008: consultation report (21st October 2008)
A summary response to the public consultation on the draft regulations setting out proposals for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (Constitution) Order 2008.
Response
Original consultation

General Chiropractic Council (Constitution) Order 2008: consultation report, October 2008 (30th October 2008)
Summary of response to the public consultation on the draft General Chiropractic Council (Constitution) Order 2008.
Response
Impact assessment
Original consultation

The Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008 consultation summary (11th November 2008)
This document sets out the outcome of a consultation to a number of changes to the 1983 Act, and to the 2003 Order. All amendments relate to the General Medical Council. Some also relate to the functions of the Privy Council and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board.
Response
Impact Assessment

CONSULTATIONS

Manual for Cancer Services 2008: Draft Children’s Measures - Consultation Version (3rd November 2008)
The purpose of this consultation is to make the new children's cancer measures clear and comprehensive to be added to the new revised Manual for Cancer Services 2008 (due to be published later this year) An Impact Assessment is not required for this document. However the National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence has undertaken a full economic analysis on the national guidance on which this document is based. Closing date for comments is 30th January 2009.
Letter
Consultation Version
Consultation proforma
Equality Impact Assessment for the Ongoing Programme of Updates to the Manual

Safeguarding adults: a consultation on the review of the ‘No Secrets’ guidance (16th October 2008)
The Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice have launched the national consultation on the review of the No Secrets guidance. Minister for Care Services, Phil Hope MP said: 'This consultation paper is about learning. It is about how we as a society learn to empower people - both the public and the professionals - to identify risk and manage risk. It is about how we empower people to say no to abusive situations and criminal behaviour. It is about locating safeguarding in the wider agenda of choice and control. It is about recognising safeguarding as everyone's business. It is about identifying the tools we need for better safeguarding.' Closing date for comments 31st January 2009.
Consultation document
Easy-read version
Easy-read answer booklet
Impact assessment
Letter to all Directors of Social Services

Developing the Quality and Outcomes Framework: Proposals for a new, independent process (30th October 2008)
This is a public consultation document setting out proposals for how a new independent and transparent process for recommending Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) indicators led by NICE should work. The DH will publish the responses and publish a report on how the consultation process influenced the development of policy. Closing date for comments is 2nd February 2009.
Consultation document
Impact Assessment

End of Life Care Strategy: Quality Markers Consultation (7th November 2008)
The Department of Health has launched a consultation on Quality Markers for End of Life Care, as promised in the End of Life Care Strategy published in July. This document has been developed with help from 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 document is aimed at commissioners, performance managers and providers of end of life care services, from the NHS, voluntary and independent sectors. Closing date for comments is 6th February 2009.
Consultation
Equality monitoring form

Draft guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care (4th November 2008)
This draft guidance for consultation is in response to Prof Mike Richards’ review into the consequences of additional private drugs for NHS care. Closing date for comments is 27th January 2008.
Consultation
Equality Impact Assessment

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Department of Health resource accounts 2007-08 (17th October 2008)
These accounts consolidate the financial information within the Departmental Accounting Boundary which includes the parent Department of Health (DH), Purchasing and Supply Agency, and other NHS bodies funded directly by the Department. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS Trusts and the Department’s Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies are excluded from the consolidation. NHS Trusts and those Special Health Authorities that receive their funding from 'trading' activities, e.g. NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS Logistics Authority, produce income and expenditure accounts within Resource Budgeting but are outside of the Resource Accounting Boundary.
Document

DIET/NUTRITION

Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board mid-year progress report, October 2008 (11th October 2008)
The Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board mid-year report is an independent report written by the Chair of the Board, in conjunction with key stakeholders. It summarises the Board's achievements in the first half of the year and identifies areas where further work needs to be done to implement the Nutrition Action Plan fully and meet the overall goal of improving nutritional care.
Report

DISEASES AND DISORDERS

PL/CMO/2008/7, PL/CNO/2008/7 Improving the detection and diagnosis of hepatitis C in primary care (27th October 2008)
Letter urging improvement in the detection and diagnosis of hepatitis C in primary care, and introducing Hepatitis C: Quick reference guide for primary care.
Letter
Hepatitis C: Quick reference guide for primary care (originally published 30th March 2007)

Migration and Infectious Diseases in the North West (10th November 2008)
This is the full version of short section written for a report on Health and Migration in the North West of England. The key diseases of tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis B, malaria and typhoid fever are identified and discussed. The current regional situation is described and placed within the national and global context.
Report

DRUGS

Shooting up. Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom 2007. An update: October 2008 (27th October 2008)
One-third of injecting drug users have reported having an abscess, sore or open wound at sites of injection - bacterial infections that are thought to cost the NHS around £47million a year. Recent changes in drug taking such as the increase in people taking crack cocaine, has helped fuel an increase in bacterial infections among drug users.
Report

National and regional estimates of the prevalence of opiate use and/or crack cocaine use 2006/07: a summary of key findings (November 2008)
This report summarises the results of the third and final phase of a three-year study to estimate the prevalence of problematic use of opiates and/or crack cocaine nationally (England only), regionally and locally.
Report

Good Practice in Harm Reduction (October 2008)
This report follows publication of the results of the 2006/07 service reviews on harm reduction carried out by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) and the Healthcare Commission. The aim of this report is to highlight good practice in harm reduction, based on interviews with local drug partnerships that performed well in the reviews to identify good practice in interventions to reduce drug-related harm related to blood-borne virus and overdose.
Report

EDUCATION/SCHOOLS

Review of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) in schools and the Government Response (23rd October 2008)
This report represents the views of all members of the external steering group that was established to take forward the commitment in the Children’s Plan to: ‘Review the delivery of Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in schools. It summarises how the review was organised, what evidence they considered to inform their decisions, the key challenges that they identified and the recommendations that they are making to improve SRE delivery.
Review
Government Response

FINANCE

Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) (No 5) Directions 2008 (24th October 2008)
These Directions were signed on 22 October 2008 and come into force either on 1 April 2008 or 23 October 2008 (see direction 1). The amendments primarily relate to changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework agreed in discussions earlier this year between NHS Employers and the GPC. There are, in addition, a handful of minor amendments.
Directions
Explanatory note

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Paying the Patient: does it work? A review of patient-targeted incentives (14th October 2008)
This report, from the Health Foundation, summarises available evidence on the effectiveness of patient incentives in improving quality of healthcare.
Report

FOUNDATION TRUSTS

NHS Foundation Trusts - Review and Consolidated Accounts 2007-08 (30th October 2008)
Monitor’s review of foundation trusts’ performance for the year 2007-08 supports the case that the foundation model and its regulatory regime is working, delivering robust organisations able to meet the requirements of their commissioners. In general, national healthcare targets are being met, membership is increasing and NHS foundation trusts have demonstrated that they can maintain a strong financial base, deliver efficiencies and build surpluses to invest in improved patient care. In the report it is clear that variation does exist within the sector; Monitor has intervened at five trusts during the year to remedy unacceptably poor MRSA rates, and has intervened formally at one trust in response to concerns about financial governance. However, the Annual Health Check ratings produced in October 2008 by the Healthcare Commission show a very positive picture – of the 42 trusts rated ‘excellent’ for both quality of services and use of resources, 38 were foundation trusts.
Report

GUIDANCE/GUIDELINES

Treatment of heart attack national guidance: final report of the National Infarct Angioplasty Project (NIAP) (20th October 2008)
NIAP is a feasibility study looking at how far primary angioplasty can be rolled out as the main treatment for heart attack in place of clot-busting drugs. This is the final report concluding that it is feasible to roll out primary angioplasty for the majority of England within acceptable treatment times and is being published to encourage best practice.
Final report
Impact assessment
Equality impact assessment

Acting for change: transforming pathology services through action learning (7th November 2008)
Building on the earlier success of the Pathology Action Learning Programme, in 2007/08 DH supported around 30 learning sets. They used action learning techniques to tackle issues such as point of care testing, workforce re-profiling, phlebotomy, and service reconfiguration. This report makes available the learning from those projects, together with an introduction to action learning.
Report

NHS Guidance on planning for disruption to road fuel supply: strategic national guidance for NHS organisations (5th November 2008)
This document gives interim guidance to National Health Service organisations to assist with their business continuity management planning in response to a reduction of the normal availability of road fuel, from a minor disruption through to the activation of the National Emergency Plan – Fuel (NEP-F) 2008. This guidance follows on from the NHS Resilience and Business Continuity Management Guidance 2008 and should be used in conjunction with the NHS Emergency Planning Guidance 2005. It is subordinate to the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s NEP-F, which is currently undergoing further review.
Document