National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit. A national audit of provision and outcomes of mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery for women in England and Wales. First Annual Report of the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit 2008 (7th March 2008)
Only one in ten of women with breast cancer are getting access to reconstruction surgery at the time of their mastectomy, despite recommendations from the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2002 that it should be available to all. These are the early findings of the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit, published today by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the NHS Information Centre on behalf of the Healthcare Commission.
Click here for the Audit
Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000. A report on regulation activity from 1st November 2006 to 31st December 2007 (March 2008)
The Healthcare Commission today calls on NHS and independent sector hospitals to ensure they are not exposing patients to the dangers of unnecessary radiation through x-rays, CT scans and other procedures. In the first report of its type, the Commission analyses 329 incidents reported to it during the 14 month period from November 2006 to December 2007 under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (2000).
Click here for the Report
High Impact Changes for Health and Social Care (14th March 2008)
A new CSIP publication has been launched today featuring an inspirational collection of organisational initiatives which are changing health and social care services and the lives of people who use them. These initiatives are organised around the seven positive outcomes for people using health and social care services identified in the Government Green Paper Independence wellbeing and choice and the White Paper Our health our care our say. These were identified following a major consultation exercise informed by the expressed views of service users and carers across the country. They have been further reinforced by Putting people first (2007) and the 2008 Local Government Circular Transforming Social Care.
Click here for the Publication
Foot and Mouth Review: 2007 (12th March 2008)
Following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease identified in Surrey in August 2007, the Prime Minister asked Dr Iain Anderson to look at the Government's response to the outbreak (Dr Anderson chaired the previous Inquiry into the 2001 outbreak). The review found that many of the lessons identified in the 2002 Report had been acted upon and the performance, as a whole was improved. However there are a number of recommendations that need to be followed in future.
Click here for the Full review
Click here for the Notes of interviews
Click here for the Submissions
Working for a healthier tomorrow (17th March 2008)
Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work, was commissioned in March 2007 by the Secretaries of State for Health and Work and Pensions to undertake a wide-ranging review of the health of Britain’s working age population. The purpose of this commission was to develop a baseline understanding of the health of working age people and the impact this has on government, the economy and society; and to make recommendations to Government and wider stakeholders on how to improve the health of the working age population.
Click here for the Review
Provision of FP10 and FP10 (MDA) prescription forms by HM Prison Healthcare for released prisoners: guidance (for England only) (13th March 2008)
This guidance is to inform and support relevant offender health and NHS professionals, organisations and those who dispense prescriptions for released prisoners. The changes enable prisoners released from prisons and young offender institutions to be issued with an FP10 or FP10[MDA] prescription form to improve continuity of care on release.
Click here for the Guidance
Evaluation of the GP Education Pilot: Health and work in general practice (5th March 2008)
This report evaluates a pilot programme that aimed to drive up professional standards in general medical practice in the area of health and work. The goal was to help general practitioners better handle sickness absence management and help patients return to work.
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UK Greenhouse gas emissions: measurement and reporting (15th March 2008)
The growing awareness of the challenge of climate change has led to much discussion in recent years of the need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (ghgs). There are many issues associated with this agenda, and the NAO has reported on two of them last year (the accuracy of emissions forecasting and the use of cost-effectiveness analysis). But the ability to measure and report ghg emissions accurately is a fundamental requirement underpinning any form of analysis and forecasting. This briefing, produced for the Environmental Audit Committee, aims to throw light on this process.
Click here for the Report
National Dementia Strategy Resources (6th March 2008)
The Department of Health has a new section on their website dedicated to the National Dementia Strategy.
Click here for the Resources
The Age Agenda 2008 Public Policy and Older People (February 2008)
Care services could go from bad to worse in the next three years, according to a groundbreaking new ‘state of the nation’ report by Age Concern. The Age Agenda 2008 claims that without a big cash injection and radical reform of the system, the Government’s rhetoric on social care will fail to become a reality.
Click here for the Report
Person or place-based policies to tackle disadvantage? Not knowing what works (7th March 2008)
A review of the effectiveness of policies introduced in Great Britain since 1997 to tackle employment, education and income disadvantage, focusing on policies that explicitly take account of people and places.
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Click here for the Findings
The DH Guide (13th March 2008)
This Guide was produced for all staff at DH, full-time, part-time, on secondment or contractors. It aims to help everyone make sense of DH. It may also be useful to those outside DH who wish to know more about how we operate but it should be read on the basis that it is written for staff internally. The attached Glossary will aid all readers where DH-specific terminology is used.
Click here for the Guide
Click here for the Glossary
The new dental contract: full of holes and causing pain? (6th March 2008)
This Patient Association report asked PCTs in England how they are responding to the new dental contract. It reveals that there is confusion not just amongst patients but also amongst PCTs regarding their commissioning role.
Click here for the Report
Code of Practice for the Promotion of NHS Funded Services – Response to the Consultation Promotion Code (18th March 2008)
This code of practice sets out rules around promotional material issued by providers of NHS services to ensure that: the information patients receive is not misleading, inaccurate, unfair or offensive, that the brand and reputation of the NHS is protected, and that expenditure on promotional activity is not excessive.
Click here for the Code of Practice
The impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder: An evaluation (4th March 2008)
The Licensing Act 2003 came into effect on the 24th November 2005 and abolished set licensing laws in England and Wales. The aim was to liberalise a rigid system whilst reducing the problems of drinking and disorder associated with a standard closing time. This evaluation analysed recorded crime data in five case study areas. This was supplemented by survey data from local residents about their perceptions of crime and qualitative interviews with regulators and representatives from night time economy businesses. The findings suggest the overall volume of incidents of crime and disorder remains unchanged, though there are signs that crimes involving serious violence have reduced. There is, however, temporal displacement, in that the small proportion of violent crime occurring in the small hours of the morning has increased. Police, local authorities and licensees generally welcomed the new powers and the Act’s partnership philosophy.
Click here for the Main report
Unlocking the Talent of our Communities (5th March 2008)
This white paper sets out the Government's commitment to make changes that give people more local influence, control and ownership of local services, such as employment, health, education and transport.
Click here for the White Paper
Community empowerment in practice: lessons from Communities First (11th March 2008)
An examination of a community-based programme in Wales that aims to increase opportunities for community empowerment and potential influence over service providers. The research presents findings from nine case studies of Communities First partnerships to provide insights into the achievement of community empowerment. It considers: how far partnerships have developed and evolved to empower communities; the relationships communities have with other representative channels; the extent to which communities have influenced other agendas; and the overall impact of regeneration partnerships.
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Click here for the Findings
Neighbourhood identity: People, time and place (12th March 2008)
A study of how neighbourhood identity is formed and the implications this may have for area renewal policies. The study examines three neighbourhoods in Stirling, Scotland, and explores what it means to people to ‘come from’ each of these areas as a way of understanding issues of belonging and attachment to particular places.
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Click here for the Findings
Beyond Naturalisation: Citizenship policy in an age of super mobility (11th March 2008)
A research report for the Lord Goldsmith Citizenship Review. This report examines how a government committed to progressive notions of citizenship might respond to the fact that fewer people are willing to take up British citizenship or able to establish long-term roots within communities. In other words, the authors ask how government can promote citizenship among a population that includes growing numbers of non-citizens.
Click here for the report
Updated Child Health Promotion Programme (17th March 2008)
The new updated Child Health Promotion Programme (CHPP): Pregnancy and the first five years of life was launched on 17th March 2008. It builds on the children’s National Service Framework and is intended to provide preventative services tailored to the individual needs of children and families, acting as a best practice guide for children’s services.
Click here for the Programme
The Children’s Commissioner’s findings and recommendations regarding the safeguarding of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the London Borough of Hillingdon (7th March 2008)
In a report released today, the Children’s Commissioner has revealed a number of concerns relating to young asylum seekers who are being denied the level of care and access to health and education provision as required by the Children Act 1989 and its associated regulations.
Click here for the Report
Regulating Complementary Medical Practitioners – An International Review (March 2008)
Complementary medical practitioners may be a distinct minority in places such as Europe, North America and Australia, but in other countries the number of practitioners and the people who use their services are in the majority. Many practitioners practise without qualification or adequate training, and in response to this the World Health Organization has recommended that governments develop national policies that include regulation of practice, education, training and licensing. In this report the experiences of 16 countries in regards to this issue are reviewed.
Click here for the Review
Click here for the Case Studies, Annex and References
